Wednesday Saves It, Nothing Else Does
SanTan Village · Gilbert · American / Brewhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 25, 2026
RagingWine reviewed BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse - Gilbert’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 Gilbert exists the same way a side salad exists at a steakhouse — technically present, entirely optional, and not the reason anyone came. You're at a brewpub, and the list makes no effort to pretend otherwise. What you see is exactly what you'd expect from a corporate chain that designed its menu around cold pints and Pizookies.
The list runs 20-30 bottles deep and reads like the wine section at your local Kroger — Dark Horse, Apothic, Ménage à Trois, Ecco Domani. These are fine bottles at the grocery store for $10; here they're dressed up on a laminated menu card and handed to you between a beer flight and a deep dish. California dominates, with a nod to Italy via the Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio, but there's no sense that anyone curated this list so much as approved a vendor quote. No independent producers, no regional character, no surprises.
The by-the-glass program runs 10-15 options at $8-$13 a pour, which is about as predictable as the pours themselves. You're not getting anything here that you haven't seen at every chain restaurant from coast to coast. The one legitimately good reason to order wine by the glass: Wednesday, when the half-price deal makes that $10 Dark Horse pour a $5 decision you can live with.
Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon — $8/glass
On any other night it's a shrug, but on Wednesday at half price you're drinking a solid everyday California Cab for $4. That's hard to argue with when you're splitting a deep dish.
Hess Select Chardonnay
If it's available at the Gilbert location, Hess Select punches above the Dark Horse tier — it's a real winery with actual terroir intention behind it, not just a brand built for mass-market shelf space. Worth asking about.
Ménage à Trois Red Blend
A $10 grocery store bottle dressed up as a menu item. There's nothing wrong with it on its own terms, but ordering it at a restaurant markup when you could have a beer brewed on-site is the wrong call at a brewpub.
Dark Horse Chardonnay + Avocado Egg Rolls
The lightly oaked, fruit-forward profile of Dark Horse Chardonnay doesn't fight the creamy avocado filling, and enough acidity is there to cut through the fried wrapper. It's a casual pairing for a casual spot — and it works on exactly that level.
Wednesday — BJ's chain-wide Daily Brewhouse Specials program includes half-off wine on Wednesdays. Applies primarily to bottles, though glass pours are often included — verify with your server at the Gilbert location, as exact inclusions can vary slightly.
The Bottom Line
BJ's Gilbert is a beer destination that happens to sell wine, and the list reflects exactly that level of effort. Come for the craft brews and the Pizookie — but if Wednesday rolls around and you want a glass of Cab with your deep dish, the half-price deal makes it a perfectly acceptable call.
· Gilbert · American / Bar
Backyard's wine list is competent the way a beige wall is competent — it's there, it won't offend anyone, and you won't remember it. If you're here for the patio vibes and cold drinks, stick to beer or cocktails and save the wine exploration for somewhere that's actually trying.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Gilbert · Gilbert · Italian
North Italia Gilbert is a chain that does the bare minimum of interesting things — and sometimes that's exactly what you need on a Tuesday in Gilbert. The Italian regional whites are the real reason to open this list; everything else is serviceable.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Gilbert · Gilbert · Wine Bar / Italian Small Plates
The board-and-bottle deal after 8 PM — bruschetta plus a bottle for $25 — is one of the better wine-night setups in the East Valley, full stop. If you live nearby and aren't already going on Mondays or Tuesdays, you're leaving money on the table.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Gilbert Rd & Warner Rd area · Gilbert · Italian, Dessert Café
The Sicilian Baker is a bakery café that accidentally built a wine list worth paying attention to — lean on the Italian selections, ignore the California filler, and let the Fiano or Grillo do the talking. We'd send a friend here for a glass and a pastry without hesitation.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Gilbert Border / Chandler Fashion Center · Gilbert · Steakhouse
Fleming's is the reliable wine friend who always shows up with a solid California Cab — not surprising, not cheap, but never wrong. If you're after a safe, well-executed wine experience with a great steak, this delivers. Just don't come looking for discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
SanTan Village · Gilbert · American
The Cheesecake Factory is a perfectly fine place to eat — the wine list just isn't a reason to go. Order a cocktail, split a bottle of Santa Margherita if you must, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that earned it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Craig Ranch / SH 121 · McKinney · American / Brewhouse
BJ's McKinney is a beer destination with a wine list that exists mostly as a formality — the Wednesday half-price deal is the only reason to engage with it seriously. Come for the craft beer and the Pazookie; the wine is just along for the ride.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Chandler Fashion Center area · Chandler · American / Brewhouse
BJ's Chandler is a brewhouse first and a wine destination never — the list exists to check a box, not to excite anyone. Order a craft beer, or if you must have wine, grab the Ste. Michelle Riesling and move on with your life.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Sherwood Mall / North Stockton · Stockton · American / Brewhouse
BJ's is a great brewhouse that happens to have wine on the menu as an afterthought, and that's fine — just order the beer. If wine is non-negotiable, show up on a Tuesday and keep your expectations calibrated to the surroundings.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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