Beer Town, Don't Even Ask About Wine
Midtown / Spenard · Anchorage · Mexican / Pub / Pizza · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 21, 2026
Wingman Metrics
You flip to the drinks section and the wine list takes up about four lines — right between the margarita specials and the draft beer rundown. This place knows what it is, and wine is not it. That's not a criticism, just a clear statement of priorities.
The list is about as deep as a puddle in July. We're talking a handful of house pours — generic California Cabernet and Chardonnay — with no producers named, no vintages listed, and no discernible reason to choose one over another. There's no regional curiosity here, no nod to small producers, nothing that suggests anyone gave the wine program more than ten minutes of thought. If you came to Bear Tooth looking for a Willamette Pinot or even a decent Malbec, you took a wrong turn.
There are roughly 6–8 wines by the glass at $8–$11, which is honest Anchorage pricing for what you're getting. The options are generic enough that the list might as well read 'red' and 'white.' Rotation appears nonexistent — these are set-it-and-forget-it pours that haven't changed since someone typed up the menu.
House Cabernet Sauvignon — $10
At $10 a glass, you're not getting complexity — but you're getting an inoffensive red that won't fight with a slice of pizza or a plate of enchiladas. It's the most functional option on a very short list.
House Chardonnay
Nobody orders Chardonnay at a Tex-Mex pub, which means your glass arrives fast and nobody judges you for it. Chilled, simple, and it actually works alongside the fish tacos better than you'd expect.
House Cabernet Sauvignon
If you're eating the specialty pizza and thinking a glass of house Cab will elevate the experience — it won't. Save the $10, order a local draft, and be happier for it.
House Chardonnay + Fish Tacos
Cold, neutral white wine and fried or grilled fish in a taco is about as reliable as it gets. The Chardonnay isn't doing anything fancy, but it cuts through the richness and gets out of the way.
❌ The Bottom Line
Bear Tooth Grill is a legitimately great spot for beer, margaritas, pizza, and a movie — the wine list is just a formality. Order a craft beer, skip the wine entirely, and you'll have a fantastic time.
Downtown · Anchorage · New American
The Marx Brothers Café is the kind of place that makes you reconsider your assumptions about where serious wine lives. In a historic Anchorage bungalow, they've built a list that would hold its own in San Francisco — and that earns every bit of the Wild Card badge.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown / G Street corridor · Anchorage · Wine Bar / Bistro
Crush earns its Wild Card badge not by being perfect, but by being genuinely surprising — a 600-bottle cellar and 40+ glass pours in Anchorage is an achievement worth acknowledging out loud. If you're passing through or living here, this is where you go when you actually care what's in your glass.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Girdwood · Anchorage · Winery Restaurant / Taproom
Bear Creek Winery Loft earns its Wild Card badge honestly — it's not trying to be a serious wine destination and doesn't need to be. If you're in Girdwood and you skip this in favor of a hotel bar pour, you've made a mistake you'll regret when you're back home explaining why you didn't try the rhubarb wine made in Alaska.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Anchorage · Modern Mexican / Latin Fusion
Tequila 61° is a genuinely fun downtown Anchorage spot — but the wine list is not the reason to come. Order the tequila, drink the margaritas, and if someone at the table insists on wine, steer them toward the Pinot Grigio and move on.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown · Anchorage · Brazilian Steakhouse (Churrascaria)
Texas de Brazil Anchorage is a reliable enough wine stop if you calibrate expectations to match the format — this is a chain steakhouse, not a wine destination, and the list behaves accordingly. Grab the Catena, eat a lot of picanha, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Turnagain / West Anchorage · Anchorage · American gastropub
Rustic Goat isn't your destination for a wine-forward dinner, but it's a genuinely fair list for a neighborhood spot doing wood-fired food in Anchorage. Send your friends here for dinner — just temper expectations on the wine and you'll leave happy.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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