Corporate Comfort Food, Forget the Wine
West Topeka · Topeka · Casual American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 2, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Applebee's Grill + Bar – SW Ashworth Place’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at this Applebee's is exactly what you'd expect from a laminated insert tucked inside a sticky menu — eight to twelve labels, all corporate staples, zero surprises. It's a list designed to reassure, not excite. If you're hoping for anything beyond a recognizable label, you're in the wrong zip code.
The entire list reads like a grocery store endcap: Barefoot Moscato, Yellow Tail Merlot, Cupcake Vineyards Chardonnay, Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon, and Kendall-Jackson leading the charge as the 'premium' option. Every single bottle is a high-volume commercial brand built for mass distribution, not for the dinner table. There's no regional character, no adventurous picks, and no indication that anyone at corporate HQ spent more than twenty minutes building this list. The only thing consistent across it all is consistency — and not the good kind.
All eight or so pours are available by the glass, which is the list's one genuine convenience. Prices run $6 to $9 a glass, and nothing will offend you — but nothing will interest you either. There's no rotation, no seasonal swap, no sign that this program has been touched since the menu was last reprinted.
Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon — $7/glass
At $7 a glass for something you can buy at Walmart for $9 a bottle, the markup is actually modest by chain restaurant standards. It's a soft, fruit-forward cab that's inoffensive with a burger. Low bar, but cleared.
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay
Look, it's not exciting, but KJ Vintner's Reserve has earned its reputation as a reliably made, lightly oaked chardonnay that drinks above its price point. At $8 a glass, it's the one pour on this list that won't make you regret not ordering a beer.
Barefoot Moscato
Sweet, cloying, and essentially dessert in a glass — at a grill-and-bar. If you genuinely enjoy Barefoot Moscato, we respect your autonomy, but we can't in good conscience recommend it as a meal companion. Order a Coke, it'll cost less and make more sense.
Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon + Bourbon Street Chicken & Shrimp
The smoky, slightly sweet Cajun seasoning on the Bourbon Street Chicken & Shrimp actually softens Dark Horse's tannins enough to make the pairing functional. It's not a revelation, but it's the most coherent match on a very short list of options.
The Bottom Line
This is a wine list that exists because a restaurant technically has to have one — not because anyone cares. Order a cocktail, grab a beer, and save your wine curiosity for literally anywhere else.
West Topeka / Wanamaker Corridor · Topeka · Tex-Mex
Jose Pepper's is a great spot for a frozen margarita and a chimichanga — the wine list just isn't why you're here, and it knows it. Order the cocktails and don't look back.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Topeka · Topeka · Italian
The wine list at Olive Garden East Topeka is a corporate document, not a wine program — marked up steeply on bottles that deserve no such confidence. Order a cocktail, split a bottle of the house Chianti if you must, and save your wine curiosity for literally anywhere else in Topeka.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West/Central Topeka · Topeka · Italian
The wine list exists because every Italian restaurant has to have one — not because anyone here is passionate about it. Drink the Cavit, enjoy the unlimited breadsticks, and save the serious wine drinking for somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Topeka · Topeka · Seafood
Red Lobster's wine list is exactly what you'd expect from a national chain that treats wine as an afterthought — familiar names, steep markups, zero curation. Order the Riesling, enjoy the Cheddar Bay Biscuits, and don't come here looking for a wine moment.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Topeka · Topeka · Italian-American
Olive Garden is not a wine destination and was never trying to be one — the list exists to move bottles, not to inspire anyone. Order the Il Grigio if you want something worth drinking, otherwise stick to the Chianti and save your wine energy for somewhere else.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Topeka · Topeka · Steakhouse
LongHorn's wine program exists to check a box, not to enhance your dinner. Order the steak, skip the wine list, and if someone insists, point them to the Decoy Cab and move on.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central Avenue / South Hot Springs · Hot Springs · Casual American
The wine list at Cheddar's Hot Springs exists because a restaurant has to have one, not because anyone gave it a second thought. Order a cocktail, enjoy the scratch kitchen, and save the wine conversation for somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Boar's Head / Ivy Road · Charlottesville · Casual American
The Bistro at Boar's Head isn't a wine destination, but it doesn't embarrass itself either — especially for a resort list, the Virginia producer support is genuine and worth ordering. If you're on property, lean local and you'll leave satisfied.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Corvallis · Corvallis · Casual American
This is a sports bar with a wine section, not a wine bar that happens to have sports. Order a beer, order a cocktail, order the boneless wings — just don't come here expecting anything from the wine list.
Grocery Store
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.
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