Meat First, Wine Very Much Second
Northeast Cedar Rapids · Cedar Rapids · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 3, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Outback Steakhouse – Cedar Rapids’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list here is exactly what you'd expect from a chain steakhouse — laminated, short, and stocked with labels you've seen at every grocery store checkout aisle. It's not trying to impress anyone, and it succeeds at that. If you came here hoping for a hidden Barossa Shiraz or a serious Napa Cab, adjust your expectations now.
Twenty to thirty bottles deep and nearly all of them are California and Washington State workhorses — Josh Cellars, Meiomi, Simi, Beringer. There's no Bordeaux, no Italian, no Argentinian Malbec to speak of, just a tight lane of approachable, brand-recognizable bottles that nobody will complain about and nobody will remember. The one outlier worth noting is the Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling from Washington State, which at least shows a flicker of range. Beyond that, this list was clearly built to move bottles, not start conversations.
Eight to twelve pours by the glass at $8–$14, which sounds reasonable until you realize most of these bottles retail for $12–$18 at Total Wine. The rotation doesn't appear to change — this is a set-it-and-forget-it program that matches the menu's reliability. You're not getting anything exciting, but you're also not getting something weird poured warm into a wrong glass.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling — $8/glass
It's the most interesting wine on the list by a country mile. Off-dry, crisp, and actually produced by one of Washington State's most respected names — it punches above its price point here and provides genuine contrast to the salt-heavy menu.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
Most people at a steakhouse are reaching straight for the Cab, which means this Riesling gets ignored. That's a mistake. It's a legitimate wine from a legitimate producer, and it's the only bottle on this list that could hold its own in a real wine conversation.
Beringer White Zinfandel
A $6 grocery store bottle marked up for restaurant margins. There's nothing wrong with White Zin as a category if it's your thing, but this specific bottle at this price is pure margin padding. Order a cocktail instead.
Meiomi Pinot Noir + Outback Special Sirloin
Meiomi is soft, fruit-forward, and low on tannins — it won't fight the sirloin and will smooth out the char without getting in the way. It's not a thrilling pairing, but it's a competent one, and at a place like this, competent is the win.
The Bottom Line
Outback Cedar Rapids is here for the steak, the Bloomin' Onion, and the Australian theming — the wine list is an afterthought and makes no effort to hide it. Order the Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling if you want something worth drinking, otherwise stick to beer or whatever they're shaking at the bar.
Cedar Rapids · Cedar Rapids · Italian
Biaggi's isn't a wine destination, but the Italian-forward list does enough right that you can drink well if you know where to look. Stick to the Italian bottles, avoid the obvious crowd-pleasers, and you'll leave satisfied.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Cedar Rapids · Cedar Rapids · Upscale Steakhouse / Fine Dining American
Midtown Reserve is doing more with wine than anyone in Cedar Rapids has a right to expect, with a list that actually has some range and genuine finds if you look past the house pours. The markups are real and the glass program plays it safe, but for a serious dinner in Iowa, this is absolutely where you want to be drinking.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
NewBo · Cedar Rapids · Steakhouse / Butcher Restaurant
Butcher's Block is a reliable steakhouse wine list that does exactly what it's supposed to — get Napa Cab on the table with a great piece of beef. It won't excite the adventurous drinker, and the markups sting a little, but if you're here for the meat, the wine will do its job.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Czech Village · Cedar Rapids · Pub food and American
Parlor City is a genuinely fun neighborhood pub, and the daily happy hour makes the wine situation tolerable — half-price Moscato d'Asti at 4pm is a perfectly fine life choice. But if wine is your priority tonight, this isn't your stop.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Active Program
Acceptable
Lindale Mall area · Cedar Rapids · American / Brewpub
Granite City is a perfectly fine place to drink a pint brewed on-site — that's genuinely the move here. The wine list exists as a formality, not an invitation, and the markups on grocery-store bottles aren't doing anyone any favors.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Lindale Mall area · Cedar Rapids · Sports Bar
Buffalo Wild Wings Cedar Rapids is not a wine destination — it's a sports bar that technically serves wine the way a gas station technically sells food. Order a beer, enjoy the wings, and save your wine curiosity for literally anywhere else in Cedar Rapids.
Grocery Store
Steep
Red Flag
MIA
Set & Forget
Hot Mess
· Plano · Steakhouse
Steve Fields clearly puts its energy into the kitchen, not the cellar — and at these price points, that imbalance is hard to ignore. Order the Evesham Wood if it's still there, and otherwise come for the steak, not the wine list.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Diego · Steakhouse
Greystone is a reliable, if predictable, steakhouse wine list — the kind where you can always find something decent but you'll rarely be surprised. Skip the Opus splurge, order the Paradigm, and you'll walk out satisfied.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Diego · Steakhouse
Morton's San Diego is spending more energy on the wedge salad than the wine list, and it shows. Come for the steak, order carefully, and don't expect much beyond the obvious.
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.
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