Barefoot and barely trying
East Lansing · Lansing · Mexican · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 7, 2026
RagingWine reviewed El Azteco East Lansing’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at El Azteco is less a list and more a footnote. Three Barefoot SKUs and a couple of other budget pours — it reads like someone grabbed whatever was on sale at Meijer and called it a program. To be fair, nobody is coming here for the wine.
The selection clocks in at under eight bottles, with the heavy lifting done entirely by Barefoot — the Moscato, Cab, and Pinot Grigio are all present and accounted for. There's a nod toward California and Mexico as region focuses, but 'focus' is doing a lot of work in that sentence. There are no small producers, no regional Mexican wines worth noting, and zero evidence that anyone curated this list with intention. It's the wine equivalent of a condiment tray — functional, forgettable.
You're getting three to five pours by the glass, all in the $6–$9 range, which at least keeps the damage low. Every option is a mass-market brand you've seen at a graduation party. There's no rotation, no seasonal add, nothing that suggests this list has changed since the Obama administration.
Barefoot Pinot Grigio — $6
At retail parity — $6 at the restaurant, $6 at the store — you're essentially getting the glass for free. It's not exciting, but it's cold, crisp enough to cut through cheese dip, and you won't feel robbed.
Barefoot Moscato
Nobody orders the Moscato at a Mexican restaurant and that's exactly why it works here. Sweet, low-alcohol, and surprisingly decent against spicy enchiladas. It's the unfashionable call that actually makes sense with the food.
Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon
Heavy, jammy, and completely wrong for tacos or cheese dip. There's no dish on this menu that needs a Barefoot Cab, and the wine doesn't do itself any favors either. Order a margarita instead — you'll thank us.
Barefoot Moscato + Cheese Dip
The slight sweetness in the Moscato plays off the salty, rich cheese dip in a way that a dry wine just doesn't. It's not a pairing you'd read about in a magazine, but it works at this table, at this price, on a Tuesday night in East Lansing.
The Bottom Line
El Azteco is a beloved college-town institution, and the wine list knows its place — it's there so you can technically order wine, not because anyone thought hard about it. Stick to the margaritas; they're the real program here.
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Carrabba's Lansing isn't a wine destination — it's a chain with a four-bottle list that skews heavily toward one California region and ignores everything Italian about the menu. Come for the pasta, skip the wine program, or catch one of their Paso Robles wine dinners if the timing works out.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
East Lansing · Lansing · American, Brew Pub, Bar
Beggar's Banquet is a beloved East Lansing institution and the wine list reflects that — it's comfortable, familiar, and a little overpriced. Come on a Wednesday when half-price bottles make the steep markups survivable, order the bubbles, and remember that the beer list is probably the real reason everyone keeps coming back.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
East Lansing · Lansing · American bar & grill
Peanut Barrel is a beloved East Lansing institution and a genuinely great place to grab a burger and a beer — emphasis on the beer. The wine list is a placeholder, not a program, and no one at the table or behind the bar is pretending otherwise.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Lansing · Lansing · Hotel Restaurant
If you're staying at the Crowne Plaza or just need a reliable glass of wine before a meeting in Lansing, Kindred Table won't let you down — prices are fair, the producers are legitimate, and nobody's trying to fleece you. Just don't come expecting discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Old Town Lansing · Lansing · Gastropub
Zoobie's isn't where you go to geek out on wine, but if you're meeting friends for dinner in Old Town and someone at the table insists on a glass, you won't be stuck with regret. Grab the Malbec or the Mawby rosé, let everyone else argue about the beer list.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Okemos · Lansing · Seafood and American
Real Seafood Company Okemos is a dependable neighborhood anchor where the wine list won't embarrass you or excite you — fair prices and familiar faces make it easy, just don't come expecting discovery. Order the La Marca with the oysters and leave the wine nerd hat at home.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· St. Paul · Mexican
Boca Chica is almost certainly a great neighborhood spot for Mexican food, but the wine program is an afterthought. Eight unlabeled house varietals and a White Zinfandel on the menu is all the signal you need — order the sangria, order a margarita, and save the wine night for somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Tucson · Mexican
Seis Kitchen is almost certainly doing great things with food, but the wine program is essentially nonexistent — three unnamed pours at bare-minimum prices with zero information to guide a choice. Come for the tacos, order a beer or a margarita, and don't look at the wine list.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Irvine Spectrum · Irvine · Mexican
Javier's Irvine is a genuinely good night out — the food is the draw, the room delivers, and the wine list will get you through dinner without embarrassing anyone. But if you're coming specifically to drink well, temper expectations: this is California-safe territory with pricing that reflects the zip code more than the cellar. Order the carne asada, ask what's open by the glass, and don't overthink it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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