Ralph Lauren Does Wine Like He Does Outlet Pricing
Magnificent Mile · Chicago · American Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Updated April 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 8, 2026
RagingWine reviewed RL Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You walk into a Ralph Lauren flagship store and somehow end up in a restaurant with a 200+ bottle wine list. The list looks impressive at first glance — Romanée-Conti! Tawny ports! — until you realize you're paying luxury fashion markups on commodity wines.
The list spans France, Italy, and the US with solid breadth but zero personality. You'll find the usual suspects — Sancerre, Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay, Jordan Cabernet — all marked up like they're selling handbags upstairs. There's a puzzling inclusion of Michigan ice wine and some Romanée-Conti vintages that signal ambition, but the core list reads like a corporate wine buyer ordered from a distributor's greatest hits catalog. No natural wines, no adventurous regions, nothing that suggests anyone here actually cares about wine beyond filling seats.
The 15-20 glass pours stick to safe territory with predictable options. You're looking at standard Prosecco, basic Pinot Grigio, and crowd-pleasing Chardonnay. Nothing rotates, nothing excites, and the pours are priced like you're paying Michigan Avenue rent with every sip.
Ken Wright Cellars Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2018 — $75
At only 67% markup, this is practically a charity case on this list — a legitimate Oregon producer at the closest thing to fair pricing you'll find here
Rondeau Sparkling Méthode Ancestrale, Bugey-Cerdon
A lightly sparkling, off-dry French pink that nobody orders because they're too busy buying overpriced Prosecco — perfect with the RL Burger
La Linda Malbec, Luján De Cuyo-Mendoza 2018
A 300% markup on a $15 grocery store Malbec is offensive even by Mag Mile standards — this wine should cost $40 less
Sancerre, Lucien Crochet, Loire 2018 + Lobster Roll
Classic pairing that works — the Sancerre's minerality cuts through the butter and complements sweet lobster, even if you're overpaying for both
The Bottom Line
RL Restaurant treats wine like a fashion accessory — high margins, safe choices, zero personality. Come for the Dover Sole and Michigan Avenue vibes, but stick to cocktails or beer unless someone else is paying.
Logan Square · Chicago · Italian
Come to Osteria Langhe for a focused trip through Piedmontese wine. Thursday’s advertised half-price selection is worth asking about, and Wednesday offers a wine pairing alongside the four-course menu. The linked wine list is dated December 2025, so confirm today’s bottles and prices before choosing.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Proper
Lincoln Park · Chicago · American Casual
Summer House is not a wine destination, but it's a reliable place to drink well enough without getting gouged on the low end — just steer clear of the big-name bottles where the markup climbs. Send your friend here if they want something easy and good; don't send them here if they're chasing something serious.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Chicago · Italian
il Carciofo is doing something genuinely rare: building a wine list that treats Italian regional variety as the main event, not the footnote. If you're tired of the same Pinot Grigio and Chianti Classico circuit, this is exactly where you should be eating dinner.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Chicago · Chicago · Steakhouse
STK Chicago is here to sell you a night out, and the wine list is just part of the set dressing. If you care about what's in your glass, eat here for the steak and order water.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Chicago · French Brasserie
La Grande Boucherie Chicago is a reliable wine destination for anyone who wants a French-focused list executed with genuine effort and the occasional smart value. The markups aren't shy, but the BTG program and specials take some of the sting out — go in with a plan and you'll drink well.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
· Chicago · Steakhouse
This is not the wine list you expect to find at The Palm, and that's exactly why it earns attention. Six bottles, zero filler, genuinely fair pricing — if someone's tending this list, they deserve a raise.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Norcross · American Steakhouse
The evidence here points to a wine dinner feature list, not an actual wine program — and even by wine dinner standards, five bottles with no pricing and a mystery sparkling wine isn't inspiring. If you're eating at J. Alexander's Peachtree Corners on a regular Tuesday, we genuinely don't know what's on the wine list, and that's not a great sign. Order a cocktail, ask your server what's actually available, and don't plan your evening around the wine.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Rochester · American Steakhouse
CHAR makes it easy to try Finger Lakes wine alongside the steakhouse standards. Our move is Hosmer Cabernet Franc at $16/glass, with Panizzi Vernaccia at $14 for anyone leaning white. Check the per-ounce pricing before ordering a Coravin pour.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Fort Worth · American Steakhouse
Del Frisco's Grille Fort Worth has a wine list the same way an airport newsstand has a wine section — technically true, practically limiting. Order the Tokaji for dessert, drink cocktails with dinner, and don't expect anyone to help you navigate the difference.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
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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