Wine Down Tuesday Can't Save This List
The Market Place · Irvine · American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 22, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Pull up the wine list at BJ's and you'll feel like you're scrolling the end cap at a Total Wine. The usual suspects are all here — Dark Horse, Apothic, Ecco Domani — and nothing is going to surprise you. This is a beer chain that sells wine because it has to, not because anyone in this building is particularly excited about it.
The list leans hard on California value brands and a handful of international crowd-pleasers, which is exactly what you'd expect from a corporate program built to offend no one. There's no regional depth, no interesting producers, and no sign that anyone curated this with anything more than a distributor's sales sheet. Italy shows up via Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio, which is about as adventurous as the list gets. If you came here hoping to find something from Paso Robles, the Rhône, or really anywhere with a story worth telling, you're going to be disappointed.
The by-the-glass program runs roughly 15–20 options, which sounds generous until you realize it's essentially the same labels in different formats. Pricing sits in the $7–$15 range on a normal night, which is reasonable for what you're getting. The real move is Wine Down Tuesday, when glass pours go half-price — at that point, a $7–$8 pour becomes genuinely hard to argue with.
Hess Select Chardonnay — $10
This one actually retails for more than BJ's charges on their takeout/delivery program, which means you're technically getting it below cost. It's a step above the Dark Horse tier — real fruit, a little structure — and at this price point it's the most honest pour on the list.
Hess Select Chardonnay
Most people reaching for white wine here are going to default to the Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio out of habit, but the Hess Select is the better bottle. Hess has actual estate vineyards in Napa and Monterey, and the Select tier punches above the grocery-store competition it's sitting next to on this list.
Apothic Red Winemaker's Blend
Apothic Red is built for people who want their wine to taste like a dessert — it's sweet, soft, and engineered for mass appeal. At $10 the markup is nearly nothing, so at least you're not getting ripped off, but life is short and there's a Hess Select on the same list.
Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon + Deep dish pizza
Dark Horse Cab is ripe, fruit-forward, and has enough body to hold up against the cheese and tomato weight of BJ's deep dish. It's not a sophisticated pairing — but neither is the setting, and that's fine. Sometimes you just want pizza and red wine and a big TV.
Tuesday — Wine Down Tuesday offers half-price wines by the glass and discounts on select bottles. Offers can vary by location and are subject to change; BJ's does not publish a specific list of included wines for this location.
❌ The Bottom Line
BJ's wine program exists to check a box, and it does that adequately — especially on Tuesday when the prices get cut in half. Come here for the Pizookie and the craft beers; treat the wine list as a backup option, not a destination.
Irvine Spectrum · Irvine · American bar & grill
Yard House is a legitimately great spot for a cold draft beer and some bar food with a crowd, but nobody should be coming here for the wine. The list is overpriced, underdeveloped, and exactly what a national chain thinks wine drinkers want — which is to say, not much at all.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Irvine Spectrum · Irvine · Asian-inspired Chinese
P.F. Chang's Irvine Spectrum is never going to be a wine destination, but it's not trying to be — and on Wine Wednesday, with half-price bottles all day, it earns its keep. Show up with a group, order the Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling at $15, and enjoy the lettuce wraps without overthinking it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
The Market Place · Irvine · American (Eclectic, Global-Inspired)
The Cheesecake Factory wine list does exactly what it's designed to do: give a table of eight something recognizable to order without anyone getting weird about it. Just don't come here expecting discovery — come expecting Meiomi, and you'll leave fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Irvine Spectrum · Irvine · American (eclectic, global-inspired)
The Cheesecake Factory does a lot of things well — wine is not one of them. Order a cocktail, split something bubbly, or save the serious bottle for a restaurant that earned it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Irvine Spectrum · Irvine · Italian
BRIO's wine list is exactly what it needs to be for a polished Italian chain — safe, accessible, and unlikely to offend anyone. Don't come here chasing discovery, but if you want a glass of Chianti with your pasta in a comfortable setting, it delivers.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Coast Metro · Irvine · Steakhouse
Mastro's Costa Mesa does exactly what it promises — a polished, deep, Napa-forward list in a room built for expense accounts and anniversaries. If you want value or discovery, you're at the wrong restaurant; if you want the definitive Orange County steakhouse wine experience done with genuine care, this delivers.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Southwest / Time Corners · Fort Wayne · American
Catablu is exactly what it needs to be for its neighborhood — a reliable, thoughtfully maintained list that won't embarrass you on a date night or bore you entirely. It's not a destination wine list, but it's a solid supporting act for a kitchen that clearly takes food seriously.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Otay Ranch Town Center · Chula Vista · American
BJ's is a fine place to drink a craft beer and eat a Pizookie. It is not a place to drink wine. Order a Brewhouse Blonde, skip the wine list entirely, and save your wine night for somewhere that cares.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.