Grocery Store Wines With Seafood On The Side
Springfield · Springfield · Seafood and Wine Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 4, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The name says 'wine bar' and we want to believe it, but a 14-label list anchored by Woodbridge and Cupcake Moscato tells a different story fast. This is a seafood restaurant that added wine to the menu, not a wine bar that happens to serve food. The prices are mercifully modest, so at least the disappointment is affordable.
Fourteen labels is a short list anywhere, but the issue isn't the count — it's the cast. Josh, Woodbridge, Kendall Jackson, and Reunite Lambrusco are the kinds of wines you find stacked near the checkout at your local grocery store. California dominates, with token appearances from Italy, Argentina, and Washington State rounding out the map. To their credit, the Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling is a legitimate bottle that actually belongs on a seafood list, but it's surrounded by crowd-pleasers that require zero effort to stock or sell.
Thirteen of the fourteen labels are available by the glass, which sounds generous until you realize the list itself barely stretches two pages. Pours run $7.25 to $9.00, which is about as low as you'll find in a sit-down restaurant these days. The range covers the bases — red, white, sparkling-ish with the Lambrusco — but there's no rotation happening here; this list has 'set and forget' written all over it.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling — $8.75/glass
The one bottle on this list that was actually chosen with the food in mind. A dry-ish Riesling from Washington at under $9 a glass is a no-brainer next to crab cakes, and it's a genuine producer rather than a mass-market label. Take the win where you can get it.
Reunite Lambrusco
Look, Reunite is not going to impress anyone at a wine dinner, but a slightly fizzy, slightly sweet red with a plate of fried seafood is genuinely fun. Most people will walk right past it for the Josh Cab, which is exactly the wrong call. Order the Lambrusco cold and lean into the vibe.
Josh Cabernet Sauvignon
At $9 a glass it's not a ripoff, but ordering a big California Cab at a seafood restaurant is its own kind of mistake. The wine is fine in a perfectly generic way — but you're not at a steakhouse, and there's a Riesling on the same list that will do far more for your meal.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling + Crab Cakes
The subtle sweetness and bright acidity in this Riesling cut right through the richness of crab cakes while echoing the sweetness of the crab itself. It's the pairing that makes the most sense on this menu, and frankly the only one we'd actively recommend seeking out.
❌ The Bottom Line
If you're here for the seafood, the Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling has your back and the prices won't hurt. But calling this a wine bar sets an expectation the list can't come close to meeting — order your glass, enjoy the crab cakes, and don't think too hard about what's in the bottle.
Springfield · Springfield · Casual steakhouse with Australian-themed American cuisine
Outback Springfield isn't where you go to geek out on wine, and it doesn't pretend to be — the list is honest, the prices are reasonable for a chain sit-down, and the Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling alone is worth knowing about. If you're here for a steak and you want something decent in your glass, you'll be fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Dirksen Parkway / Sunrise Drive · Springfield · American Chain
We wouldn't send anyone to Applebee's specifically for the wine, and we won't start now. If you're here, you're here for the food, the vibe, or the company — and that's perfectly fine. Just know that the wine list is purely incidental.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Springfield · Springfield · American Chain
The markup is shockingly fair, but you're paying near-retail for wines you could grab at Walgreens on the way home. Order a cocktail, order a beer, and save the wine night for literally anywhere else.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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LongHorn Springfield isn't a wine destination — but with markups this low and pours this affordable, it's one of the better casual chain options in Illinois for a simple red with a big steak. Send a friend here for dinner; just don't tell them to geek out over the list.
Crowd Pleasers
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Unknown · Springfield · Italian Chain
Olive Garden Springfield isn't a wine destination, but it's not a wine disaster either — fair markups, a couple of genuinely decent pours, and prices that won't sting. Order the Chianti Classico, enjoy your breadsticks, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Unknown · Springfield · American Steakhouse, Casual Dining
Texas Roadhouse is not a wine destination — it's a steak and ribs destination with a wine list that exists because it has to. Order a beer or a cocktail and save the wine drinking for somewhere that cares.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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