Meat Is The Point, Not The Wine
Route 85 / 355 corridor · Frederick · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 13, 2026
RagingWine reviewed LongHorn Steakhouse - Frederick’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list here reads like a grocery store endcap — familiar labels, zero surprises, and nothing that demands a second look. It exists because a steakhouse has to have wine, not because anyone put serious thought into it. If you came hoping to find something interesting next to your ribeye, temper those expectations now.
Thirty bottles deep, and almost every name is a mass-market California or Washington State workhorse you've seen at every chain from here to Phoenix. Kendall-Jackson, Meiomi, Mark West, Woodbridge, 14 Hands — these are reliable crowd pleasers at the supermarket, but at restaurant markups they lose whatever value proposition they had. There's a token nod to Washington State with Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling, which is at least a thoughtful grape choice for a food-forward context, but the list never strays far from safe. No Rhône, no Italy, no Argentina, no serious Burgundy — just a narrow lane of new-world softballs.
Twelve pours cover the basics: a couple of whites, a rosé somewhere in the mix, and a parade of reds dominated by Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. The $8–$14 glass range sounds accessible until you realize you're paying $12 for a Meiomi Pinot that retails for $16 a bottle. Rotation appears nonexistent — this list is set and forgotten.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling — $9
At the low end of the glass price range, this Washington State Riesling is the one pour that actually makes sense on a steakhouse menu — it has enough acidity to cut through rich sauces and plays well with spice. It's not a revelation, but it's a legitimate wine at a price that won't sting.
14 Hands Cabernet Sauvignon
It gets buried under flashier labels like Meiomi and Kendall-Jackson, but 14 Hands Cab is a sturdy, straightforward Washington State red with enough dark fruit and structure to actually stand up to a grilled steak. Most people grab the Meiomi by default — the 14 Hands is the better call at the table.
Woodbridge Cabernet Sauvignon
Robert Mondavi's entry-level label retails for around $8 a bottle. Ordering it by the glass at steakhouse prices means you're paying close to bottle cost for a pour that belongs at a Tuesday night dinner at home, not next to a $35 Outlaw Ribeye.
14 Hands Cabernet Sauvignon + Outlaw Ribeye
A big, well-marbled ribeye wants a red with enough structure to match the fat and char. The 14 Hands Cab brings dark fruit and mild tannins that won't overwhelm but will hold their own against LongHorn's signature cut. It's the most honest match on this list.
The Bottom Line
LongHorn is here to sell you a steak, and it does that job well enough — but the wine list is an afterthought at best. Order the beef, skip the wine, and save the bottle for somewhere that actually cares.
· Frederick · American Tavern
The Urbana Lodge isn't trying to be a wine destination and it knows it — but the pricing is honest, the by-the-glass selection is genuinely broad, and the Boordy Riesling alone earns it a second look. Bring someone who wants a glass of something familiar and won't complain about the lack of a Côtes du Rhône.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Frederick · Italian / Wine Bar
Vesuvius is doing something genuinely unusual: a flat $8-a-glass format with a list full of Southern Italian varietals most diners have never tried. It's not a deep cellar or a fine dining program, but the value-to-curiosity ratio here is almost unfair.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Frederick · Frederick · Wine Bar
If you've never had Black Ankle and you're anywhere near Frederick, this is the easiest yes we can give you — a rare chance to taste one of Maryland's genuinely great producers in a focused, unpretentious setting. The single-producer format is a limitation, but when the producer is this good, it barely matters.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Westview / Buckeystown Pike · Frederick · Peruvian
Mayta's isn't a wine destination, but Wine Down Wednesday makes it a genuinely fun, affordable place to eat and drink well enough. Come for the Lomo Saltado, grab the Malbec at half price, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Route 85 corridor · Frederick · Japanese
Miyako's wine list exists to check a box, and it does that — nothing more. Order the sake, order a cocktail, or make peace with a Canyon Road pour and focus on the hibachi show.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Frederick · Frederick · Mediterranean / Meze
Ayse is the kind of place that surprises you — a Frederick meze lounge with a genuinely considered Italian-leaning wine list that punches above its weight class, even if markups and a static program hold it back from true greatness. Send a friend here, but tell them to skip the Amarone and ask for the Moschofilero.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
SanTan Village · Chandler · Steakhouse
Bourbon & Bones SanTan has a reserve list that punches above its suburban strip-mall weight class — the Heitz Martha's Vineyard duo, Dominus, and the rogue Egon Müller Riesling are all legitimate gets. The pricing is unambiguously steep and the list has real gaps, but if you're celebrating something and want a specific California collectible with your ribeye, this is one of the more unexpected places to find it in the East Valley.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· White Plains · Steakhouse
This appears to be a Restaurant Week wine promotion rather than Benjamin Steakhouse's full list, and we'd want to see a complete menu before rendering a final verdict on the overall program. Based on what's sourced here, though, the wine offering is thin for a steakhouse of this caliber — if you're coming for a serious bottle of Cab with your dry-aged ribeye, call ahead and ask what's actually on the full list.
Grocery Store
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Pleasant Valley · Colorado Springs · Steakhouse
A compact, fully priced list of 16 wines with a glass and a bottle price printed for every wine. Start with the Angeline Cabernet at $10 a glass for a low-cost red, or the L' Ecole Merlot at $17 if you want the Washington bottle, and confirm prices since the page is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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