Better Than You'd Expect, Chain Or Not
North Avenue / Highway 6 & 50 Junction · Grand Junction · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 17, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Outback Steakhouse – Grand Junction’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walk in expecting a laminated two-pager and you get something closer to a real wine list — 20-plus bottles, recognizable producers, prices that won't make you wince. It's not going to surprise anyone, but for a chain steakhouse off Highway 6 in Grand Junction, it clears a bar that plenty of 'serious' restaurants trip over.
The list leans hard California — La Crema, J. Lohr, St. Francis, Kendall-Jackson — with a few Australian ringers (Penfolds Max's Cab, Black Opal Shiraz, Jacob's Creek) nodding at the brand's whole Outback identity. New Zealand shows up via Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc, France contributes Miraval Rosé, and Italy gets a La Marca Prosecco cameo. There's nothing obscure, nothing that'll make a wine nerd's pulse quicken, but the producers are legitimate — J. Lohr and St. Francis are honest workhorses, not filler. The gap is obvious: no Burgundy, no Rhône, no Riojas, no anything that requires more than five seconds of explanation.
Ten to sixteen pours by the glass is genuinely solid for a chain, covering the expected bases — a Chardonnay, a Pinot Noir, a Cab, a Sauvignon Blanc, a Rosé, a bubbly. Prices run $8–$13 a glass, which is fair for the segment. Rotation appears nonexistent — this is a set list that changes when corporate says so, not when the seasons do.
J. Lohr Estates Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon — $38
J. Lohr Seven Oaks retails around $18-20 a bottle, so the markup here is reasonable by restaurant standards — you're getting a consistently well-made Paso Robles Cab that holds its own next to a ribeye without feeling like you're paying the stupid tax.
Penfolds Max's Cabernet Sauvignon
Most people at Outback are grabbing the J. Lohr or whatever house red appears first. The Penfolds Max's is a step up — a legit South Australian Cab from one of the most reliable names in the country — and it usually doesn't cost much more. Worth the ask.
Barefoot White Zinfandel
There is no scenario where you need to order Barefoot White Zinfandel at a steakhouse. It's $7 at any grocery store, and whatever they're charging here for a glass isn't worth it. Order literally anything else on this list.
St. Francis Cabernet Sauvignon + Ribeye Steak
St. Francis makes a Sonoma Cab with enough structure and dark fruit to stand up to a well-marbled ribeye without steamrolling it. It's not a subtle call, but it's a correct one.
The Bottom Line
Outback Grand Junction isn't a wine destination — it was never trying to be — but the list is priced fairly, built around dependable producers, and broad enough that you won't be stuck ordering blind. Send a friend here for dinner? Yes. Send them specifically for the wine list? No, but they won't suffer.
Hotel Maverick / Horizon Area · Grand Junction · Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service
Devil's Kitchen is a genuine Wild Card — a hotel bar with a wine list that actually tried, anchored by local Colorado producers you won't find anywhere else and backed up by some smart Old World picks. Pricing data wasn't available to confirm fair value, but if the markups are reasonable, this is the best wine story in Grand Junction.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Avenue · Grand Junction · American
We're not here to pile on a chain restaurant — Applebee's knows exactly what it is. But if wine matters to you even a little, order a cocktail and save your wine night for somewhere that's actually trying.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Mesa Mall / Rimrock Avenue · Grand Junction · Italian Chain
The wine list at Olive Garden Grand Junction is a corporate afterthought dressed up in Italian branding — fair prices save it from being a total disaster, but there's no ambition, no discovery, and no reason to think hard about what you order. Stick with the Chianti, enjoy the breadsticks, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that earned it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Mesa Mall / Rimrock Avenue · Grand Junction · Steakhouse
The wine program at Texas Roadhouse Grand Junction exists to check a box, not to enhance your dinner. Order the steak, eat the bread, and if you need wine, grab the Cab — but don't come here expecting anyone to care about what's in your glass.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Avenue Corridor · Grand Junction · Steakhouse / American
Wendy's GJ Chop House cooks a solid steak, but the wine list is an afterthought dressed up with a 300% markup. Order your bourbon neat and save the wine budget for somewhere that cares.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Patterson Road / Medical Center Area · Grand Junction · Gastropub / American
Come for the beer — seriously, come for the beer. The wine list is eight grocery-store bottles propped up by a Wednesday half-price deal that's the only real argument for ordering wine here at all.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
· Irvine · Steakhouse
Fleming's Irvine delivers exactly what it promises: a wide, competent, California-forward wine list that covers all the bases for a steakhouse crowd. The markup is real — this is not a list for value hunters — but the by-the-glass depth is genuinely good and the Loosen Bros. Riesling at $11 is the rare honest deal hiding in plain sight. If you want adventure, look elsewhere; if you want a reliable glass with your ribeye in Irvine, this gets the job done.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Plano · Steakhouse
Del Frisco's Plano delivers a wine list that does its job without doing anything exciting — it's competent, recognizable, and priced for a room where the company card is doing the heavy lifting. If you're here for the steak and want a bottle that won't embarrass you, the list handles that. If you're here to drink well on your own dime, the markup will sting.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
SanTan Village · Chandler · Steakhouse
Bourbon & Bones SanTan has a reserve list that punches above its suburban strip-mall weight class — the Heitz Martha's Vineyard duo, Dominus, and the rogue Egon Müller Riesling are all legitimate gets. The pricing is unambiguously steep and the list has real gaps, but if you're celebrating something and want a specific California collectible with your ribeye, this is one of the more unexpected places to find it in the East Valley.
Plays It Safe
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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