Breadsticks Win. The Wine List Does Not.
Everett Mall Way · Everett · Italian
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 8, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Olive Garden Italian Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list arrives laminated, which tells you everything. Twenty-something bottles, mostly recognizable labels you've seen at every grocery store checkout, organized by color and not much else. There's no drama here — just the quiet resignation of a list that was designed by a corporate committee in 2009 and hasn't been reconsidered since.
The Italian focus sounds promising on paper, but the execution leans hard on mass-market export brands: Ruffino Chianti, Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio, and a trio of Pinot Grigios (Santa Margherita, Ecco Domani, and Danzante) that collectively occupy way too much real estate for what amounts to the same wine in different bottles. Il Bastardo Sangiovese adds a flash of personality — the name alone earns points — but the list has no real depth beyond entry-level Italian and a handful of California crowd-pleasers. There are no small producers, no regional curiosities, no reason to linger over the list the way you might linger over those breadsticks.
Eight to twelve pours by the glass at $8–$12 each, which sounds reasonable until you clock the retail prices on most of these bottles. The range covers the basics — a Grigio, a Chianti, probably a Merlot from somewhere vaguely Californian — but rotation appears nonexistent. What's on the list today is what was on the list two years ago.
Ruffino Chianti — $9
It's not exciting, but Ruffino Chianti is at least a legitimate expression of Sangiovese that tastes like it's supposed to. At this price point and against this field, it's the most honest glass on the menu.
Il Bastardo Sangiovese
The name is doing a lot of work, but this is actually a decent, fruit-forward Sangiovese that most tables skip in favor of the more familiar labels. It's a step above the Chianti in terms of body and the kind of thing you'd bring as a house gift without embarrassment.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
Santa Margherita is a fine wine — at a wine shop, where you'd pay $20 retail. Here, you're likely paying glass-pour markup on a bottle that's been a safe menu filler for decades. With Ecco Domani and Danzante doing the same thing for less, there's no reason to reach for the pricier option.
Ruffino Chianti + Tour of Italy
The Tour of Italy — lasagna, chicken parmigiana, fettuccine Alfredo — is rich, tomato-heavy, and exactly the kind of food Chianti was built for. The acidity cuts through the cheese, the Sangiovese tannins don't fight the red sauce, and suddenly a $9 glass is doing real work.
The Bottom Line
Olive Garden's wine list is the dining equivalent of airport Wi-Fi — functional, fine, and not something you'd ever brag about. Order the Chianti, enjoy the breadsticks, and save the serious bottle for somewhere that earned it.
· Everett · Northwest / Seafood
Jetty isn't a wine pilgrimage, but it's a thoughtful little list at a waterfront spot in Everett — fair prices, genuine Pacific Northwest representation, and no obvious embarrassments. Send your friend here for a glass of Pinot Gris and some Puget Sound seafood without hesitation.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Everett · Everett · Italian / Wine Bar
Luca is the kind of reliable Italian date-night spot that Everett needed — the wine program is Italy-focused and food-friendly, even if it doesn't take many risks. Send your parents here for their anniversary; save your deep-dive wine nerding for a dedicated wine bar.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Everett Marina · Everett · Italian / Wine Bar
Lombardi's is doing something genuinely unexpected for a marina-side Italian in Everett — a deep, glass-for-glass Washington-meets-Italy red wine program that earns a second look. The pricing leans steep on the high end, but the range and ambition make it worth navigating.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Port of Everett · Everett · Wine Bar / Bistro
Rustic Cork is the kind of neighborhood wine bar that Everett deserves — unpretentious, waterfront, and built around wines from right down the road. Show up on a Wednesday with someone worth talking to and let the half-price bottles do the rest.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Unknown · Everett · Mexican
La Terraza is a solid neighborhood spot for the food — but the wine list is an afterthought and everyone involved knows it. Come for the fajitas, order the sangria, and save the bottle of wine for when you get home.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Broadway · Everett · Mexican
Tampico is a neighborhood Mexican spot that does its core job well — the wine list is simply not part of that job. Order the margaritas, grab a Sangria carafe if you need something to share, and save the wine conversation for somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Chula Vista · Italian
Little Italy Ristorante isn't coming here for the wine — and at these prices, that's probably fine if you just need something cold in a glass. But nine labels, no Italian depth to speak of, and a list that hasn't been curated so much as assembled means this is strictly a cocktail-first, wine-if-you-must situation. If wine matters to you even a little, the food might be worth the trip, but plan to drink elsewhere.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Chandler · Italian
Floridino's wine list does the minimum required to call itself a wine list — fair prices on uninspiring labels, zero rotation, and a by-the-glass program that's really just the entire list. If you want something to wash down a slice, the Folonari Chianti or Sassoregale are your best moves. But no one is driving to Chandler for the wine program here.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bellevue · Italian
Angelo's built a short, focused, all-Italian by-the-glass list and priced it fairly — that's a genuinely uncommon combination in the suburbs. We don't have enough intel on the food menu or staff to give it a full Rager endorsement, but the wine program alone earns a detour. If you're eating Italian in Bellevue and want something better than the usual suspects, this list rewards the curious.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
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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