A steakhouse list that actually did its homework
San Francisco · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 15, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Izzy's Steakhouse’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Twenty wines, all by the glass — that's an unusual move, and at Izzy's it works. You expect the usual steakhouse suspects (Napa Cab, more Napa Cab, a token Chardonnay) and instead the list quietly hands you Vacqueyras, Vermentino, and a Rully Burgundy from a respected négociant. Someone here was paying attention.
For a list this compact, the range is genuinely impressive. There's a full sparkling tier running from an $18 Sumarroca Cava up through Ruinart Blanc de Blancs and Billecart-Salmon Rosé, plus a thoughtful white section that covers Sancerre, a 2017 Girardin Rully, Sandhi from Sta. Rita Hills, and even a Leitz Riesling Feinherb — that last one almost never shows up at a steakhouse. Reds are anchored by the expected Napa Cab presence (Aperture, Mascot), but the supporting cast — Alma Fria Sonoma Coast Pinot, La Ca Nova Barbera d'Alba, Ondarre Gran Reserva Rioja, and an Edmond Latour Vacqueyras — tells a different, more interesting story. The gaps are real: no Oregon, no domestic Syrah, thin on Italian reds for a steakhouse that could easily go deeper there. But for 20 labels, this covers more ground than most lists twice the size.
The entire list is by the glass, which is either brilliant or logistically stressful depending on how good their preservation system is — no information on that front, which gives us pause. Prices run $16 to $66, with most of the interesting stuff landing between $16 and $26. The $66 Mascot Cab is the obvious splurge anchor, but the real action happens in the middle of the list.
Edmond Latour Grenache Blend Vacqueyras, France 2022 — $17/glass
Vacqueyras at $17 a glass at a steakhouse is a minor miracle. This southern Rhône appellation delivers the kind of dark fruit, garrigue, and structure you'd pay double for in a Châteauneuf label. It's built for red meat and it's practically being given away.
Reeve Vermentino Sonoma County 2023
Almost nobody orders Vermentino at a steakhouse, which means this bottle just sits there being delicious while everyone reaches for Chardonnay. Reeve makes a precise, aromatic, slightly saline version that's a legitimately great aperitivo pour or a foil to anything with butter or cream on the table.
Mascot Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2020
At $66 a glass, you're in bottle-price territory for a lot of great wine. Mascot is solid — it's Harlan's second label — but this is a pour priced for the table that wants to signal, not for the table that wants to drink well. Order the Aperture Cab at $24 and save the difference.
Alma Fria Pinot Noir "Plural Vineyard" Sonoma Coast 2023 + Filet Mignon
Filet is the leanest, most delicate cut on the menu and it can get bulldozed by a big Cab. The Alma Fria Sonoma Coast Pinot — cool-climate, high-acid, built for elegance — matches the filet's texture without steamrolling it. This is the pairing a steakhouse list usually can't even make.
The Bottom Line
Izzy's is doing something quietly ambitious with a 20-bottle all-by-the-glass format that skews curious instead of predictable. If you're the person at the table who's bored by the standard steakhouse pour, this list has your back.
Embarcadero · San Francisco · Peruvian Seafood
La Mar is a great dinner — the ceviche alone is worth the trip — but the wine list is along for the ride rather than driving it. Order something crisp and cold, enjoy the view, and don't overthink it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Union Square · San Francisco · American
The Rotunda is a lunch experience first and a wine destination a distant second — the list is safe, the markup is real, and you're largely paying for the address and the atmosphere. Come for the crab salad and the occasion, order something bubbly, and don't go in expecting a serious wine program.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
San Francisco · San Francisco · Wine bar & bottle shop
Bodega SF is what happens when someone actually gives a damn about the list instead of just checking a box. Twenty-six bottles, almost all pourable by the glass, priced fairly, and built around grapes most wine bars wouldn't dare touch — send your adventurous friends here and tell them to skip the safe picks.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
San Francisco · San Francisco · Wine bar
Fig & Thistle is for people who trust a short menu built by someone with a point of view — thirteen bottles, all pouring, all worth talking about. If you need a fallback Cab or a recognizable label to feel safe, this isn't your spot. If you don't, this absolutely is.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
San Francisco · San Francisco · Steakhouse
STK San Francisco has the bones of a wine program and the ambition of a hotel minibar. With only three by-the-glass pours, a list built entirely around safe brand names, and steep markups baked into the concept, this is a place to order a cocktail or splurge on a specific bottle you already know you want.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Francisco · Wine Tavern
Big Finish is doing something genuinely different — an all-glass list built around obscure varietals, serious fortified wine, and pricing that doesn't punish curiosity. Send anyone here who wants to drink something they've never tried before and walk away feeling like they learned something.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Beverly Hills · Los Angeles · Steakhouse
What we can document at Mastro's Beverly Hills is a narrow, Napa-centric selection that plays zero risk and offers zero surprise — which is a defensible choice for a power-steakhouse crowd, but not one we can enthusiastically endorse to wine lovers. The seven wines on record are all from a single event page, so the full list is almost certainly broader; but until we have more to work with, our honest advice is to know what you want before you sit down, because the list isn't going to inspire you.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
· Yountville · Steakhouse
Press is a special-occasion restaurant with a wine program built to match — deep Napa regional focus, a sommelier on staff, and pairing options that range from serious to stratospheric. The pricing is steep by design, and you should go in knowing the wine spend can easily outpace the food bill. If you're willing to lean into it, this is exactly the kind of Napa experience the valley was built around.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Vail · Steakhouse
Russell's isn't trying to be a wine destination and doesn't need to be — but the list is better than the room probably demands. Fair pricing, a genuine global reach, and twenty pours by the glass make this a steakhouse wine program worth engaging with. Order the Fincas de Ganuza, skip the Laurent Perrier, and leave the mountain resort markup where it belongs: on the cocktail list.
Solid Range
Fair
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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