Chain Italian, Chain Wine, Chain Expectations
· Laredo · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 18, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Johnny Carino's Laredo’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Johnny Carino's Laredo reads like a grocery store shelf organized by someone who hasn't thought about wine since 2007. Twenty-five labels, almost entirely household name brands, with prices that feel optimistic for what's on offer. It's not offensive, it's just deeply uninspired.
The list leans heavily on Cavit, Albertoni, and La Crema as its workhorses, with a smattering of Kendall-Jackson and Francis Coppola to signal 'we tried.' Italian representation is thin — a Bolla Chianti and a Banfi Bellagio Chianti are doing all the heavy lifting for a restaurant that hangs its hat on Italian-American food, which is a little embarrassing. There's no Barolo, no Brunello, no Vermentino, no Nero d'Avola — basically nothing that would make you feel like the wine list and the cuisine are on speaking terms. Stella Rosa Royale Rosso and Sutter Home White Zinfandel sharing a list with La Crema Pinot Noir tells you exactly how wide the target audience is.
Eighteen by-the-glass options sounds generous until you realize they're pulling from a 25-bottle list, which means almost everything is available by the glass — not a curated program so much as a policy. Pours top out at $11.99 for the Lunetta Prosecco, and most options hover in the $6.99–$9.99 range, which at least keeps the damage manageable. Rotation appears nonexistent; this list has the energy of something that hasn't changed since the location opened.
Albertoni Pinot Grigio — $29.99
The cheapest bottle on the list and arguably the most honest one. It's a straightforward, inoffensive Pinot Grigio that does exactly what it says. At $29.99 — or roughly $15 on a Sunday or Wednesday half-price night — it's the least painful way to get through dinner here.
Banfi Bellagio Chianti
On a list that barely acknowledges Italy exists, this is the closest thing to a wine that actually matches the menu. Banfi knows Chianti, and at least this bottle gives you something to talk about beyond 'it's red.' Most tables will walk right past it for the Cupcake Merlot, which means your glass arrives faster anyway.
La Crema Chardonnay
At $57.99, this is the most expensive bottle on a budget chain list — and La Crema retails for around $18-20. That's a markup north of 3x for a wine you can grab at any Total Wine on your way home. The restaurant is counting on name recognition doing the work here. Don't let it.
Banfi Bellagio Chianti + Chicken Marsala
A Chianti's bright acidity and cherry fruit cut through the richness of a Marsala sauce better than anything else on this list. It's the one moment where the wine list and the kitchen are actually working in the same direction.
Sunday and Wednesday — Half-price wine bottles offered in the bar and patio every Sunday and Wednesday.
The Bottom Line
Johnny Carino's Laredo isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list makes that abundantly clear. If you're here, go on a Sunday or Wednesday, grab that half-price Albertoni, and keep your expectations parked firmly at 'Italian chain in Laredo.'
· Laredo · Steakhouse
El Asador is clearly a destination for the food — the wood-fired steaks, the Tuétano al Piquín, the oysters — and the margaritas are probably doing heavy lifting at the bar. But the wine list is a placeholder, not a program. Five unlabeled, undated-for-rotation bottles at a polished steakhouse in 2024 is a miss. Come for the beef, order a cocktail, and hope someone eventually hands this list to someone who cares.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
La Posada Hotel · Laredo · Steakhouse
The Tack Room isn't trying to be a wine destination, and it succeeds at being exactly what it is — a dependable hotel steakhouse list with some solid bottles hiding among the Cab parade. Order the Spanish or Argentine options, avoid the trophy-bottle markups, and you'll eat and drink just fine.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Laredo · Spanish Tapas & Wine Bar
Taberna Laredo is the kind of place that wine-obsessed travelers bookmark and casual diners stumble into and never forget. If you're in Madrid and serious about drinking well at dinner, this belongs on your shortlist.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Laredo · Modern Mexican
The wine list at Cantina Laredo Laredo is functional, priced fairly for a casual chain, and completely devoid of ambition — but honestly, you're probably here for the guacamole and a frozen margarita anyway. If you do order wine, grab the Marqués de Cáceres Rosé and call it a night.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Mall del Norte Area · Laredo · American steakhouse / ribs
Tony Roma's Laredo is here to serve ribs, and the wine list knows its place in the pecking order. Nothing wrong with it, nothing exciting about it — if wine matters to you tonight, manage expectations accordingly.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Laredo · Laredo · Steakhouse / Mexican Grilled Meats
El Rancho isn't a wine destination — it's a meat destination that happens to have wine on the table. The list is basic, the prices are fair, and if you stick to the 14 Hands or Mirassou, you'll drink fine. Just don't show up hoping to discover anything.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Johns Creek · Italian
Pasta Vino isn't trying to be a wine destination, and that's fine — it's a neighborhood Italian with a list that actually makes sense for the room. Pricing is fair across the board, the by-the-glass program gives you real options, and the Italian selections (especially the Chianti duo and the Lugana) show some genuine thought. Send a friend here for dinner knowing they'll drink well without overpaying.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Arlington · Italian
Piccolo Mondo punches above its Arlington zip code with a genuinely Italy-forward wine list that includes some names worth ordering. We'd love to see pricing and by-the-glass details more clearly published — and without knowing the markups, we can't fully endorse the value play — but the producer selection alone puts this ahead of most neighborhood Italian spots in the DFW suburbs. If you're going, head straight for the Tuscan reds and don't look back.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Lakeland · Italian
The Macaroni Grill Lakeland wine list is functional the way a vending machine is functional — it dispenses what you ask for without fuss or personality. The by-the-glass breadth gives casual drinkers options, but the markups on several bottles and the complete absence of anything interesting or Italian-forward make this a list you tolerate rather than enjoy. Order the Lambrusco or the Trapiche Malbec and call it a night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
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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