Prime Cuts, Wine List Still Finding Its Voice
· Franklin · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · October 2, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Char Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Char arrives with the confident posture of a serious steakhouse — live piano, polished service, the kind of room where someone's definitely celebrating an anniversary. The wine list reads exactly how you'd expect: Napa-heavy, predictable in the best and worst ways, built to flatter a ribeye and a corporate card.
The regional focus skews toward the usual steakhouse suspects — Napa Valley and Sonoma dominate the reds, with gestures toward Marlborough for whites and Willamette Valley for Pinot Noir when they're feeling adventurous. There's a Mosel and a South African entry that suggest someone on staff has broader taste, but the list as a whole doesn't stray far from what a mid-tier steakhouse guest would recognize. Gaps show up where you'd want depth most: aged Bordeaux, Italian heavyweights, and anything that challenges the Cabernet-or-nothing crowd are largely absent. It's a list that satisfies without surprising.
We don't have a confirmed count or current glass selections on hand, so we can't call out specific pours — and in a steakhouse at this price point, that's worth noting as a gap. A strong by-the-glass program should be the entry point for guests who aren't dropping $100+ on a bottle; without documented options, it's hard to say whether Char nails this or phones it in.
The Bottom Line
Char is a genuinely enjoyable steakhouse with a wine list that does the job without doing much more. The room earns its keep; the wine program is still a passenger rather than a co-pilot. If you're coming here for the Prime beef and the atmosphere, you'll eat well — just don't expect the list to take you anywhere the food isn't already going. Worth a visit, but bring your own expectations in check at the wine menu.
· Franklin · Asian Street Food
Hawkers Franklin is doing more with twelve bottles than most casual chains do with thirty. The white-heavy, aromatic-leaning list is clearly built with the food in mind — even if it was done at the corporate level rather than by someone in this specific kitchen. If you're eating here, lean into the Gamay or Vinho Verde and skip the impulse to order Cab. It won't change your life, but it'll make dinner better.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Franklin · Seafood
If you're here for wine, you're at the wrong restaurant — but the pricing is honest and the Sauvignon Blanc won't ruin your dinner. Order a cocktail and save your wine energy for somewhere that cares.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Franklin · Italian
This is a chain wine list doing exactly what chain wine lists do — keeping it safe, keeping it recognizable, and marking it up just enough to pad margins. Drink here because you're having dinner, not because you're having wine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Franklin · Franklin · Hotel Restaurant / Southern
1799 is a solid option when you're already staying at The Harpeth or dining for the atmosphere — the Southern food looks genuinely good and the room earns its upscale-casual reputation. But if wine is your reason for going out, Franklin has better options; this list is there to serve the food, not the other way around.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Franklin · Italian
Pelato Franklin isn't going to make wine pilgrims drive down from Nashville, but it's doing more than the Italian-suburban average — an orange wine, some solid regional Italian whites, and a few California names that earn their spot. Come for the food, stay curious about the list.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
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
· San Diego · Steakhouse
The Grove Steakhouse is a solid pick if you're in a celebratory mood and want serious Champagne options with your cut of beef — the sparkling program alone is worth a look. The rest of the list doesn't take many risks, and the markups on recognizable labels are exactly what you'd expect from a steakhouse at a casino property. Go in with eyes open, steer toward the value picks, and you'll have a good night.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Fresno · Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Fresno is a reliable landing pad if someone else is picking the restaurant and wine takes a back seat to a great center-cut filet. The wine program isn't adventurous and markups at this tier tend to sting, but the service is polished and the experience is consistent. If wine is the reason you're going out, look elsewhere — but if it's the steak and wine is just along for the ride, you'll be fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Roswell · Steakhouse
Little Alley Steak has built a genuinely impressive Champagne program — uncommon for a suburban steakhouse — and the depth from Collet up through Cristal gives serious wine drinkers something to work with. The markups are real and the still wine program doesn't match the ambition of the sparkling section, but if you're here to pop bottles with a ribeye, there are worse places to do it. Order the Crémant, save your money, and let someone else pay for the Veuve.
Plays It Safe
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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