Prime Beef, Predictable Pours, No Surprises
Polaris · Columbus · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 22, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Mitchell's Steakhouse - Columbus Polaris’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Two hundred labels sounds impressive until you realize about half of them are California Cabs and Chardonnays you've seen on every steakhouse list from here to Las Vegas. There's a sommelier on staff, which is a real point in Mitchell's favor, and the room feels like a place that takes its wine cellar seriously — even if the list itself plays it close to the chest.
The list leans hard into the Napa Valley greatest hits playbook: Caymus, Prisoner, Far Niente, Franciscan. If that's your world, you'll be comfortable here. What's largely missing is any meaningful detour — there's no exciting Rhône corner, no Italian depth beyond the obvious, no reason to linger on the list the way you might at a restaurant that's actually curious about wine. The Far Niente Dolce and Royal Tokaji Red Label are the two wines that suggest someone at the top of this program has taste beyond the mainstream, but they're outliers in an otherwise safe lineup.
Fourteen pours total — eleven premium and three select — with glass prices clustering between $9 and $11, which is genuinely reasonable for a polished steakhouse. The selection by the glass mirrors the bottle list: California-forward, approachable, crowd-tested. Don't expect a rotating program or anything that surprises you mid-meal.
Wente 'Sandstone' Merlot — $9
At $9 a glass with retail sitting around $12, this is one of the tightest markups on the list. It's not a flashy pour, but it's honest Merlot at a steakhouse price that doesn't hurt.
Royal Tokaji Red Label
Most tables at a Columbus steakhouse are not ordering Hungarian dessert wine, which is exactly why you should. Tokaji is one of the world's great sweet wines, and having it on the list at all is a quiet signal that someone here knows what they're doing.
Hampton Water Rosé
An 82% glass markup on a wine you can grab at the grocery store for $20 is the steepest pricing on the by-the-glass list. Jon Bon Jovi's celebrity rosé doesn't need any help from you — skip it.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon + Prime Dry-Aged Steak
Look, it's a cliché for a reason. Caymus is ripe, full, and built for red meat — and a prime dry-aged cut at Mitchell's has the fat and char to stand up to every ounce of that fruit. Sometimes the obvious call is the right one.
The Bottom Line
Mitchell's Polaris is a reliable steakhouse wine experience — fairly priced, properly stored, staffed by someone who actually knows the list. Just don't come expecting to be challenged or surprised.
German Village · Columbus · Italian
Cento is the rare Columbus restaurant where the wine list is a genuine reason to go, not just a footnote to the pasta. Matthew Selva's Italian-focused program earned its Wine Spectator nod honestly — send your wine-curious friends here without hesitation.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Columbus · Columbus · Spanish, Catalan
Barcelona has been earning its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2005, and the list holds up — serious Spanish producers, fair prices, and enough glass pours to drink well across a full tapas spread. For Columbus, this is genuinely the best Spanish wine program in the room.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Columbus · Columbus · French, Seasonal
The Refectory has been doing this quietly and correctly since 2003, and a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence held that long doesn't happen by accident. If you're in Columbus and serious about wine, this is the room — full stop.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Easton Town Center · Columbus · Steak House
Mastro's Columbus is a trophy-wine steakhouse doing what trophy-wine steakhouses do — and doing it well enough to earn a Wine Spectator credential in its first year. If you're celebrating something, drinking California cab with a great steak, and not particularly interested in venturing off the map, this list will absolutely deliver.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Columbus · Columbus · American, Steakhouse
Jeff Ruby's is doing the steakhouse wine list right — deep cellar, Wine Spectator credentials, and enough California firepower to keep any red wine drinker busy all night. Bring your appetite for both the ribeye and the markup, because this room doesn't apologize for either.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Columbus · Columbus · American, Asian
Agni is the best wine list in Columbus most people haven't had a reason to talk about yet — until now. With two sommeliers, a 300–500 bottle program, and a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence already in its first year, send your friends here and tell them to skip the Caymus.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
· 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
· San Diego · Steakhouse
The Grove Steakhouse is a solid pick if you're in a celebratory mood and want serious Champagne options with your cut of beef — the sparkling program alone is worth a look. The rest of the list doesn't take many risks, and the markups on recognizable labels are exactly what you'd expect from a steakhouse at a casino property. Go in with eyes open, steer toward the value picks, and you'll have a good night.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Fresno · Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Fresno is a reliable landing pad if someone else is picking the restaurant and wine takes a back seat to a great center-cut filet. The wine program isn't adventurous and markups at this tier tend to sting, but the service is polished and the experience is consistent. If wine is the reason you're going out, look elsewhere — but if it's the steak and wine is just along for the ride, you'll be fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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