Big Cabs, Big Steaks, No Surprises
Downtown · Anchorage · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 16, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Mitchell's Steakhouse’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Mitchell's reads exactly like the room looks — confident, classically American, and not particularly interested in challenging you. You're in Anchorage, you ordered a ribeye, and someone is about to recommend Caymus. That's the deal here.
The list leans hard into California, with Napa Cabernet as the clear anchor — Caymus, Jordan, and Silver Oak Alexander Valley are all present and accounted for. Bordeaux varietals get a nod, Washington State makes a cameo, and Duckhorn holds down the Merlot corner for anyone still fighting that battle. What's missing is depth outside the California-Bordeaux corridor — no real exploration of Burgundy, Rhône, Italy, or anything that might make a seasoned drinker linger over the list. It's a wine program built to satisfy the steak-and-Cab crowd, and it does that job without apology.
We don't have a confirmed by-the-glass count, but the active wine dinner program — Caymus, Orin Swift, Duckhorn, Stag's Leap, and even a Rioja night on the calendar — suggests the kitchen and front-of-house take wine engagement seriously, even if the everyday pours are predictable. Don't expect anything adventurous in the glass; expect something that works with your filet.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — null
Of the heavy hitters on this list, Jordan consistently punches above its retail price in restaurant settings — it's polished, food-friendly, and doesn't demand the same premium markup that Caymus has trained diners to accept. If pricing is in line with its typical restaurant range, it's the smartest spend at the table.
Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Everyone reaches for the Napa Valley Silver Oak, but the Alexander Valley bottling is consistently underordered despite being more approachable young and often priced lower. At a steakhouse where people are defaulting to Caymus, this one flies under the radar and rewards the curious.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is fine wine — nobody's disputing that — but it's also the most marked-up bottle on every steakhouse list in America. Restaurants know people recognize the label and will pay for it. You're paying for brand familiarity more than quality at this price tier. There are better options on the same list.
Duckhorn Merlot + Dry-aged ribeye
The Duckhorn Merlot has enough structure and dark fruit to stand up to the fat and char on a dry-aged ribeye without the tannin aggression of a full-throttle Cab. It's a slightly softer ride that actually lets you taste the beef.
The Bottom Line
Mitchell's is doing exactly what a Downtown Anchorage steakhouse should do — keeping bold Cabs cold, the steaks hot, and the list legible. It won't blow a wine nerd's mind, but the wine dinner program signals real effort, and you won't drink badly here as long as you steer clear of the Caymus reflex.
Downtown · Anchorage · New American
The Marx Brothers Café is the kind of place that makes you reconsider your assumptions about where serious wine lives. In a historic Anchorage bungalow, they've built a list that would hold its own in San Francisco — and that earns every bit of the Wild Card badge.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown / G Street corridor · Anchorage · Wine Bar / Bistro
Crush earns its Wild Card badge not by being perfect, but by being genuinely surprising — a 600-bottle cellar and 40+ glass pours in Anchorage is an achievement worth acknowledging out loud. If you're passing through or living here, this is where you go when you actually care what's in your glass.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Girdwood · Anchorage · Winery Restaurant / Taproom
Bear Creek Winery Loft earns its Wild Card badge honestly — it's not trying to be a serious wine destination and doesn't need to be. If you're in Girdwood and you skip this in favor of a hotel bar pour, you've made a mistake you'll regret when you're back home explaining why you didn't try the rhubarb wine made in Alaska.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Anchorage · Modern Mexican / Latin Fusion
Tequila 61° is a genuinely fun downtown Anchorage spot — but the wine list is not the reason to come. Order the tequila, drink the margaritas, and if someone at the table insists on wine, steer them toward the Pinot Grigio and move on.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown · Anchorage · Brazilian Steakhouse (Churrascaria)
Texas de Brazil Anchorage is a reliable enough wine stop if you calibrate expectations to match the format — this is a chain steakhouse, not a wine destination, and the list behaves accordingly. Grab the Catena, eat a lot of picanha, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown / Spenard · Anchorage · Mexican / Pub / Pizza
Bear Tooth Grill is a legitimately great spot for beer, margaritas, pizza, and a movie — the wine list is just a formality. Order a craft beer, skip the wine entirely, and you'll have a fantastic time.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Plano · Steakhouse
Steve Fields clearly puts its energy into the kitchen, not the cellar — and at these price points, that imbalance is hard to ignore. Order the Evesham Wood if it's still there, and otherwise come for the steak, not the wine list.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Diego · Steakhouse
Greystone is a reliable, if predictable, steakhouse wine list — the kind where you can always find something decent but you'll rarely be surprised. Skip the Opus splurge, order the Paradigm, and you'll walk out satisfied.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Diego · Steakhouse
Morton's San Diego is spending more energy on the wedge salad than the wine list, and it shows. Come for the steak, order carefully, and don't expect much beyond the obvious.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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