Bigfoot Approved, Washington Wines Front and Center
Downtown · Olympia · Pacific Northwest brasserie / American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 19, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Cascadia Grill’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Cascadia Grill is exactly what you'd expect from a casual downtown brasserie that leans hard into Pacific Northwest identity — approachable, unpretentious, and priced for real people. Nothing on here is going to make a wine nerd's jaw drop, but at $16–$64 a bottle, you're not getting gouged either. It sets the tone for a night out where the wine is a sidekick, not the main event.
The roughly 30–40 bottle list skews heavily toward Washington state, which earns points for regional authenticity, but the producers lean commercial — think Drumheller Merlot and Browne Heritage Cabernet rather than anything from Walla Walla's small-production scene. There's some welcome range: Oregon Pinot, Argentine Malbec, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, and Italian Prosecco fill out the map without getting weird about it. The Secret Squirrel Red Blend and Deer and Finch Cabernet are the kind of fun, label-forward choices that work well for a table that just wants something easy. Serious wine hunters will find the ceiling low, but casual drinkers will find plenty to land on.
Sixteen by-the-glass options is a genuinely solid number for a restaurant at this price point — most neighborhood spots half-ass this section with five or six choices and call it a day. Glass pours run $5–$18, which keeps things accessible even if the top end doesn't climb into anything particularly ambitious. The rotation doesn't appear to change much, so don't expect any pleasant surprises week to week.
Arbor Crest Chardonnay — $16 bottle
Arbor Crest is a legitimate Washington producer with real history behind it, and landing one of their bottles at the low end of this list's price range is the clearest value play on the menu. Skip the grocery-store tier and go here.
Secret Squirrel Red Blend
The name sounds like it belongs on a gas station shelf, but this kind of approachable red blend punches above its label at a brasserie price point. Most tables will walk right past it for something they recognize — their loss.
Wycliff Brut
Wycliff is bottom-shelf domestic bubbly that retails for next to nothing. If you're popping bubbles, spend a dollar or two more per glass and grab the Lamarca Prosecco instead — you'll actually taste the difference.
Elquan Pinot Noir + Pacific salmon special
Oregon-adjacent Pinot Noir with salmon is one of the great Pacific Northwest clichés for a reason — it actually works. The wine's lighter body and red fruit don't bulldoze the fish the way a Cab would, and it keeps the whole thing feeling regional.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Cascadia Grill isn't a wine destination, but it's a fair and functional list that won't leave you feeling ripped off or bored — and in downtown Olympia, that's more than enough to earn a return visit. Take a Washington bottle, order the salmon, and enjoy the Bigfoot decor.
Westside / Capitol Mall · Olympia · Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi
Fujiyama is a fun night out — but the wine list is an obligation, not an attraction. Stick to sake or cocktails and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that returns the favor.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Percival Landing / Waterfront · Olympia · Seafood-focused American
Budd Bay Café is not a wine destination, but it's a perfectly functional place to drink a decent glass of Washington white while watching boats drift across Budd Inlet. Send your friends here for the view and the chowder — just steer them toward the Barnard Griffin and away from the Sutter Home.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Eastside · Olympia · Grocery café with mixed American and Asian options, plus full wine and beer retail
Ralph's Thriftway shouldn't be this good at wine, and that's exactly why it earns the Wild Card. If you're in Olympia and need a bottle — or ten — skip the chain stores and come here first.
Surprising Depth
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Capitol Lake / Westside · Olympia · Wine Bar / Cocktail Lounge
Swing's upstairs lounge is the kind of place that surprises you — a Cayuse Cailloux and a Clos de Lambrays Grand Cru don't belong on a list this size in a city this small, and yet there they are. Markups push steep on the top shelf, but there's enough here to make it worth the trip if you know where to look.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Westside / Harrison · Olympia · American
Iron Rabbit isn't a wine destination, but it's a neighborhood bar that actually tried — and in Olympia's Westside, that matters. If you're already here for dinner, you'll drink well without a second thought.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Olympia · Upscale Northwest and European-influenced fine dining
Gardner's is the kind of restaurant where the wine list won't disappoint you, but it probably won't surprise you either. If you're in Olympia for a special occasion and want a dependable tour through Washington's greatest hits, this is your room — just know you're paying restaurant prices for regional classics that are easy to find at retail.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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