Come for the Beer, Not the Bottle
Golden Triangle Area · Denton · American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 1, 2026
RagingWine reviewed BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse Denton’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at BJ's Denton is exactly what you'd expect from a mall-adjacent sports brewpub: an afterthought dressed up as an option. Two house wines by the glass, a short roster of grocery store staples by the bottle, and a vibe that makes absolutely no apologies about prioritizing craft beer and pizookies over Paso Robles. We respect the honesty, even if we can't respect the list.
The bottle list reads like the wine aisle at a regional supermarket — Apothic Red, Ménage à Trois, Ecco Domani, Mirassou, Cupcake Moscato. These are not bad wines; they are invisible wines, the kind that exist to fill a checkbox. There's no regional story being told here, no adventurous pours, no producer worth knowing by name. California value brands dominate from start to finish, and the closest thing to a premium option is a J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cab at $34 — a bottle you can grab at Total Wine for $15. The list doesn't evolve, doesn't surprise, and doesn't try.
Two options by the glass: Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon and Dark Horse Chardonnay, coming in at $6–$9 a pour. That's it. Dark Horse is a perfectly drinkable mass-market brand, but offering exactly two glass pours at a full-scale restaurant with a 100-item menu is a signal, and that signal is: we do not care about wine. The good news is Tuesday exists.
La Marca Prosecco DOC (187 mL) — $9
At $9 for a single-serve bottle, this is the most honestly priced thing on the list — roughly 80% over retail, which by BJ's standards is practically a gift. Order two and call it a night.
J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon
Yes, it's marked up to $34 from a $15 retail bottle — which stings — but on a Tuesday at half price, you're looking at $17 for a genuinely solid Paso Robles Cab with actual structure and weight. That's the move.
Mirassou Pinot Noir
A $9 retail bottle priced at $28 is a 211% markup on a wine that has no business being priced above $20 anywhere. If you need Pinot, wait for Tuesday or skip it entirely.
Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon + Deep Dish Pizza
Dark Horse Cab is a big, fruit-forward California red with enough body to stand up to BJ's signature deep dish without demanding your attention. It's a background wine for a background-noise meal, and that's exactly right.
Tuesday — BJ's chain-wide Half Off Wine Tuesday offers 50% off wines by the glass and by the bottle every Tuesday in the dining room and bar. Participation confirmed at this location. This is the only reason to order wine here.
The Bottom Line
BJ's Denton is a beer hall that happens to stock wine, and the list makes that priority crystal clear. If you must drink wine here, come on a Tuesday — Half Off Wine Tuesday is the one thing this program does that actually earns a tip of the glass.
Downtown Denton · Denton · Seafood, American Cajun
Hoochies is an oyster bar first and a wine destination never, but the list is functional enough that you won't feel stranded. Order the catfish, grab a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, and save the wine deep-dive for another night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Golden Triangle Area · Denton · American
Cheddar's wine program exists to check a box, not to serve you well. Order a cocktail or a beer — they've actually put thought into those — and save the wine for a restaurant that cares.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Golden Triangle Area · Denton · Texas steakhouse / American
Saltgrass Denton is a solid place to eat a steak; it is not a place to drink wine. Order a Shiner, grab the J. Lohr if you need something in a glass, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that shares it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
South Denton · Denton · Steakhouse
Texas Roadhouse Denton is not a wine destination — it's a rolls-and-steak destination, and that's completely fine. Order the cocktail, drink the beer, and save your wine enthusiasm for somewhere that returns the favor.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Denton · Denton · American / Tex-Mex
This wine program exists to check a box, not to enhance your meal — if you're at Chili's Denton for the wine, something has gone wrong. Stick to the margaritas, which is almost certainly what the restaurant intended all along.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Golden Triangle Area · Denton · Italian
Olive Garden Denton's wine list is what happens when a corporate committee designs a menu for the broadest possible audience and then never revisits it. Come for the breadsticks and the Zuppa Toscana — but if you care about what's in your glass, you already know this isn't your spot.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Yountville · American
The Kitchen at Priest Ranch is a one-winery show, and that's exactly the point. If you want to spend an evening exploring what a single Napa estate produces across whites, rosé, Zinfandel, Merlot, and multiple Cabernet expressions — including older large-format bottles — this is a genuinely interesting way to do it. Just don't come expecting breadth or outside discovery. Send a friend here if they love Priest Ranch or want to.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· Baltimore · American
Give the international and local sections a look before defaulting to Burgundy. Sula at $70 and Old Westminster at $90 offer different budget options. These are posted bottle prices, not guaranteed stock; confirm availability. This menu guide doesn't rate service or cellar conditions.
· Key West · American
Caroline's Café is not a wine destination, and it's not trying to be — the identical pricing across all five house labels makes that abundantly clear. If you're in Key West looking for something interesting in your glass, keep walking; if you just need a cold pour of Chardonnay with your lunch and aren't asking questions, $8 gets you there without drama.
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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