Corporate Done Right, Twice a Week
Lincoln Square · Bellevue · American, Global/International, Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 1, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Earls Bellevue is exactly what you'd expect from a polished chain restaurant — familiar names, approachable prices, nothing that'll make your jaw drop. But there's a quiet competence here: the list was curated by a corporate sommelier who actually did his homework, and the Pacific Northwest representation gives it more local credibility than most places in its category.
Forty-seven labels isn't a deep cellar, but Earls leans into its geography — Red Mountain Cabernet from Col Solare and Willamette Valley Pinot from Lingua Franca are genuinely good producers that belong on any serious list. The California heavy-hitters like Joseph Phelps and Louis M. Martini's 'The Gryphon' fill out the big-name Napa corner, which is clearly where most tables will gravitate. What's missing is international depth — the list doesn't wander far from the West Coast comfort zone, and anything from Europe or South America appears to be an afterthought. If you're hoping for a Burgundy or a Rioja, you're in the wrong room.
The by-the-glass program is surprisingly active, with prices running $11–$17 that feel reasonable for Bellevue. You're not going to find anything revelatory in the pour lineup — Meiomi, Kim Crawford, Josh Cellars — but the Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling at $11 is a legitimate bargain. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the half-price bottle program transforms this from a casual pour situation into a genuinely good deal worth planning around.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling Columbia Valley — $11/glass
At $11 a glass for one of Washington's most reliable Rieslings, this is a no-brainer. It retails for $9 a bottle, so yes, the math is a little funny — but in a restaurant context, this is the kind of pour that makes you feel like you're getting away with something.
Lingua Franca Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
Most tables at Earls are going straight for the Napa Cabs, which means the Lingua Franca often gets overlooked. This is a serious Oregon Pinot from a winery backed by Larry Stone — thoughtful, terroir-driven, and genuinely exciting compared to everything else on this list. Order it before someone else at your table realizes it's there.
Meiomi Pinot Noir California
At $14 a glass for a wine that retails around $18 a bottle, you're paying restaurant markup for something that's essentially a grocery store Pinot engineered for mass appeal. The Lingua Franca is right there. Make better choices.
Col Solare Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon + Sirloin Steak
Col Solare is one of the Red Mountain AVA's standout producers — structured tannins, dark fruit, real backbone. Put that up against Earls' sirloin and the fat in the beef softens the wine's edges while the Cab cuts right through. It's a classic match, and here it's grounded in actual Washington terroir rather than generic Napa gloss.
Tuesday and Wednesday — Earls runs half-price bottles on select wines every Tuesday ('Double Up') and Wednesday ('Wine Wednesday') during happy hour and late night. The specific bottles rotate by location, so ask your server what's on the deal list that night.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Earls Bellevue isn't going to wow any wine nerds, but it's a genuinely solid operation for what it is — fair prices, a few legitimately good bottles, and one of the best mid-week deals in Bellevue if you time your visit right. Come on a Tuesday or Wednesday and grab the Lingua Franca at half price; you'll leave happy.
Old Bellevue · Bellevue · Southern Italian
Carmine's is a dependable wine experience in a room that earns it — the Italian backbone is solid, the Marc Hébrart alone proves someone cared when building this list, and 13 by-the-glass options gives you real choices. Just mind the markups and steer away from the California name-drops.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Redmond Town Center · Bellevue · Steakhouse and Seafood
Matts' isn't a wine destination, but it's not pretending to be one either. The Pacific Northwest focus is smart, the by-the-glass picks punch above the room's casual energy, and $9 oyster bar pours during happy hour is a deal worth showing up for.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Bellefield Office Park Area · Bellevue · Upscale American Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Bellevue is a reliable machine for a certain kind of corporate dinner — but the wine list is a profit center dressed up as a wine program, and the markups make that clear. Order the Belle Glos, catch Ruth's Hour if you can, and save the serious wine drinking for somewhere that actually cares.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Bellevue Square · Bellevue · Asian, Chinese-inspired
On a Wednesday, P.F. Chang's Bellevue is legitimately worth pulling up a chair for wine — half-price bottles with recognizable labels is a deal you won't find at most actual wine bars. Any other night, the list is competent but overpriced for what it is, and you'd be better off sticking to the cocktails.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Active Program
Acceptable
Old Bellevue · Bellevue · Contemporary Vietnamese
Monsoon Bellevue earns its Wild Card status: a focused Pacific Northwest wine list in a Vietnamese restaurant context is a genuinely smart move, and Wednesday half-price bottles make this one of the better midweek wine deals in Old Bellevue. Show up on a Wednesday, order the Pinot, and let the kitchen do the rest.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Lincoln Square South · Bellevue · Cocktail Bar with New American Small Plates
Civility & Unrest is a legitimately great cocktail bar that happens to have wine on the menu — and that's exactly how it treats it. Come for the cocktails, the atmosphere, and the small plates; skip the wine unless you're ordering the Moscato and splitting a charcuterie board.
Plays It Safe
Gouge
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.