All-You-Can-Eat Meat, All-You-Can-Drink Familiar Labels
· San Diego · Brazilian Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed October 21, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Fogo de Chão’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Fogo de Chão San Diego is exactly what you'd expect from a chain steakhouse — and that's not entirely a knock. Twenty-seven by-the-glass options covering everything from a $6 Calina Chardonnay Reserva to a $16.50 Meiomi Pinot Noir means there's something for everyone, even if that 'everyone' has been to a Chili's recently. The South American-leaning angle is a smart move for a Brazilian concept, and it gives the list a bit more personality than your average chop house.
The list leans heavily on recognizable names — Kim Crawford, Robert Mondavi Private Selection, Meiomi — which tells you the goal here is comfort, not discovery. That said, there are a few flickers of genuine effort: Sonoma Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay at $16/glass is a legitimate pour, and the house-branded Jorjão by Fogo de Chão Reserva Malbec shows they've put at least some thought into the South American identity of the program. Lapostolle Grand Selection shows up twice (Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot), which is a reliable Chilean producer that punches above its price point. Don't come here looking for Burgundy or anything obscure — the list plays it safe from start to finish.
All 27 labels on the list are available by the glass, which is the entire program — there's no separate bottle-only section referenced in our data. The $6 tier (Calina Chardonnay, Montes Cherub Rosé, Alamos Malbec, The Seeker Red Blend) functions as an all-day happy hour lineup for South American wines, which is a smart structure for a meat-forward dinner. Glass prices top out at $16.50, keeping the ceiling reasonable for a steakhouse context.
The Bottom Line
Fogo de Chão San Diego isn't trying to win a wine award, and it doesn't need to — the mission is keeping 300 people happy while gauchos walk around with swords of meat. What they've built is a functional, fairly priced by-the-glass program with enough South American character to feel intentional. If you're here for the churrasco, order the Catena Catena Malbec at $13/glass and call it a win.
· San Diego · Steakhouse
Six wines at a chophouse is a wine program in name only. The Bordeaux-leaning selections suggest someone has taste, but with no pricing, no confirmed glass pours, and a list that could fit on a cocktail napkin, there's not enough here to send a friend for the wine experience. Order your steak, pick whatever red sounds least risky, and manage your expectations accordingly.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Diego · Italian
An 'enoteca' with five wines is a bit like a steakhouse with one cut. The Italian-focused selection is at least on-theme, and the Aglianico shows someone made at least one interesting call — but five bottles, no whites, and no visible by-the-glass program is hard to defend under any concept, let alone this one. If wine matters to your night out, look elsewhere in San Diego.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Diego · New American
Grant Grill is hotel wine — competent, crowd-pleasing, and priced accordingly. The sparkling selection punches above its weight, and the Maury Rancio is a genuine curveball worth ordering if you see it. If you're a serious wine drinker, manage expectations; if you just want a solid glass with dinner in a beautiful room, you'll be fine.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Village · San Diego · Charcuterie and Wine Bar
Le Charcuterie Bar earns its Wild Card badge not because the wine list is a known quantity — it isn't, at least not to us yet — but because the concept is doing something right in a city that doesn't lack for wine options. A charcuterie-first wine bar with a genuine neighborhood feel and an events calendar is exactly the kind of place that can quietly become someone's favorite. Get in there, ask questions, and report back.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
San Diego · San Diego · Wine bar + global small plates
WetStone is doing something genuinely uncommon — building a short, globe-spanning list full of grapes and regions that most wine bars won't touch, and pricing it fairly enough that you can actually explore. Staff confidence is an unknown variable, and the lack of documented specials or events means you're mostly on your own to navigate it. But if you show up curious and willing to ask questions, this list will reward you.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Park · San Diego · Seafood-focused, gin and vermouth bar with Iberian/Spanish and Californian influences
A mostly Spanish and Portuguese wine sheet with a few California bottles, sparkling at the top, and two López de Heredia Riojas in the reds. Order the Monte Pio Albariño with the mussels escabeche, or the Maturana Blanca if you want something less obvious, and ask which number is the glass because the sheet doesn't say. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups. The restaurant labels its menu as an example from February 2026, so confirm current availability.
· Chicago · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão Chicago's wine list is built for throughput, not discovery — it's reliable, reasonably ranged by the glass, and anchored by South American selections that at least make thematic sense with the food. The markups are steeper than we'd like and the list won't excite anyone who drinks wine as seriously as they eat meat, but the Catena Malbec and the Bodega Garzón Albariño are legitimate picks that rise above the crowd-pleaser baseline. Come for the churrasco, drink the Catena, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Orlando · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão Orlando's wine list is honest and reasonably priced — it won't blow your mind, but it won't embarrass you either. The South American focus is coherent and thematically on-point, the markup is fair for a chain steakhouse, and there are a few genuinely interesting picks hiding in the whites section. If you're here for meat and want a bottle that doesn't cost a fortune, you'll find one.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Dallas · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão Dallas brings a reliable, if uninspired, wine list that leans on brand recognition over discovery — the Bodega Garzón Albariño and Zuccardi Malbec are the standouts in a sea of familiar faces. If you're here for the meat, the wine list will keep you covered; just watch the markup on the glass pours, which can quietly run up a tab. We'd send a friend here for the experience, not specifically for the wine.
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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