Chain Markup Dressed in Khaki Shorts
Idaho Falls · Idaho Falls · American steakhouse with Australian-inspired theme · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 16, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Outback Steakhouse’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Outback reads exactly like you'd expect from a national chain — laminated, predictable, and clearly designed to sell bottles to people who aren't thinking too hard about what they're drinking. There's nothing offensive here, just nothing that requires any effort to curate either. It's the wine equivalent of a frozen-then-grilled piece of bread.
Thirty to fifty wines deep sounds like a list with some breathing room, but most of that space is occupied by California staples and a handful of Australian bottles thrown in to justify the theme. You'll find Josh Cellars Cabernet, Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay, and Beringer White Zinfandel — essentially the Mount Rushmore of airport wine shops. Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling from Washington is the one producer that suggests someone, somewhere in corporate, has a mild interest in recommending something worth recommending. Regional depth, interesting growers, or anything from outside the well-worn domestic-plus-Barossa axis? Not present.
Ten to fifteen pours by the glass at $8–$14 sounds accessible, and the pricing isn't outrageous in absolute dollars — but when the bottles behind those pours retail for $10–$15 at your local grocery store, the math gets uncomfortable fast. Rotation appears nonexistent; this list is corporate-set and stays that way regardless of season or what's drinking well right now.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling — $8
It's the only pour on this list with actual terroir credibility. Columbia Valley Riesling at this price point is genuinely good wine, and it's being sold here without an absurd markup relative to the rest of the list. Grab a glass of this before settling into a steak and you've made the best decision available to you.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
In a room full of people ordering Josh Cab with their ribeye, the Riesling gets ignored. That's a mistake — it's the sharpest, most food-friendly wine on the menu, and most diners walk right past it because it doesn't have a bearded guy on the label.
Beringer White Zinfandel
This is a wine that retails for roughly $6 at a gas station. Ordering it by the glass at a restaurant markup is doing your wallet no favors, and it won't make anyone at the table happier than a lemonade would.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling + Bloomin' Onion
The Riesling's natural acidity and slight residual sweetness cut through the fried richness and the spicy dipping sauce without a fight. It's the only pairing on this list that actually makes both the food and the wine taste better. Everything else is guesswork.
❌ The Bottom Line
Outback's wine program is a corporate afterthought dressed up as a list — it exists to check a box, not to elevate your meal. Order the Chateau Ste. Michelle if you're drinking wine, otherwise the cocktail menu is probably a better use of your money.
Idaho Falls · Idaho Falls · Steakhouse / Seafood / American
Jakers isn't going to win any wine awards, but for a steakhouse in Idaho Falls it punches above its weight on value — especially during happy hour when half-price house wines make a pre-dinner glass genuinely hard to argue with. Send a friend here for a steak night and point them toward the Willamette Pinot or the Lan Crianza; they'll thank you.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
East Idaho Falls / Hitt Road · Idaho Falls · Sports Bar / American
Buffalo Wild Wings Idaho Falls is a perfectly fine place to watch a game and eat wings — just don't let the wine list anywhere near your evening. Order a beer, order a cocktail, order a second order of wings. The wine program is an afterthought and it shows in every bottle markup and unbranded house pour.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Idaho Falls · Idaho Falls · Bistro / New American
Junkyard Bistro's wine list is doing the bare minimum — recognizable names, steep markups on the top shelf, and nothing to make you put down your phone and pay attention. Drink the St. Chappelle, skip the Cakebread Cab at that price, and save your serious wine curiosity for somewhere that earns it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Idaho Falls · Idaho Falls · American (Gourmet Burgers & Pub Fare)
The SnakeBite isn't a wine destination, but it's a Wild Card worth knowing about — a downtown burger joint that bothered to build a real wine list with fair prices and decent range. Come for the burgers, stay for the Pessimist.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Grandview / Snake River Landing · Idaho Falls · Seafood / Sushi / Grill
Smokin Fins isn't a wine destination, but it's a competent one — the list is safe, a little overpriced, and built to please rather than impress. Order the Kim Crawford, eat the ahi tuna, and you'll leave happy enough.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Unknown · Idaho Falls · American Steakhouse & Bar and Grill
Jaker's isn't a wine destination, but it's not trying to be one — it's a solid neighborhood steakhouse with a wine list that does exactly what it needs to do. Send a friend here confident they won't be gouged or confused, just fed and poured reasonably well.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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