Solid pours with a view, nothing to prove
Waikiki · Honolulu · Seafood / Steak · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 24, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Chart House Waikiki’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
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.
6th Sense Syrah — $15/glass
Michael David's 6th Sense Syrah retails around $15–$18 a bottle, so $15 a glass is still a markup — but it's the most interesting red on the list and something you're unlikely to default-order. Dark fruit, some pepper, and enough structure to hold up against a grilled steak. In a list full of Cab retreads, this one actually makes you think.
Rodney Strong Chardonnay Chalkhill Vineyard
Most people will see 'Chardonnay' and grab the Kendall Jackson out of habit or the Sequoia Grove out of price anchoring. The Rodney Strong Chalkhill at $14 is the smarter play — it's single-vineyard fruit from Chalk Hill AVA with real structure and less of the buttery sledgehammer that dominates this category. An underrated bottle hiding in plain sight.
Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon
At $25 a glass, you're paying four-plus times retail for a perfectly fine but utterly ordinary Napa Cab. The wine isn't bad — it just has no business being the most expensive pour on the list when better value exists elsewhere. Save that $25 and put it toward something you'll actually remember.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling + Fresh Fish
Chart House is a seafood house first, and the Ste. Michelle Riesling at $10 is the sleeper pick for anything light coming out of the kitchen. The off-dry style cuts through richness without competing with delicate fish preparations, and at ten bucks a glass you can have two without feeling reckless. Washington Riesling next to fresh Hawaiian seafood is a legitimate move.
The Bottom Line
Chart House Waikiki is giving you a safe harbor, not a destination — the list is functional, the by-the-glass selection is surprisingly broad, and a couple of smart picks exist if you know where to look. Come for the ocean views and the fish; just don't expect the wine list to match the scenery.
Waikiki · Honolulu · Italian / Californian Coastal
Botanico is doing something genuinely unusual for Waikiki — building an Italian-forward wine list with real regional depth and mostly fair pricing in a place where restaurants routinely treat wine as an afterthought. The by-the-glass program alone is worth a seat at the bar. If you care at all about what's in your glass, this belongs on your radar.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Honolulu · Hawaii Regional
Moku Nui is a casual Hawaii Regional spot that has no business running a wine list this thoughtful — and we mean that as high praise. Fair glass prices, a sommelier clearly making intentional choices, and enough variety to reward the curious drinker. If you're eating here, skip the default beer order and let someone at the table order the Vouvray.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waikiki · Honolulu · Seafood
Azure is a genuinely lovely place to drink wine — the setting does a lot of heavy lifting and the France-Italy-Hawaii focus is a sensible match for the island seafood menu. Just go in knowing resort markup is real, and if the tasting menu with wine pairing is available, that's likely your best shot at getting something memorable poured without having to guess blind from the list.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Honolulu · Tasting Menu
Senia's wine program is one of the more thoughtful in the state — sommelier on staff, an Old World-focused list, and a Wednesday night deal where bottles at $65 and under get cut in half plus a tasting flight. If you're serious about what's in your glass, this is where you go in Honolulu. Book a Wednesday if you can.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
· Honolulu · Italian-American
53 By The Sea plays an interesting game: a short, all-glass list that punches well above its weight in the mid-range, anchored by a custom Failla Pinot and some genuinely thoughtful picks from Austria and southern Italy. Markups lean steep, especially as you climb the tiers, and the absence of bottle service means you're always buying by the glass. But if you stick to the $12–$31 range, this is one of the more curated pours you'll find in Honolulu — and that Grüner alone is worth the visit.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Honolulu · Steakhouse
The Capital Grille Hawaii's wine list does what the brand does everywhere — it's safe, corporate, and priced to capture resort-market margins. The Champagne selection is genuinely deep and includes some worthwhile picks like the Paul Bara and the Llopart Cava, but markups are steep and there's little here to excite anyone looking beyond the obvious. If you're here for a steak and want bubbles, you'll find something that works — just don't expect the list to dazzle you.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Vancouver · Seafood / Steak
Line & Lure clears the casino restaurant bar by a comfortable margin — fair prices, a thoughtful white wine program, and a Royal Tokaji that earns genuine respect. We'd send a friend here for a pre-dinner glass without hesitation, as long as they stick to the whites.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Anaheim · Seafood / Steak
McCormick & Schmick's Anaheim won't impress anyone who thinks about wine for more than thirty seconds, but the prices are fair and the Wairau River is a legit pour. Order the Sauvignon Blanc, eat your seafood, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Spa Creek · Annapolis · Seafood / Steak
Chart House Annapolis is a reliable wine list in a genuinely great setting — you'll drink well enough, but you're paying for the view as much as the pour. Go in with eyes open on the markup and lean on the California stalwarts that earned their spots here.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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