The Bloomin' Onion Deserves Better Wine
East Flagstaff · Flagstaff · Steakhouse / Australian-themed American chain · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 11, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Outback Steakhouse – Flagstaff’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 this Flagstaff Outback arrives the same way it does at every Outback — laminated, predictable, and clearly assembled by a corporate committee in Tampa. You're not going to find anything surprising here, and that's kind of the point. This is a list designed to offend no one and excite no one.
Twenty to thirty-five bottles, almost entirely California and a nod toward Australia via Penfolds — the regionality begins and ends there. The producers are the greatest hits of grocery store wine culture: Josh, Meiomi, Kendall-Jackson, Chateau Ste. Michelle. There's nothing wrong with any of these wines in isolation, but as a curated list they represent zero effort and maximum familiarity. If you were hoping Flagstaff's elevation or proximity to some genuinely interesting Southwest producers might sneak onto this list, keep hoping.
Eight to fourteen glass pours depending on the night, all pulling from the same roster of nationally-distributed crowd-pleasers. Rotation is essentially nonexistent — this is a set-it-and-forget-it program that hasn't changed meaningfully in years. At $8–$14 a glass, you're paying restaurant prices for wine you could grab off an end-cap at Fry's.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling — $8
If you're eating here — and you're eating the Bloomin' Onion — this is your move. Ste. Michelle Riesling is genuinely good wine at a fair retail price, and at the low end of the glass pour range it's the one bottle on this list that actually earns its place.
Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz
Most people at an Outback default to the California Cab without thinking twice. The Koonunga Hill Shiraz at least has an actual story — Penfolds is a legitimate Australian producer and Koonunga Hill is their entry-level workhorse that punches above its price. It fits the steakhouse setting and it's the one pour that makes thematic sense given the Australian branding plastered everywhere.
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay
KJ Chardonnay retails for around $14 a bottle. At Outback's glass pour pricing you're paying that much for a single glass. It's not a bad wine — it's just a wine that costs you three to four times what it should in this context, and there's nothing on this list or in this room that justifies that markup.
Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz + Victoria's Filet Mignon
Koonunga Hill Shiraz has enough dark fruit and pepper to stand up to beef without the tannin aggression that would overwhelm a filet. It's not a deep pairing — it's the best available pairing on a short list. Sometimes that's all you can ask for.
❌ The Bottom Line
We wouldn't send a friend here for wine — we'd tell them to order a cocktail and enjoy the Bloomin' Onion without overthinking it. The wine list is a chain afterthought, and that's fine, but it earns no points for effort.
West Flagstaff · Flagstaff · Steakhouse
Texas Roadhouse is a legitimately fun place to eat a steak, but the wine program is an afterthought dressed up in a laminated menu. Order a beer, a cocktail, or just drink your weight in the complimentary bread — your palate will thank you either way.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Flagstaff · Flagstaff · Seafood
Red Lobster Flagstaff is not a wine destination, and it's not pretending to be — if you're here, you're here for the biscuits and the shrimp, and that's fine. Grab a Matua or hit happy hour for the $5 pours, and spend your real wine energy somewhere else in town.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Occasional
Acceptable
East Flagstaff · Flagstaff · Italian-American chain restaurant
Olive Garden's wine program exists to check a box, not elevate your dinner — order what you came for (the pasta, the breadsticks, the vibe), and if you need wine, point at the Chianti and move on. If wine actually matters to you tonight, there are better options in Flagstaff.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Southside · Flagstaff · Mediterranean / Healthy / Vegetarian-friendly
Pita Jungle isn't a wine destination, but Wine Wednesday turns a modest, play-it-safe list into a genuinely good deal — $9 bottles with a plate of hummus and pita is hard to argue with. Come for the food, drink opportunistically, and set a calendar reminder for Wednesdays.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Downtown · Flagstaff · Burger / American
Diablo Burger is a legitimately good burger spot that happens to have two wines on the menu as an afterthought. Come for the Cheddar Diablo Burger, order a beer, and let someone else worry about the wine list.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Flagstaff · Flagstaff · Modern Mediterranean and Greek
Taverna isn't a destination for wine, but Wednesday half-price pours at a festive Mediterranean spot make it a genuinely good neighborhood move. Show up for the food, order the Sangria or the Tribute Cab, and don't expect the list to surprise you.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.