Nebraska's Most Surprising Wine List, Full Stop
South Lincoln · Lincoln · Modern Asian (Thai-focused with pan-Asian influences) · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 25, 2026
Wingman Metrics
You're sitting in a strip mall in Lincoln, Nebraska, about to order Drunken Noodles — and then the wine list lands and you do a double take. Grower Champagne. Markus Molitor Riesling. A Sancerre rouge. This is not what you expected, and that's exactly the point.
At 34 labels, Issara isn't trying to bury you in options — it's trying to make every slot count. The list leans hard into wines that actually make sense with spicy, aromatic, umami-forward food: Grüner Veltliner from Stadt Krems, a Kabinett Riesling from Zeltinger Sonnenuhr, a Côtes de Provence rosé from Château Pradeaux. The Champagne section is genuinely impressive for a Thai restaurant anywhere, let alone the Midwest — A. Margaine, Marc Hebrart, and Pierre Gimonnet represent three solid grower houses most guests won't recognize but absolutely should. Where it thins out is on the red side, where bold reds like the Orin Swift 'Abstract' feel slightly out of place next to the green curry.
Seven pours by the glass, running $7–$11, and the selection is punching well above its weight. The Markus Molitor Riesling Kabinett at $9 a glass is a minor miracle, and the Paul Prieur Sancerre Pinot Noir at $9.50 is the kind of thing you'd expect to see at a dedicated wine bar. Rotation appears limited — this reads like a set list rather than something that changes seasonally.
2008 Markus Molitor Riesling Kabinett Zeltinger Sonnenuhr — $9.00/glass, $29.00/bottle
A premier-cru-level Mosel Riesling from one of the region's top producers at $29 a bottle is a steal by any standard. The slight residual sweetness and laser acidity make it the single best wine on this list for navigating a spicy Thai menu.
NV Marc Hebrart 1er Cru Brut Rosé Champagne
Most tables will skip past this at $68 and grab the Chandon. That's a mistake. Hebrart is a respected grower-producer from Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, and his rosé has a depth and precision that the Chandon can't touch. If you're splitting a bottle to start, this is the move.
2011 Orin Swift 'Abstract' California
At $49 a bottle, you're paying full freight for a Rhône-style red blend that's big, oaky, and completely at odds with everything the kitchen is sending out. It's not a bad wine — it's just the wrong wine for this menu, and the markup doesn't justify the mismatch.
2011 Stadt Krems Grüner Veltliner + Green Curry
Grüner's signature white pepper snap and citrus-driven acidity cut right through the coconut richness in the green curry without getting steamrolled by the heat. It's a textbook food-wine match hiding in plain sight on this list.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Issara has no business having a wine list this considered — and we mean that as the highest compliment. If you care about drinking well with your food, this is the most interesting wine list in Lincoln and it's not particularly close.
Haymarket · Lincoln · French-influenced contemporary American
The Green Gateau is a lovely room with a kitchen worth visiting, but the wine list is a 200-bottle monument to playing it safe and charging extra for the privilege. Send your friend here for the food; tell them to watch their wallet on the wine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Lincoln · Wings / Sports Bar
The Watering Hole is a great spot for wings and a cold beer — the wine list is an afterthought and the pricing makes sure you know it. If you're here for a game and need wine, grab the Riesling or the Prosecco and call it a night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Lincoln · Lincoln · American grill and brewpub
Lazlo's South Lincoln is a reliable neighborhood brewpub that happens to stock a respectable short wine list — don't expect discovery, but you won't feel stranded if you're skipping the beer. Send a friend here for dinner knowing the wine won't embarrass anyone.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown / Near South · Lincoln · French-influenced contemporary American
The Green Gateau is doing something genuinely uncommon: running a deep, fairly priced, award-recognized wine program in a mid-sized Midwest city without making a big show of it. Yes, send your friends here — just tell them to show up before 6 p.m.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Downtown · Lincoln · Contemporary American, farm-to-table
DISH is doing something genuinely impressive for a mid-sized Midwestern city — a thoughtful, sommelier-curated list with real depth and serious producers. The markups keep it from being a true Rager, but as a Wild Card, it earns every bit of that badge: you simply don't expect this wine list in Lincoln, Nebraska, and that surprise is worth the trip downtown.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Southeast Lincoln · Lincoln · New American with Italian influences
Carmela's is the best wine list in Southeast Lincoln, which is a low bar, but the Barolos, the Brunello, and the Chateauneuf-du-Pape prove there's real intent here. Markups on the prestige bottles are hard to swallow, but for a neighborhood bistro date night, this list delivers more than it had to.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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