Classic downtown chops, wine list holds its own
Downtown Peoria · Peoria · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 7, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Jim's Steak House’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Jim's has been a Peoria institution long enough that the wine list feels like it was curated by someone who knows their regulars — and those regulars aren't looking to be challenged. The list reads like a dependable greatest-hits collection: familiar California names, a few European gestures, nothing that'll make you scratch your head or reach for your phone to Google a producer.
The list leans comfortably domestic, with California anchoring the bottle selection — Cakebread Cellars representing the trophy end of the rack. There's a nod to Germany with a Leonard Kreusch Mosel Riesling and a bow toward Italy with the Stefano Christiania Pinot Grigio, which rounds out the international presence without exactly deepening it. Elouan covers the Oregon-adjacent Pinot Noir territory, which is a reasonable crowd-pleaser pick for a room full of steak lovers who want something red but not too heavy. Don't come expecting small-production growers or anything with a hand-drawn label — this is a list built for comfort, not discovery.
The by-the-glass program runs somewhere in the 6-10 option range with pours starting at $10 and topping out around $20 for the Cakebread Chardonnay. Rotation doesn't appear to be a priority here — what's on the list seems to stay on the list — but the selection covers the bases well enough for a steakhouse crowd. If you're on a budget, the entry-level pours are priced fairly for a downtown fine-dining spot in the Midwest.
Elouan Pinot Noir — $12/glass, $36/bottle
At 80% markup over retail, this is the least-punishing bottle on the list. It's a smooth, fruit-forward Pinot that drinks above its price point and won't fight with a dry-aged steak the way a big Cab sometimes does.
Leonard Kreusch Riesling, Mosel
Most people at a steakhouse walk right past the Riesling and head straight for the Cab — their loss. This Mosel pours at $10 a glass and has enough acidity and brightness to cut through rich butter sauces and seafood starters. It's the sleeper pick on this list.
Cakebread Napa Chardonnay
At $80 a bottle, you're paying a steakhouse premium on top of an already premium retail price. It's a fine wine — nobody's arguing that — but the markup math just doesn't favor you here. Save that $80 for an extra cut of prime rib and drink the Elouan instead.
Elouan Pinot Noir + Prime Rib
Prime rib's richness and fat want something red with enough fruit to complement without overpowering. Elouan's softer tannins and cherry-forward profile ride alongside a proper prime rib slice without turning the whole thing into a tannin arm-wrestling match.
The Bottom Line
Jim's isn't trying to win a wine award, and it doesn't need to — the list is honest, fairly priced by steakhouse standards, and built to serve the room. If you're in Peoria and want a proper steak with a decent bottle, this is where you go.
Peoria Heights · Peoria · New American
Fusion 45 is doing something genuinely ambitious for Peoria — a creative kitchen with Old World wine ambitions is not nothing — but until we can get eyes on the actual list with prices, we're cautiously optimistic rather than fully sold. Worth a visit, worth asking your server what's good to drink.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Peoria · Steakhouse
Bourbon & Bones has put real effort into building a Champagne list that would hold its own in a major city, but outside the bubbles section the list plays it safe and the markups are steep enough to sting. Come here for the occasion, not the exploration.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Peoria · Italian Steakhouse
Johnny's wine list is exactly what it is: a well-curated collection of American crowd-pleasers with markups to match the steakhouse zip code. You won't be wowed, but you won't be stuck either — and 28 glasses by the pour means you have options.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Peoria · Hotel Steakhouse
Oak & Prime is a reliable pour for a classic steakhouse night — safe, familiar, and priced accordingly steep. Don't come hunting for discovery, but know that the bones are solid if you stick to the right bottles.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Peoria · Peoria · Seafood
Red Lobster's wine list does exactly what corporate intended: give guests something recognizable to order without scaring anyone off. If you calibrate expectations accordingly — and let the Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling do the heavy lifting — you won't be miserable. But you won't be talking about the wine on the drive home either.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Peoria · Peoria · Steakhouse
LongHorn Peoria is a fine place to eat a steak; it is not a fine place to drink wine. Order a cocktail or a beer, enjoy your ribeye, and save the wine night for somewhere that actually cares.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Greensboro · Steakhouse
Fleming's Greensboro is doing more than most chain steakhouses bother to do with wine — 42 by-the-glass options and actual Alsatian whites on a Greensboro wine list deserves acknowledgment. The markups are real and the list isn't going to surprise anyone who's been to a Fleming's before, but if you're eating a bone-in ribeye and want a proper glass without guesswork, this delivers.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Irvine · Steakhouse
Bourbon Steak Irvine is running one of the most ambitious wine programs in Orange County — 225 labels, 31 by the glass, and a list with genuine personality beyond the expected steakhouse anchors. Markups get steep at the top end, but the by-the-glass range at the $15–$32 tier offers real drinking at fair prices. If you care about what's in your glass, this list rewards the attention.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Irvine · Steakhouse
The Capital Grille Costa Mesa is exactly what it is: a well-run corporate steakhouse with a Champagne list that punches above the room's ambition and a Chardonnay section that covers the safe California bases reliably. Markups are steep throughout and the list doesn't take any risks, but if you know what you want — a glass of Hartford Court or a bottle of Schramsberg before your steak — you'll be fine. Just don't come looking for discovery.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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