Margaritas Are Doing The Heavy Lifting Here
Central Avenue / Commercial Strip · Hot Springs · Mexican / Tex-Mex · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 21, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina – Hot Springs’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at On The Border Hot Springs is basically an afterthought stapled to the back of a menu that really wants you to order a frozen margarita. Ten to twenty bottles, almost entirely California, with names you've seen in every grocery store checkout aisle. Nobody here is thinking about wine.
The selection reads like someone grabbed whatever was on sale at a big-box retailer and called it a wine program. Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi, Sutter Home, Kim Crawford — these aren't bad wines exactly, but they're not a list, they're a convenience. There's no regional diversity, no effort to match the food, and no sense that anyone curated this with intention. California dominates by default, not by design.
Four to eight pours by the glass in the $7–$11 range, which sounds reasonable until you realize you're paying restaurant markup on wines that retail for $8 a bottle. The glass options mirror the bottle list — familiar names, zero surprises, and no rotation to speak of.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc — $9
It's the most competent wine on the list. Bright and citrusy, it at least has enough acidity to cut through the grease and spice of the food. Not exciting, but it does its job.
Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Moscato
Nobody orders Moscato at a Tex-Mex chain and that's exactly why it might work here — the residual sweetness actually plays well against the heat of chile-forward dishes in a way the drier options on this list don't bother to.
Sutter Home White Zinfandel
This is a $6 grocery store bottle appearing on a restaurant list at a marked-up price. There is no version of this that represents good value or good drinking. Order a beer.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc + Border-Style Chicken Fajitas
The bright acidity in the Kim Crawford does the one thing you need a wine to do with sizzling fajitas — it refreshes your palate between bites and doesn't get steamrolled by the char and spice.
The Bottom Line
This is a margarita restaurant with a wine list that exists only so no one has to say there isn't one. Come for the fajitas and the frozen drinks — the wine is strictly last resort.
· Hot Springs · Fine dining
Vault is a genuinely charming place to spend a special evening in Hot Springs — the room earns its keep. The wine program, from what we can see, does its job without distinguishing itself: serviceable, probably priced on the steeper side, and built to please rather than provoke. Go for the atmosphere and the food; just don't plan your wine nerd moment around it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Hot Springs · Italian
Little Italy in Hot Springs isn't pretending to be a wine destination, and that's fine — but a seven-bottle list anchored almost entirely by supermarket brands doesn't give wine drinkers much to work with. The pricing is honest and the Selbach is a genuine bright spot, but if wine matters to your evening, temper expectations before you sit down.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Hot Springs · Wine Bar
Splash Wine Bar is doing something genuinely worthwhile for Hot Springs — an almost-entirely-by-the-glass list with fair pricing and a few smart picks that go beyond the obvious. If you're rolling through town and want a real glass of wine without a lecture or a markup, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Central Avenue / South Hot Springs · Hot Springs · Sports Bar Chain
Buffalo Wild Wings Hot Springs is a place to drink beer and watch sports — the wine list exists to technically have one, not to be used. Order a beer, order a cocktail, or bring your own if they allow corkage, but don't let the wine list be the reason you're here.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Highway 7 North / Outskirts · Hot Springs · Southern Country Restaurant
We wouldn't send anyone to Cracker Barrel for wine, and neither should you — the food is the point, the wine is a footnote. If you need a glass with dinner, grab the Gambino sparkling and move on with your life.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central Avenue / South Hot Springs · Hot Springs · Casual American
The wine list at Cheddar's Hot Springs exists because a restaurant has to have one, not because anyone gave it a second thought. Order a cocktail, enjoy the scratch kitchen, and save the wine conversation for somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Manitou Springs · Colorado Springs · Mexican / Tex-Mex
Order the Malbec with the steak burrito, or the $9 Vinho Verde if you want something lighter. Margaritas are the main event on this drink menu, so treat the wine list as a short backup. Confirm current prices and what is in the glass. This unrated guide covers the posted drink menu, not service, storage or retail markups.
· Topeka · Mexican / Tex-Mex
This is a chips-and-salsa-and-a-margarita situation, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. The wine program is a placeholder, not a destination — if wine is your priority for the evening, On The Border is not your stop in Topeka.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown · Iowa City · Mexican / Tex-Mex
Order the margarita. Seriously. But if someone at the table insists on wine, the Barefoot pours are priced so close to retail that you're not getting hurt — just don't expect anything more than that.
Grocery Store
Steal
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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