The Show's On The Grill, Not The List
Midtown · Anchorage · Japanese teppanyaki & sushi · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · May 30, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Benihana Anchorage’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Benihana Anchorage is very much an afterthought — a corporate-curated roster of recognizable labels that asks nothing of you and offers nothing surprising. You're here for the hibachi show, and the wine program knows it. This list exists to check a box, not to excite anyone.
Twenty-odd bottles pulled straight from the Benihana national playbook: California Cabs, an Oregon Pinot or two, a handful of Italian whites and sparkling options, and one novelty plum wine to lean into the Japanese theme. There's nothing here you haven't seen at a hotel bar. The heavy tilt toward name-brand crowd-pleasers — Justin Cab, La Crema, The Prisoner — signals a list built for brand recognition, not for thoughtful drinking. Regions like Burgundy, Alsace, Rhône, or even domestic Willamette Valley Pinot Gris that might actually sing alongside teppanyaki flavors are nowhere to be found.
Ten to fifteen pours by the glass sounds generous until you realize most of them are the same familiar faces you'd find at a chain steakhouse. There's no rotation, no seasonal swap-ins, and no sense that anyone is curating these picks with the food in mind. It's a static lineup that will look exactly the same on your next visit.
Nino Franco Prosecco, Valdobbiadene — null
Of everything on this list, the Nino Franco is the one bottle with some actual producer credibility behind it. Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore from Nino Franco is a real, well-regarded producer — not just a grocery-store label with a pretty label. The bright acidity cuts through teppanyaki butter and soy sauces better than anything else on the list. Note: pricing wasn't confirmed in our research, so verify on-site.
Bodega Norton Reserva Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina
Nobody comes to Benihana thinking 'I'll have the Malbec,' but the Bodega Norton Reserva is a solid, fruit-forward pour that holds up to the char and salt of hibachi steak better than the overhyped Prisoner red blend sitting right next to it. Low expectations, decent delivery.
Dom Pérignon, Épernay, France
Dom on a Benihana wine list is a red flag dressed in a fancy bottle. Restaurant markup on prestige Champagne is brutal under the best circumstances — at a national teppanyaki chain in Anchorage, you're paying a painful premium for a bottle that deserves a better setting. Save Dom for somewhere it's stored, served, and celebrated properly.
Ferrari Brut, Trento, Italy + Chicken & Shrimp Combination
Ferrari Brut is a Chardonnay-dominant sparkler from the Dolomites with enough structure and acidity to slice right through the garlic butter and soy that coat everything coming off the hibachi. The chicken-shrimp combo gives you two proteins that both play well with a dry, toasty sparkling wine — and bubbles make the whole teppanyaki theater feel a little more festive anyway.
❌ The Bottom Line
Benihana Anchorage is worth every minute of the hibachi spectacle — the wine list, however, is pure corporate filler with steep markups and zero ambition. Order the Ferrari Brut, enjoy the chef's knife tricks, and keep your wine expectations as low as the flames are high.
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
Midtown / Spenard · Anchorage · Mexican / Pub / Pizza
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.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.