Monday nights just got a lot more interesting
Riva Road / Annapolis · Annapolis · American, Steak House, Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 20, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Firebirds Wood Fired Grill Annapolis’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 Firebirds Annapolis is corporate but not cynical — it's a chain program that actually put some thought into what steak-and-seafood drinkers want. You won't find anything that challenges your assumptions, but you also won't find anything that embarrasses the table. The private-label bottles made with Girard's Pat Roney signal that someone upstairs cares at least a little.
About 70 bottles deep, the list leans hard on California — Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles — with a few Washington State picks (Chateau Ste. Michelle, Kung Fu Girl) and some Spanish representation via Poema. Recognizable names dominate: Caymus, Belle Glos, Sonoma-Cutrer, Franciscan Estate. It's a greatest-hits playlist, not a deep cut collection. There's nothing from Oregon, Burgundy, or the Southern Hemisphere, which is a miss when you're running a serious steak program.
Twenty-five by-the-glass options in both 5 oz and 8 oz pours is genuinely generous for a casual chain — that's more flexibility than a lot of independent restaurants offer. The selection mirrors the bottle list: California-forward, brand-familiar, and safe. Rotation seems tied to seasonal features and promotions rather than any ongoing curation effort.
J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon — $10/glass
At $10 a glass for a Paso Robles Cab that retails around $15, the markup is right at 100% — about as honest as a chain restaurant gets. It's fruit-forward and built for red meat, which is exactly what most tables here are ordering.
Firebirds Private-Label Red Blend (by Pat Roney of Girard Winery)
Most people scroll right past house wines, but this one was made by the winemaker behind Girard — a legitimate Napa producer. It's not a filler blend made in bulk; it's a targeted, food-friendly red that outperforms its price point and the assumptions that come with the label.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
At around $130 a bottle and excluded from the Monday half-price promotion, Caymus here is exactly what it is everywhere else: a name people recognize paying a premium for familiarity. The wine is fine, but at that restaurant markup you're spending chain-restaurant money for a bottle that should cost you $80 at retail. There are better ways to spend $130 at this table.
Belle Glos Pinot Noir + Wood-grilled salmon
Belle Glos is rich and dark-fruited for a Pinot — big enough to hold its own against the char on the salmon without trampling the fish. It's the move when you want red wine but you're not ordering beef.
Monday — Half-price wine all day Monday on select glasses and bottles chain-wide. Limited allocation wines (like Caymus) are excluded from the promotion.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Firebirds Annapolis is a reliable wine program doing exactly what it's designed to do: give a broad crowd recognizable bottles at prices that won't cause a scene when the check arrives. Come on a Monday, order the J. Lohr, and you'll have nothing to complain about.
Eastport · Annapolis · American pub fare
Davis' Pub is a great place to drink — just not wine. The list is inoffensive and priced fairly, but it exists as an afterthought in a place where the real action is cold drafts and steamed crabs. Order the Brancott if you must, then pivot to beer.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Spa Creek · Annapolis · Seafood / Steak
Chart House Annapolis is a reliable wine list in a genuinely great setting — you'll drink well enough, but you're paying for the view as much as the pour. Go in with eyes open on the markup and lean on the California stalwarts that earned their spots here.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Towne Centre Area · Annapolis · Wine Bar / Mediterranean
Smashing Grapes is quietly one of the better wine programs in the mid-Atlantic, operating in a market that doesn't always demand it — which makes it even more impressive. Send a friend here, absolutely, and tell them to skip the safe picks.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Upper Main Street · Annapolis · Wine Bar / Bistro
Red Red Wine Bar is a genuinely fun, accessible spot if you go in knowing what it is: a bubbly-forward wine bar built for socializing and sharing flights, not deep-dive cellar exploration. Send your friend here for a casual night out — just don't send them expecting a sprawling wine list.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Church Circle · Annapolis · Tavern / Afternoon Tea
Reynolds Tavern is the kind of Wild Card that earns its badge by being completely sincere — a 275-year-old tavern that stocks Vieux Télégraphe and Maryland Albariño without making a big deal about it. If you're in Annapolis and skipping wine here in favor of a generic hotel bar down the street, that's on you.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Eastport · Annapolis · Seafood / Raw Bar
Blackwall Hitch isn't a wine destination, but it's a reliable spot to drink something decent without getting gouged — especially during happy hour. Send a friend here if they want a glass on the water, not if they're chasing something to talk about.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.