Corporate Beef, Corporate Bottle, Move Along
Melbourne · Steakhouse
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 12, 2026
RagingWine reviewed LongHorn Steakhouse – Melbourne’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at LongHorn Melbourne reads exactly like you'd expect from a national chain: laminated, predictable, and clearly assembled by a corporate committee somewhere in suburban Atlanta. You've seen this list before — probably at the last three chain steakhouses you visited. It's not offensive, it's just aggressively average.
Forty to fifty-five bottles deep, but depth is the wrong word here — it's more like width at the shallow end. California and Washington State anchor the list, with a token nod to New Zealand via Kim Crawford. The producers on offer — Bread & Butter, Meiomi, Chateau Ste. Michelle — are grocery-store staples, perfectly drinkable but carrying significant brand-name markups that don't do you any favors. There's nothing here that'll make you lean across the table and whisper 'you have to try this.'
Ten to fourteen pours by the glass, which is a reasonable count for a place like this. At $7–$13 a glass, the pricing sounds approachable until you realize these same bottles retail for $12–$18 at your local Total Wine. The rotation appears fixed — don't expect seasonal surprises or anything poured because someone on staff got excited about a new find.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling — $9
It's the one wine on this list that actually makes sense with food. Off-dry with enough acidity to cut through a butter-basted steak, and Washington Riesling at this price point is genuinely hard to argue with.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
Everyone at a steakhouse reaches for the Cab. The Riesling gets ignored, which is a shame — it handles the rich, fatty cuts on this menu better than most of the reds on the list.
Meiomi Pinot Noir
Meiomi is a $14 retail bottle dressed up as a $45 bottle on this list. It's sweet, jammy, and built for people who don't really like Pinot Noir. Hard pass.
Bread & Butter Cabernet Sauvignon + Outlaw Ribeye
It's the obvious call, and honestly it works. The Cab's soft tannins and dark fruit don't fight the ribeye's char — they just roll with it. Not exciting, but functional, which is about as high as the bar gets here.
The Bottom Line
LongHorn Melbourne's wine program is a checkbox, not a passion project — the list exists because a steakhouse has to have wine, not because anyone here cares about what's in your glass. Order the steak, grab the Riesling if you must, and save the bottle for a place that's actually trying.
· Melbourne · Seafood Boil
Come here for the crab, the bibs, and the mess — just don't come for the wine. Order a cold beer or the cheapest white pour and call it a night.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Melbourne · New American
Brevardian Riverfront is a dependable dinner destination where the setting does a lot of the heavy lifting and the wine list gets out of the kitchen's way. It's not a destination for wine lovers, but it won't embarrass itself either — send a friend for the date night, just temper expectations on what's in the glass.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Melbourne · Melbourne · Japanese / Sushi
Makoto isn't trying to be a wine bar and it knows it — the list is short, the labels are familiar, and the prices are genuinely kind. Send your friends here for sushi and tell them to order the Malbec by the bottle; they'll be fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Melbourne · Melbourne · Elevated Regional American
The Landing Rooftop is a reliable spot for a glass with a genuinely spectacular view — hit it on a Wednesday when the wines go half price and the Cambria Chardonnay becomes the best deal on the Space Coast. Don't come here to geek out on wine; do come here to drink something decent while watching a rocket launch.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
West Melbourne · Melbourne · Floribbean / Key West-inspired American
Hemingway's Tavern isn't a wine destination, but it earns its keep with a list that's wider than the vibe suggests and a Wednesday half-price bottle deal that makes even the steeper markups disappear. Come for the tacos, stay for the Albariño, and thank the calendar for getting you there on Wednesday.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
West Melbourne · Melbourne · Greek / Mediterranean
It's a counter-service Greek grill in a strip mall that serves Xinomavro and Assyrtiko at fair prices — that's either a minor miracle or a Wild Card, and we're calling it the latter. Don't sleep on the wine list just because you're eating off a paper tray.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
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.
Downtown DC · Washington · Steakhouse
A steakhouse beverage menu with 30 wines by the glass and a bottle list that is mostly California, with some France, Italy and Portugal. Start with the $9/glass happy hour Bonanza Cabernet if you arrive in the window, or the Eroica Riesling, the only Riesling on the glass list, and ask for prices because regular wine prices aren't posted. 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.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
