The Wine List That Phoned It In
Westdale · Cedar Rapids · Tex-Mex / American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 3, 2026
Wingman Metrics
You open the menu and the wine section takes about four seconds to read in full. This is a bar program built around margaritas and cold beer, and the wine list exists only because corporate said it had to. There's no story here, no curation — just placeholder options for anyone who doesn't want a cocktail.
Eight to twelve wines, almost entirely nameless house pours and broad U.S. commodity brands — the kind of stuff that moves through a Costco in an afternoon. There's no regional focus worth discussing, no producer worth mentioning by name, and no evidence that anyone at this location has thought about wine in any meaningful way. California represents by default, the way it does when nobody made a choice. The list doesn't have gaps so much as it IS a gap.
Six by-the-glass options, anchored by a House Red and a House White that are exactly as anonymous as they sound. Happy hour drops them to $5, which is the most compelling reason to order one. Don't expect rotation, discovery, or anything resembling a pour that makes you pause.
House Red Wine — $5
At happy hour pricing, it's hard to argue with $5 for a glass of something that goes fine with a plate of fajitas. Expectations calibrated accordingly.
House White Wine
If you're eating lighter — a salad, some chips — the house white at $5 is inoffensive and cold, which is genuinely all it needs to be in this context.
House Red Wine
At full price outside happy hour, you're paying chain-restaurant markup on a wine with no name, no origin story, and no reason to exist beyond box-checking. Order a Presidente Margarita instead — at least that's what this place actually does well.
House Red Wine + Baby Back Ribs
The smoky-sweet BBQ sauce needs something that won't fight it, and a soft, anonymous house red is just pliant enough to stay out of the way. It's not a great pairing — it's an acceptable one, which is the ceiling here.
❌ The Bottom Line
Chili's Cedar Rapids is not a wine destination, and it has absolutely no interest in becoming one. Order the margarita, enjoy the ribs, and save your wine curiosity for a restaurant that shares it.
Cedar Rapids · Cedar Rapids · Italian
Biaggi's isn't a wine destination, but the Italian-forward list does enough right that you can drink well if you know where to look. Stick to the Italian bottles, avoid the obvious crowd-pleasers, and you'll leave satisfied.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Cedar Rapids · Cedar Rapids · Upscale Steakhouse / Fine Dining American
Midtown Reserve is doing more with wine than anyone in Cedar Rapids has a right to expect, with a list that actually has some range and genuine finds if you look past the house pours. The markups are real and the glass program plays it safe, but for a serious dinner in Iowa, this is absolutely where you want to be drinking.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
NewBo · Cedar Rapids · Steakhouse / Butcher Restaurant
Butcher's Block is a reliable steakhouse wine list that does exactly what it's supposed to — get Napa Cab on the table with a great piece of beef. It won't excite the adventurous drinker, and the markups sting a little, but if you're here for the meat, the wine will do its job.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Czech Village · Cedar Rapids · Pub food and American
Parlor City is a genuinely fun neighborhood pub, and the daily happy hour makes the wine situation tolerable — half-price Moscato d'Asti at 4pm is a perfectly fine life choice. But if wine is your priority tonight, this isn't your stop.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Active Program
Acceptable
Lindale Mall area · Cedar Rapids · American / Brewpub
Granite City is a perfectly fine place to drink a pint brewed on-site — that's genuinely the move here. The wine list exists as a formality, not an invitation, and the markups on grocery-store bottles aren't doing anyone any favors.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Lindale Mall area · Cedar Rapids · Sports Bar
Buffalo Wild Wings Cedar Rapids is not a wine destination — it's a sports bar that technically serves wine the way a gas station technically sells food. Order a beer, enjoy the wings, and save your wine curiosity for literally anywhere else in Cedar Rapids.
Grocery Store
Steep
Red Flag
MIA
Set & Forget
Hot Mess
West Topeka · Topeka · Tex-Mex / American
This is a margarita bar that happens to have wine on the menu, and the wine knows its place. Skip the glass pours unless it's happy hour, and redirect your enthusiasm toward the cocktail list.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Old Fort Pkwy · Murfreesboro · Tex-Mex / American
Chili's wine program is a checkbox, not a commitment — and the Murfreesboro location is no exception. Drink the margaritas, eat the ribs, and don't let anyone at the table order the bottle.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.