The Bloomin' Onion Deserves Better Wine
Dimond · Anchorage · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 22, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at this Anchorage Outback reads exactly like you'd expect from a chain operation running the same playbook from Tallahassee to Fairbanks. It's a laminated insert tucked inside the main menu, heavy on familiar labels and light on anything that would make you put down the Foster's and pay attention.
California dominates, with Washington and Australia filling in the gaps — a safe, predictable triangle that never challenges anyone. The producers here are household names in the most literal sense: Kendall-Jackson, Beringer, Josh Cellars. Nothing wrong with any of them individually, but as a collective wine program they signal zero ambition. There's no representation from Alaska's interesting import corridor, no nod to Oregon or South America, and certainly no one in the back who's losing sleep over regional diversity.
You're looking at somewhere between 10 and 16 pours by the glass, which sounds generous until you realize the rotation hasn't changed since the George W. Bush administration. The Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling is probably your most interesting option by the glass — everything else skews toward big, blunt Cabs and buttery Chardonnays that function more as beverages than wines.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling — $9
It's the one wine on this list that shows actual winemaking intent. Ste. Michelle's Columbia Valley Riesling is consistently good, food-friendly, and likely the lowest-marked-up bottle relative to what you'd pay at a wine shop. In a list full of overhyped Napa Cabs, this is the honest pour.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
Most people at a steakhouse are reflexively ordering a Cab, but the Riesling is genuinely the smartest move here — especially with the Alice Springs Chicken or the Bloomin' Onion. It cuts through the richness, handles the sweetness in the dipping sauce, and costs less. Nobody orders it. They should.
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
Josh Cellars is everywhere, which means the markup here is easy to benchmark. You're paying restaurant prices for a $12 retail bottle that's pleasant but completely unremarkable — a wine built entirely by marketing budget. Save the money, order a cocktail, or spring for an actual steakhouse Cab somewhere else.
Beringer Founders' Estate Cabernet Sauvignon + Ribeye Steak
Look, if you're committed to the steakhouse Cab-and-ribeye move, Beringer Founders' Estate is the most honest version of that transaction on this list. It's soft, fruit-forward, and built for exactly this kind of red meat moment. Not a revelation, but it does the job without embarrassing anyone.
❌ The Bottom Line
Outback's wine list is a corporate afterthought — functional if you need something in a glass, but there's no reason to get excited about it. Order the steak, grab the Ste. Michelle Riesling if you're wine-curious, and save your real wine spending for somewhere that's trying.
Downtown · Anchorage · New American
The Marx Brothers Café is the kind of place that makes you reconsider your assumptions about where serious wine lives. In a historic Anchorage bungalow, they've built a list that would hold its own in San Francisco — and that earns every bit of the Wild Card badge.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown / G Street corridor · Anchorage · Wine Bar / Bistro
Crush earns its Wild Card badge not by being perfect, but by being genuinely surprising — a 600-bottle cellar and 40+ glass pours in Anchorage is an achievement worth acknowledging out loud. If you're passing through or living here, this is where you go when you actually care what's in your glass.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Girdwood · Anchorage · Winery Restaurant / Taproom
Bear Creek Winery Loft earns its Wild Card badge honestly — it's not trying to be a serious wine destination and doesn't need to be. If you're in Girdwood and you skip this in favor of a hotel bar pour, you've made a mistake you'll regret when you're back home explaining why you didn't try the rhubarb wine made in Alaska.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Anchorage · Modern Mexican / Latin Fusion
Tequila 61° is a genuinely fun downtown Anchorage spot — but the wine list is not the reason to come. Order the tequila, drink the margaritas, and if someone at the table insists on wine, steer them toward the Pinot Grigio and move on.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown · Anchorage · Brazilian Steakhouse (Churrascaria)
Texas de Brazil Anchorage is a reliable enough wine stop if you calibrate expectations to match the format — this is a chain steakhouse, not a wine destination, and the list behaves accordingly. Grab the Catena, eat a lot of picanha, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown / Spenard · Anchorage · Mexican / Pub / Pizza
Bear Tooth Grill is a legitimately great spot for beer, margaritas, pizza, and a movie — the wine list is just a formality. Order a craft beer, skip the wine entirely, and you'll have a fantastic time.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Unknown · Billings · Steakhouse
Bull Mountain Grille is a trustworthy place to drink decent American red wine with a big steak in Billings — just don't come expecting discovery. If the list had fairer pricing and a shred of adventurousness, this could be something; instead it's exactly what it is, no more.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Hilton West Palm Beach · West Palm Beach · Steakhouse
Proper Grit is a good-looking restaurant with a wine list that doesn't match its ambitions — steep markups on brands you can buy at Publix aren't a wine program, they're a tax on people not paying attention. Order a cocktail, or bring your own if the corkage is reasonable.
Crowd Pleasers
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Clematis · West Palm Beach · Steakhouse
Harry's wine list won't blow anyone away, but a few smart picks buried in a short lineup make it more than just a bottle-of-Cab-before-the-steak situation. If you know where to look, you'll drink well enough — just don't expect the list to do the work for you.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
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.