French Quarter Vibes, Convenience Store Wine Prices
East Memphis · Memphis · Seafood, Cajun & Creole · Visit Website ↗
Updated April 2026
Reviewed March 21, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The room earns its atmosphere — exposed brick, wrought iron, stained glass, jazz humming in the background. It genuinely feels like a French Quarter side street dropped into Memphis. Then you open the wine list and the illusion cracks a little.
Twenty-three wines covering California, Italy, New Zealand, France, Portugal, Washington, and Oregon sounds like range until you notice it's mostly grocery store staples with a thin layer of legitimacy. Meiomi, Apothic, Justin Cab, 14 Hands — these are wines that live in airport Hudson News kiosks and end caps at Kroger. The Broadbent Vinho Verde Rosé is the one bottle here that feels like someone at the restaurant actually thought about what goes with oysters. There are no grower Champagnes, no aged whites, no serious bubbles — which feels like a missed opportunity for a seafood house with this much personality.
Eighteen of the 23 wines are available by the glass, which is technically generous. The price range of $7 to $13.50 sounds approachable until you check the markup math — Apothic Red at $33 a bottle represents a 230% markup over retail, and Blackstone Chardonnay at $25 is pushing 178%. The glass program is wide but not worth most of it.
Ferrari Carano Fumé Blanc, Sonoma County — $35
At a 94% markup it's the most fairly priced bottle on the list, and it's a proper wine — bright, grassy, with enough body to hold up to buttery grilled oysters. Relative to everything else here, this one's the honest play.
Broadbent Vinho Verde Rosé, Portugal
Most people glance past it looking for Chardonnay, but this is actually the bottle built for this restaurant. Light, slightly fizzy, a little citrusy — it was made to drink with shellfish. It's the only wine on the list that feels like it belongs in a place that takes oysters seriously.
Apothic Red Blend, California
A 230% markup on a $10 grocery store wine is a hard no. This bottle has no business being on a list that charges $33 for it. Order anything else, or just get a cocktail.
Broadbent Vinho Verde Rosé, Portugal + Grilled Louisiana Oysters
The slight spritz and high acidity in the Vinho Verde cut right through the butter and garlic on those oysters without fighting the brine. This is the pairing the list is accidentally good at.
❌ The Bottom Line
Half Shell is a genuinely charming spot with food worth coming back for — but the wine list is coasting hard on the restaurant's atmosphere and doing almost nothing to earn its markups. Drink the Vinho Verde, skip the red wine section entirely, and put your money toward another round of oysters.
Midtown · Memphis · Steak House
Porch and Parlor is a reliable Southern steakhouse wine list that plays to its crowd — if you love California Cabernet with your dry-aged beef, you're in the right place. It won't challenge you, but it'll take care of you.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Memphis · Memphis · American
Flight is the most wine-serious restaurant in downtown Memphis, and it earns that title without being stuffy about it. If you want California confidence with a sommelier who actually knows the list, this is your spot.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Memphis · Memphis · American, French
Chez Philippe is the wine list of a well-run fine dining institution that has been doing this right for 30 years — not a revelation, but reliably good and properly stored in a room that knows how to use it. Send a friend here if they want California Cab with a French menu inside one of Memphis's great hotels; don't send them if they're looking for anything off the beaten path.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Memphis · Memphis · Steak House
Char is a dependable, well-executed steakhouse wine list that earned its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence by doing the classics right — but it's not trying to surprise you, and it won't. Send a friend here for a special occasion Cab and a steak; just don't expect the list to spark any new obsessions.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Cooper-Young · Memphis · Italian
Bari is the kind of Italian wine program Memphis deserves more of — specific, serious, and fairly priced for what you're getting. If you're anywhere near Cooper-Young and want to drink real Italian wine with real Italian food, this is the move.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Unknown · Memphis · Bistro
Hu. Bistro isn't trying to be a wine destination, but its by-the-glass list is priced fairly and built with more care than you'd expect from a hotel rooftop. If you're in Memphis and want a decent glass without getting gouged for the privilege, this works.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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