The Bloomin' Onion Doesn't Need a Wine List
Mount Moriah · Chapel Hill · Steakhouse, American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 17, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Outback Steakhouse – Chapel Hill’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 essentially a greatest hits album of grocery store labels — you've seen every single one of these bottles at your local Kroger, probably on sale. There's nothing wrong with that if the prices reflect it, but they don't. This is a list built for people who aren't really thinking about wine.
Twenty-five to forty bottles sounds reasonable until you realize the entire range runs from Beringer White Zinfandel to Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, with almost nothing in between worth getting excited about. California dominates, which makes sense for a chain steakhouse, but there's zero ambition here — no small producers, no interesting regions, no reason to linger on the list. The 19 Crimes Red Blend and Meiomi Pinot Noir round out a roster of wines that live and die by their marketing budgets. Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling is the lone bright spot, a producer that actually makes decent wine at an honest price — but it's surrounded by filler.
Eight to twelve pours sounds generous, but when the list is Meiomi, Josh Cellars, and Beringer White Zinfandel, quantity isn't doing you any favors. Pours run $6–$15 a glass, which is chain-standard pricing on bottles you can grab at Total Wine for $10–$14 retail — the math is not in your favor. If you're ordering wine here by the glass, you're paying a significant premium for the convenience of not driving somewhere better.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling — $8
Chateau Ste. Michelle is a legit Washington State producer making honest, food-friendly Riesling — it's the one bottle on this list with actual craft behind it and enough acidity to cut through a rich meal. In a sea of overmarketed California brands, this is your safest bet.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
Nobody orders Riesling at a steakhouse, which is exactly why you should. It's the most interesting wine on this list by a wide margin, and most people will walk right past it to order the Josh Cabernet.
Beringer White Zinfandel
A $5 grocery store wine with a steakhouse markup — there is no universe in which this is worth ordering when you could put that money toward literally anything else on the menu.
Meiomi Pinot Noir + Alice Springs Chicken
The Alice Springs Chicken is sweet, smoky, and loaded with honey mustard and bacon — it needs something soft and fruit-forward enough not to clash. Meiomi's jammy, lush Pinot Noir is practically engineered for dishes like this, and it's one of the few pairings here where the wine actually earns its place on the table.
❌ The Bottom Line
Outback's wine list is a chain-steakhouse placeholder — functional, familiar, and deeply uninspired. Order a cocktail, enjoy the Bloomin' Onion, and save your wine curiosity for a restaurant that shares it.
Chapel Hill · Chapel Hill · Contemporary American / Casual Fine Dining
Hawthorne & Wood isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's doing more than most comparable spots in the area — the list is curated, the glass selection is generous, and a few real gems are hiding in plain sight. Send your friends here with instructions to order the Txakolina and the Rioja and ignore the Cab.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Chapel Hill · Chapel Hill · Seafood and Oyster Bar
Squid's isn't a wine destination, but it's a very good seafood restaurant with a list that doesn't get in its own way — and that Tuesday half-price bottle deal makes it a legitimate reason to show up on a weeknight. Come for the oysters, order the Sauvignon Blanc, and enjoy yourself.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Chapel Hill · Chapel Hill · Seafood-focused American grill
Bonefish Grill Chapel Hill is a reliable spot if you want a decent glass of wine with your seafood and zero surprises. Don't come here expecting discovery — come here expecting competence, and you'll leave satisfied.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Chapel Hill · Chapel Hill · Italian
Carrabba's Chapel Hill isn't a wine destination, but it's not trying to be — and with $10 off bottles on Wednesdays, it earns its place as a dependable neighborhood dinner with a list that won't embarrass you. Come for the pasta, take the deal, order the Montepulciano.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Westgate · Chapel Hill · Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi
Kanki is a great place for a birthday dinner, a family outing, or watching a chef flip a shrimp into your mouth — the wine list is not the reason you're here, and it doesn't pretend to be. Order the sake, enjoy the show, and save the serious wine drinking for another night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Franklin Street · Chapel Hill · Pizza, American
Mellow Mushroom Chapel Hill is a great place to eat pizza and drink craft beer with a crowd — the wine list is an afterthought and it knows it. If wine matters to your night, eat here, drink a beer, and save the bottle for somewhere that's actually trying.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Casper · Casper · Steakhouse, American
Silver Fox isn't destination wine drinking, but it's honest, affordable, and a few smart picks deep — which is more than most steakhouses in Wyoming (or anywhere) can claim. Send your friends here for a steak; just steer them toward the Craggy Range.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Bloomington · Steakhouse, American
Janko's earns its reputation on the strength of its steaks — the wine list is just along for the ride and not trying very hard. Order the best bottle you can stomach paying for, focus on the beef, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Tuscaloosa · Steakhouse, American
Dillard's Chophouse is a solid steakhouse wine experience for Downtown Tuscaloosa — competent, predictable, and not going to embarrass anyone at the table. If you already love Jordan or Duckhorn, you'll be comfortable; if you want to go off-script, you're mostly on your own.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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