Bloomin' Onion, Wilting Wine List
Columbia Center area · Kennewick · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 12, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Outback Steakhouse – Kennewick’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list here reads like it was assembled by someone who asked, 'What do people recognize?' and stopped there. You're looking at a tightly curated roster of supermarket staples — recognizable labels, safe bets, zero risk. It's not offensive, but it's not trying either.
The list leans almost entirely on California with a lone nod to Washington State via Chateau Ste. Michelle — which, given that Kennewick sits in the heart of wine country, feels like a missed opportunity of almost comedic proportions. Beringer Founders' Estate, Josh Cellars, and Kendall-Jackson anchor the red and white sides respectively, all of which you can grab at any Costco on the way over. There's no depth, no regional exploration, and no sign that anyone curating this list has been to a winery in the last decade. At bottle prices reaching $45 for wines that retail well under $15, the markup math is not flattering.
Expect somewhere in the range of 8-10 pours, covering the basics — a Cab, a Chardonnay, a Sauvignon Blanc, maybe a red blend. Glass pours run $7-$13, which sounds reasonable until you realize you're paying bar markup on grocery store wine. There's no rotation, no seasonal add, no 'ask your server what's new' — what's on the menu today was on the menu six months ago.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling — $9
It's the one wine on this list that makes geographical sense — Ste. Michelle is 90 minutes away in Woodinville and their Riesling is genuinely good for the price. Off-dry, crisp, and actually interesting next to the Bloomin' Onion.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
Most tables here are going straight for the Cab or Chardonnay out of habit. The Riesling gets ignored, which is a shame — it's the only bottle on this list with a real story and it punches above its price point every time.
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay
A $14 retail bottle showing up at steakhouse markup is a bad deal dressed in familiar packaging. KJ Chard is fine — it just shouldn't cost this much at this restaurant.
Beringer Founders' Estate Cabernet Sauvignon + Outback Special Sirloin
It's the most predictable pairing on the menu and also the most functional — the Cab's soft tannins and dark fruit won't fight the sirloin, and at this price tier, that's honestly the best you can ask for.
The Bottom Line
Outback's wine list exists to check a box, not to elevate your dinner. If you're in Kennewick and want to actually drink well with your steak, you're a short drive from some of Washington's best wine country — don't let this list be your introduction to it.
· Kennewick · Wine Bar & Bistro
Wine & More isn't trying to be a destination list — it's trying to be your friendly neighborhood pour at a price that doesn't sting. For a low-stakes wine night in Kennewick, it delivers exactly what it promises.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Kennewick · Wine bar
Purple Star is a one-of-a-kind local wine bar that bets everything on two producers and mostly wins — especially if you lean into the Muret-Gaston side of the list where things get genuinely interesting. It's not a destination for wine breadth, but it is a destination for Washington wine with a point of view.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Columbia River Waterfront / Clover Island · Kennewick · American Grill / Seafood
Sage Port Grille is a reliable PNW wine experience — nothing groundbreaking, but a thoughtfully local list served with a river view that does most of the work. Send a friend here for a bottle of L'Ecole with salmon and they'll thank you.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Kennewick / Clearwater Ave · Kennewick · American, Bar
Magill's isn't a wine destination, but it's a neighborhood spot that actually tried with its list — local producers, a thoughtful rosé pick, and a Wednesday deal that makes the steep everyday markups irrelevant. Show up on a Wednesday, order the Mourvèdre rosé, and stop overthinking it.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Columbia Center / N Columbia Center Blvd · Kennewick · Seafood
Red Lobster's wine list exists to give you something to drink while you wait for the Cheddar Bay Biscuits — and that's about as far as its ambition goes. Order the Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling, enjoy the biscuits, and don't look at the list too hard.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Kennewick · Kennewick · Pub / Gastropub
The Crown Pub is a genuine wild card — a Columbia Basin pub that somehow assembled a credible New Zealand sparkling and Central Otago program worth talking about. The markups aren't a gift, but the list has a real identity, and that counts for a lot in a market where most wine lists are an afterthought.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
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
· White Plains · Steakhouse
This appears to be a Restaurant Week wine promotion rather than Benjamin Steakhouse's full list, and we'd want to see a complete menu before rendering a final verdict on the overall program. Based on what's sourced here, though, the wine offering is thin for a steakhouse of this caliber — if you're coming for a serious bottle of Cab with your dry-aged ribeye, call ahead and ask what's actually on the full list.
Grocery Store
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Pleasant Valley · Colorado Springs · Steakhouse
A compact, fully priced list of 16 wines with a glass and a bottle price printed for every wine. Start with the Angeline Cabernet at $10 a glass for a low-cost red, or the L' Ecole Merlot at $17 if you want the Washington bottle, and confirm prices since the page is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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