Big Steakhouse Energy, Cabernet For Miles
· Honolulu · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed September 11, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Morton's The Steakhouse Honolulu’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Morton's Honolulu is exactly what you'd expect from a national steakhouse chain that has figured out what its customers want and decided never to surprise them. It's long, it's Cabernet-forward, and it reads like someone handed a buyer a checklist of 'wines that steak people order' and said, 'get all of them.' That's not necessarily a bad thing — it's just not going to make you feel adventurous.
Ninety-nine labels sounds like depth, but when the vast majority are American reds anchored almost entirely by Cabernet Sauvignon, you're really working with a narrower list than the number suggests. The Pacific Northwest shows up with solid entries — Canvasback by Duckhorn from Red Mountain and Chateau Ste. Michelle Cold Creek — and there's a decent sweep of Napa, from the entry-level Beaulieu Vineyard at $66 all the way up to Caymus Special Selection at $400. Paso Robles gets a nod via Austin Hope and Daou's Soul of a Lion, which at least gestures toward something outside the Napa-or-bust playbook. What you won't find: much Europe, any natural wine, meaningful white options, or anything that would make a curious drinker sit up straight.
By-the-glass options aren't confirmed from our data, which is itself a mild red flag — a list this focused on bottles at a steakhouse that almost certainly pours by the glass just means it wasn't worth publishing prominently. If you're flying solo or just want one glass with your ribeye, ask the server what's open and proceed accordingly.
Benziger Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County 2019 — $64
Benziger is a reliably made, organically farmed Sonoma Cab that retails well under $25. At $64 you're paying the steakhouse tax, but it's one of the more honest markups on the list and drinks comfortably above its price tier here.
Canvasback by Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain 2018
Red Mountain AVA is one of Washington's most underrated zones for Cabernet — concentrated, structured, and genuinely age-worthy. Canvasback is Duckhorn's Washington project and it punches well above what most guests reaching for Caymus are thinking about. At $95 it's one of the better intellectual purchases on the list.
14 Hands Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley 2018
This is a $12 grocery store Cab. At $47 you're paying nearly four times retail for something you'd buy at Safeway to bring to a barbecue. The wine isn't bad — it's just not a restaurant wine, and this markup is hard to justify when better options exist for not much more.
Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District 2016 + Double-Cut Filet Mignon
Stags Leap District Cabs are known for their silkier tannin structure compared to the beefier mountain Napas — which makes Chimney Rock a natural match for the leaner, more delicate filet. You get the classic steak-and-Cab moment without the wine steamrolling the cut.
The Bottom Line
Morton's Honolulu gives you a competent, Cabernet-saturated list that will reliably satisfy the guest who came for a big steak and a big red — just don't expect any surprises, and watch the markup on the entry-level bottles. Send a friend here if they want comfort, not if they want discovery.
Kahala · Honolulu · Italian
Arancino at The Kahala is doing something genuinely unusual for a hotel-adjacent Italian restaurant in Hawaii — it's built a list around obscure Northern Italian producers that most diners won't recognize, and that's exactly the point. Markups are on the steeper side and we can't vouch for glassware or staff knowledge from the available data, but the wine selection itself earns respect. If you know your Nebbiolo from your Barbera, this list rewards attention.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Honolulu · Seafood
Mina's Fish House isn't building a wine program — it's building a dessert wine moment, and that is a genuinely uncommon thing to find at a restaurant of this profile. If you're eating dinner here, you'll need to source your table wine elsewhere on the menu or order cocktails; this list doesn't cover that ground. But if you want to close out a Four Seasons meal in Honolulu with a glass of 2013 Tokaji Aszú or something out of the Madeira cellar, this is a quietly excellent place to do it.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waikiki · Honolulu · Italian
Quiora isn't trying to be a wine destination, and it doesn't need to be — it's a 22-label Italian restaurant list on a rooftop in Waikiki with an ocean view doing the heavy lifting. But the list is genuinely considered, the glass-pour selection is deep for the size, and pricing is fair by hotel standards. If you're eating here, drink the Tintero rosato or the Selbach Riesling and enjoy the sunset.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waikiki · Honolulu · Italian / Californian Coastal
Botanico is doing something genuinely unusual for Waikiki — building an Italian-forward wine list with real regional depth and mostly fair pricing in a place where restaurants routinely treat wine as an afterthought. The by-the-glass program alone is worth a seat at the bar. If you care at all about what's in your glass, this belongs on your radar.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Honolulu · Hawaii Regional
Moku Nui is a casual Hawaii Regional spot that has no business running a wine list this thoughtful — and we mean that as high praise. Fair glass prices, a sommelier clearly making intentional choices, and enough variety to reward the curious drinker. If you're eating here, skip the default beer order and let someone at the table order the Vouvray.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waikiki · Honolulu · Seafood
Azure is a genuinely lovely place to drink wine — the setting does a lot of heavy lifting and the France-Italy-Hawaii focus is a sensible match for the island seafood menu. Just go in knowing resort markup is real, and if the tasting menu with wine pairing is available, that's likely your best shot at getting something memorable poured without having to guess blind from the list.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Gainesville · Steakhouse
CHR Steak is doing what a steakhouse in Gainesville, Georgia should do: keeping the focus on American Cabs, pricing fairly, and giving guests enough by-the-glass variety to make a whole dinner interesting without forcing a bottle commitment. It's not a wine destination, but if you're sitting down to a steak here, you won't be stuck drinking something bad or paying through the nose for it — and that's a bar more places should clear.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Alpharetta · Steakhouse
The Butcher and Bottle isn't trying to be a wine destination — it's a steakhouse with a sensible, well-priced list that keeps things moving. The near-total by-the-glass program is genuinely smart, and the pricing is fairer than most places in this category. If you want adventure, look elsewhere; if you want a reliable Cab with your ribeye at a price that won't ruin the evening, this works.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Alpharetta · Steakhouse
Connors is a reliable steakhouse wine list that does its job without embarrassing itself or dazzling anyone. The by-the-glass count is a genuine bright spot, markups are steep but consistent with the category, and the selection covers the bases its clientele expects. Send a friend here if they want a solid glass of California Cab with their ribeye — just don't send them expecting anything they haven't already seen.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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