Every Glass on the List, No Excuses
· Milwaukee · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 26, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Rare 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
Rare does something unusual: the entire 41-bottle wine list is available by the glass. No bottles-only gatekeeping, no awkward half-pours on the good stuff — just a flat-out commitment to letting you drink what you want, one glass at a time. That alone earns some goodwill before you've even sat down.
The list skews heavily toward American crowd-pleasers with familiar label recognition — Duckhorn, La Crema, The Prisoner, Cakebread — which makes sense for a steakhouse crowd that wants something dependable with a ribeye. There's a little international texture with the Viña Cobos Felino Malbec, Monte Antico Supremus, and M. Torres Cordillera Cab from Chile, but don't come expecting a deep Burgundy rabbit hole or anything from the Rhône. The bubbly section punches above its weight with a Moët option alongside accessible Cava and Prosecco. Whites are respectable — a Château Chaintre Chablis and Dr. Loosen Riesling give it more credibility than the average steakhouse white section, which usually stops at Chardonnay and calls it a day.
Forty-one by-the-glass options is genuinely rare (pun noted, not intended) for a steakhouse, and the price range from $12 to $175 suggests there's headroom for both the casual Thursday dinner and the celebration splurge. The glass program is static — no visible rotation or seasonal churn — but when every bottle is already pourable, you can live with that.
Viña Cobos Felino Malbec 2023 — $17/glass
Felino is a legitimate Mendoza Malbec from one of the region's most respected producers, and $17 a glass is honest pricing. Most places would charge $22-24 for the same pour. Order this with anything red-meat adjacent.
Château Chaintre Chablis 2024
Chablis at a steakhouse is an underrated move — the mineral, almost saline edge cuts through rich food in a way that butter-bomb Chardonnay just can't. Most tables will sleep on it and order another Pinot Grigio. Don't be those tables.
The Prisoner Wine Company The Prisoner 2022
At $25 a glass, The Prisoner is paying for its own marketing budget more than its actual quality. It's fine — jammy, approachable, crowd-pleasing — but it's a $45 retail bottle stretched into a price point that makes the Clos Du Val next to it look like the smarter call.
Clos Du Val Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 + ribeye
Clos Du Val has Napa structure without going full fruit-bomb, which means it holds up to a properly seared ribeye without overwhelming the beef. The tannins do the work you want them to do. At $26 a glass for a serious Napa Cab, this is the move for a steak night that means something.
The Bottom Line
Rare Steakhouse isn't trying to reinvent wine culture — it's a steakhouse that takes its wine list seriously enough to make every bottle pourable by the glass and price things like it wants you to come back. That's enough to make it worth skipping the cocktail menu.
Downtown · Milwaukee · Brazilian Steakhouse
Rodizio Grill Milwaukee is a genuinely fun night out if you're there for the meat and the spectacle — but the wine list is coasting on the restaurant's momentum rather than adding anything to it. Order the Gaucho Club, enjoy the picanha, and save your serious wine budget for somewhere else.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Riverwalk · Milwaukee · Japanese sushi and Asian fusion
Screaming Tuna isn't a wine destination, but it's a sushi spot with a wine list that actually respects the food it's serving — and in Milwaukee, that's worth calling out. Take a chance on the Alsatian whites or the sake program and you'll leave happy.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Lower East Side · Milwaukee · French and Italian Riviera-Inspired Fine Dining
Lupi & Iris is doing something genuinely rare in Milwaukee — a wine program with depth, a sommelier who runs real events, and markup that doesn't make you feel like a mark. Send your friends here, and tell them to book early for the DRC dinner.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
Downtown · Milwaukee · Seafood-focused Contemporary American
Third Coast Provisions has a genuinely thoughtful wine list for a city that doesn't always demand one — the Burgundy focus is earned, the staff knows what they're doing, and the seafood menu gives those whites every opportunity to shine. The markup keeps it from being a destination for wine alone, but if you're already here for the food, you're in good hands.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Northwest Side · Milwaukee · Italian, Handmade Pasta, Wine Bar
Ca'Lucchenzo is the kind of place that makes you wonder why every Italian restaurant doesn't just commit to Italy this hard on the wine side. It's not a deep cellar, but it's a focused, honest list that actually fits the food — send your friends here and tell them to skip the cocktail.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Brookfield · Milwaukee · Upscale American Steakhouse
Mr. B's is exactly what it promises — a polished, reliable steakhouse wine list that hits all the expected marks without a single surprise. Send a friend here if they want a sure thing; send them somewhere else if they want to be excited.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· Greenville · Steakhouse
Halls Chophouse delivers what Greenville diners expect from a serious steakhouse: familiar labels, celebration-ready bottles, and prices that reflect the room. We'd love to see more adventurous pours and a real by-the-glass program, but for what it is, the list does its job without embarrassing anyone.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Nashville · Nashville · Steakhouse
STK Nashville is a nightclub that serves steaks and has a wine list to match the energy — loud, familiar, and not particularly interested in your education. Come for the scene, order the bottle that sounds good to you, and don't expect the list to surprise you.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Dallas · Dallas · Steakhouse
STK Dallas is a place to be seen, not a place to drink well — the wine list is a predictable lineup of brand names with almost no by-the-glass program to speak of. Order a cocktail, or commit to a bottle and go straight for the Twomey.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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