Old-School Steakhouse, Surprisingly Decent Wine List
West Side · Evansville · Steakhouse with Seafood and Salad Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 6, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Cork 'n Cleaver feels exactly like the room it lives in — classic, unpretentious, and built to please a wide crowd. Thirty-two labels isn't huge, but it's more than most Evansville steakhouses bother with. Don't come expecting adventure; do come expecting a list that actually covers your bases.
California dominates, as it probably should for a place slinging prime rib and New York strips. You've got your Rombauer and Sonoma-Cutrer for the Chardonnay crowd, a few Washington State appearances from Chateau Ste. Michelle and Hedges, and a respectable nod to Italy with Luigi Einaudi's Dolcetto and a Toscolo Chianti. The list doesn't take risks — there's no skin-contact anything, no grower Champagne, no indie producers — but the Domaine Bousquet Reserve Malbec from Argentina and Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc from South Africa at least prove someone thought past the grocery store aisle. Gaps are real: no Burgundy, no Barolo, nothing that would excite a curious drinker past a second look.
Thirteen by-the-glass options running $8.50 to $18 is actually a generous pour program for a steakhouse in this market. The range hits the usual suspects — Meiomi Pinot Noir, Rombauer Chard, Chateau Ste. Michelle Sauv Blanc — which means your table can order without drama. No rotation to speak of; what's on the list is what you get, every night.
Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc — $8.50
Mulderbosch is a serious South African producer making genuinely good Chenin Blanc, and at the low end of the glass program it's by far the most interesting pour per dollar on the list. Order it with the salad bar and don't look back.
Luigi Einaudi Dolcetto
Dolcetto from a respected Piedmontese house sitting on a steakhouse list in Evansville is not something you see every day. It's earthy, it's fresh, and it cuts through red meat better than half the Cabs on this list. Most tables will walk right past it — their loss.
Rombauer Chardonnay
Rombauer is fine wine — at the grocery store. At restaurant markup it almost certainly lands well above $20 a glass, which is a tough sell when you can find it at Costco for $25 a bottle. It's the most ordered, least interesting value play on the list.
Hedges Bordeaux Blend + Prime Rib
Hedges out of Red Mountain, Washington makes structured, dark-fruited Bordeaux blends with enough backbone to stand up to a fat prime rib. It's not a flashy pick, but the tannin-to-fat ratio here is exactly right, and it elevates what Cork 'n Cleaver does best.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Cork 'n Cleaver isn't a wine destination, but it's a solid steakhouse with a wine list that does its job without embarrassing itself. Dig past the Meiomi and the Rombauer and there are a few genuinely interesting bottles waiting for whoever bothers to look.
West Side · Evansville · Italian-American / Pizza
Turoni's is a great neighborhood pizza spot that happens to have wine on the menu, not a wine destination that also serves pizza. Come for the food and the house-brewed beer; treat the $4.99 Lambrusco as a pleasant bonus, not the reason you're here.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Newburgh Road · Evansville · Italian-American / Pizza
Turoni's is a great pizza spot and a solid craft beer destination — the wine list is neither of those things. Order the Lambrusco if you're committed to the bit, then let the beer menu do the real work.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Evansville · Italian-American, Pizza, Brewpub
Turoni's is a great neighborhood pizza spot with a legitimate craft beer program — come for the pies and the pints, not the wine. If you need a glass of something, the $4.99 price tag makes it painless, but don't expect anything beyond the basics.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Evansville · Evansville · American / Brewpub
BJ's Evansville is a brewpub, full stop — the wine list is a courtesy offering for the table members who don't drink beer, not a destination in itself. If you're going, go on a Thursday, order the Meiomi or the Kim Crawford at half price, and let everyone else worry about the craft tap list.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Eagle Crest · Evansville · American gastrobar
Bar Louie Evansville is a fine place to grab a beer or a cocktail — the wine list is an afterthought dressed up in a laminated menu. Come on a Thursday, order the rosé, and call it a win.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
East Side · Evansville · Casual steakhouse; American steak, ribs, chicken, and seafood
LongHorn's wine list is the dining equivalent of a screensaver — it's technically there, it moves occasionally, but nobody's really watching it. Come for the steak, order the La Crema if you want wine, and keep your expectations where the decor suggests they should be.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.