Beer Town, and the Wine Knows It
Central Waco / Richland Mall area · Waco · American gastropub / brewery fare · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 16, 2026
Wingman Metrics
You open the menu at BJ's and the wine list is basically a footnote — a polite nod to the people in your group who aren't drinking the Brewhouse Blonde. The selections are familiar to the point of being reflexive: Josh Cellars, Meiomi, Chateau Ste. Michelle. Nobody here agonized over this list.
The list runs 20–35 bottles deep, which sounds respectable until you realize it's almost entirely California and Washington State workhorses that you've seen on a hundred other casual dining menus. Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling is genuinely a solid producer and the one moment where the list shows a pulse. Beyond that, Meiomi Pinot Noir and Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon are the headliners — reliable, inoffensive, and priced for maximum margin. There are no real regional surprises, no small producers, no anything that suggests someone with wine curiosity built this list.
The by-the-glass program runs 8–14 options, which is a reasonable count for a brewpub, and Wednesday happy hour (3–7pm and 9–11pm) drops select pours to $5 — that's the clearest reason to order wine here. Outside of that window, the glass pours lean on the same mainstream names as the bottle list, so don't expect rotation or discovery.
Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon NV — $5
At Wednesday happy hour pricing, this is a no-brainer for a casual weeknight beer-hall situation. Dark Horse retails around $9 a bottle, so a $5 glass is actually reasonable math for once — essentially pouring at cost. It's not a serious wine, but it's a serious deal.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
In a lineup of California crowd-pleasers, the Ste. Michelle Riesling from Washington is the only bottle that reflects any real winemaking intention. Columbia Valley Riesling at this price point punches above its weight — off-dry, clean, and actually interesting next to BJ's heavier menu items.
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
Josh Cellars is everywhere, and it's everywhere for a reason — marketing budgets, not quality. At BJ's standard markup, you're paying restaurant prices for a wine that costs $12–$14 at your nearest grocery store. If you're going Cabernet, at least make it the happy hour window.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling + Bacon Jam Burger
The slight residual sweetness in the Ste. Michelle Riesling actually has a job to do here — it cuts through the richness of the bacon jam and keeps the whole thing from feeling like a grease wall. It's a better call than the reflex Cab reach.
Wednesday — Select wine by the glass for $5 during happy hour: 3–7pm and 9–11pm. Includes Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon and Dark Horse Chardonnay among others.
❌ The Bottom Line
BJ's wine list exists because it has to, not because anyone loves it — this is a beer destination first and everything else is an afterthought. If you're here on a Wednesday during happy hour, grab the $5 Dark Horse and call it honest; otherwise, just drink the beer.
Central Waco / Loop 340 · Waco · Casual Chain Italian-American
Olive Garden Waco's wine list is a corporate afterthought dressed up with Italian flags — gouge-level markups on supermarket bottles, no staff expertise, and zero ambition. Order the cocktails, drink the endless coffee, or BYOB if they'll let you. The breadsticks don't need wine anyway.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Southwest Waco / I-35 corridor · Waco · Steakhouse
Texas Roadhouse is a great place for a hand-cut steak, cold beer, and line-dancing servers — but the wine list is essentially a placeholder. Come for the food, order a Lone Star, and leave the wine ambitions at home.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central Waco / Valley Mills Drive · Waco · Steakhouse
Outback Waco's wine program is what happens when a corporate chain treats wine as a line item instead of an experience — overpriced grocery store bottles with zero staff expertise and zero reason to explore the list. Order the beer, order the cocktail, or BYOB if they'll let you.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central Waco / near Richland Mall · Waco · Steakhouse
Saltgrass is here for the steak, and the steak is genuinely good — but the wine program is an afterthought wearing a price tag. Order the ribeye, split a bottle of Decoy if you must, and don't expect anyone on staff to help you think beyond that.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Woodway / Marketplace area · Waco · Steakhouse
135 Prime is doing more with a wine list than Waco has any right to expect from its steakhouse scene, and the weekly specials show genuine curiosity. Just keep your guard up when the dessert wine list arrives — that's where the house cashes in.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Waco · Waco · American, French
One Thirty Five Prime is the best wine list in Waco and it's not particularly close — a knowledgeable sommelier, a well-kept California cellar, and a room that actually respects the bottle. Just go in knowing you're paying steakhouse prices for steakhouse selections, and you'll have a great night.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.