Casino wine list that actually shows up
South Davenport / Casino District · Davenport · Fine dining steakhouse with seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 9, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Ruthie's Steak & Seafood’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Walk into Ruthie's and the room does most of the heavy lifting — plush seating, big views, the full casino fine-dining treatment. The wine list follows the same logic: it looks impressive at first glance, hits all the expected marks, and doesn't take many risks. This is a list built for people who know what they want before they sit down.
The list runs 80 to 150 bottles deep and leans hard into California — Napa and Sonoma are the main event, with a nod toward the Pacific Northwest. You'll find the usual steakhouse regulars: Caymus, Jordan, Silver Oak on the Cab side, Rombauer holding down Chardonnay. It's a competent, crowd-pleasing lineup that serves the ribeye crowd well, but if you're looking for Burgundy, Barolo, or anything with a little dirt under its fingernails, you're mostly out of luck. The list doesn't have gaps so much as walls — it just stops where the comfort zone ends.
Twelve to twenty pours by the glass at $12–$22 is a reasonable spread for a steakhouse in the Midwest, and the range tracks closely with the bottle list — California-forward, familiar labels, nothing that's going to surprise anyone. Meiomi Pinot Noir shows up reliably in that glass range, which is a crowd-pleaser but not exactly a statement. Rotation appears minimal; this reads like a set-it-and-forget-it program rather than something anyone's tending to weekly.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — $75
Jordan is one of the few bottles here that earns its place at the table — consistently well-made Alexander Valley Cab with real structure and age-worthiness. In a list where markup runs steep, Jordan tends to hold its value better than the flashier names around it, and it's genuinely built for a ribeye.
Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon
Silver Oak gets overlooked in favor of Caymus by the casual crowd, but it's the more interesting bottle — more restrained, better acid, actually benefits from decanting. At a table full of big steaks, this is the pick that rewards attention.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is everywhere, marked up everywhere, and at casino fine-dining prices it's almost certainly sitting at a 3–4x retail multiple. It's a fine bottle, but you're paying a premium for the name recognition, and Jordan or Silver Oak will give you more for your money at this price point.
Rombauer Chardonnay + Lobster Mac and Cheese
Rombauer is butter on butter — big, oaky, rich California Chardonnay — and that lobster mac is playing the same game. This is not a subtle pairing. It is, however, exactly right for what both things are trying to do, and the crowd eating here knows it.
The Bottom Line
Ruthie's is a reliable casino wine list — it won't embarrass you and it won't excite you, but you can eat a serious steak and drink a serious California Cab without getting burned too badly. Just go in with eyes open on the markup and pick Jordan over Caymus.
Elmore Avenue · Davenport · Wine Bar & Lounge
The Grape Life is the kind of quietly good wine spot that Davenport probably doesn't fully appreciate yet. It's not trying to be a big-city wine bar, but it's doing more right than most — send a friend here on a Thursday with live music and let the flight menu do the work.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Davenport Village · Davenport · American Cafe, Bistro and Bar
Brew in the Village isn't trying to be a wine destination and it doesn't pretend to be — but Wednesday half-price wine with a food purchase is one of the better deals in Davenport, and the list is priced fairly enough that you won't feel gouged the other six nights. Send a friend here for a low-key weeknight dinner; just tell them to go on a Wednesday.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Greater Quad Cities / Nearby Illinois Side · Davenport · New American / Hotel Restaurant
5th Avenue Syndicate is doing more than most hotel restaurants bother to do with wine — nearly everything is available by the glass, there are a few legitimate picks in the mix, and the pricing, while steep in spots, doesn't cross into outright insulting. Send a friend here if they want something familiar and competent; just steer them away from the Caymus.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central Davenport · Davenport · Mexican
Los Primos is a place you go for the food and the margaritas — the wine list is an afterthought and everyone involved seems to know it. Order the cocktails, be happy, and don't let the Merlot talk you into anything.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Davenport · Davenport · Seafood
Red Lobster's wine list exists to check a box, not to enhance your meal. Order the Riesling, enjoy the Cheddar Bay Biscuits, and save the serious wine drinking for somewhere that earned it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Davenport · Davenport · Steakhouse / American
Outback's wine list in Davenport is a chain doing the bare minimum — recognizable labels, steep markups, zero ambition. Come for the steak, order the Koonunga Hill if you must have wine, and save your serious wine spending for somewhere that earned it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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