The Wine List Time Forgot
Northeast Cedar Rapids · Cedar Rapids · American Casual Dining · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 3, 2026
Wingman Metrics
You open the laminated menu sleeve and there it is — a wine list that looks like it was assembled in 2003 and nobody has touched it since. Eight by-the-glass options, all California, all names you've seen on the bottom shelf at Target. This isn't a wine program; it's a liability waiver.
The entire list reads like a greatest hits of mass-produced California wine: Beringer White Zinfandel, Sutter Home Chardonnay, Woodbridge Cabernet. Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay is the lone bottle with any pretense of effort, and even that's a stretch. There are no Old World options, no interesting domestic producers, no depth to speak of — just corporate safe choices designed to offend no one and excite no one. If you're hoping to find a Willamette Valley Pinot or even a basic Malbec, keep hoping.
Eight pours on offer, all hovering between $6 and $11 a glass, which sounds reasonable until you realize you're paying bar markup on wines that retail for $6 a bottle. There's no rotation, no seasonal thinking, no sense that anyone behind the bar has ever asked the question 'what should we be pouring right now?'
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay — $9
It's the only wine on the list with a recognizable track record of actual quality. KJ Vintner's Reserve is a consistent, crowd-pleasing Chardonnay — not adventurous, but at least it's something you'd order again without cringing.
Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon
Nobody walks into Applebee's ordering Woodbridge Cab on purpose, but with the Bourbon Street Steak in front of you and a game on every screen, this approachable, fruit-forward pour actually does its job without complaint. Lower your expectations and it might surprise you.
Beringer White Zinfandel
At $7–$8 a glass, you're paying restaurant markup on a wine that retails for under $5 a bottle. It's sweet, it's pink, and it's asking you to pay a premium for the privilege of drinking it out of a chain restaurant glass. Hard pass.
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay + Four-Cheese Mac & Cheese with Honey Pepper Chicken Tenders
The buttery oak on the KJ Chardonnay mirrors the richness of the four-cheese sauce, and its hint of sweetness doesn't fight the honey pepper glaze. It's the best this list can do, and honestly, it works.
❌ The Bottom Line
Order a cocktail. The wine list here is a placeholder, not a program — and the markup on grocery store bottles is a bad deal no matter how you slice it. If your dinner crew is wine-curious, you're better off stopping at a bottle shop on the way.
Cedar Rapids · Cedar Rapids · Italian
Biaggi's isn't a wine destination, but the Italian-forward list does enough right that you can drink well if you know where to look. Stick to the Italian bottles, avoid the obvious crowd-pleasers, and you'll leave satisfied.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Cedar Rapids · Cedar Rapids · Upscale Steakhouse / Fine Dining American
Midtown Reserve is doing more with wine than anyone in Cedar Rapids has a right to expect, with a list that actually has some range and genuine finds if you look past the house pours. The markups are real and the glass program plays it safe, but for a serious dinner in Iowa, this is absolutely where you want to be drinking.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
NewBo · Cedar Rapids · Steakhouse / Butcher Restaurant
Butcher's Block is a reliable steakhouse wine list that does exactly what it's supposed to — get Napa Cab on the table with a great piece of beef. It won't excite the adventurous drinker, and the markups sting a little, but if you're here for the meat, the wine will do its job.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Czech Village · Cedar Rapids · Pub food and American
Parlor City is a genuinely fun neighborhood pub, and the daily happy hour makes the wine situation tolerable — half-price Moscato d'Asti at 4pm is a perfectly fine life choice. But if wine is your priority tonight, this isn't your stop.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Active Program
Acceptable
Lindale Mall area · Cedar Rapids · American / Brewpub
Granite City is a perfectly fine place to drink a pint brewed on-site — that's genuinely the move here. The wine list exists as a formality, not an invitation, and the markups on grocery-store bottles aren't doing anyone any favors.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Lindale Mall area · Cedar Rapids · Sports Bar
Buffalo Wild Wings Cedar Rapids is not a wine destination — it's a sports bar that technically serves wine the way a gas station technically sells food. Order a beer, enjoy the wings, and save your wine curiosity for literally anywhere else in Cedar Rapids.
Grocery Store
Steep
Red Flag
MIA
Set & Forget
Hot Mess
Unknown · Abilene · American Casual Dining
Send a friend here for the Chicken Fried Steak and a cold beer — the wine list is a checkbox, not a destination. No one choosing Cheddar's in Abilene is coming for the Burgundy, and the list doesn't pretend otherwise.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Southwest Cedar Rapids · Cedar Rapids · American Casual Dining
Order a cocktail. Applebee's does not care about wine and the list proves it — overpriced grocery-store pours with zero curation or effort. If you absolutely must have wine with your Bourbon Street Chicken, grab the KJ Chardonnay and make peace with it.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Chesapeake · Norfolk · American Casual Dining
The Cheesecake Factory wine list is functional in the same way that an airport moving walkway is functional — it gets you somewhere, but nobody's excited about it. Come for the Chicken Madeira, order a cocktail, or grab the Champagne if you're feeling bold.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.