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.
· Davenport · American sports bar & arcade
Dave & Buster's Davenport is not a wine destination — it is an arcade that also sells wine, and the list reflects that with zero apology. Order a cocktail, crush some ski-ball, and revisit the wine program never.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Davenport · Bar with Light Fare
Kelso's Corner is a bar that happens to have wine, not a place you go for wine. If your group insists on a glass, the Kim Crawford options are your safest bet — but honestly, this is a beer and cocktails spot and the wine list knows it.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Elmore Avenue · Davenport · Wine Bar & Lounge
The Grape Life is the kind of quietly good wine spot that Davenport probably doesn't fully appreciate yet. It's not trying to be a big-city wine bar, but it's doing more right than most — send a friend here on a Thursday with live music and let the flight menu do the work.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Davenport Village · Davenport · American Cafe, Bistro and Bar
Brew in the Village isn't trying to be a wine destination and it doesn't pretend to be — but Wednesday half-price wine with a food purchase is one of the better deals in Davenport, and the list is priced fairly enough that you won't feel gouged the other six nights. Send a friend here for a low-key weeknight dinner; just tell them to go on a Wednesday.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Greater Quad Cities / Nearby Illinois Side · Davenport · New American / Hotel Restaurant
5th Avenue Syndicate is doing more than most hotel restaurants bother to do with wine — nearly everything is available by the glass, there are a few legitimate picks in the mix, and the pricing, while steep in spots, doesn't cross into outright insulting. Send a friend here if they want something familiar and competent; just steer them away from the Caymus.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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
· La Crosse · Steakhouse / American
Freight House is a dependable steakhouse wine list — fair prices, familiar names, no nasty surprises. If you're looking for discovery, look elsewhere; if you're looking for a solid bottle to go with a good cut of meat in La Crosse, you'll leave satisfied.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Casper · Steakhouse / American
Wyoming's Rib & Chop House isn't trying to win any wine awards, and it doesn't need to — the list does exactly what it's supposed to do for a steakhouse in Casper. Grab the Gascon, order your cut medium-rare, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Casper · Steakhouse / American
FireRock isn't trying to win any wine awards, and that's fine — it's a steakhouse in Casper doing exactly what it needs to do. The list is familiar, the markups are fair, and with 20 by-the-glass options, you're not going to go thirsty. Send a friend who wants a solid steak and a recognizable red without any fuss.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
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.
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