Washington Wines, River Views, No Fuss
Greater Kennewick Area · Kennewick · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 12, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Budd's Broiler’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Ten wines, all Washington, all by the glass — Budd's Broiler isn't trying to be a wine destination, and it doesn't pretend to be. What it is, though, is genuinely local: every bottle on this list comes from the Pacific Northwest, which is more of a commitment than most steakhouses bother to make. The price ceiling of $8.50 a glass is almost disarming.
The list reads like a curated tour of Washington State's greatest hits — Hedges Family Estate, Barnard Griffin, Long Shadows, Sparkman Cellars, Chateau Ste. Michelle. These aren't random grocery-store fillers; several of these producers are legitimately respected names in the Columbia Valley. The range covers Riesling, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and even a sparkling from Treveri, which is about as complete a ticket-punching exercise as you can do in ten labels. The gap is depth — there's no reserve tier, no older vintages, no real stretch beyond the approachable middle. But for a riverfront broiler, the intentionality here is real.
Every single wine on the list is available by the glass, which means the entire program is a BTG program — no bottle-only exclusives, no upsell pressure. At $7 to $8.50 a pour, you can work your way around the Pacific Northwest for less than the price of a single glass at most urban wine bars. Rotation appears minimal; this looks like a set list rather than a living, breathing program.
Sparkman Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon — $8.50
Sparkman makes wines that regularly show up in serious Washington Cab conversations. Getting one of their pours for $8.50 a glass — at a steakhouse on the Columbia River, no less — is the kind of quiet win most diners walk right past.
Treveri Blanc de Blancs Brut
Nobody orders bubbles at a steakhouse, which is exactly why you should. Treveri is Washington's most serious sparkling producer, and at $7 a glass it's the most underordered thing on this list. Start your meal here instead of reaching for the Cab on autopilot.
Domaine Ste Michelle Brut
With Treveri Blanc de Blancs Brut sitting right next to it at the same price point, there's no reason to default to the Domaine Ste Michelle. It's a perfectly fine supermarket sparkler, but it's outclassed by its neighbor on this very list.
Barnard Griffin Rosé of Sangiovese + Grilled Salmon
Barnard Griffin's Rosé of Sangiovese has enough structure to handle the char from the broiler and enough brightness to lift a salmon fillet without steamrolling it. It's the move when you're splitting the table between surf and turf.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Budd's Broiler won't make a wine lover cancel their dinner reservation somewhere else, but it will make them feel respected — every pour is local, every price is honest, and the hits are real. For a Columbia River steakhouse, that's a more than decent showing.
Columbia Center area · Kennewick · Steakhouse
Outback's wine list exists to check a box, not to elevate your dinner. If you're in Kennewick and want to actually drink well with your steak, you're a short drive from some of Washington's best wine country — don't let this list be your introduction to it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Columbia Center / N Columbia Center Blvd · Kennewick · Seafood
Red Lobster's wine list exists to give you something to drink while you wait for the Cheddar Bay Biscuits — and that's about as far as its ambition goes. Order the Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling, enjoy the biscuits, and don't look at the list too hard.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Kennewick · Kennewick · Pub / Gastropub
The Crown Pub is a genuine wild card — a Columbia Basin pub that somehow assembled a credible New Zealand sparkling and Central Otago program worth talking about. The markups aren't a gift, but the list has a real identity, and that counts for a lot in a market where most wine lists are an afterthought.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Columbia Center / N Columbia Center Blvd · Kennewick · Italian
Olive Garden Kennewick is not a wine destination — it's a place you drink whatever keeps the breadsticks company. If someone in your group is serious about wine, order the Orvieto and manage your expectations; everyone else should probably just get the Sangria.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Columbia Park / Columbia River Waterfront · Kennewick · American Steak and Seafood
Cedars is a solid neighborhood anchor that leans on its Columbia Valley backyard without really exploring it — the wine list is dependable but leaves you wishing they'd push even 10% harder into the region's real depth. Send a friend here for a good steak and a glass of local Cab, not for a wine-first experience.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Columbia Center / W Canal Dr corridor · Kennewick · Brazilian Steakhouse (Churrascaria)
Boiada is doing something genuinely interesting for a Brazilian steakhouse in Eastern Washington — leaning hard into local wines, running a real winemaker dinner program, and pricing fairly enough that you don't feel like the wine list is the second hustle. If you're in the Tri-Cities and eating rodízio, you could do a lot worse than a bottle of Col Solare on a Wednesday at half price.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Cool Springs · Franklin · Steakhouse
Perry's Cool Springs is a reliable night out if someone else is paying, but the wine list is doing the bare minimum — crowd-pleasing producers, steep markups, and a noticeable lack of anything that earns its price on merit alone. Stick to Social Hour if you want to drink well without the sticker shock.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Proper
West Melbourne · Melbourne · Steakhouse
Texas Roadhouse is not a wine destination and makes zero pretense of being one — we respect the honesty, even if we can't respect the list. Order the rolls, order the ribs, order a beer, and let the wine page collect dust.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Melbourne · Melbourne · Steakhouse
LongHorn Melbourne's wine program is a checkbox, not a passion project — the list exists because a steakhouse has to have wine, not because anyone here cares about what's in your glass. Order the steak, grab the Riesling if you must, and save the bottle for a place that's actually trying.
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.