Chart House Waikiki

The wine list at Chart House Waikiki is exactly what you'd expect from a national seafood chain perched above the Pacific: familiar names, safe bets, and a format that hasn't changed much in years. It's not trying to impress anyone who reads wine labels for fun, but it's not embarrassing either. Think of it as the greatest hits playlist of American wine retail.

Twenty-five labels, almost entirely California-focused, with a few obligatory nods to New Zealand (Kim Crawford), Italy (Cavit), and Argentina (Antigal Malbec Uno). The red side leans heavily into Cabernet Sauvignon with four different options — St. Francis, Michael David, Alexander Valley Vineyards, and Whitehall Lane — which is either thorough or repetitive depending on your patience. Whites are dominated by Chardonnay with four separate pours, which tracks for a seafood spot but leaves little room for adventure. There's no Champagne, no sparkling wine of any kind, no aged bottles, and zero representation from Europe's classic regions — no Burgundy, no Bordeaux, no Rhône, nothing from Italy beyond the Cavit Pinot Grigio.

Here's the twist: 23 of the 25 wines are available by the glass, which is genuinely impressive and suggests the kitchen has a solid-enough turnover to keep bottles fresh. Prices run from $9 (Woodbridge White Zinfandel, yes it's on there) to $25 (Whitehall Lane Cab, Sequoia Grove Chardonnay), which is a wide enough spread to find something reasonable. The problem is that most of these bottles retail for $12–$18, so even the cheaper pours carry a healthy markup once you do the math.