A Steakhouse List That Actually Earns Its Stripes
Back Bay · Boston · American Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Updated April 2026
Reviewed March 25, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Five hundred fifteen bottles is not a wine list — it's a commitment. Abe & Louie's opens with a cellar-deep statement, and the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence on their homepage makes clear they know it. The breadth here is genuinely impressive for a Boston steakhouse, spanning far beyond the expected Napa Cab parade.
The list leans hard into California — Caymus Special Selection, Darioush, Dominus, Plumpjack — and if that's your wheelhouse, you're going to be very happy. But there's real range underneath the headline names: Spain, Italy, Germany, South America, Australia, and South Africa all show up with enough depth to suggest someone is actually curating this, not just filling slots. The Napa focus can feel heavy if you're hunting for something more esoteric, but the international spread keeps things interesting for those willing to look past the first few pages.
Thirty-nine by-the-glass options is an unusually generous pour program for a steakhouse of this size — most places half-heartedly offer a dozen. The $13–$35 range means you can start light and finish serious without committing to a full bottle. We'd love to see more rotation or a stated seasonal program, but the sheer volume gives you real flexibility.
2018 Plumpjack, Oakville, Napa Valley — $200+
Plumpjack punches above its weight in a lineup that includes Dominus and Darioush — it's often the most approachable and food-friendly of the heavy Napa hitters on this list, and in a steakhouse context, that drinkability on opening is worth something.
2019 Ink Grade, Napa Valley
Most tables at Abe & Louie's are going straight to Caymus or Dominus on name recognition alone. Ink Grade is a smaller-production Napa producer that doesn't get the same spotlight — worth asking your server about it before defaulting to the obvious.
2017 Caymus Special Selection, Napa Valley
Look, Caymus is fine. But you are absolutely paying a steakhouse premium on top of an already-inflated market price for a wine that is extremely easy to find at retail. You can do better with the same money on this very list.
2016 Dominus, Napa Valley + Prime Bone-In Ribeye
Dominus is a Bordeaux-style blend built for patience and red meat. The structure and dark fruit hold their own against the fat and char of a bone-in ribeye without overwhelming it — this is exactly the pairing this wine was designed for.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Abe & Louie's has the bones of a serious wine program — deep cellar, knowledgeable staff, real range across regions — held back mainly by steakhouse-standard markups and a specials program that feels like it was set in 2019 and left alone. Send a friend here for wine? Yes, with the caveat that they should budget accordingly and explore past the Napa headliners.
Seaport District · Boston · Greek
Trade is doing something genuinely rare in Boston: taking Greek wine seriously and giving diners the tools to explore it without a lecture. If you're eating anywhere near the Seaport and curious about what's actually in your glass, this is the move.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Financial District · Boston · American Steakhouse
The Vermilion Club isn't trying to reinvent the steakhouse wine list, and it doesn't need to — the California depth is real, the execution is consistent, and it delivers exactly what a power-lunch crowd in the Financial District wants. Just know what you're walking into: this is Cab country, the markups are steakhouse-standard steep, and adventurous wine drinkers should calibrate expectations accordingly.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Post Office Square · Boston · Cuban
Mariel earns its Wine Spectator credential by being genuinely thoughtful about a list that could have easily phoned it in. If you're in Boston's Financial District and want something more interesting than another steakhouse Cab Franc, this is exactly the kind of wild card worth having in your back pocket.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Back Bay · Boston · Seafood
Atlantic Fish is a reliable, well-run wine program in a room that takes its seafood seriously — Greg Bergeron keeps the white Burgundy and Italian whites sharp and the BTG list honest. Markups will sting on the big bottles, but if you navigate toward the value end of the list, you'll drink very well.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Lovejoy Wharf · Boston · American, Seasonal
Alcove isn't a destination wine list, but it's a genuinely solid one with fair prices and enough depth to reward the curious drinker. If you're coming for the view and the lobster risotto, you'll leave happy on the wine front too — and that's more than most waterfront spots in Boston can say.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Beacon Hill · Boston · American, Small Plates
1928 Beacon Hill is exactly what a Beacon Hill neighborhood spot should be on wine — honest, Italy-forward, and priced fairly enough that you won't feel the sting. It's not a destination list, but it's a very good reason not to skip the wine.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Murfreesboro · Murfreesboro · American Steakhouse
The Chop House Murfreesboro does exactly what it's designed to do: give you a decent glass of California red with your steak at a familiar price point. If you're looking for a wine revelation, you're in the wrong place — but if you just want a solid night out with a reliable pour, it delivers.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Oyster Point / Jefferson Avenue · Newport News · American Steakhouse
LongHorn Newport News isn't a wine destination — it's a steakhouse where wine is an afterthought, priced to extract margin rather than reward curiosity. Order the ribeye, pick the least-bad bottle, and don't expect anyone at the table to talk about what's in the glass.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Hanes Mall / Strickland Rd · Winston Salem · American Steakhouse
Firebirds isn't trying to reinvent anything, and the wine list reflects that — it's a dependable, California-forward selection that does its job without embarrassing itself. If you want adventure, look elsewhere; if you want a solid bottle with a good steak in a comfortable room, this gets you there.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.