Cheddar Bay Biscuits Deserve Better Than This
Central Avenue / South Hot Springs · Hot Springs · Seafood Chain · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 21, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Red Lobster – Hot Springs’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list arrives looking exactly like you'd expect from a chain that's more focused on selling you a second basket of Cheddar Bay Biscuits than a second glass of Burgundy. It's a laminated insert of familiar brand names — nothing surprising, nothing offensive, nothing that suggests anyone here has thought hard about wine in the last decade.
Twenty-odd bottles, almost entirely California with a token nod to New Zealand and Italy. You've got Kendall-Jackson, Robert Mondavi Private Selection, Meiomi, Mark West, and Apothic doing the heavy lifting — brands you recognize from the grocery store endcap, not from a producer you'd seek out. Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc and Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio fill the 'international' quota without really stretching anyone's comfort zone. There's no depth to speak of, no discovery, and no reason to linger over the list.
Eight to twelve pours depending on the day, and honestly the glass program is where this list lives or dies — mostly dies. The spread runs from a $6.49 Sutter Home house pour up to a $10.49 Robert Mondavi Cab, which at least gives you some range. Rotation is essentially nonexistent; what's on here today was probably on here two years ago.
Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon — $10.49/glass
At roughly 105% markup on a $11 retail bottle, this is the closest thing to a fair deal on the list — and it holds up against the heavier dishes without embarrassing anyone.
Columbia Crest H3 Merlot
It's not glamorous, but Columbia Crest H3 punches above its price tier — genuinely food-friendly, softer tannins, and it actually makes sense next to a plate of shrimp scampi in a way the Apothic Red Blend does not.
Apothic Red Blend
Sweet, jammy, and built for people who aren't sure they like wine yet. At restaurant markup on a bottle you can find for under $12 anywhere, there's no reason to order this when the Mondavi Cab costs nearly the same.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc + Shrimp Scampi
Kim Crawford is bright, citrusy, and high-acid enough to cut through the garlic butter without getting lost. It's one of the few wines on this list that feels like it was chosen with seafood in mind rather than just filling a slot.
The Bottom Line
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.
· Hot Springs · Fine dining
Vault is a genuinely charming place to spend a special evening in Hot Springs — the room earns its keep. The wine program, from what we can see, does its job without distinguishing itself: serviceable, probably priced on the steeper side, and built to please rather than provoke. Go for the atmosphere and the food; just don't plan your wine nerd moment around it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Hot Springs · Italian
Little Italy in Hot Springs isn't pretending to be a wine destination, and that's fine — but a seven-bottle list anchored almost entirely by supermarket brands doesn't give wine drinkers much to work with. The pricing is honest and the Selbach is a genuine bright spot, but if wine matters to your evening, temper expectations before you sit down.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Hot Springs · Wine Bar
Splash Wine Bar is doing something genuinely worthwhile for Hot Springs — an almost-entirely-by-the-glass list with fair pricing and a few smart picks that go beyond the obvious. If you're rolling through town and want a real glass of wine without a lecture or a markup, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
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
Scottsville Road Corridor · Bowling Green · Seafood Chain
We wouldn't send a friend here for wine — we'd tell them to order a Lobsterita and call it a night. The list is a corporate afterthought, the markups are hard to justify, and nothing on it will make your dinner more interesting.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Highway 50 / North Side · Pueblo · Seafood Chain
The wine program at Red Lobster Pueblo is not a wine program — it's a shelf of familiar labels selected by a committee in a boardroom somewhere. Drink the Matua with your shrimp, accept that this is a Cheddar Bay Biscuit establishment, and save the real wine for dinner somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Odessa / Broughton Park Area · Odessa · Seafood Chain
This is a wine list that exists because a restaurant legally needs one, not because anyone cared about what was on it. Order the Riesling, enjoy your Cheddar Bay Biscuits, and save the real wine exploration for somewhere else.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
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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