Tacos Yes, Wine List No
· St. Paul · Mexican · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · October 5, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Boca Chica Restaurante’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Eight varietal names, no producers, no prices — that's not a wine list, that's a grocery store receipt. Boca Chica is clearly here for the food and the margaritas, and the wine section knows it.
The list covers the basic varietal roster — Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet, and Pinot Noir — plus a Red Sangria and a White Zinfandel that pretty much says everything about the ambition level here. No producers are listed, no regions beyond a vague 'House Wine' designation, and no vintage information anywhere. This is a wine list designed to check a box, not to make anyone happy they ordered wine.
We can't confirm whether these are available by the glass or bottle — the source data doesn't break it down. Given the happy hour menu context, pours are likely available, but we're not going to guess at prices or portion sizes we haven't seen.
The Bottom Line
Boca Chica is almost certainly a great neighborhood spot for Mexican food, but the wine program is an afterthought. Eight unlabeled house varietals and a White Zinfandel on the menu is all the signal you need — order the sangria, order a margarita, and save the wine night for somewhere else.
Rondo · St. Paul · Cafe and New American
Golden Thyme deserves every bit of its community love, and the kitchen is cooking at a level the wine list hasn't caught up to yet. Come for the jambalaya linguine and the catfish po'boy — just don't plan your evening around what's in the glass.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· St. Paul · French
Restaurant Aubergine is running an eleven-bottle wine program that punches well above its weight class — the selections are specific, considered, and genuinely adventurous for a French spot in the Twin Cities. If you want a deep cellar and a leather-bound wine bible, look elsewhere; if you want someone's honest, well-edited point of view in a glass, this earns your attention.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Roseville · St. Paul · Italian / Steakhouse Hybrid
Chianti Grill is not here to challenge you — it's here to give you a familiar Italian-American night out with wine that won't embarrass anyone. Watch the markups on the California pours, lean into the Italian section, and order the Chianti flight at least once.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· St. Paul · New American
Cafe Lurcat is a reliable anchor for a Minneapolis date night, and the wine list won't embarrass you — but at these prices, you'd want it to thrill you a little more than it does. Go for the atmosphere and the food; treat the wine list as a solid supporting cast, not the headline act.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
St. Paul · St. Paul · Wine Bar / Bottle Shop Bistro
Sunfish Cellars is punching several weight classes above its size — a 19-bottle list with three Sadie Family wines and an Elvio Cogno Nascetta at $15 is not something you stumble across. If you care about wine and you're in St. Paul, you need to know this place exists.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Randolph · St. Paul · Italian
Luci Ancora isn't here to dazzle wine geeks, but it earns its keep as a thoughtful neighborhood Italian with a list that respects the kitchen. If you're after a quiet dinner and a well-chosen Italian bottle, you're in the right place.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Tucson · Mexican
Seis Kitchen is almost certainly doing great things with food, but the wine program is essentially nonexistent — three unnamed pours at bare-minimum prices with zero information to guide a choice. Come for the tacos, order a beer or a margarita, and don't look at the wine list.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Irvine Spectrum · Irvine · Mexican
Javier's Irvine is a genuinely good night out — the food is the draw, the room delivers, and the wine list will get you through dinner without embarrassing anyone. But if you're coming specifically to drink well, temper expectations: this is California-safe territory with pricing that reflects the zip code more than the cellar. Order the carne asada, ask what's open by the glass, and don't overthink it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Sedona · Mexican
89Agave is almost certainly a fun spot to eat — it's a cantina in Sedona, and the margaritas are probably doing the heavy lifting here anyway. The wine list, though, is purely functional and priced without much generosity, particularly at the higher end. If wine matters to your evening, order something simple by the glass and move on; this program isn't the reason to visit.
Grocery Store
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.
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