Classic cuts, classic pours, no surprises
Downtown Colorado Springs · Colorado Springs · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 14, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Famous Steakhouse’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Famous Steakhouse reads exactly like you'd expect from a Colorado Springs institution that's been doing this for decades — heavy on California heavyweights, light on adventure. It's comfortable, familiar, and built to move bottles without raising eyebrows. Nothing here is going to surprise you, and that's clearly the point.
With somewhere between 75 and 150 selections, the list skews hard toward California Cabernet and Chardonnay, with Napa Valley names doing most of the heavy lifting. Stag's Leap, Duckhorn, and Cakebread anchor the program — all respectable producers, but also the kind of names that show up on every steakhouse list from Denver to Dallas. There's a nod to Colorado producers, which we genuinely appreciate and wish they leaned into more, but it feels more like a footnote than a commitment. If you're hoping for Burgundy, Barolo, or anything from the Southern Hemisphere, manage your expectations now.
The by-the-glass program runs 10 to 20 options, which is a reasonable spread for a steakhouse of this size. Expect the usual suspects — a Cab, a Merlot, a Chardonnay — without much rotation or excitement. It gets the job done for a glass while you study the bottle list, but don't expect anything that'll make you put down the menu.
Duckhorn Merlot — null
Duckhorn Merlot is one of the most consistently over-delivered wines in its price bracket, and at a steakhouse it belongs alongside a New York strip without apology. It's the rare bottle on this list where the quality justifies reaching for it even at a restaurant markup.
Colorado Local Selection
Whatever Colorado producer makes the cut on this list is almost certainly getting overlooked by tables ordering the Napa staples — and that's a mistake. Colorado wine country has quietly gotten good, and a local bottle here is both the more interesting story and often the better value.
Cakebread Chardonnay
Cakebread is fine wine, but it is one of the most marked-up labels in the American steakhouse industrial complex. You're paying a serious premium for a name that's become shorthand for 'safe Chardonnay,' and this list almost certainly charges accordingly. There are better ways to spend that money here.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon + Prime Rib
Stag's Leap Cab has the structure and dark fruit to stand up to a thick prime rib without bullying it — the wine's tannins cut through the fat and the fruit holds its own against the beef. It's a classic combination executed at a place built specifically for it.
The Bottom Line
Famous Steakhouse is the dependable old hand — the wine list won't excite you, but it won't embarrass you either, and with a prime rib in front of you and a Stag's Leap in the glass, that's a perfectly decent Thursday night. Just don't come looking for discovery.
Broadmoor · Colorado Springs · Steakhouse and American
La Taverne is a well-run, properly staffed wine program inside one of Colorado's most storied resort properties — expect to pay for the privilege and the setting. If you stick to Jordan and Peter Michael and resist the siren call of the trophy bottles, you'll drink very well here.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Broadmoor · Colorado Springs · Italian (Northern Italian, trattoria-style)
Ristorante del Lago is the rare resort restaurant where the wine program actually earns some respect — the Italian focus is real, the sommelier knows the list, and a few genuinely exciting bottles are hiding in there if you look past the marquee names. Just go in knowing you're paying Broadmoor prices, and order accordingly.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Manitou Springs · Colorado Springs · Mexican / Tex-Mex
Crystal Park Cantina is a genuinely fun spot for tacos and margaritas with a mountain view — lean into that and skip the wine entirely. The list is overpriced grocery store inventory with no ambition, and no amount of scenery changes that.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Manitou Springs · Colorado Springs · Upscale American, Contemporary Fine Dining
The Cliff House wine program is the dependable friend who always shows up dressed well — you know exactly what you're getting, and it's genuinely good, even if it never blows your mind. For a special occasion in the mountains, this is a comfortable, well-run room that will take care of you.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown / West Colorado · Colorado Springs · Fine Dining / Steak & Seafood
Pepper Tree is a reliable wine stop for what it is — a classic Colorado fine-dining room where the tableside Steak Diane is the main event and the wine list is a well-behaved supporting cast. Don't come here chasing discovery, but do come knowing you'll drink decently without drama.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Northeast / University Village · Colorado Springs · Upscale American Steakhouse
Cowboy Star delivers exactly what a Colorado Springs steakhouse crowd wants from a wine list — familiar names, properly stored, and no homework required. It's not a destination for wine, but it won't embarrass you either; just steer toward Jordan over Caymus and pocket the difference.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· Atlanta · Steakhouse
Hal's delivers a competent, Napa-forward bottle list that does exactly what a steakhouse wine program is supposed to do — just without much surprise or value mercy. Send a friend here if they want a reliable big-red experience; warn them to leave the credit card breathing room.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Houston · Steakhouse
Perry's is a reliable steakhouse wine list — nothing that'll make you rethink your palate, but enough to drink well with red meat if you know where to look. The fortified and dessert wine section is genuinely worth your attention; the rest is competent but forgettable.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Steakhouse
New York Prime's wine list is exactly what it needs to be for its audience — safe, recognizable, and priced for expense accounts. If you know what you want and don't mind paying for it, you'll be fine; just don't come looking for discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
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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