Chain wine done surprisingly without shame
Lake Hamilton / Highway 7 South · Hot Springs · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 21, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Outback Steakhouse’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list here is exactly what you expect from Outback — familiar faces, nothing adventurous, and a layout designed for people who want a glass of red with their steak and no surprises. What actually catches you off guard is the pricing: these pours are legitimately cheaper than retail in several cases, which you almost never see at a restaurant.
Twenty-five to forty selections built almost entirely around California and Washington producers that live on grocery store shelves nationwide. You've got Chateau Ste. Michelle, Kendall-Jackson, Meiomi, Josh Cellars, and 19 Crimes anchoring the list — solid workhorses, zero risk-taking. There's a nod to Australia in the theme and the occasional label, but don't come hunting for anything from the Barossa or Clare Valley that would actually justify the concept. Gaps are everywhere: no Riesling, no Rosé worth mentioning, no serious old-world presence.
Eight to twelve options by the glass covering the basics — Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Cab, a red blend, Pinot Noir. Rotation is essentially non-existent; this is a set-and-forget program that Corporate probably updates once a year. That said, at $8–$11 a glass for bottles that retail at the same price, you're essentially drinking at cost.
Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Cabernet Sauvignon — $11/glass
Retails around $14 a bottle, and you're getting a glass for $11. The math is genuinely absurd in your favor — this is a drinkable, fruit-forward Cab that holds up to a ribeye, and the effective markup here is basically zero.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon
Everyone at the table is ordering Josh Cellars without thinking twice, but Ste. Michelle out of Washington's Columbia Valley is the more interesting bottle. It's structured, has real backbone, and actually comes from a winery that gives a damn about terroir — a cut above the rest of this list.
Meiomi Pinot Noir
It's everywhere, it's sugary, and it's built for people who don't actually like Pinot Noir. Nothing wrong with it as a product, but next to a steak it falls completely flat — too soft, too sweet, zero tension. Pick almost anything else on this list.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon + Outback Special Sirloin
The Ste. Michelle Cab has enough dark fruit and tannin structure to match the char on a sirloin without steamrolling it. It's the closest thing to a proper steak wine on this list, and at Outback prices, it's a genuinely good call.
The Bottom Line
You're not coming to Outback Hot Springs for a wine revelation, but the pricing is so surprisingly honest that ordering a glass feels less like a tax on your dinner and more like an actual choice. Lower your expectations on selection, keep them reasonable on value, and you'll leave fine.
Central Avenue / South Hot Springs · Hot Springs · Sports Bar Chain
Buffalo Wild Wings Hot Springs is a place to drink beer and watch sports — the wine list exists to technically have one, not to be used. Order a beer, order a cocktail, or bring your own if they allow corkage, but don't let the wine list be the reason you're here.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central Avenue / Commercial Strip · Hot Springs · Mexican / Tex-Mex
This is a margarita restaurant with a wine list that exists only so no one has to say there isn't one. Come for the fajitas and the frozen drinks — the wine is strictly last resort.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Highway 7 North / Outskirts · Hot Springs · Southern Country Restaurant
We wouldn't send anyone to Cracker Barrel for wine, and neither should you — the food is the point, the wine is a footnote. If you need a glass with dinner, grab the Gambino sparkling and move on with your life.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central Avenue / South Hot Springs · Hot Springs · Casual American
The wine list at Cheddar's Hot Springs exists because a restaurant has to have one, not because anyone gave it a second thought. Order a cocktail, enjoy the scratch kitchen, and save the wine conversation for somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central Avenue / South Hot Springs · Hot Springs · Italian Chain
Olive Garden's wine list is the automotive equivalent of a rental car: it gets you where you're going, nobody's excited about it, and you return it without a second thought. Come for the breadsticks, drink the Chianti, and keep your expectations appropriately parked.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central Avenue / South Hot Springs · Hot Springs · Seafood Chain
Red Lobster's wine program is exactly what it is — a chain afterthought with recognizable labels and pricing that won't actively insult you. Come for the biscuits, drink the Kim Crawford with your shrimp, and don't expect anything more.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Boca Raton · Steakhouse
The Capital Grille Boca Raton is a dependable choice if you want a proper glass of Napa Cab with your dry-aged ribeye and aren't going to sweat the markup. Just don't come here expecting discovery — this list is built for comfort, not adventure.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· Montgomery · Steakhouse
This is a wine list by legal obligation, not by passion. Order a cocktail, a beer, or just accept that Outback Taylor Road is not your wine night destination.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· South Bend · Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris South Bend is a reliable wine stop if you calibrate your expectations to 'polished chain steakhouse' and not 'serious wine program.' Send a friend here for a celebration pour — just steer them toward the Sonoma Cutrer and away from the Champagne markup.
Crowd Pleasers
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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