Kevin Rathbun's fingerprints, a sommelier-curated cellar, and Atlanta Top 50 swagger on Roswell Road
Sandy Springs · Atlanta · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Updated September 2026
Reviewed February 22, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Kaiser's Chophouse’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Peter Kaiser teamed up with Kevin Rathbun — one of Atlanta's most decorated chefs and a fixture of the city's fine dining scene — to build a steakhouse on Roswell Road that takes its wine program as seriously as its dry-aging. The temperature-controlled cellar was not an afterthought. Neither was hiring a sommelier to curate the list. The AJC awarded four stars, Atlanta magazine dropped it into the city's 50 Best, and the wine list is a big reason why. Sandy Springs finally has a chophouse where the cellar matches the kitchen's ambition.
The sommelier-curated list is built to serve a steakhouse audience that ranges from the Caymus crowd to the guest who wants a by-the-glass education. Big California reds anchor the program — this is a chophouse, after all — but the list shows genuine range with Old World selections and enough whites to handle the raw bar and Dover sole. The temperature-controlled storage signals that bottles arriving at your table have been handled properly from the moment they entered the building. That operational detail separates Kaiser's from steakhouses that treat wine as margin padding rather than a pillar of the experience.
The by-the-glass program serves the core steakhouse occasion — the pre-dinner pour, the glass-of-Cab-with-my-ribeye order, and a handful of selections that reward curiosity. The sommelier rotates picks to keep the program fresh and the staff can talk through the list without reaching for a cheat sheet. When your server understands the difference between the Napa options and can explain why you might want the Malbec instead, the training is real.
Ask your server for the current value red — Mid-range BTG pricing
The sommelier rotates the list and always keeps a smart value pour in the lineup. Tell them your budget and your protein and let the curated program do its job. That is what a sommelier-staffed steakhouse is for.
The Old World selections tucked behind the California wall
Most chophouse guests reach straight for Napa. Kaiser's quietly stocks European picks that pair beautifully with the richer preparations. Ask the sommelier what is open from across the Atlantic — the answer will be more interesting than the safe play.
The default label you already know
You came to a Kevin Rathbun-affiliated steakhouse with a temperature-controlled cellar and a sommelier on staff. Do not order the same bottle you grab at the grocery store. The whole point of this program is that someone smarter than you about wine already picked the good stuff.
Sommelier's current Cabernet recommendation + Dry-Aged Bone-In Ribeye
This is the pairing the restaurant was built around. The dry-aged beef demands a red with structure and depth, and the sommelier curates the list with exactly this moment in mind. Trust the process.
The Bottom Line
Kaiser's Chophouse brings legitimate fine-dining wine ambition to Sandy Springs. The Kevin Rathbun pedigree sets the floor, but the temperature-controlled cellar, sommelier curation, and AJC four-star recognition tell you the wine program is not riding on reputation alone. If you want to drink serious wine with serious steak on this side of the Chattahoochee, Kaiser's is the new standard.
Brookhaven · Atlanta · New American/Southern
Roc South is a genuinely fun restaurant — the food sounds great and the vibe is undeniable — but the wine program doesn't give us enough to work with or get excited about. Until there's a verifiable list with real producers and fair pricing, let the bartender guide your evening instead.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · New American/Southern
Park 82 has a wine list in the same way a gas station has a wine selection — technically present, practically limiting. If you're a Pinot Noir devotee who doesn't mind paying restaurant markup for bottles you've seen at Kroger, you'll survive. Everyone else should probably lead with cocktails and ask what's on tap.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Asian
Tabla's wine list punches above its weight for an Asian restaurant in Atlanta. The white-heavy, aromatic-focused selection makes genuine sense with the food, pricing at the entry level is fair, and the BTG depth is real. We'd send a friend here for wine without hesitation — just order the Grüner first.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Other
MCK isn't trying to be a wine destination — it's a bar and restaurant with a list built for toasting and crowd comfort. The sparkling program punches above the list's weight, the by-the-glass selection is generous, and the markups on still wines are steep but not outrageous. Send a friend here if they want Champagne and something easy to sip; send them somewhere else if they're chasing a wine experience.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Gastropub/Tavern
Blue Moon Brewery & Grill is a beer bar first, second, and third — the wine list exists so your friend who doesn't drink beer doesn't feel stranded. If that's the situation, the Cava at $9 or the Elouan Rosé at $10 are perfectly fine. But if wine is the reason you're going out, go somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Thai
Pink Lotus has built a wine list that takes its cues from the food — acid-forward, bubbles-heavy, and genuinely curious — which is more than most Thai spots in town bother to do. Markups are fair, the by-the-glass selection is wide, and there are real finds here if you look past the Dom Pérignon showpiece bottles at the top. If you're eating Thai in Atlanta and you want something interesting in your glass, this list deserves your attention.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Hoschton · Steakhouse
Jacks is a genuinely fun neighborhood hang with solid food, but the wine program doesn't match the ambition of the kitchen. If wine is your thing, call ahead or bring your own if corkage is an option — otherwise, lean into the cocktails and enjoy the patio. We'd love to revisit this rating if they ever put some real thought into the list.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Point · Atlanta · Steakhouse
Malone's earns its loyal following on the strength of its pork chops and tenderloin, not its wine list. If wine matters to your meal, you may want to call ahead and ask what's available — or just lean into a cocktail and let the steak do the heavy lifting. This one's a food-first destination.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Acworth · Steakhouse
AG Steakhouse earns its reputation as a go-to for celebrations and big nights out on Lake Acworth — but the wine program appears to be in service of the experience rather than a destination in itself. If you're splurging on the filet or the Oscar-style halibut, budget accordingly for the bottle too, and don't expect the list to surprise you. A solid place to drink wine; not a reason to come specifically for wine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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