Big views, big list, big steak energy
Embarcadero · San Francisco · Steakhouse, American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 22, 2026
RagingWine reviewed EPIC Steak’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walk into EPIC Steak and the Bay Bridge through those floor-to-ceiling windows does most of the selling before you even open the wine list. The list itself is thick — somewhere between 300 and 500 labels depending on the season — and it means business. This is not a wine list that's trying to be clever; it's trying to be impressive, and it mostly succeeds.
California dominates, as you'd expect from a San Francisco steakhouse playing to the home crowd, with Russian River Valley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay getting serious real estate. DuMOL shows up as a flagship pick, which tells you the kitchen and floor team understand that Russian River fruit at its best can hold its own against a prime ribeye without getting lost. The international section exists but feels secondary — a supporting cast rather than a co-star. What's genuinely interesting is the occasional curveball, like the Friulano from I Clivi that surfaced during Restaurant Week, which suggests someone behind the list is paying attention beyond the obvious.
With 20 to 30 by-the-glass options, EPIC punches well above average for a steakhouse format — most places in this tier offer you a token eight and call it a day. The glass program leans predictably toward California reds and whites, but the depth means you're not stuck choosing between a grocery-store Cab and a generic Chard. Rotation appears occasional rather than aggressive, so don't expect the list to look dramatically different visit to visit.
DuMOL Chardonnay, Russian River Valley — null
DuMOL's Russian River Chardonnay consistently overdelivers for the category — real texture and precision without the butter-bomb California clichés. At a steakhouse where the Chardonnay is often an afterthought, this is the move for anyone at the table who isn't going red.
Friulano, I Clivi 2017
A northeastern Italian Friulano from I Clivi showing up on a San Francisco steakhouse list is the kind of thing that makes us do a double-take. Most people are here for the big reds, but this wine — mineral, saline, quietly serious — is exactly what you want with a seafood starter or a lighter first course before the beef arrives. Almost nobody orders it. That's their loss.
Generic California Cabernet Sauvignon by-the-glass pours
With a list this deep, defaulting to the obvious house Cab by the glass is a missed opportunity and likely where the margin padding lives. The markup on commodity California Cab at a waterfront steakhouse is not doing you any favors — step up to a bottle or ask the floor staff to point you somewhere more interesting.
DuMOL Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley + Prime ribeye steak
Russian River Pinot is silky enough not to fight the fat on a prime ribeye, but it has enough structure and dark fruit to actually complement the char. It's a counterintuitive call at a steakhouse — most people reach for Cab — but DuMOL's Pinot is serious enough to earn a seat at that table.
The Bottom Line
EPIC Steak is a reliable, well-executed steakhouse wine program that earns its stripes with real depth, a sommelier who cares, and a few smart curveballs buried in the list. The markups will sting, but if you know where to look — and now you do — there's genuinely good drinking to be had with that view.
Embarcadero · San Francisco · Peruvian Seafood
La Mar is a great dinner — the ceviche alone is worth the trip — but the wine list is along for the ride rather than driving it. Order something crisp and cold, enjoy the view, and don't overthink it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Union Square · San Francisco · American
The Rotunda is a lunch experience first and a wine destination a distant second — the list is safe, the markup is real, and you're largely paying for the address and the atmosphere. Come for the crab salad and the occasion, order something bubbly, and don't go in expecting a serious wine program.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
San Francisco · San Francisco · Wine bar & bottle shop
Bodega SF is what happens when someone actually gives a damn about the list instead of just checking a box. Twenty-six bottles, almost all pourable by the glass, priced fairly, and built around grapes most wine bars wouldn't dare touch — send your adventurous friends here and tell them to skip the safe picks.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
San Francisco · San Francisco · Wine bar
Fig & Thistle is for people who trust a short menu built by someone with a point of view — thirteen bottles, all pouring, all worth talking about. If you need a fallback Cab or a recognizable label to feel safe, this isn't your spot. If you don't, this absolutely is.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
San Francisco · San Francisco · Steakhouse
STK San Francisco has the bones of a wine program and the ambition of a hotel minibar. With only three by-the-glass pours, a list built entirely around safe brand names, and steep markups baked into the concept, this is a place to order a cocktail or splurge on a specific bottle you already know you want.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Francisco · Wine Tavern
Big Finish is doing something genuinely different — an all-glass list built around obscure varietals, serious fortified wine, and pricing that doesn't punish curiosity. Send anyone here who wants to drink something they've never tried before and walk away feeling like they learned something.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
River Road · Gatlinburg · Steakhouse, American
The Peddler is a legitimately great steakhouse experience in a gorgeous setting, and the wine list is competent enough to get the job done — but it's a supporting cast, not a destination. Order the Jordan, get the steak, enjoy the river view, and don't expect the list to surprise you.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Parkway · Gatlinburg · Steakhouse, American
Alamo Steakhouse is genuinely great at what it does — the oak-fired meats are the draw and they deliver. But the wine list is purely functional, overpriced for what it is, and built for tourists who aren't going to push back on a Kendall-Jackson upcharge. Come for the steak, order a bourbon, and save the wine enthusiasm for somewhere else.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Lionshead · Vail · Steakhouse, American
Vail Chophouse is a dependable après-ski and dinner destination that plays its wine program straight down the middle — familiar names, steep but expected mountain-town pricing, and a list that won't let you down if you stick to the California Cabs. We'd send a friend here for the steak and the view, with a note to skip the Josh and go straight to Jordan.
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.
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