Corporate Comfort Wine With Waterfront Ambitions
Festival at Riva / Riva Road · Annapolis · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 20, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Ruth's Chris Steak House Annapolis’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Ruth's Chris Annapolis lands exactly where you'd expect from a national steakhouse chain: polished, recognizable labels, and a heavy lean into California Cabernet country. It's a list built to reassure rather than excite — you know every name on it, and that's kind of the point. The waterfront setting deserves something a little wilder, but this list plays it safe and plays it well.
Two hundred-plus bottles sounds impressive until you realize roughly half of them are variations on Napa Cabernet and Chardonnay, with Silver Oak, Duckhorn, and Pahlmeyer anchoring the prestige tier. There's some geographic breadth — Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc via Villa Maria, a nod to Italy with Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio, even a Mosel Riesling and some Spanish Rioja in the mix — but these feel like token gestures rather than a real commitment to the old world. Oregon and Washington get a seat at the table, which is appreciated in a steakhouse context. The gaps are real though: no serious Burgundy, no Barolo, nothing from the Southern Hemisphere beyond New Zealand, and zero natural or small-producer wines anywhere in sight.
The by-the-glass program runs 15-25 options and covers the expected bases: Domaine Carneros Brut for bubbles, Jordan Chardonnay for the white wine crowd, and Davis Bynum Pinot Noir for anyone who doesn't want a full bottle of Cab. La Marca and Mionetto Prosecco both appear, which feels redundant — one is plenty. The list doesn't rotate in any meaningful way; this is a set-it-and-forget-it BTG situation.
Davis Bynum Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, California — $18
Russian River Pinot by the glass at a steakhouse is an underrated move — lighter than the Cab crowd, elegant enough to match the filet without fighting it, and Davis Bynum punches above its price point in this appellation.
Roederer Estate Brut, Anderson Valley, California
Most tables here are popping Veuve on autopilot, but Roederer Estate is the smarter pour — it's the Anderson Valley sibling of one of Champagne's great houses, legitimately complex, and almost always better value than the Yellow Label on a restaurant list.
Veuve Clicquot Brut 'Yellow Label' Champagne
A fine Champagne in the real world, but at steakhouse markup you're paying a significant premium for the orange label recognizability factor. The Roederer Estate next to it is more interesting and almost certainly cheaper — save Veuve for the airport bar.
Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, California + Filet
Silver Oak Alexander Valley is softer and more approachable than its Napa counterpart — the plum-forward fruit and gentle tannins wrap around a butter-finished filet without overwhelming it. It's the canonical Ruth's Chris pairing for a reason.
The Bottom Line
Ruth's Chris Annapolis is a reliable option if you want a familiar, well-executed wine list to go with a serious steak — just don't come looking for discovery or value. The markups are steep, the list is corporate, but the wines are legitimate and the storage is sound.
Eastport · Annapolis · American pub fare
Davis' Pub is a great place to drink — just not wine. The list is inoffensive and priced fairly, but it exists as an afterthought in a place where the real action is cold drafts and steamed crabs. Order the Brancott if you must, then pivot to beer.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Spa Creek · Annapolis · Seafood / Steak
Chart House Annapolis is a reliable wine list in a genuinely great setting — you'll drink well enough, but you're paying for the view as much as the pour. Go in with eyes open on the markup and lean on the California stalwarts that earned their spots here.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Towne Centre Area · Annapolis · Wine Bar / Mediterranean
Smashing Grapes is quietly one of the better wine programs in the mid-Atlantic, operating in a market that doesn't always demand it — which makes it even more impressive. Send a friend here, absolutely, and tell them to skip the safe picks.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Upper Main Street · Annapolis · Wine Bar / Bistro
Red Red Wine Bar is a genuinely fun, accessible spot if you go in knowing what it is: a bubbly-forward wine bar built for socializing and sharing flights, not deep-dive cellar exploration. Send your friend here for a casual night out — just don't send them expecting a sprawling wine list.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Church Circle · Annapolis · Tavern / Afternoon Tea
Reynolds Tavern is the kind of Wild Card that earns its badge by being completely sincere — a 275-year-old tavern that stocks Vieux Télégraphe and Maryland Albariño without making a big deal about it. If you're in Annapolis and skipping wine here in favor of a generic hotel bar down the street, that's on you.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Eastport · Annapolis · Seafood / Raw Bar
Blackwall Hitch isn't a wine destination, but it's a reliable spot to drink something decent without getting gouged — especially during happy hour. Send a friend here if they want a glass on the water, not if they're chasing something to talk about.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
· Boca Raton · Steakhouse
The Capital Grille Boca Raton is a dependable choice if you want a proper glass of Napa Cab with your dry-aged ribeye and aren't going to sweat the markup. Just don't come here expecting discovery — this list is built for comfort, not adventure.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· Montgomery · Steakhouse
This is a wine list by legal obligation, not by passion. Order a cocktail, a beer, or just accept that Outback Taylor Road is not your wine night destination.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· South Bend · Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris South Bend is a reliable wine stop if you calibrate your expectations to 'polished chain steakhouse' and not 'serious wine program.' Send a friend here for a celebration pour — just steer them toward the Sonoma Cutrer and away from the Champagne markup.
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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