Solid Cabs, Big Meat, Fair Enough
Bakersfield · Brazilian Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 23, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Flame & Fire Brazilian Steakhouse Bakersfield’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walk in and the wine wall grabs you — it's a statement piece, and it signals that someone here is at least trying. The list leans hard into South American reds and California Cabs, which makes sense when you're about to eat your body weight in picanha and lamb chops. Nothing here is going to surprise you, but the setting is polished enough that you're not embarrassed to order a bottle.
The list is built around the food, and to its credit, it does that job competently. Argentina shows up via Catena Malbec, California gets its due with Caymus and Jordan, and Silver Oak makes an appearance for anyone who wants to flex a little. The real curveball is the Quinta do Crasto from Portugal — a legitimately interesting choice that suggests someone on the buying side has at least a passing interest in wine beyond the obvious. That said, don't come here hoping for Burgundy, Rhône depth, or anything off the beaten path — this is a steak-focused list, full stop.
Roughly 15 to 20 pours by the glass puts this well above the average steakhouse, which usually gives you four options and calls it a day. Prices run $10 to $20 a glass, which is reasonable for a rodízio experience where the bill is already climbing. We don't have confirmed rotation details, but given the "set and forget" energy of the specials program, don't expect the pours to change much season to season.
Catena Malbec Mendoza — $48
Retails around $20, so yes, it's marked up — but at $48 in a full-service Brazilian steakhouse setting, it's still the most honest bottle on the list. Classic Mendoza Malbec: dark fruit, a little earthiness, built for grilled meat. Order this before you start eyeing the Silver Oak.
Quinta do Crasto
Nobody comes to a Brazilian steakhouse looking for a Portuguese red, which is exactly why you should order it. Douro reds are structured, dark-fruited, and built for exactly the kind of fire-kissed meat this place specializes in. It stands out on a list otherwise full of the usual suspects.
Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
At $150 a bottle on a $80 retail price, you're paying a near-double markup for a wine that's already been over-allocated and over-ordered at every steakhouse in America. Caymus is perfectly fine, but this is a brand you're paying for, not a wine.
Quinta do Crasto + Rodízio churrasco meats (picanha and lamb)
The Douro's grippy tannins and dark fruit stand up to the char and fat of the rotating churrasco cuts without getting steamrolled. It's also interesting enough to make the whole meal feel less like a meat conveyor belt and more like an actual dining experience.
The Bottom Line
Flame & Fire Bakersfield is a reliable steakhouse wine list — it does what it's supposed to do without embarrassing itself. If you're coming for the meat, the Catena or the Quinta do Crasto will get you through the night with your wallet and your dignity intact.
· Bakersfield · Wine bar + brewpub
BottleShock has a great name and a wine list that hasn't caught up to it yet. Four labels — including a Prosecco and a Chianti Classico you've seen a hundred times — isn't enough to earn the wine bar designation. Until the list grows up, come for the brew side of the menu and treat the wine as an afterthought.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Bakersfield · Hotel lounge
MI Greatroom is doing exactly what a Marriott convention hotel bar is designed to do — serve recognizable, inoffensive wines to people who aren't thinking about wine. There's no shame in that, but there's no reason to come here specifically for what's in the glass. Order the Maso Canali, catch up with whoever you're meeting, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bakersfield · American
Yard House Bakersfield is a beer hall that happens to sell wine, and the list makes no effort to hide that. Markups are aggressive, selections are safe to the point of being anonymous, and the only reason to open a bottle here is if your table voted against another round of IPAs. If you're wine-focused, redirect your budget to the Jean-Luc Colombo Rosé by the glass and call it a night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bakersfield · Steakhouse and Seafood
This is a wine program that exists only because restaurants are expected to have one. If you're at Sizzler Bakersfield, order a beer, a lemonade, or whatever they're mixing at the bar — the wine list is not the reason to be here, and it's not trying to be.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bakersfield · Hotel bar and small plates
Brimstone Bar isn't trying to be a wine destination — but whoever put Terre Rouge on the menu made a real choice, and that's more than most hotel bars can say. If you're in Bakersfield and you want something other than a mass-market Cab, this is the move. Just don't come expecting options.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown Bakersfield · Bakersfield · Latin American / Mexican / Spanish / American
Zama is a fun room with a wine list that plays it safe — the markups are real, the picks are predictable, but Wine Wednesday changes the math considerably if you time your visit right. Show up on a Wednesday, order the Riesling or the Bonanza, and enjoy the patio.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
· Bridgewater · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão Bridgewater is not a wine destination, and it doesn't try to be. The list is competent chain-restaurant territory: crowd-pleasing producers, steep-but-not-shocking markups on most bottles, and a wide enough by-the-glass selection to keep a table of six happy without debate. Grab the Alamos Malbec, skip the Chandon Mini, and save your wine focus for somewhere that earns it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Los Angeles · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão's wine list isn't trying to be a destination — it's trying to support a meat-forward meal without emptying your wallet, and it largely succeeds. The South American focus makes geographic sense, the pricing is fair for LA, and there are a few genuinely good bottles hiding in a otherwise safe list. If you're going for the full churrasco experience, grab the Lapostolle Sauvignon Blanc or the Catena Alta Chardonnay and let the gauchos do the rest.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· White Plains · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão White Plains is not a wine destination, but it's not trying to be. The by-the-glass program is wide enough to find something that works with the meat parade, the Malbec lineup is appropriately on-theme, and the $10 entry point keeps things accessible. Markups trend steep as you climb the list, so stay in the $10–$20 glass range and you'll leave satisfied. Send a friend here for the beef; the wine is just along for the ride.
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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