Chianti With a Side of Predictability
La Frontera · Round Rock · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 4, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Romano's Macaroni Grill – Round Rock’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Macaroni Grill reads exactly like you'd expect from a chain that also sells breadsticks in the freezer aisle — familiar names, safe bets, nothing that'll surprise you. It's the kind of list where you already know what you're getting before you open the menu. That's not always bad, but it's rarely exciting.
Twenty to thirty labels split between Italy and California, with the Italian side leaning heavily on the most recognizable export names rather than anything with actual regional character. Ruffino Chianti and Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio are the anchors here — workhorses that check the Italian checkbox without doing much else. The California side brings in BV Coastal Cabernet and Kim Crawford (a New Zealand wine that's somehow become a chain restaurant staple regardless of geography). There are no outliers, no grower producers, no regions worth getting curious about.
Ten to fifteen by-the-glass options sound generous until you realize they're essentially the entire list. Pours run $8–$14, which feels fine until you remember these are supermarket-shelf wines marked up two to three times over retail. The rotation appears to be permanent — don't expect anything new showing up seasonally.
Ruffino Chianti — $8
If you're eating chicken parmesan and want something Italian that won't actively fight the food, this is your lowest-risk move on the list. It's not exciting, but at the entry price point it does the job.
BV Coastal Cabernet Sauvignon
Nobody comes to Macaroni Grill hunting for Cabernet, but the BV Coastal is a quietly decent pour — more structured than you'd expect at this tier and a better match for the grill items than anything else on the list.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
Santa Margherita is one of the most aggressively over-marked-up wines in the restaurant industry. You're paying chain-restaurant prices on top of an already inflated retail price for a wine that's perfectly average. Buy it at the grocery store for half the price if you love it that much.
Ruffino Chianti + Chicken Marsala
The Chianti's bright acidity and light tannins cut through the marsala's rich, savory sauce without overwhelming the dish. It's not a revelatory combination, but it's the most coherent wine-and-food moment this list is capable of producing.
The Bottom Line
Macaroni Grill's wine list is functional in the same way a vending machine is functional — it'll get you a drink, but nobody's excited about it. If wine matters to you even a little, you're better off at almost any independent Italian spot in the area.
Downtown/North Round Rock · Round Rock · Mexican
La Margarita is a perfectly good Mexican restaurant that has simply decided wine is not its problem. Order a margarita, enjoy your chips, and leave the wine list alone.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
La Frontera · Round Rock · Casual American
BJ's is a brewpub, and the wine program knows it — it doesn't try very hard and doesn't need to. Show up on a Tuesday for half-off bottles if you must, but if wine is why you're going out tonight, go somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
North Round Rock · Round Rock · Tex-Mex
Casa Garcia's is a solid Tex-Mex spot where the wine list is purely an afterthought — and that's fine, because the margaritas and food are the whole point. Come for the menudo, not the Merlot.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Occasional
Acceptable
North Round Rock · Round Rock · Italian Chain
The wine list at Olive Garden Round Rock North is what happens when wine is an afterthought — overpriced mass-market bottles with no curation, no staff expertise, and no reason to order beyond the second glass of unlimited breadsticks. Order a cocktail, drink the Chianti if you must, and save the real wine for somewhere that cares.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
La Frontera · Round Rock · Steakhouse
Saltgrass Round Rock is exactly what it looks like: a chain steakhouse wine list on autopilot, built around brand names, sweet crowd-pleasers, and markups that assume you're not paying attention. Order a beer or a cocktail and save the wine for somewhere that actually cares.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
La Frontera · Round Rock · Fast-casual American, health-focused
Modern Market's wine list is an afterthought in a restaurant that actually cares about its food — five bottles, no program, no story. Order a craft beer or a cocktail and spend your wine energy somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Galleria · Irving · Italian
North Italia isn't a destination wine list, but it's a genuinely respectable one — fair prices, regional Italian whites worth ordering, and enough variety to reward curious drinkers. Send your friends here knowing they won't be stuck choosing between Pinot Grigio and nothing.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Laredo · Italian
Johnny Carino's Laredo isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list makes that abundantly clear. If you're here, go on a Sunday or Wednesday, grab that half-price Albertoni, and keep your expectations parked firmly at 'Italian chain in Laredo.'
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
· Toledo · Italian
Rosie's is doing what a neighborhood Italian restaurant should do with its wine list — keeping prices honest, leaning into Italian varietals, and giving you enough by-the-glass options that everyone at the table finds something. It's not pushing any boundaries, but it's not trying to either, and that's perfectly fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
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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