Steak-first, wine-second, no complaints
Northwest Topeka · Topeka · Steakhouse / American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 2, 2026
RagingWine reviewed North Star 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 North Star reads like a greatest hits album you've heard a hundred times — Caymus, Jordan, Meiomi. It fits the room: dark wood, cold beer, hand-cut steaks. Nobody's coming here for a wine revelation, and the list doesn't pretend otherwise.
We're looking at 25 to 50 bottles leaning heavily on California and Washington State, which makes sense for a steakhouse crowd that wants a big Cab with their ribeye. Napa Valley dominates the reds, with Caymus and Jordan anchoring the list — both reliable producers, both commanding a price premium that gets passed along to you. There's a nod to Washington State with Chateau Ste. Michelle, which adds a little range, but don't come hunting for Burgundy, Rioja, or anything that requires an explanation. The list does exactly what it promises and nothing more.
Six to ten pours by the glass at $10 to $18, which is the standard steakhouse range — you won't feel gouged on the low end, but the ceiling climbs fast. Meiomi Pinot Noir and Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling are the most versatile options in the pour lineup. Rotation appears minimal; this list looks like it changes with the seasons, not the week.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling — $10
At the low end of the glass price range, this Washington Riesling punches above its station. Crisp, slightly off-dry, and genuinely useful at a steakhouse — cuts through the richness in a way that a middling Chardonnay never would.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
In a room full of Cab drinkers, nobody's ordering the Riesling — which is exactly why you should. It's the most interesting wine on the list and the one most likely to surprise you.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is a perfectly good wine that has been marked up into oblivion at every steakhouse in America. You're paying for the name recognition, not the juice. Jordan gives you a similar experience with a little more elegance and usually a slightly friendlier price tag.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon + Hand-cut ribeye
Jordan's Alexander Valley Cab has enough structure to stand up to a well-marbled ribeye without the sugar bomb profile of Caymus. The tannins do the work that a good steak sauce wants to do, and the whole thing lands cleanly.
The Bottom Line
North Star is a neighborhood steakhouse with a neighborhood wine list — dependable, a little overpriced, and perfectly suited to the room. Send your friends here for the steak; just steer them toward the Jordan and away from the Caymus.
West Topeka / Wanamaker Corridor · Topeka · Tex-Mex
Jose Pepper's is a great spot for a frozen margarita and a chimichanga — the wine list just isn't why you're here, and it knows it. Order the cocktails and don't look back.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Topeka · Topeka · Italian
The wine list at Olive Garden East Topeka is a corporate document, not a wine program — marked up steeply on bottles that deserve no such confidence. Order a cocktail, split a bottle of the house Chianti if you must, and save your wine curiosity for literally anywhere else in Topeka.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West/Central Topeka · Topeka · Italian
The wine list exists because every Italian restaurant has to have one — not because anyone here is passionate about it. Drink the Cavit, enjoy the unlimited breadsticks, and save the serious wine drinking for somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Topeka · Topeka · Seafood
Red Lobster's wine list is exactly what you'd expect from a national chain that treats wine as an afterthought — familiar names, steep markups, zero curation. Order the Riesling, enjoy the Cheddar Bay Biscuits, and don't come here looking for a wine moment.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Topeka · Topeka · Italian-American
Olive Garden is not a wine destination and was never trying to be one — the list exists to move bottles, not to inspire anyone. Order the Il Grigio if you want something worth drinking, otherwise stick to the Chianti and save your wine energy for somewhere else.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Topeka · Topeka · Steakhouse
LongHorn's wine program exists to check a box, not to enhance your dinner. Order the steak, skip the wine list, and if someone insists, point them to the Decoy Cab and move on.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Spalding Hall · Bardstown · Steakhouse / American
The Rickhouse is a perfectly competent steakhouse wine list doing exactly what a steakhouse wine list in bourbon country is supposed to do — familiar names, heavy pours, and enough bottles to keep the table happy. Just go in knowing you're paying for the atmosphere and the ambiance of that historic cellar as much as what's in the glass.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Durango · Steakhouse / American
Ore House delivers a competent, Napa-centric wine list that matches the room and the menu without much ambition beyond that — the markups sting on the trophy bottles, but there are a few smart finds if you know where to look. Send a friend here for steak and the Eroica Riesling; tell them to skip the Silver Oak.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Atherton · State College · Steakhouse / American
Texas Roadhouse is not a wine destination and makes no pretense of being one — the food is the point, and the wine list is a legal obligation. Order a beer, enjoy the rolls, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that earned it.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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