The Bloomin' Onion Deserves Better Wine
East Wichita · Wichita · Casual chain steakhouse (Australian-themed) and American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 21, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Outback Steakhouse - Wichita East’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 Outback Wichita East reads like a grocery store endcap — you've seen every label before, probably at a holiday party. It's short, safe, and designed to offend nobody, which also means it excites nobody. If you came here hoping to discover something, you're going to be disappointed before the bread hits the table.
Twenty-odd bottles, almost all from California with a token Washington State appearance via Chateau Ste. Michelle. The producer roster — Cupcake, Apothic, Mark West, Mirassou — reads like a greatest hits of mass-market labels that move units at Costco. There's no depth, no old-world representation, and no reason to linger on the list. The Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling is the lone wine here that hints at actual winemaking intention; everything else is engineered for broad palatability.
Eight to twelve pours, and they're essentially the bottle list in miniature — Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay, Apothic Red, Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio, the usual suspects. At $7–$12 a glass, you're paying chain-restaurant rates for wines that retail for $10–$15 a bottle, which is a markup that doesn't do anyone any favors. Rotation is nonexistent; what's on the list today is what's been on the list for years.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling — $26
It's the only bottle on this list that comes from a producer with a real point of view. Ste. Michelle's Columbia Valley Riesling is genuinely well-made, food-friendly, and priced at the low end of the list — making it the easiest call here if you're trying to drink something worth drinking.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
Most people at a steakhouse walk right past the Riesling, which is a shame. A slightly off-dry white with good acidity actually cuts through the richness of a sirloin better than the obvious Cab pick, and almost nobody at this table will order it — which means you look smart for doing so.
Apothic Red Winemaker's Blend
Apothic Red retails for around $10 at any grocery store in Wichita. Paying restaurant markup on a wine that's engineered to taste like dessert — heavy on residual sugar, low on complexity — is exactly the kind of spend that makes you feel worse about the evening rather than better.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling + Bloomin' Onion
The Bloomin' Onion is fried, salty, and comes with a creamy dipping sauce — everything that begs for a wine with some sweetness and acid to cut through the fat. The Ste. Michelle Riesling has just enough residual sugar to complement the onion's caramelized edges while the acidity keeps your palate from going numb. It's the best wine-food move on this entire menu.
The Bottom Line
Outback Wichita East is a perfectly fine place to eat a steak with your family — the wine list, however, is an afterthought that corporate assembled and nobody here is maintaining. Order the Riesling, enjoy the Bloomin' Onion, and save the real wine exploration for somewhere that's trying.
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One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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