Monday Night Half-Price Wine? Yes, Really.
Lincoln Park · Chicago · American · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · May 21, 2026
RagingWine reviewed John's Food & Wine’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
Walk into John's and the wine list doesn't announce itself — the room does. Counter-service energy, intimate scale, polished food. When the list does land in your hands, it reads like it was built by someone who actually drinks wine and wants you to as well.
The focus here is squarely on France and California, and that's a feature, not a limitation — the curation is tight and deliberate. You'll find cru Beaujolais sitting alongside grower Champagne and Loire Chenin Blanc, with California Pinot Noir holding down the New World side. The Txakolina is an outlier that signals the list isn't just playing the hits. There are real gaps in coverage — no obvious deep cellar, no sprawling Old World section — but what's here has been chosen with intention, and a fresh Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2025 backs that up.
Specific by-the-glass counts aren't confirmed, but given the kitchen's counter-service DNA and the wine-forward ethos, expect a rotating selection that mirrors the bottle list's France-and-California backbone. With two sommeliers on staff — Tommy Ryan and Allison Wellborn — the pours are in good hands.
Cru Beaujolais (Gamay) — $62
Cru Beaujolais at this price point typically drinks well above its weight class — structured, serious Gamay that most tables will mistake for something twice as expensive. At a restaurant with fair markups and knowledgeable staff, this is exactly the kind of bottle you want to order.
Loire Valley Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc gets overlooked at most American restaurants because people don't know what to do with it. Here, at $64, it's one of the most versatile bottles on the table — works with vegetables, works with lighter proteins, works by itself. Don't sleep on it.
Champagne (non-vintage, grower or small house)
At $138, the grower Champagne is the biggest ask on the list. Not necessarily a gouge, but without knowing the producer or retail comp, it's the hardest bottle to justify blind. If you're feeling celebratory, sure — but it's the one spot where you'd want to ask the staff exactly what you're getting before committing.
Burgundy Chardonnay (village-level) + Seasonal charred vegetable plate
Village Burgundy Chardonnay has enough texture and acid to stand up to smoke and char without steamrolling delicate vegetable flavors. At $92 it's not cheap, but it's the kind of pairing that makes a vegetable dish feel like the main event.
Monday — Half-price wine night every Monday — applies to bottles.
🎲 The Bottom Line
John's is a neighborhood spot that punches well above its casual format — two sommeliers, a thoughtful France-and-California list, fair prices, and half-price bottles every Monday. Send your friends here, especially on a Monday.
West Loop · Chicago · Californian
The Oakville Grill earns its Wine Spectator credential and the sommelier duo makes this list accessible, not intimidating. Wednesday half-price wine night alone is reason enough to get a reservation — just let go of the idea that anything other than California is on the agenda.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
River North · Chicago · American, Seafood
Terrace 16 earns its Wine Spectator badge and delivers a respectable, California-and-France-focused list in one of Chicago's most dramatic dining rooms. Just don't expect to be surprised — the wine is as reliable as the skyline view, and nearly as expensive.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
River North · Chicago · French, Indian
Indienne is the Wild Card in the truest sense — a fusion kitchen with a genuinely considered wine program that earns its Wine Spectator nod. Yes, send a friend here for wine, but make sure they skip the Napa Cab and lead with Riesling.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
West Loop · Chicago · Steak house
BLVD Steakhouse doesn't reinvent the steakhouse wine list, but it executes the formula competently — solid producers, proper storage, and enough range to keep a table of Cab loyalists happy all night. Just go in with your eyes open on the markups and skip the trophy-bottle trap.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Magnificent Mile · Chicago · American
Adorn is a reliable, well-staffed wine program in a high-overhead setting — you're paying for the view and the address, but the list itself is legitimate. Send a friend here who wants solid French and California bottles without doing homework first.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
West Loop · Chicago · Italian
Mart Anthony's punches above its weight class for a neighborhood Italian — the Terre Nere on the list alone earns goodwill, and half-price bottles on Wednesday makes it a legitimate weekly move. Send a friend, order the agnolotti, and ask about what's open.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown / Fallsview Area · Niagara Falls · American
Order a cocktail. The wine list exists because restaurants are expected to have one, not because anyone here cares about what's in your glass. If you want to drink wine in Niagara Falls, cross the bridge and find a winery.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Avenue · Grand Junction · American
We're not here to pile on a chain restaurant — Applebee's knows exactly what it is. But if wine matters to you even a little, order a cocktail and save your wine night for somewhere that's actually trying.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
River Parkway / downtown riverfront · Idaho Falls · American
Copper Rill isn't going to blow anyone's mind, but for a riverfront dinner in Idaho Falls, the wine list is honest, fairly priced, and has at least two or three bottles worth caring about. Send a friend here for the Lan Crianza and the river view — just don't expect anyone behind the bar to geek out with you about it.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.