Old-school Akron steak house done right
Downtown Akron · Akron · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 29, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Diamond Grille’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Diamond Grille reads exactly like the room looks — classic, confident, and not trying to impress anyone who didn't already want to be here. Eighty labels deep with a predictable Napa-forward lean, it's the kind of list where you know what you're getting before you even sit down. That's not necessarily a knock — comfort and consistency have kept this place running for decades.
Napa Cabernet is doing the heavy lifting here, and it shows — Caymus Special Selection, Silver Oak, Opus One, Cakebread, and Orin Swift's Papillon all make appearances, covering the full spectrum from crowd-pleaser to splurge. There are nods to the old world with Echo de Lynch-Bages and a Pio Cesare Barolo, and Domaine Serene's Evenstad Reserve gives Oregon some love. The gaps are real though: virtually no value-tier alternatives, thin coverage of white wine beyond a couple of California Chardonnays, and Champagne is basically just Bollinger and Moët. This is a list built for steak drinkers who already know what they want.
Nineteen pours by the glass is a genuinely solid number for a steakhouse of this size, spanning $9 to $28. The range skews toward big reds and safe whites, which is exactly on-brand. There's no indication the pours rotate with any urgency, so don't expect to find anything surprising or seasonal in the glass options.
Echo de Lynch-Bages Pauillac France 2022 — Bottle price not published
The second wine of the legendary Lynch-Bages estate, this Pauillac delivers Left Bank structure and class at a fraction of the flagship's price. It's the most interesting bottle on the list for someone who wants to drink well without going full Opus One — and it's criminally underordered at most American steakhouses.
Turley 'Old Vines' Zinfandel California 2022
Everyone at the table is ordering Cabernet, and that's fine. But Turley's Old Vines Zin is a genuinely serious wine from some of California's oldest planted vines — deep, earthy, and complex in a way that surprises people who still think Zinfandel is for backyard barbecues. It holds its own next to a Porterhouse.
Moët-Chandon 'Imperial' Champagne NV
At $109 a bottle, you're paying a steep premium for the most ubiquitous Champagne brand on the planet. Moët Imperial retails widely for well under $60. Spend the same money on the Bollinger Special Cuvée if you want bubbles — it's the better wine and the more interesting story.
Pio Cesare Barolo Piedmont Italy 2019 + Boston Strip
Barolo's natural grip and savory cherry depth is built for red meat, and the Boston Strip's fat and char give the wine's tannins exactly what they need to soften and sing. It's the classic old-world-meets-steakhouse move that never gets old, and Pio Cesare is a reliable, well-priced entry into Barolo without the prestige-label markup.
The Bottom Line
Diamond Grille is a great steakhouse with a wine list that exists to serve the room, not challenge it — if you already love Napa Cab, you'll be comfortable here. Just go in knowing the markups are real, and seek out the Barolo or the Lynch-Bages if you want your money to do some actual work.
· Akron · Wine Bar & American Bistro
The Wine Mill is doing exactly what a neighborhood wine bar should do: fair prices, wide glass pour access, and a few bottles worth getting excited about buried in an otherwise approachable list. Send your friends here if they want wine without a lecture.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Akron–Canton corridor · Akron · Upscale rustic Italian
The Bistro at Gervasi is a wildcard in the best sense — a full estate wine experience dropped into the middle of northeast Ohio, executed with more care than anyone from out of state would guess. Come curious, skip the cynicism, and let the Nebbiolo do its thing.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Bath / Ghent · Akron · Upscale American / Steakhouse
Ken Stewart's Lodge isn't here to challenge you — it's here to make sure your Napa Cab and your dry-aged steak show up exactly when you want them. Come on a Wednesday, order something from the Stag's Leap end of the list, and you'll leave happy.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Bath / West Akron border · Akron · Upscale American Steakhouse with Seafood
Ken Stewart's isn't reinventing the steakhouse wine list, but it's executing the classic version with enough depth and care to earn your trust. Show up on a Wednesday, grab the Jordan or Far Niente at half price, and you'll leave happy.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Green / East Akron corridor · Akron · Steakhouse / American
Prime 93 is a perfectly serviceable steakhouse wine list that won't thrill anyone but won't embarrass the table either — fair prices, California-forward, and honest about what it is. Send a friend here for the steak; just don't send them expecting a deep cellar.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Montrose / Fairlawn · Akron · Seafood
Come for the seafood — the Shrimp & Grits and Crab Cake have genuine fans — but come on a Tuesday when the bottles are half off, because that's the only time the wine program makes financial sense. Any other night, order a cocktail.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Beverly Hills · Los Angeles · Steakhouse
What we can document at Mastro's Beverly Hills is a narrow, Napa-centric selection that plays zero risk and offers zero surprise — which is a defensible choice for a power-steakhouse crowd, but not one we can enthusiastically endorse to wine lovers. The seven wines on record are all from a single event page, so the full list is almost certainly broader; but until we have more to work with, our honest advice is to know what you want before you sit down, because the list isn't going to inspire you.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
· Yountville · Steakhouse
Press is a special-occasion restaurant with a wine program built to match — deep Napa regional focus, a sommelier on staff, and pairing options that range from serious to stratospheric. The pricing is steep by design, and you should go in knowing the wine spend can easily outpace the food bill. If you're willing to lean into it, this is exactly the kind of Napa experience the valley was built around.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Vail · Steakhouse
Russell's isn't trying to be a wine destination and doesn't need to be — but the list is better than the room probably demands. Fair pricing, a genuine global reach, and twenty pours by the glass make this a steakhouse wine program worth engaging with. Order the Fincas de Ganuza, skip the Laurent Perrier, and leave the mountain resort markup where it belongs: on the cocktail list.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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