Bistro Charm With a Familiar Pour
Lake Jeanette / Northern Greensboro · Greensboro · Seafood, Steak, and American with Southern/French Influence · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 25, 2026
Wingman Metrics
MJ's pulls you in with its converted-house bistro charm — two decks, full bar, the kind of place that feels like a local secret. The wine list, though, doesn't quite match that personality. It's approachable and inoffensive, built for the crowd that knows what they like and doesn't want any surprises.
The list leans heavily on familiar grocery-aisle names — Bogle, Kendall-Jackson, Alamos, Clean Slate — with a few steps up like Maso Canali and Louis Jadot for guests willing to spend a little more. Star Wine List does mention Jura and Beaujolais representation, which hints at some curatorial ambition buried somewhere on the menu, but the visible backbone is firmly safe-harbor California and international crowd-pleasers. There's a transatlantic spread here — Italy, Germany, France, Napa — but depth within any single region is thin. The La Pella Napa Valley feature at wine dinners suggests the kitchen and front-of-house care more than the everyday list lets on.
By-the-glass starts at $7 and tops out around $9, which is genuinely refreshing in a mid-range dining scene that loves to gouge. The pour selection mirrors the bottle list — Bogle Chardonnay, Alamos Malbec, Clean Slate Riesling — so you're not getting anything adventurous, but you won't feel ripped off either. No obvious rotation program in place; this reads as a set list that doesn't change much season to season.
Maso Canali Pinot Grigio Trentino — $9 glass / $32 bottle
At roughly 113% markup over a $15 retail bottle, this is the most honest deal on the list. It's a real wine from a real producer in Trentino — not a mass-market pour — and at $9 a glass it drinks well above its station here.
Clean Slate Riesling
Most tables at a steakhouse-leaning bistro skip straight past Riesling, but at $7 a glass this German off-dry pour is the sleeper move. It's light, a little sweet, a little citrusy — and it cuts right through MJ's richer seafood dishes in a way the Chardonnay crowd hasn't figured out yet.
Bogle Chardonnay
Seven dollars sounds cheap until you remember you can grab this off a grocery end-cap for $10 a bottle. It's not a bad wine, it's just a nothing wine — and in a room serving $31–$50 entrees, you deserve more than a weeknight supermarket pour.
Houchart Rosé + Sautéed Shrimp
A dry Provençal rosé from Houchart brings enough acidity and stone-fruit brightness to lift buttery sautéed shrimp without fighting it. It's the kind of pairing that makes the food taste better and the wine taste more intentional than the rest of the list.
✔️ The Bottom Line
MJ's is a genuinely pleasant neighborhood spot with fair pricing and food worth the drive, but the wine list is coasting on brand recognition rather than curation. Send a friend here for dinner — just temper their wine expectations going in.
Friendly Center · Greensboro · Korean Fried Chicken and Asian Fusion
Bonchon Greensboro is a legitimately great spot for Korean fried chicken, and the wine list knows it's irrelevant. Come for the wings, drink the beer, and only touch the Canyon Road if it's $3 a glass.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Friendly Center / West Greensboro · Greensboro · Asian-inspired Chinese
P.F. Chang's Greensboro checks the box on wine the same way it checks every other corporate box — reliably, joylessly, and at a markup. If you're here for the food, stick to the Riesling and call it a night; the rest of the list isn't worth the deliberation.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Wendover / West Greensboro · Greensboro · Casual American steakhouse with Australian-inspired theme
We wouldn't send a friend here for the wine — we'd tell them to order a beer or a cocktail and save their wine calories for somewhere that gives a damn. The food can be fine; the wine program is an afterthought.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Friendly Center · Greensboro · Upscale Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Greensboro doesn't take risks with wine, and it doesn't need to — the list is professionally managed, properly stored, and staffed by someone who actually knows it. If you're celebrating a promotion, this works. Just don't expect to discover anything.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Westridge / Holden Road · Greensboro · Italian
Positano isn't trying to be a wine destination, but its Italian-focused list punches well above its neighborhood-restaurant weight class. Fair prices, real regional variety, and a few genuinely interesting picks make this worth ordering a bottle instead of just a cocktail.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Greensboro · Steakhouse / Seafood
B. Christopher's is a dependable wine stop for a classic steakhouse experience — just go on a Wednesday when the bottle prices get cut in half and the math finally makes sense. If you're craving Caymus with a ribeye and an expense account, you'll be happy; if you want exploration, this isn't your room.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.