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 →
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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.
Ironbound · Newark · Portuguese / Seafood
Sol Mar isn't a destination wine list, but it's an honest one — Portuguese-focused, reasonably priced, and built to serve food that actually needs wine alongside it. Send a friend here for the whole experience; just tell them to order a bottle of something white and cold from the Douro.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Newark · Newark · Italian tapas / wine bar
Spuntino earns its Wild Card badge by building a genuinely interesting dessert wine and port program inside what looks like a casual Italian tapas spot — that Vin Santo lineup alone is worth the trip. If you're bringing someone who wants to explore wine without committing to a full bottle, the flights make this one of the better low-stakes wine education stops in the area.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
· Newark · European Bistro
Satis Bistro is doing more with 22 bottles than most restaurants do with 60 — it's a focused, honest list with fair prices and a few genuine finds. If you're eating in Newark and care about what's in your glass, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Newark · Newark · New American
Nico is a pre-show pitstop, not a wine destination — the list exists to get a glass in your hand before you head into the auditorium, and it does exactly that and nothing more. Order the Chapoutier Rosé, enjoy the show, and don't expect the wine program to be part of the evening's highlight reel.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Ironbound · Newark · Portuguese and Brazilian
Tony da Caneca isn't a wine destination in the traditional sense, but it's the kind of place where the wine list actually makes sense with the food — and in the Ironbound, that's a quiet form of excellence. If you love Portuguese wine and grilled seafood, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Ironbound · Newark · Portuguese Seafood, Iberian
Allegro isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's doing something genuinely rare: building a list that actually matches the food and the neighborhood. If you're in the Ironbound and want to drink well with serious Portuguese cooking, this is where you go.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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