Bloomin' Onion, Wilting Wine List
Unknown · Bakersfield · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 23, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Outback Steakhouse – Bakersfield’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You open the laminated menu and the wine list is basically a greatest hits of grocery store endcaps. Kendall-Jackson, Josh Cellars, 19 Crimes — these aren't wines, they're brands you recognize from Super Bowl ads. No surprises here, and that's not a compliment.
The list runs 20-35 bottles deep but reads like corporate purchasing made every decision, because it did. California and Australia dominate, with nothing approaching regional character or producer integrity — this is a list built for familiarity, not discovery. You're not getting Paso Robles Syrah or a Central Valley gem; you're getting whatever Outback's national distributor locked in at the lowest negotiated rate. The gaps are everywhere: no rosé worth mentioning, no sparkling beyond token bubbles, and absolutely nothing that would make a wine-curious diner lean in.
Eight to twelve options by the glass sounds reasonable until you clock what's actually in the lineup — Beringer White Zinfandel is on there, which tells you everything you need to know about the intended audience. Glass pours run $8–$15, and at those prices for these producers, you're paying chain-restaurant tax on wines that retail for $10–$14 a bottle. There's no rotation, no seasonal thinking — what's on the list today was probably on it three years ago.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling — $9
It's the one wine on the list from a producer that actually has credibility. Ste. Michelle's Columbia Valley Riesling is genuinely good, food-friendly, and usually the lowest-markup option on menus like this. Order it, feel slightly better about your evening.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
Nobody at a steakhouse is ordering Riesling, and that's their loss. It cuts through the richness of a ribeye better than half the Cabernets on this list, and it's priced low enough that the markup stings less.
19 Crimes Red Blend
Heavy marketing, light substance. This bottle retails for around $10 and you'll pay chain-restaurant prices for a wine whose main selling point is an augmented reality label. The juice does not justify the spend.
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon + Ribeye Steak
Josh Cab is soft, fruit-forward, and low on tannin — which actually makes it functional with a well-marbled ribeye. It's not exciting, but it's the most obvious fit on a list that isn't trying to be exciting. Sometimes you just need the wine to stay out of the food's way.
The Bottom Line
Outback's wine list is exactly what you'd expect from a national chain: safe, overpriced for what it is, and clearly an afterthought. Order a cocktail or a beer, enjoy your steak, and save the wine drinking for somewhere that gives a damn.
Downtown Bakersfield · Bakersfield · Latin American / Mexican / Spanish / American
Zama is a fun room with a wine list that plays it safe — the markups are real, the picks are predictable, but Wine Wednesday changes the math considerably if you time your visit right. Show up on a Wednesday, order the Riesling or the Bonanza, and enjoy the patio.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Bakersfield · Bakersfield · Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Bakersfield is a reliable wine stop if your expectations are calibrated to 'corporate steakhouse': proper storage, competent service, and a list that will not embarrass you or excite you. Send a friend here for the steak; the wine is a supporting actor that knows its role.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Bakersfield · Bakersfield · American diner, breakfast and comfort food
Black Bear Diner is a genuinely good diner doing genuinely good diner things — the wine list just isn't one of them. Order the pancakes, drink the coffee, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that returns the favor.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Ming Avenue · Bakersfield · Steakhouse
Texas Roadhouse is not a wine destination, and its Bakersfield location makes zero effort to pretend otherwise. Order the beer, enjoy the peanuts, and save your wine ambitions for somewhere that has any.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Bakersfield · Bakersfield · Italian-American
Olive Garden's wine list is a corporate afterthought designed to generate margin, not pleasure — and the Bakersfield location is no exception. Order the cocktails, enjoy the breadsticks, and save the wine conversation for a different night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Ming Avenue · Bakersfield · Steakhouse / American
Tahoe Joe's is exactly what it is: a dependable casual steakhouse with a wine list that reflects its priorities — comforting, familiar, and not trying to impress anyone. If you want something adventurous, you're in the wrong zip code, but if you just want a reliable Cab with your steak and no drama, this will get the job done.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Princeton · Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Princeton delivers a competent, corporately assembled wine program that covers the bases without taking any real swings. Markups are steep across the board — this is not the place to drop serious money on a bottle — but the all-by-the-glass format and the Trimbach and Catena Zapata picks give you room to drink well if you choose carefully. Come for the steak; drink strategically.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Portsmouth · Steakhouse
The Library Restaurant is a Wine Spectator award holder that plays it very, very safe — heavy California Chardonnay, a prestige Champagne tower, and markups that favor the house. If you're here for a special occasion and want to pop a Pol Roger at $125 or a Veuve at $155, it's a fine room for that. But if you're hoping to find something unexpected or feel like the wine program is working hard for you, this list isn't going to surprise you.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Golden Nugget Casino · Atlantic City · Steakhouse
Vic & Anthony's is a competent casino steakhouse wine list — it won't embarrass you and it won't thrill you. If you're already there for the steak, grab the Siduri by the glass and don't look too hard at the markups.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
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.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
