Beer Town With a Wine List Afterthought
Novus / ASU Campus District · Tempe · American Burger & Craft Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 30, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Eureka! Tempe reads like it was assembled by someone who Googled 'most recognizable wine brands' and called it a day. You're surrounded by craft beer taps, whiskey bottles, and a buzzing college crowd — and the wine list feels like it knows it doesn't belong here. That's not necessarily a crime, but there's zero ambition to make it work.
Fifteen to twenty-five selections, almost entirely from California and the Pacific Northwest, and almost entirely names you'd find on a Costco end cap. Meiomi Pinot Noir, Bread & Butter Chardonnay, Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc — these are the workhorses of chain restaurant wine lists everywhere, and Eureka! rides them hard. There's no regional curiosity, no small producer, nothing that suggests anyone behind this list spent more than an afternoon with a distributor catalog. If you're hoping for something from Arizona's own wine country or even a rogue Rhône varietal, keep hoping.
Six to ten pours by the glass, which is a reasonable count for a burger joint, but the range is just a rehash of the same mainstream names in bottle form. At $9–$14 a glass, you're paying restaurant rates for grocery store wine, which stings a little. There's no rotation, no seasonal selection, no sign that this program gets any attention between quarterly menu updates.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc — $9/glass
It's the most food-friendly pour on the list and the lowest-commitment option for the price. Not exciting, but it does its job alongside lighter bites.
Meiomi Pinot Noir
It's not exactly a hidden gem in the wild, but at a burger bar where beer dominates, ordering a Pinot Noir gets you odd looks — and it's actually the best match for the menu's richer dishes. Don't let the crowd talk you out of it.
Bread & Butter Chardonnay
You're paying $13–$14 a glass for a bottle you can grab at Total Wine for $15. The markup here is especially hard to justify when the pour is this predictable.
Meiomi Pinot Noir + Bone Marrow Burger
The Pinot's fruit-forward softness doesn't fight the richness of bone marrow and beef the way a Cab would. It's the one pairing on this list that actually makes sense — and it almost feels accidental.
❌ The Bottom Line
Eureka! Tempe is a craft beer bar first, a burger spot second, and a wine destination never. Order a local draft, enjoy your Truffle Cheese Fries, and save the wine for a place that's actually trying.
South Tempe · Tempe · American / Neighborhood Bistro
The Hudson is a fine place to eat a burger and drink a beer, but the wine list is on autopilot — familiar labels, steep markups outside of Wednesday's deal, and no evidence that anyone on staff is losing sleep over it. Send a friend here for the food, tell them to drink a cocktail.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown Tempe / Tempe Marketplace · Tempe · Modern Mexican
Blanco is a tequila bar that serves wine as a courtesy, and the list reflects exactly that level of commitment. Come for the cocktails and the Short Rib Machaca Enchiladas — if you want wine, order the bottle with the lowest markup and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
The Buttes / West Tempe · Tempe · Steakhouse-Lean New American
Top of the Rock is a safe, predictable wine list dressed up in a genuinely spectacular setting — you're paying a resort premium for Napa's greatest hits, and the view is doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Send a friend here for the scenery and the steak, but tell them to pick their bottle carefully.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
The Buttes / West Tempe · Tempe · Lounge / New American
Top of the Rock is a perfectly acceptable place to drink wine if the sunset and the occasion are doing the work — just don't expect the list to surprise you or the prices to be anything but hotel-steep. Order the Brunello or the Penner-Ash, enjoy the view, and let it be what it is.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Mill Avenue · Tempe · Cocktail Bar
Filthy Animal is the last place you'd expect to find a real wine list, which is precisely what makes it a Wild Card — the selection punches above the bar's party-school energy, and if you know what to order, you can drink well while everyone else is doing kamikazes. Just don't come here for the value; come for the vibe and the pleasant surprise.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Tempe · Tempe · Wine Bar / Mediterranean Small Plates
Bar Capri isn't trying to be a destination wine program — it's trying to be a really good neighborhood wine bar, and it mostly nails that. The Pasta Night deal alone is worth bookmarking, and the Barolo on a short list is the kind of detail that tells you someone cares.
Small but Thoughtful
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.