The Wine List That Gave Up First
East / Northeast Oshkosh · Oshkosh · American Casual Dining
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 14, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Applebee's Grill + Bar – Oshkosh East’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list here is about as long as a Denny's kids menu and twice as predictable. You're handed a laminated insert that reads like the bottom shelf of a Walgreens wine section — no surprises, no ambition, no apologies. It exists because a restaurant technically has to have one.
We're talking 10-15 bottles total, almost entirely California with a lone New Zealand flag planted via Kim Crawford. The producers — Sutter Home, Barefoot, Woodbridge, Bota Box — are names you recognize from grocery store endcaps, not from any winery you'd actually visit. There's no regional curiosity, no attempt at variety beyond the big commercial pillars of Chardonnay, Merlot, Cab, and Pinot Grigio. The list hasn't been touched in what feels like a decade and probably hasn't.
Six to ten pours by the glass, which sounds generous until you realize they're all from the same handful of mass-market labels. At $5-$9 a glass, at least your wallet isn't crying — but your palate might be. Rotation is not a concept that lives here.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc — $8/glass
It's the one wine on this list that actually tastes intentional. Clean, citrusy, and consistent — Kim Crawford is mass-market done right, and at this price point it's an honest pour.
Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon
Nobody orders Woodbridge on purpose, but paired with a Quesadilla Burger at a chain bar, it actually plays the role it was born for. Soft tannins, a little fruit, zero pretension — sometimes that's enough.
Sutter Home Chardonnay
Flat, sugary, and uninspiring even at budget prices. If you're going white and creamy, the Kim Crawford is right there and it's a completely different conversation.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc + Spinach & Artichoke Dip
The bright acidity cuts through the richness of the dip and the herbaceous note in the Sauvignon Blanc plays off the spinach. It's not a fine dining epiphany, but it works better than anything else on this list.
❌ The Bottom Line
Applebee's isn't trying to be a wine destination and it shows in every corner of this list — but if you're here for the Boneless Wings and want something cold in a glass, Kim Crawford gets the job done and the prices won't hurt you. Don't come here for wine; order a beer.
Highway 41 / South Side corridor · Oshkosh · Steakhouse
Delta Steakhouse is here for the steak, full stop — the wine list is functional set dressing, not a destination in itself. Come for the prime rib, order a beer if you're watching your wallet, and save the serious bottle for somewhere that earned it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Side Oshkosh · Oshkosh · Seafood
Red Lobster's wine program exists to check a box, not to enhance your dinner — the markups are steep, the list is frozen in 2009, and the staff is not here to help you navigate it. Stick to the cocktails or bring a bottle if they allow corkage; either way, the wine is not the reason you're here.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central / Oshkosh Avenue corridor · Oshkosh · Takeout Wings / Sports Bar Lite
Order a beer. If someone at the table insists on wine, point them toward the cava and change the subject. Buffalo Wild Wings GO in Oshkosh is not a wine destination, and pretending otherwise does nobody any favors.
Grocery Store
Steep
Red Flag
MIA
Set & Forget
Hot Mess
West Side Oshkosh · Oshkosh · American / Burgers
Red Robin's wine program exists because a full bar technically requires wine, not because anyone here cares about it. Order the Riesling, eat your burger, and save the real wine conversation for somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Side Oshkosh · Oshkosh · Steakhouse
Texas Roadhouse is here for the steak, the rolls, and the line dancing — and that's fine. The wine list is a corporate placeholder that nobody on staff can speak to and nobody in the kitchen designed the menu around. Drink the beer, enjoy the sirloin, and save the wine night for somewhere that earned it.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Side Oshkosh · Oshkosh · Italian
The Olive Garden wine program exists to check a box, not to enhance your dinner — the markups are steep, the selections are mall-food-court predictable, and no one behind the bar is going to help you navigate it. Order the Chianti Classico, enjoy the unlimited breadsticks, and save your real wine night for somewhere that cares.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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
Northeast Cedar Rapids · Cedar Rapids · American Casual Dining
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.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
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
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