Big Steaks, Bigger Markups, Predictable Everything
Bellefield Office Park Area · Bellevue · Upscale American Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 1, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Ruth's Chris Steak House – Bellevue’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 here reads like a greatest hits album from 2008 — Caymus, Silver Oak, Veuve Clicquot, all present and accounted for. It's a corporate list designed to be recognized, not discovered. If you've been to any Ruth's Chris in the country, you already know what you're looking at.
California dominates from first page to last, with Napa Cabs and Chardonnays doing the heavy lifting. There's reportedly some nod to Washington and Oregon wines given the Bellevue location, which is the right instinct, but the core list doesn't stray far from safe national-program staples. Don't come hunting for Willamette Valley Pinot from a small producer or anything from Eastern Washington — this list is built for the business expense account crowd, not the curious drinker. The Old World representation feels like an afterthought rather than a genuine commitment.
Glass pours run $14–$25, anchored by house California Cab and Chardonnay that retail for under $10 a bottle — you're paying a steep premium before you even get to the interesting stuff. The selection by the glass is narrow and unsurprising; don't expect anything that makes you lean forward in your chair. Ruth's Hour on weekday evenings offers some relief with discounted pours at the bar, but it's a deal on a short list, not a revelation.
Belle Glos Pinot Noir 'Las Alturas' Santa Lucia Highlands — $95
At roughly 58% above retail, it's the least punishing markup on the list, and Belle Glos actually delivers the rich, crowd-pleasing Pinot that the steakhouse crowd wants. Not a bargain, but the closest thing to one here.
Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley
Everyone reaches for the Napa bottling, but the Alexander Valley is genuinely more food-friendly with the sizzling plates here — slightly less extracted, more savory, and $40–$50 cheaper on most lists. It's the smarter order even if it doesn't sound as impressive to your dinner guest.
Veuve Clicquot Brut Champagne NV
At $135 a bottle on a ~$70 retail wine, this is the single worst markup on the list at nearly 93% above retail. Veuve is a fine Champagne, but you are absolutely paying for the label recognition in a room full of people doing the same. Hard pass.
Belle Glos Pinot Noir 'Las Alturas' Santa Lucia Highlands + Filet Mignon
The filet is the leanest cut on the menu and the one place where a big Cab actually steamrolls the beef rather than complementing it. Belle Glos brings enough dark fruit and structure to stand up to the sizzling butter without bullying the tenderness out of the filet.
Weekdays (Early Evening) — Ruth's Hour runs on weekday early evenings in the bar and lounge, with discounted wines by the glass and select bottles. Not a dedicated half-price wine night — more of a happy hour with wine deals folded in. Check with the location for current timing.
The Bottom Line
Ruth's Chris Bellevue is a reliable machine for a certain kind of corporate dinner — but the wine list is a profit center dressed up as a wine program, and the markups make that clear. Order the Belle Glos, catch Ruth's Hour if you can, and save the serious wine drinking for somewhere that actually cares.
Old Bellevue · Bellevue · Southern Italian
Carmine's is a dependable wine experience in a room that earns it — the Italian backbone is solid, the Marc Hébrart alone proves someone cared when building this list, and 13 by-the-glass options gives you real choices. Just mind the markups and steer away from the California name-drops.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Redmond Town Center · Bellevue · Steakhouse and Seafood
Matts' isn't a wine destination, but it's not pretending to be one either. The Pacific Northwest focus is smart, the by-the-glass picks punch above the room's casual energy, and $9 oyster bar pours during happy hour is a deal worth showing up for.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Bellevue Square · Bellevue · Asian, Chinese-inspired
On a Wednesday, P.F. Chang's Bellevue is legitimately worth pulling up a chair for wine — half-price bottles with recognizable labels is a deal you won't find at most actual wine bars. Any other night, the list is competent but overpriced for what it is, and you'd be better off sticking to the cocktails.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Active Program
Acceptable
Lincoln Square · Bellevue · American, Global/International, Seafood
Earls Bellevue isn't going to wow any wine nerds, but it's a genuinely solid operation for what it is — fair prices, a few legitimately good bottles, and one of the best mid-week deals in Bellevue if you time your visit right. Come on a Tuesday or Wednesday and grab the Lingua Franca at half price; you'll leave happy.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Old Bellevue · Bellevue · Contemporary Vietnamese
Monsoon Bellevue earns its Wild Card status: a focused Pacific Northwest wine list in a Vietnamese restaurant context is a genuinely smart move, and Wednesday half-price bottles make this one of the better midweek wine deals in Old Bellevue. Show up on a Wednesday, order the Pinot, and let the kitchen do the rest.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Lincoln Square South · Bellevue · Cocktail Bar with New American Small Plates
Civility & Unrest is a legitimately great cocktail bar that happens to have wine on the menu — and that's exactly how it treats it. Come for the cocktails, the atmosphere, and the small plates; skip the wine unless you're ordering the Moscato and splitting a charcuterie board.
Plays It Safe
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Highway 29 corridor · St. Helena · Upscale American Steakhouse
PRESS is the rare place where a 2,700-bottle list actually delivers — deep, well-stored, and staffed by people who know what they're talking about. The pricing is steep by any honest measure, but if Napa Cabernet is your religion, this is the cathedral.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Mauna Lani Resort · Kailua-Kona · Upscale American Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Mauna Lani does exactly what it promises: a deep, California-forward wine list served in proper glassware at steep resort prices inside a flawless steakhouse setting. You won't discover anything new here, but if you're after a great bottle of Napa Cab with your Prime filet and an ocean breeze somewhere nearby, this list will not let you down.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown · Appleton · Upscale American Steakhouse
Vince Lombardi's wine list won't win any awards for creativity, but it's competent, well-suited to the menu, and it won't embarrass the kitchen. If you're here for a prime steak and a reliable bottle of Jordan, you'll leave happy — just don't come looking for discovery.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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