Columbus's Big Steak Meets a Serious Cellar
Columbus · American, Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Updated October 2026
Reviewed April 9, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The list lands like the room looks — big, theatrical, and unapologetically expensive. Flipping through 400-plus selections in a white-tablecloth steakhouse that's been earning Wine Spectator's Best of Award of Excellence since 2019, you get the sense that someone here takes wine seriously. California, France, and Italy form the backbone, and they've stocked accordingly.
The California section reads like a greatest hits reel — Caymus, Silver Oak, Opus One, Jordan, Stag's Leap, Far Niente, Duckhorn — all the names a serious steak crowd expects, and they're present in depth, not just as token pours. France gets its due with Chateau Margaux anchoring the Bordeaux side and Louis Jadot representing Burgundy, though the French section could run deeper given the caliber of the room. Italy punches above its weight here: Sassicaia and Tignanello give the Super Tuscans a legitimate foothold, and that's not something you see everywhere in Columbus. There are gaps if you're hunting natural wine or anything from the Southern Hemisphere, but that's clearly not the point.
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is a generous program for a steakhouse of this size, and the range tracks what's in the bottle list — expect California Cabernet to dominate, with a handful of whites and maybe a Burgundy option on a good night. We'd steer toward whatever Cabernet they're pouring by the glass before committing to a full bottle, just to take the temperature of where storage and service are sitting that evening. Rotation isn't confirmed as active, so don't count on seasonal surprises.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — $80
Jordan is the sleeper of the California Cab world — consistently excellent, built for red meat, and almost always the most honestly priced bottle on a steakhouse list relative to what's around it. In a lineup that trends toward three-digit territory, this is where the smart money goes.
Chateau Montelena Chardonnay
Everyone at the table is ordering Cabernet, which means Montelena's Chardonnay gets overlooked almost every time. It's a serious, age-worthy white with more complexity than most people expect — and it holds its own against the lobster bisque or crab cakes in a way the big reds simply can't.
Opus One
Opus One is a genuinely impressive wine, but steakhouses are where it goes to get marked up into the stratosphere. You're almost certainly paying a significant premium over retail, and the honest truth is that Jordan or Silver Oak will come closer to the price-to-pleasure sweet spot at this table.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon + USDA Prime dry-aged bone-in ribeye
Stag's Leap brings a structured, Napa-polished Cab with enough dark fruit and tannin to stand toe-to-toe with a dry-aged ribeye without bulldozing it. The wine's natural elegance plays off the fat and char of the bone-in cut in exactly the way you want from a classic steakhouse pairing.
The Bottom Line
Jeff Ruby's is doing the steakhouse wine list right — deep cellar, Wine Spectator credentials, and enough California firepower to keep any red wine drinker busy all night. Bring your appetite for both the ribeye and the markup, because this room doesn't apologize for either.
· Columbus · Upscale American Steakhouse
Eddie Merlot's Columbus is a reliable steakhouse wine experience — well-managed, California-forward, and backed by actual staff expertise. Just know that you're paying steakhouse markups in a steakhouse setting, and the list isn't going to take you anywhere unexpected. If you want a great bottle with a great steak and don't need the wine to steal the show, this works.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
German Village · Columbus · Italian
Cento is the rare Columbus restaurant where the wine list is a genuine reason to go, not just a footnote to the pasta. Matthew Selva's Italian-focused program earned its Wine Spectator nod honestly — send your wine-curious friends here without hesitation.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Columbus · Columbus · Spanish, Catalan
Barcelona has been earning its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2005, and the list holds up — serious Spanish producers, fair prices, and enough glass pours to drink well across a full tapas spread. For Columbus, this is genuinely the best Spanish wine program in the room.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Easton Town Center · Columbus · Steak House
Mastro's Columbus is a trophy-wine steakhouse doing what trophy-wine steakhouses do — and doing it well enough to earn a Wine Spectator credential in its first year. If you're celebrating something, drinking California cab with a great steak, and not particularly interested in venturing off the map, this list will absolutely deliver.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Columbus · Columbus · American, Asian
Agni is the best wine list in Columbus most people haven't had a reason to talk about yet — until now. With two sommeliers, a 300–500 bottle program, and a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence already in its first year, send your friends here and tell them to skip the Caymus.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Downtown · Columbus · Italian
Due Amici isn't a destination wine list, but it's honest, fairly priced, and hides a surprisingly thoughtful dessert wine program that most tables never discover. Send a friend here for dinner — just make sure they order something from the back of the list.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Westwood · Los Angeles · American, Steakhouse
A Cabernet-first list with 30 glasses and a long bottle book, but no wine prices posted online. If you want a known price, the $9 happy hour Bonanza Cabernet by Caymus is the one posted figure, and if you want to step away from Cabernet, try the Il Bruciato Super Tuscan by the glass. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · American, Steakhouse
A very large list with a long glass section, from a $14 Muscadet to a $90 pour of Krug. Start with the $14/glass Mélon de Bourgogne, then look at the Arizona Selections page if you want an Arizona bottle, and confirm prices because the PDF says they are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Van Ness / Polk · San Francisco · American, Steakhouse
A serious steakhouse list with a glass program you can actually use: 32 pours by the stem from 14 to 99 and California Cabernet across eight pages. Start with the Keenan Cabernet at 22 by the stem, or step up to the Jordan Alexander Valley at 129 with the Porterhouse, and ask which vintages are current since the list is subject to vintage change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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