Portuguese Heart, Steakhouse Bones, Decent Wine
· Newark · Portuguese / Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 22, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Fernandes Steakhouse II’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Fernandes Steakhouse II is short — 21 labels — but it's doing something most Newark steakhouses aren't: it's actually trying to represent Portugal. Alongside the usual grocery-aisle suspects, you'll find Vinho Verde, Dão, Douro, and Alentejo making an appearance, which is more than a little refreshing for a neighborhood spot with a churrasco grill running in the back.
The list splits into two very different worlds. On one side, there's the American crowd-pleaser section: Murphy-Goode Sauvignon Blanc, Casillero Del Diablo Chardonnay, Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio, and Fetzer Valley Oaks Merlot — nothing that'll surprise you, nothing that'll offend you. On the other side, the Portuguese section is genuinely solid for a restaurant of this size: Quinta de Melgaço Vinho Verde, Grão Vasco Dão, Duas Quintas Douro, and Cartuxa Alentejo are all respectable producers that actually belong on a table next to a plate of bacalhau or a bone-in ribeye. The Marqués de Riscal Rioja and Pesquera Ribera Del Duero round things out with some Iberian credibility. The bubbly section, however, jumps awkwardly from Korbel Brut straight to Dom Pérignon with nothing in between — a classic sign that nobody thought too hard about that tier.
We couldn't confirm specific by-the-glass options from the available data, so we can't tell you what's being poured on any given night. Given the list size and restaurant format, we'd expect a handful of pours — likely the usual suspects like the Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio or the Casillero Del Diablo Chardonnay. Ask your server what's open; you may get lucky with something from the Portuguese side.
Duas Quintas Douro — null
Ramos Pinto's Duas Quintas is a seriously food-friendly Douro red — Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca doing exactly what they were built to do alongside grilled meat. It's the kind of bottle that should be at every Portuguese restaurant in America and often isn't. Order it.
Grão Vasco Dão
Dão is Portugal's quiet overachiever — cooler climate, granite soils, genuine elegance. Grão Vasco is the workhorse label that gets the job done without demanding your attention or your budget. Most tables here will ignore it in favor of something they recognize. Their loss.
Dom Pérignon
Dom Pérignon belongs on a list built around Champagne, not wedged between Korbel Brut and Moët Nectar Rosé at a Portuguese steakhouse. The markup on prestige Champagne at restaurants like this is rarely kind, and the context does it no favors. If you want bubbles, Korbel will do the job just fine — or better yet, skip the Champagne section entirely.
Cartuxa Alentejo + Grilled ribeye
Cartuxa is one of Alentejo's benchmark producers — structured tannins, dark fruit, a little earthy grip. It's built for red meat, full stop. A bone-in ribeye off a Portuguese churrasco grill is exactly the moment this bottle was made for.
The Bottom Line
Fernandes Steakhouse II isn't a wine destination, but the Portuguese section of the list gives it a genuine identity that most neighborhood steakhouses completely lack. Come for the grilled meat, order something from Portugal, and leave the Dom Pérignon for someone else's table.
Arts District · Newark · Tasting-menu / New American
For a concert hall dining room in Newark, this wine list has no business being this French, this specific, or this fairly priced — and yet here we are. The by-the-glass selection alone is worth flagging for anyone catching a show at NJPAC. Go in, order the Vouvray or the Morgon, and be pleasantly surprised.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Newark · Wine Bar
Enoteca Wine Bar earns its Wild Card badge by being exactly the kind of place Newark shouldn't be sleeping on — a focused Italian and Spanish program in a room built for lingering, at price points that don't punish you for ordering a second bottle. We'd want a closer look at the full list and glass pours before calling it a destination, but if you're in the neighborhood and want wine with your wood-fired pizza, this is a smarter bet than most.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Newark · Brazilian Steakhouse
The Taste of Brazil is almost certainly a great time if you're here for the rodízio experience — the meats, the energy, the all-you-can-eat chaos. The wine program, though, is an unknown quantity we can't responsibly endorse, and the lack of any transparent list online suggests wine isn't a priority here. Order a caipirinha, enjoy the picanha, and save the serious bottle for another night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Newark · Italian
Five Corners has stocked four respectable Italian reds and essentially stopped there. Without pricing, pour options, or a list that can accommodate the full table, it's hard to call this a wine program — it's more like a wine shelf. Come for the Italian cooking; manage your expectations on the wine side.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Montclair · Newark · Tasting-menu and New American
Halcyon is a reliable dinner-out option in Montclair where the wine list does its job without showing off — broad enough to find something that works with the seafood, priced at the higher end of what the neighborhood commands. Until we can get eyes on verified bottle selections and pricing, the specific picks stay blank, but the overall program earns a cautious endorsement: go for the crab cakes, ask your server what's pouring well by the glass, and you'll land somewhere fine.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Newark · Newark · Spanish
Spanish Tavern is a Newark institution worth visiting for the atmosphere and the paella, but the wine program doesn't quite match the room's ambitions. Drink something Spanish, keep it simple, and let the food carry the night.
Plays It Safe
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.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
