The Bloomin' Onion Deserves Better Wine
North Davenport · Davenport · Steakhouse / American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 9, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Outback Steakhouse’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 Outback Davenport is essentially a greatest hits album of grocery store shelf-grabbers — you've seen every label here a hundred times, probably at a gas station. There's nothing wrong with it exactly, but there's nothing right about it either. It exists because a steakhouse has to have wine, not because anyone actually cared.
Thirty to fifty bottles and nearly all of it is California and Australian commercial production — Josh Cellars, Meiomi, Jacob's Creek, Penfolds Koonunga Hill. These are fine wines in their context, but that context is a supermarket endcap, not a steakhouse wine list. There's no depth, no regional curiosity, no interesting producer to stumble onto. The Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling is the lone bright spot showing any range, and Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio is here doing what it always does: being wildly overpriced for what it is.
Eight to fourteen pours by the glass sounds generous until you realize it's basically the whole list reshuffled. The rotation doesn't appear to rotate — this is a set-and-forget program where the same bottles have been on the menu since the Clinton administration. If you're eating here, order a beer or a cocktail unless you're committed to the Koonunga Hill.
Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz — $9
It's honest, it's Australian, and it actually makes sense with a slab of steak. Not exciting, but it does its job without embarrassing anyone.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
Nobody orders Riesling at a steakhouse, which is a shame — a touch of sweetness and bright acidity cuts through the richness of Outback's heavier dishes in a way that Cab can't. It's the most interesting thing on this list by default.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
A $13-14 retail bottle appearing at chain restaurant markup prices for a wine that tastes like lightly flavored water. The brand is coasting entirely on its 1980s reputation. Hard pass.
Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz + Outback Special Sirloin
Bold fruit and a peppery finish on the Koonunga Hill is built for red meat. It's not a sophisticated pairing, but neither is the Outback Special, and that's exactly the point.
❌ The Bottom Line
Outback's wine list in Davenport is a chain doing the bare minimum — recognizable labels, steep markups, zero ambition. Come for the steak, order the Koonunga Hill if you must have wine, and save your serious wine spending for somewhere that earned it.
Central Davenport · Davenport · Mexican
Los Primos is a place you go for the food and the margaritas — the wine list is an afterthought and everyone involved seems to know it. Order the cocktails, be happy, and don't let the Merlot talk you into anything.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Davenport · Davenport · Seafood
Red Lobster's wine list exists to check a box, not to enhance your meal. Order the Riesling, enjoy the Cheddar Bay Biscuits, and save the serious wine drinking for somewhere that earned it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Davenport · Davenport · Steakhouse, American
Come here for the steak and the rolls — they're genuinely good. But the wine program is an afterthought at best, and you're better off ordering a draft beer or skipping alcohol entirely than wrestling with this list.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Davenport · Davenport · Casual Italian-American
Olive Garden's wine program exists to check a box, not to enhance a meal. Order the cocktails, split a bottle of Chianti if you must, and save your wine ambitions for somewhere that shares them.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Davenport · Davenport · Italian, Italian-American
Biaggi's wine list is the restaurant equivalent of a reliable sedan — nothing exciting, nothing embarrassing, gets you where you're going. If you're in North Davenport and want a glass with your Chicken Parm, you'll be fine; just don't come here expecting to discover something new.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Davenport · Davenport · American / Farm-to-Table
The Machine Shed is a genuinely fun place to eat a massive Midwestern meal, but the wine list is strictly along for the ride. Order the Riesling, drink the beer, and save your serious wine curiosity for another night.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Medford · Medford · Steakhouse / American
Texas Roadhouse is a fine place to eat a steak and watch a table of twelve celebrate a birthday — it is not a place to drink wine. Order a beer, enjoy the rolls, and save your wine budget for literally anywhere else in the Rogue Valley.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Peoria · Peoria · Steakhouse / American
Alexander's isn't a wine destination, but it's not trying to be — and at $12–$15 for a decent pour of Decoy or Duckhorn while you grill your own steak, there's nothing to complain about. Come for the experience, drink something familiar, and leave happy.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Northwest Topeka · Topeka · Steakhouse / American
North Star is a neighborhood steakhouse with a neighborhood wine list — dependable, a little overpriced, and perfectly suited to the room. Send your friends here for the steak; just steer them toward the Jordan and away from the Caymus.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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