Great Margaritas, Forgettable Wine List
Downtown Parkway Rooftop · Gatlinburg · Mexican, Tex-Mex · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 29, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Loco Burro Fresh Mex Cantina’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Loco Burro is exactly what you'd expect from a rooftop cantina in Gatlinburg — an afterthought sandwiched between pages of frozen margaritas and taco platters. Ten bottles, mostly safe grocery-store names, priced like they know you're already three drinks in and not paying close attention. This is a cocktail bar that happens to sell wine.
The list pulls from Chile, California, Argentina, Italy, and France, which sounds worldly until you realize it's ten bottles total and half of them are the kind of thing you'd grab off an end cap at Kroger. 120 Santa Rita shows up twice — in Chardonnay and Moscato — which tells you everything about the curatorial ambition here. Justin Cabernet and Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay are recognizable California names but land at price points that feel padded. The one genuine surprise is the Elicio Rosé from France, which at least signals someone on staff has glanced at a wine list from this decade.
Eight of the ten wines are available by the glass, which is actually a decent ratio for a place this size. Pours land at $8–$9, which is approachable, but the selection doesn't change — this is a static list with no rotation or seasonal thinking. If you want bubbles by the glass, you're out of luck; Korbel and Veuve are bottle-only.
120 Santa Rita Chardonnay — $8/glass, $31/bottle
At $31 a bottle, it's the lowest-priced option on the list and a drinkable, unobjectionable Chilean Chardonnay. Won't blow your mind, but it's honest wine at a fair price — especially by Gatlinburg tourist-trap standards.
Elicio Rosé
It's the only French wine on the list and quietly the most interesting bottle here. A dry Provençal-style rosé is genuinely out of place on a Tex-Mex menu in Tennessee, which is exactly why you should order it.
Veuve Clicquot Champagne
At $150 a bottle, you're paying a massive premium on a label that retails for around $60–$65. Veuve is a fine Champagne, but not when it's three times retail, served in a cantina, next to a basket of chips. Spring for a round of margaritas instead.
Mil Piedras Malbec + Tableside Fajitas
The charred, smoky beef from the tableside fajita cast iron actually wants a wine with some dark fruit and grip to push back. Malbec from Argentina is built for exactly this kind of interaction — it won't get steamrolled by the peppers and onions the way a lighter red would.
❌ The Bottom Line
Loco Burro is a great spot for a frozen margarita on a Smoky Mountain rooftop — the wine list is just not the reason you're here, and no one pretends otherwise. Order a cocktail, enjoy the view, and save your serious wine curiosity for a different night.
Downtown Parkway · Gatlinburg · Pizza, American, Bar
Mellow Mushroom Gatlinburg is a genuinely fun spot for pizza and a cold beer — lean into that and you'll have a great time. The wine list, though, is an afterthought dressed up as a menu section, and no amount of hippie décor changes that math.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Newman Road / Hillside · Gatlinburg · Upscale Steakhouse & American Fine Dining
The Greenbrier is doing exactly what a fine dining steakhouse in a national park tourist corridor should do with wine — keeping it approachable, stocking names people recognize, and not getting too weird about it. It's not a wine destination, but it won't embarrass itself either; send a friend who wants a solid Cab with a great steak and a mountain view.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Parkway / Elks Plaza · Gatlinburg · Italian
The Best Italian's wine list does exactly what it needs to do: keep casual diners happy, not drain wallets, and get out of the way of the garlic knots. We wouldn't drive to Gatlinburg for the wine, but if you're already there and want something decent with dinner, you'll be fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Parkway · Gatlinburg · Winery Tasting Room
Tennessee Homemade Wines isn't trying to be a serious wine destination and it's better for it — this is a fun, honest, local-first tasting room that delivers exactly what Gatlinburg visitors are actually looking for. Send your friends here if they want a taste of Appalachian winemaking culture, not if they're chasing a Riedel-and-Rhône experience.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Cherry Street · Gatlinburg · Winery
This isn't a destination for serious wine drinkers, and it knows that — Smoky Mountain Winery is a cheerful, unpretentious regional stop that delivers exactly what it promises. If you're in Gatlinburg and curious about Tennessee fruit wines, this is the place; if you're hunting for a serious cellar, keep driving.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
River Road · Gatlinburg · Steakhouse, American
The Peddler is a legitimately great steakhouse experience in a gorgeous setting, and the wine list is competent enough to get the job done — but it's a supporting cast, not a destination. Order the Jordan, get the steak, enjoy the river view, and don't expect the list to surprise you.
Plays It Safe
Steep
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.