Lakeside Views, Grocery Store Pours
Big Cedar / Ridgedale Area · Branson · Resort Bar & Grill · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 23, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Big Cedar Lodge – Buzzard Bar’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The Buzzard Bar sits inside one of the Ozarks' most scenic resort properties, and the wine list makes absolutely no attempt to live up to that setting. You scan the options and feel like you've seen this list before — because you have, at every airport TGI Fridays between here and Nashville. The outdoor views are stunning; the wine program is not.
What we're working with here is the Mount Rushmore of grocery store wine brands: Meiomi, Josh Cellars, Kim Crawford, La Marca. These are fine wines in their natural habitat — a weeknight Kroger run — but at a flagship resort charging resort prices, it feels like a missed opportunity of genuinely embarrassing proportions. There's no regional character, no attempt to stretch into anything interesting, and zero depth beyond the obvious California and New Zealand suspects. If you were hoping to find a small Missouri producer or even a halfway adventurous Old World bottle on the list, keep hoping.
Somewhere in the range of six to ten pours, but don't get excited — it's essentially the full bottle list reshuffled into glass format. The La Marca Prosecco is the most functional option if you want something light and low-stakes with your nachos. Beyond that, the by-the-glass program is just the same brands with a shorter commitment.
La Marca Prosecco — $10
At the low end of the glass price range, Prosecco is the move here — it's a crowd-pleaser, it's hard to mess up, and it actually makes sense with bar snacks. Relative to everything else on this list, it's your least bad option dollar-for-dollar.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc
It's not hidden and it's not a gem, but if you're eating fish tacos in the Ozark heat, a cold glass of Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc will do exactly what it needs to do. It's the one wine on this list that actually matches the casual bar-food context — bright, citrusy, and unapologetically easy.
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
Josh Cellars Cab is a $12 retail bottle getting resort markup treatment. Ordering a heavy red at a lakeside bar while eating wings is already a questionable life choice — paying $14-$15 a glass for something you could crack open at home for less makes it worse.
La Marca Prosecco + Fish Tacos
Sparkling wine and fried fish are a genuinely good combination — the bubbles cut through the batter and the bright acidity plays off the citrus and slaw. It's the one pairing on this menu where the wine list accidentally does something right.
The Bottom Line
The Buzzard Bar is a great place to have a cold beer and watch the lake — but if you're here for wine, you're in the wrong zip code. Order a cocktail, enjoy the view, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that earned it.
· Branson · Barbecue
Come to Gettin' Basted for the barbecue — not the wine. The $5 house pour is a service item, not a program, and there's no evidence anyone is minding the cellar (or even has one). Order a beer, enjoy the smoke, and don't think about wine until you're somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Branson · Italian-American
Pasghetti's isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list makes that abundantly clear. If you're here for the pasta and the family-friendly Branson vibe, grab a Lambrusco and call it a night — but don't expect the wine program to be part of the reason you come back.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Branson · Seafood
Landry's Branson keeps its wine program simple to the point of invisibility — fair prices, familiar names, no bottles, no story. If you're here for the seafood and just want a glass of something reasonable alongside it, you won't suffer. But if wine matters to you even a little, this list wasn't built with you in mind.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Pointe Royale / State Highway 165 corridor · Branson · Steakhouse
Saltgrass Pointe Royale isn't a wine destination, but it's not an embarrassment either — fair prices, drinkable pours, and a list that serves its purpose alongside a good steak. Send a friend here for the food; just tell them to skip the Meiomi.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Table Rock Lake / Marina area · Branson · Seafood / American
White River Fish House is not your wine destination in Branson, but it doesn't pretend to be — the list is safe, priced fairly, and sensible enough for what the kitchen is serving. Send a friend here for the lake views and the catfish; just tell them to stick to white wine and keep expectations calibrated accordingly.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Branson Hills / north Branson · Branson · Steakhouse
Saltgrass Branson isn't a wine destination, and it knows it — the list exists to serve the steak, and at these prices, it does that job competently. Send your wine-curious friends here without hesitation; send your wine-obsessed friends to dinner somewhere else first.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
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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