Come for the beer, not the wine
Francis Scott Key Mall / Route 355 · Frederick · American / Brewpub · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 13, 2026
RagingWine reviewed BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse - Frederick’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 Frederick arrives as an afterthought — a laminated insert tucked behind the beer menu, which tells you everything you need to know. This is a brewpub with a beer program that actually cares, and a wine list that very much does not. It's here because tables ask for it, not because anyone thought hard about it.
Twelve to twenty bottles, all of them names you've seen on a gas station shelf: Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay, Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet, Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio, Apothic Red Blend. This is the corporate wine buyer's least risky possible call — high-volume, nationally recognized labels that no one will complain about and no one will remember. There's no regional curiosity, no independent producer, nothing that suggests anyone here has an opinion about wine beyond 'people have heard of this.' The list is California-heavy in the most boring way imaginable.
Two by-the-glass options. Two. At a restaurant with dozens of menu items and a full craft beer program, someone decided two glass pours was enough. What you're getting depends on the day, but don't expect anything outside the Kendall-Jackson and Apothic orbit. Rotation is not a concept that applies here.
Dark Horse Chardonnay — $5
At five bucks a glass, the math is hard to argue with. Dark Horse overdelivers for its price point at retail, and BJ's isn't marking it up aggressively. It's not exciting, but it's cold, it's fine, and it won't hurt your tab.
Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio
It's no one's idea of a discovery, but Ecco Domani is consistently crisp and clean — a better call than the Apothic Red if you want something that won't coat your glass in sugar. Most people here skip right past it for bolder-sounding options, which means it tends to move slowly and stay fresh.
Apothic Red Blend
Sweet, jammy, and engineered for mass approval — Apothic Red is built for people who don't really want to taste wine. It's not offensively priced here, but there's zero reason to drink it when the beer list next to it is genuinely good. Order a Jeremiah Red and move on.
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay + Deep Dish Pizza
KJ Chard is oaky and ripe enough to hold its own against a heavy, cheese-laden deep dish without getting lost. It's not an inspired combination, but at a chain brewpub, matching the most familiar wine to the most popular dish is the most honest advice we can give.
❌ The Bottom Line
BJ's Frederick is a great spot if you're here for a craft pint and a Pizookie — and you should be. But the wine list exists purely as a formality, and we'd feel bad sending anyone here specifically for a glass of something interesting. Order the beer.
Route 85 corridor · Frederick · Japanese
Miyako's wine list exists to check a box, and it does that — nothing more. Order the sake, order a cocktail, or make peace with a Canyon Road pour and focus on the hibachi show.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Frederick · Frederick · Mediterranean / Meze
Ayse is the kind of place that surprises you — a Frederick meze lounge with a genuinely considered Italian-leaning wine list that punches above its weight class, even if markups and a static program hold it back from true greatness. Send a friend here, but tell them to skip the Amarone and ask for the Moschofilero.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Route 85 retail corridor · Frederick · Seafood / Grill
Bonefish Grill Frederick is a fine place to eat seafood, but the wine list is pure chain-restaurant autopilot — low risk, low reward, and no one in the kitchen or behind the bar is losing sleep over it. Order the Riesling at Social Hour, enjoy your salmon, and save the wine exploration for somewhere that's actually trying.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Westview · Frederick · Italian
Carrabba's Frederick isn't a wine destination, but it's a chain that actually tried — Italian-leaning list, credible producers, food-friendly pours. Send your friend here if they want a decent Chianti with their pasta and don't want to think too hard about it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Westview / Buckeystown Pike · Frederick · Steakhouse
Outback Frederick's wine list is a corporate checkbox, not a wine program — safe brands, steep pours, zero personality. Order the Malbec with your steak, or honestly, just get a beer.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Route 85 / 355 corridor · Frederick · Steakhouse
LongHorn is here to sell you a steak, and it does that job well enough — but the wine list is an afterthought at best. Order the beef, skip the wine, and save the bottle for somewhere that actually cares.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Loop 323 / South Tyler · Tyler · American / Brewpub
BJ's is a perfectly fine brewhouse with decent food and great beer — the wine program just has no business being the reason you show up. Order a craft pour, enjoy your Pizookie, and come back to wine somewhere that tried.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Evansville · Evansville · American / Brewpub
BJ's Evansville is a brewpub, full stop — the wine list is a courtesy offering for the table members who don't drink beer, not a destination in itself. If you're going, go on a Thursday, order the Meiomi or the Kim Crawford at half price, and let everyone else worry about the craft tap list.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Lindale Mall area · Cedar Rapids · American / Brewpub
Granite City is a perfectly fine place to drink a pint brewed on-site — that's genuinely the move here. The wine list exists as a formality, not an invitation, and the markups on grocery-store bottles aren't doing anyone any favors.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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