The Steak's The Star, Not The Wine
North Lakeland · Lakeland · Steakhouse
Reviewed July 6, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at LongHorn reads like a grocery store endcap that got laminated and handed to you between the bread basket and the blooming onion. Nothing surprises you, nothing offends you, and nothing makes you think anyone spent more than twenty minutes curating it. It's functional the same way a plastic fork is functional.
Thirty to forty bottles, almost entirely California mass-market brands — Woodbridge, Canyon Road, Apothic, Turning Leaf — with a lone Italian showing up in the form of Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio and a single Pacific Northwest rep in Michelle Riesling. There's no real regional story being told here, no small producers, no interesting grapes, and no sense that anyone considered what actually drinks well with a ribeye beyond 'red wine, probably.' The Beringer White Zinfandel is still on this list in the year of our lord, and that tells you everything you need to know about who's steering the ship.
Fifteen options by the glass is genuinely decent coverage for a casual chain, and the price ceiling of around $10.79 keeps it accessible. The problem is the range spans Apothic Red to Mirassou Moscato, which is less a curated selection and more a greatest-hits album from 2009. Rotation appears nonexistent — this list has the energy of something updated once a fiscal year.
Michelle Riesling — $8
Michelle is a legitimately solid Washington State producer, and Riesling is wildly underordered at steakhouses — which means you're getting something that actually has craft behind it at the same price point as everything else on the list. Off-dry, bright acidity, and it holds its own.
Michelle Riesling
Most people walk into a steakhouse and auto-pilot toward a Cab. That's a mistake when the Cab is Woodbridge. Michelle's Riesling from Washington is the sleeper on this list — a real winery making a real wine that nobody at this table is ordering.
Beringer White Zinfandel
It's 2024. There is no version of this that ends well for you. Move on.
Red Rock Malbec + Outlaw Ribeye
Malbec's dark fruit and soft tannins are one of the more forgiving matches for a well-marbled ribeye, and Red Rock is inoffensive enough to stay out of the steak's way. It's not an inspired pairing, but at this price point it's the move.
❌ The Bottom Line
Come for the steak, order whatever beer they have on draft, and save the wine conversation for somewhere else. LongHorn isn't pretending to be a wine destination, and at least the prices reflect that — but the list has the ambition of a footnote.
North Lakeland · Lakeland · Seafood
Red Lobster's wine list does its job in the narrowest possible sense — it gives people something to drink. But there's no value play here, no curiosity, no effort. Order the cocktail or a beer and spend your wine money somewhere that earned it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Lakeland · Lakeland · Italian
Carrabba's isn't where you go to discover wine, but it's where you go to drink something decent without getting ripped off. Send a friend here if they want a familiar Italian night with a glass that makes sense — just steer them toward the Italian side of the list.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Lakeland · Lakeland · Italian-American
Olive Garden is not a wine destination and never claimed to be — the wine list exists to generate margin, not to inspire. Order the Chianti, enjoy the breadsticks, and save the serious bottle for another night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Lakeland · Lakeland · Steakhouse
Outback Lakeland's wine program exists to check a box, not to enhance a meal. Prices are fair for what you're getting, but what you're getting is a grocery store list at a sit-down restaurant — order the Malbec, enjoy your steak, and don't expect more than that.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Polk Parkway / South Lakeland · Lakeland · Seafood
Bonefish Grill Lakeland won't blow any wine enthusiast's mind, but it's a functional, inoffensive list with a social hour that softens the markup sting enough to make it worthwhile. Come for the Bang Bang Shrimp, grab a glass of Chandon, and set your expectations accordingly.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown Lakeland · Lakeland · American Contemporary Hotel Bar & Grill
Terrace Grille is a reliable hotel bar wine list — not exciting, not embarrassing, just competent. If you're already staying at the hotel or grabbing dinner downtown, you'll drink fine; just don't come here expecting discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Lake Hollingsworth area · Lakeland · Steakhouse
Texas Cattle Company isn't a wine destination, but it's a competent steakhouse list that gets the job done — pick the right bottle and your ribeye dinner stays on track. Just don't come here expecting discovery; come here expecting to eat well and drink well enough.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Creekside / IH-35 Corridor · New Braunfels · Steakhouse
Saltgrass Creekside is not a wine destination, and it doesn't pretend to be — the list exists to sell bottles alongside steaks, and it does that competently enough. If you stick to Jordan or Stag's Leap and skip the grocery-store bottles, you'll drink fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Creekside / I-35 Corridor · New Braunfels · Steakhouse
Saltgrass New Braunfels serves a wine list that was assembled by a committee in Houston and hasn't been questioned since. It functions — you'll find something drinkable — but if wine matters to you tonight, manage expectations before you sit down.
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.