Cheddar Bay Biscuits Beat Everything On This List
Columbia Center / N Columbia Center Blvd · Kennewick · Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 12, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Red Lobster – Kennewick’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You open the menu, flip past the endless shrimp promotions, and land on a wine list that looks like it was assembled by someone whose job was definitely not wine. Twelve items total — including a La Marca Prosecco split that feels like it wandered in from a bridal shower. The whole thing reads like a grocery store shelf that got laminated.
The list is essentially a greatest-hits compilation of American casual-dining wine staples: Barefoot, Sutter Home, Cupcake, and Beringer all make appearances, which tells you everything about the ambition level here. There's exactly one wine that rises above the noise — the Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling, which is at least a nod to the fact that you're in Washington State wine country. Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio and Mark West Pinot Noir round out the Italian and California contingents respectively, but neither is doing anything interesting. No meaningful Old World presence, no regional producers, no surprises.
All 11 pours are available by the glass, and during happy hour you can grab Mark West Pinot Noir or Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio for $5 a pop, which is where this list actually becomes functional. Outside of happy hour, you're looking at $6.99–$12.99 a glass for wines that retail between $8 and $12 at your local grocery store. The rotation is nonexistent — this list has not changed recently and shows no signs of changing.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling — $8.00
It's the only wine on this list with a sense of place — made just a few hours away in the Columbia Valley, it's bright, off-dry, and actually makes sense next to a lobster tail or shrimp scampi. At $8 a glass for a wine that retails around $9, the markup is nearly nonexistent. Drink this one.
J. Lohr Estates Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon
It's the only bottle on the list that hints at an actual wine drinker making at least one decision. J. Lohr Seven Oaks is a reliable, food-friendly Paso Robles Cab that punches above the Beringer and Sutter Home competition surrounding it. Most people ordering wine here won't notice it — which means you should.
Beringer White Zinfandel
A pink wine so sweet and so mass-produced that ordering it feels like ordering a Shirley Temple and calling it a cocktail. Retail price is a few dollars, and there's genuinely nothing here to justify giving it real estate on your table.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling + Shrimp Scampi
The Riesling's slight sweetness and bright acidity cut right through the garlic butter in the scampi without fighting it. It's the most logical wine-and-food moment this list offers, and it happens to involve a Washington wine at a Washington restaurant. Take the win where you can get it.
❌ The Bottom Line
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.
Columbia Center area · Kennewick · Steakhouse
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.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
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
Columbia Center / N Columbia Center Blvd · Kennewick · Italian
Olive Garden Kennewick is not a wine destination — it's a place you drink whatever keeps the breadsticks company. If someone in your group is serious about wine, order the Orvieto and manage your expectations; everyone else should probably just get the Sangria.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Columbia Park / Columbia River Waterfront · Kennewick · American Steak and Seafood
Cedars is a solid neighborhood anchor that leans on its Columbia Valley backyard without really exploring it — the wine list is dependable but leaves you wishing they'd push even 10% harder into the region's real depth. Send a friend here for a good steak and a glass of local Cab, not for a wine-first experience.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Columbia Center / W Canal Dr corridor · Kennewick · Brazilian Steakhouse (Churrascaria)
Boiada is doing something genuinely interesting for a Brazilian steakhouse in Eastern Washington — leaning hard into local wines, running a real winemaker dinner program, and pricing fairly enough that you don't feel like the wine list is the second hustle. If you're in the Tri-Cities and eating rodízio, you could do a lot worse than a bottle of Col Solare on a Wednesday at half price.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Kennewick Suburbs · Kennewick · Deli
This isn't a wine destination — it's a neighborhood deli that happens to stock some genuinely solid Washington bottles at prices that would make a restaurant wine director weep. If you're in Kennewick and need a bottle tonight, you could do a lot worse than walking out of here with a Tamarack or a Kiona.
Plays It Safe
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
I-35 Corridor · Georgetown · Seafood
Red Lobster's wine list is a corporate afterthought dressed in a laminated menu, and the Georgetown location is no exception. Order the Riesling, enjoy the biscuits, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that shares it.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Champaign · Champaign · Seafood
The Fish House isn't a wine destination, but it's not trying to be — and it pulls off a serviceable list for a casual seafood night out. Stick to the whites, grab the Pouilly-Fuissé if you want to feel like you found something, and don't let anyone talk you into the Veuve at that price.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Stearns Wharf · Santa Barbara · Seafood
This isn't a wine destination, but it's a smart one — local producers, fair prices, and a list that respects what's on the plate. If you're eating shellfish on Stearns Wharf, there's no reason to skip the wine.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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