Waco's Best Italian List Nobody Talks About
Waco · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed April 9, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Di Campli's Italian Ristorante’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into a suburban Waco strip — sorry, Woodway Drive — and finding Tignanello and Gaja Barbaresco on the list is genuinely disorienting in the best way. This is not the wine list you expect from a family Italian restaurant in Central Texas. Someone here actually cares.
The list runs 150 to 250 bottles and reads like an Italian regionalism tour with real commitment: Antinori's Solaia and Tignanello anchor the Tuscan side, Biondi-Santi and Banfi cover Brunello di Montalcino, and Ceretto and Prunotto bring legitimate Barolo representation. Frescobaldi adds breadth across Tuscany and Planeta flies the flag for Sicily, which keeps the list from being purely a parade of prestige names. There are gaps — the non-Italian world barely exists here — but honestly, lean into the focus. A 250-bottle Italian list that actually knows what it's doing beats a 400-bottle everything-list that doesn't.
Twelve to twenty by-the-glass options is a healthy pour program for a restaurant this size, and if the bottle list is any indication, the glass pours aren't just house Pinot Grigio and generic Chianti. That said, there's no evidence of active rotation or a seasonal glass program, so what you see is likely what you've always seen.
Planeta (Sicily) — $30–$50 range
Planeta consistently punches above its price point — structured, expressive, and from a producer that earns more shelf space than it usually gets in Texas. On a list dominated by prestige Tuscany, this is the smart order.
Prunotto Barolo
Ceretto gets more buzz but Prunotto is the quietly serious choice here — a traditional Barolo producer making wines that reward patience. Most tables will reach for the Tignanello; order this instead and drink better for the same or less money.
Antinori Solaia
Solaia is a genuinely great wine but it carries serious name recognition tax on every restaurant list it lands on. At $300+ in this setting, you're paying a premium that the Brunello and Barolo options on this same list simply don't ask for.
Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino + Osso Buco
Braised veal shank needs something with the structure and earth to stand up to it without steamrolling the dish — Brunello from Biondi-Santi has exactly that kind of backbone. It's a classic pairing for a reason, and this list makes it possible in Waco.
The Bottom Line
Di Campli's earned that Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence and the list backs it up — this is genuinely serious Italian wine in a place you'd never think to look for it. If you're anywhere near Waco and care about drinking well with dinner, this is a detour worth making.
Central Waco / Richland Mall area · Waco · American gastropub / brewery fare
BJ's wine list exists because it has to, not because anyone loves it — this is a beer destination first and everything else is an afterthought. If you're here on a Wednesday during happy hour, grab the $5 Dark Horse and call it honest; otherwise, just drink the beer.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Central Waco / Loop 340 · Waco · Casual Chain Italian-American
Olive Garden Waco's wine list is a corporate afterthought dressed up with Italian flags — gouge-level markups on supermarket bottles, no staff expertise, and zero ambition. Order the cocktails, drink the endless coffee, or BYOB if they'll let you. The breadsticks don't need wine anyway.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Southwest Waco / I-35 corridor · Waco · Steakhouse
Texas Roadhouse is a great place for a hand-cut steak, cold beer, and line-dancing servers — but the wine list is essentially a placeholder. Come for the food, order a Lone Star, and leave the wine ambitions at home.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central Waco / Valley Mills Drive · Waco · Steakhouse
Outback Waco's wine program is what happens when a corporate chain treats wine as a line item instead of an experience — overpriced grocery store bottles with zero staff expertise and zero reason to explore the list. Order the beer, order the cocktail, or BYOB if they'll let you.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central Waco / near Richland Mall · Waco · Steakhouse
Saltgrass is here for the steak, and the steak is genuinely good — but the wine program is an afterthought wearing a price tag. Order the ribeye, split a bottle of Decoy if you must, and don't expect anyone on staff to help you think beyond that.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Woodway / Marketplace area · Waco · Steakhouse
135 Prime is doing more with a wine list than Waco has any right to expect from its steakhouse scene, and the weekly specials show genuine curiosity. Just keep your guard up when the dessert wine list arrives — that's where the house cashes in.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
· Dacula · Italian
Antonetas isn't a wine destination, and it isn't trying to be — it's a family-friendly neighborhood Italian with a wine list that covers the basics and stays out of the way. If you're after a solid glass of something red with your Lasagna in a no-fuss setting, you won't be disappointed. Just don't show up expecting to geek out over the list.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Alpharetta · Italian
Crust is a solid neighborhood Italian spot where the wine list is a supporting player, not the headliner — and that's fine. Come for the rigatoni alla vodka and garlic knots; order a glass of whatever red they're pouring and don't overthink it. We'd send a friend here for dinner without hesitation, just not for the wine list alone.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Marietta · Italian
Vespucci's isn't a wine destination, but it doesn't pretend to be — and that honesty is refreshing. The one move that earns real respect here is the Monday half-price bottle deal, which turns an ordinary weeknight into a genuinely good value. Show up on a Monday, order the Eggplant Parmigiana, grab a bottle at half price, and you've had a solid dinner without thinking too hard about it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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