Chain Steakhouse Wine That Won't Rob You
Rosedale · Bakersfield · Steakhouse, American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 23, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Black Angus Steakhouse – Bakersfield’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list here is exactly what you'd expect from a western-themed chain steakhouse on Rosedale Highway — familiar labels, no surprises, nothing that's going to make you feel clever for ordering it. What does catch you off guard, though, is the pricing: these pours are legitimately cheap, and not in a 'watered-down well wine' kind of way.
The list runs 40-60 bottles deep and sticks firmly to California and domestic heavyweights — Chateau Ste. Michelle, Robert Mondavi, Kendall-Jackson. You're not going to find a grower Champagne or a skin-contact Ribolla Gialla hiding in the back pages, and nobody here is pretending otherwise. The regional focus is narrow by design: this is a crowd-pleaser list built to move bottles alongside ribeyes without making anyone think too hard. The gaps are obvious — no meaningful Rhône-style wines, nothing from the Southern Hemisphere, zero old-world representation — but within its lane, the list is coherent.
Ten to sixteen options by the glass covers the major bases: Cab, Chard, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc. The pours skew toward approachable, mid-tier producers that most diners already recognize and trust. There's no rotation program to speak of — what's on the list is what's on the list — but given the pricing, that's a trade-off most people will happily accept.
J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon — $11
Retails for nearly $14 a bottle, and you're paying $11 for a glass. The math on that is genuinely absurd. Seven Oaks is a real Paso Robles Cab — structured, dark-fruited, built for steak — and at this price it's the easiest call on the menu.
La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Everyone at a steakhouse reaches for the Cab, and that's fine. But the La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir at $12 a glass is a legitimately good pour from a solid producer, priced below retail. If you're not in the mood for a heavy red, this is the move — and most tables walk right past it.
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay
Nothing technically wrong with KJ Chard — it's just everywhere, including every grocery store in America. At $10.50 a glass it's not a rip-off, but you can do better on this list and spend less. Save the glass pour for something with more personality.
J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon + Prime Rib
Prime rib wants a Cab with enough structure to cut through the fat and enough dark fruit to match the richness of the beef. Seven Oaks checks both boxes without being so tannic it fights with the meat. It's the kind of pairing that doesn't need explaining — it just works.
The Bottom Line
Black Angus Bakersfield won't win any awards for adventurous curation, but the pricing is genuinely hard to argue with — you're regularly paying at or below retail for recognizable, food-friendly wines. If you're here for the steak, the wine list won't let you down, and it won't empty your wallet either.
· Bakersfield · Wine bar + brewpub
BottleShock has a great name and a wine list that hasn't caught up to it yet. Four labels — including a Prosecco and a Chianti Classico you've seen a hundred times — isn't enough to earn the wine bar designation. Until the list grows up, come for the brew side of the menu and treat the wine as an afterthought.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Bakersfield · Hotel lounge
MI Greatroom is doing exactly what a Marriott convention hotel bar is designed to do — serve recognizable, inoffensive wines to people who aren't thinking about wine. There's no shame in that, but there's no reason to come here specifically for what's in the glass. Order the Maso Canali, catch up with whoever you're meeting, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bakersfield · American
Yard House Bakersfield is a beer hall that happens to sell wine, and the list makes no effort to hide that. Markups are aggressive, selections are safe to the point of being anonymous, and the only reason to open a bottle here is if your table voted against another round of IPAs. If you're wine-focused, redirect your budget to the Jean-Luc Colombo Rosé by the glass and call it a night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bakersfield · Steakhouse and Seafood
This is a wine program that exists only because restaurants are expected to have one. If you're at Sizzler Bakersfield, order a beer, a lemonade, or whatever they're mixing at the bar — the wine list is not the reason to be here, and it's not trying to be.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bakersfield · Hotel bar and small plates
Brimstone Bar isn't trying to be a wine destination — but whoever put Terre Rouge on the menu made a real choice, and that's more than most hotel bars can say. If you're in Bakersfield and you want something other than a mass-market Cab, this is the move. Just don't come expecting options.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown Bakersfield · Bakersfield · Latin American / Mexican / Spanish / American
Zama is a fun room with a wine list that plays it safe — the markups are real, the picks are predictable, but Wine Wednesday changes the math considerably if you time your visit right. Show up on a Wednesday, order the Riesling or the Bonanza, and enjoy the patio.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
River Road · Gatlinburg · Steakhouse, American
The Peddler is a legitimately great steakhouse experience in a gorgeous setting, and the wine list is competent enough to get the job done — but it's a supporting cast, not a destination. Order the Jordan, get the steak, enjoy the river view, and don't expect the list to surprise you.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Parkway · Gatlinburg · Steakhouse, American
Alamo Steakhouse is genuinely great at what it does — the oak-fired meats are the draw and they deliver. But the wine list is purely functional, overpriced for what it is, and built for tourists who aren't going to push back on a Kendall-Jackson upcharge. Come for the steak, order a bourbon, and save the wine enthusiasm for somewhere else.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Lionshead · Vail · Steakhouse, American
Vail Chophouse is a dependable après-ski and dinner destination that plays its wine program straight down the middle — familiar names, steep but expected mountain-town pricing, and a list that won't let you down if you stick to the California Cabs. We'd send a friend here for the steak and the view, with a note to skip the Josh and go straight to Jordan.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
