Cheap Pours, Red Meat, No Surprises
Unknown · Springfield · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 4, 2026
RagingWine reviewed LongHorn Steakhouse – Springfield’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at LongHorn Springfield reads exactly like what it is — a corporate steakhouse menu built for people who want a glass of red with their ribeye and don't want to think too hard about it. Familiar labels, accessible prices, zero pretension. That's not an insult; it's just the deal.
California dominates from top to bottom, with a handful of Washington State and Australian bottles filling out the edges. You'll recognize every name here — Kendall-Jackson, Josh Cellars, Meiomi, Chateau Ste. Michelle — because these are grocery store staples dressed up in a Western-themed dining room. There's no depth to speak of: no old-world representation, no small producers, nothing that'll make you lean forward and squint at the list. What it does have is a tight, no-confusion range of crowd-pleasing reds that actually make sense next to a 16-ounce Outlaw Ribeye.
Twelve pours by the glass is a respectable count for a casual chain, and the prices — running $8.99 to $10.49 — are genuinely low for a sit-down steakhouse. Don't expect any rotation or seasonal thinking here; this list is laminated and static. But when you're paying under ten bucks for a glass of Cabernet with a filet, it's hard to complain too loudly.
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon — $10.49
At a 24% markup over retail, this is practically cost pricing for a restaurant. Josh Cabernet is a soft, fruit-forward red that works well with red meat and won't offend anyone at the table — and at $10.49 a glass, you can order a second round without doing mental math.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
Everyone at a steakhouse reaches for the Cab, and that's exactly why this Washington State Riesling gets ignored. It's the best option on the list for the LongHorn Salmon or the Grilled Chicken & Strawberry Salad — a little off-dry, bright with stone fruit, and a genuine alternative to the parade of California reds.
Meiomi Pinot Noir
Meiomi is everywhere — your grocery store, your gas station, your aunt's kitchen counter — and at restaurant prices it's a middling deal when the Cabernet options are priced just as low. There's nothing wrong with it, but there's nothing interesting about it either.
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon + Outlaw Ribeye
A well-marbled ribeye needs a red with enough body and dark fruit to hold its own against all that fat and char. Josh Cab isn't a complex wine, but it has the structure to cut through the richness and the fruit to keep things from getting heavy. It's a textbook steak-and-Cab move, and it works.
The Bottom Line
LongHorn Springfield isn't a wine destination — but with markups this low and pours this affordable, it's one of the better casual chain options in Illinois for a simple red with a big steak. Send a friend here for dinner; just don't tell them to geek out over the list.
· Springfield · Wine bar / Bottle shop
It's All About Wine is the kind of place that makes you wonder why every mid-sized city doesn't have one — a focused, curious, fairly priced wine bar that treats its customers like adults. If you're passing through Springfield, this is worth a detour.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Springfield · Springfield · Casual steakhouse with Australian-themed American cuisine
Outback Springfield isn't where you go to geek out on wine, and it doesn't pretend to be — the list is honest, the prices are reasonable for a chain sit-down, and the Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling alone is worth knowing about. If you're here for a steak and you want something decent in your glass, you'll be fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Dirksen Parkway / Sunrise Drive · Springfield · American Chain
We wouldn't send anyone to Applebee's specifically for the wine, and we won't start now. If you're here, you're here for the food, the vibe, or the company — and that's perfectly fine. Just know that the wine list is purely incidental.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Springfield · Springfield · American Chain
The markup is shockingly fair, but you're paying near-retail for wines you could grab at Walgreens on the way home. Order a cocktail, order a beer, and save the wine night for literally anywhere else.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Unknown · Springfield · Italian Chain
Olive Garden Springfield isn't a wine destination, but it's not a wine disaster either — fair markups, a couple of genuinely decent pours, and prices that won't sting. Order the Chianti Classico, enjoy your breadsticks, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Unknown · Springfield · American Steakhouse, Casual Dining
Texas Roadhouse is not a wine destination — it's a steak and ribs destination with a wine list that exists because it has to. Order a beer or a cocktail and save the wine drinking for somewhere that cares.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waikiki · Honolulu · Steakhouse
BLT Steak Waikiki is a competent, crowd-pleasing steakhouse wine list in a setting where you're mostly paying for the view and the popovers. If wine is central to your evening, call ahead and ask what's actually open — the list's documented depth isn't enough to guarantee a great bottle without some homework. Come for the porterhouse, manage your wine expectations.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Decatur · Steakhouse
Kevin Rathbun Steak has built a by-the-glass program that takes wine seriously enough to include Chablis, Oregon Pinot, and Realm Cellars on the same list — that's not nothing. Markups trend steep at the top end, and without verified dish information we can't tell you what to order with what. But if you're eating here and skipping the wine list entirely, you're leaving the best part of the menu alone.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Franklin · Steakhouse
Char is a genuinely enjoyable steakhouse with a wine list that does the job without doing much more. The room earns its keep; the wine program is still a passenger rather than a co-pilot. If you're coming here for the Prime beef and the atmosphere, you'll eat well — just don't expect the list to take you anywhere the food isn't already going. Worth a visit, but bring your own expectations in check at the wine menu.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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