Gulf Coast Vibes, No Fuss Wine List
Downtown · New Braunfels · Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 6, 2026
RagingWine reviewed McAdoo's Seafood Company’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — 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 McAdoo's is exactly what you'd expect from a casual Gulf Coast seafood spot — short, approachable, and built to get out of the way of the food. It's not trying to impress anyone, and honestly, that's fine. You're here for oysters and shrimp, and the list knows its lane.
Twenty to forty labels covers the bases without breaking any ground — California Chardonnay anchors the whites, Italian Pinot Grigio shows up as the token Old World nod, and California Cab holds down the red side for anyone who insists on going that route with seafood. The list skews New World and crowd-friendly throughout, which tracks for a downtown Texas tourist-adjacent spot. There's no depth to speak of — no interesting regions, no producer names worth calling out — but the selections are competent for what they are. If you walked in hoping to find a Muscadet or a Vermentino to go with those oysters, keep walking.
Six to ten glass pours, priced $9–$14, which is reasonable for the market and the setting. The California Chardonnay and Italian Pinot Grigio are the workhorses here, and they pull the expected seafood-friendly shift without complaint. Don't expect much rotation — this reads as a set-it-and-forget-it glass program.
Italian Pinot Grigio — $11
At mid-range by-the-glass pricing, a clean Pinot Grigio is the smartest move on this list — crisp, light, and it won't fight anything coming out of the kitchen.
Prosecco
Listed mainly as a brunch mixer for mimosas, but order a glass straight and you've got one of the better seafood wines on the menu — bubbles and brine are a classic combination that most people here walk right past.
California Cabernet Sauvignon
A big Cab at a Gulf seafood restaurant is a square peg in a round hole. The food will make it taste flat and the wine will make the food taste worse. There's no version of this that ends well.
Italian Pinot Grigio + Oysters on the Half Shell
Cold, briny oysters need something lean and high-acid to cut through — the Pinot Grigio does exactly that without introducing any competing flavors. Simple and effective.
The Bottom Line
McAdoo's isn't a wine destination, but it's not pretending to be one either. The list is fair-priced and functional — order the Pinot Grigio or the Prosecco, eat your oysters, and enjoy downtown New Braunfels.
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 / IH-35 Corridor · New Braunfels · American Casual
We wouldn't send anyone to BJ's Creekside specifically for the wine list — but if you're already there for the Pizookie and a Tuesday lands on your calendar, those half-price bottles are a legitimate deal. Come for the beer, and if you must drink wine, come on a Tuesday.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Seasonal Rotation
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
Downtown · New Braunfels · From-scratch American comfort food with Hill Country influences, brunch and brewery
The Root Cellar is a brewery first and a wine destination never — but the list earns its keep with fair prices, a Texas wine you should actually try, and the quietly baffling joy of prosecco on tap next to a craft IPA. Come for the biscuits, stay curious about the wine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Creekside / I-35 Corridor · New Braunfels · Asian Bistro
P.F. Chang's New Braunfels isn't a wine destination, but if you know what to order, you won't be stuck drinking something bad. Stick to the by-the-glass whites, avoid the trophy-label markups, and you'll have a fine night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West New Braunfels · New Braunfels · Seafood
The Reel isn't a wine destination, but it earns serious respect for sneaking Dutton Goldfield onto a po'boy menu and running Wine Wednesday like it means it. Come on a Wednesday, order the Pinot, and be pleasantly confused about where you are.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
· Toledo · Seafood
Real Seafood Company clearly puts its energy into the kitchen, and the wine list reflects exactly how much attention is left over — which is almost none. Order the Rotari if you want bubbles, or honestly, just get a cocktail and move on.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Carmel · Carmel By The Sea · Seafood
Catch is a dependable wine stop for a seafood dinner in Carmel — nothing here will disappoint you, but nothing will surprise you either. If you go in with calibrated expectations and order the Schramsberg with your crab, you'll leave happy.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Hood River · Hood River · Seafood
Votum is operating a world-class wine program in a town most people only stop through on the way to a hike — the depth of this cellar belongs in a major city restaurant, and the sommelier presence means you're not navigating it alone. The markups on the prestige bottles will sting, but find your entry point and this list rewards serious attention.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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