Cheddar Bay Biscuits Deserve Better Than This
East Rapid City · Rapid City · Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 14, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Red Lobster – Rapid City’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 Red Lobster Rapid City is exactly what you'd expect from a national chain that treats wine as an afterthought — a laminated insert tucked behind the cocktail menu. Every single label here is something you've already seen at your grocery store, probably for half the price. It's not offensive, it's just completely indifferent.
Ten to fifteen bottles, all of them from the American mass-market playbook: California Cabernets, a Washington Riesling, a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc to make the list feel slightly worldly. Chateau Ste. Michelle, Kim Crawford, Meiomi, Kendall-Jackson, Robert Mondavi Private Selection — these are fine wines in their natural habitat, which is a Target wine aisle, not a restaurant list. There's zero depth, no interesting regions, no small producers, and no evidence that anyone curated this with intention. The list hasn't changed in years and probably won't.
Eight to twelve by-the-glass options sounds generous until you realize it's basically the entire list poured by the stem. Prices run $7 to $14 a glass, which on the surface seems approachable — until you check what these same bottles retail for and do the math. You're paying full restaurant markup on wines that peaked in popularity around 2011.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling — $7
At the low end of the price range and actually a decent match for the seafood-heavy menu, this is the one pour where you're not getting completely fleeced. Ste. Michelle makes a competent, food-friendly Riesling and it's the most honest value on the list.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
Nobody orders Riesling at Red Lobster — they grab the Meiomi or the Kim Crawford on autopilot. But off-dry Riesling is legitimately one of the best wines for seafood, and at this price point it's the only glass that makes real sense with what's on the plate.
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay
A $12-$14 glass of wine that retails for $14 a bottle. The markup here is doing heavy lifting, and KJ Chardonnay — buttery, oaky, relentlessly familiar — adds nothing to a lobster tail that a cold beer wouldn't do better and cheaper.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling + Shrimp Scampi
The slight sweetness and bright acidity in the Riesling cuts through the garlic butter in the scampi without competing with the shrimp. It's the one combination on this menu where the wine actually earns its place at the table.
❌ The Bottom Line
Red Lobster Rapid City's wine list exists to check a box, not to enhance your meal. Order the Riesling if you must, but honestly, a cocktail or a cold draft will serve you better here.
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
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Acceptable
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
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Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
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Acceptable
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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
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