Red Meat, Red Wine, No Surprises
Creekside / IH-35 Corridor · New Braunfels · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 6, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Saltgrass Steak House – Creekside Crossing’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list here is basically the steakhouse greatest hits album — you've heard every track before, but at least they're the right tracks for this setting. California Cabs dominate, which makes sense when half the table is ordering ribeyes. Don't come expecting discovery; come expecting a dependable pour to go with your beef.
The list runs 40-70 bottles and leans hard into California, with a nod to Texas producers that at least shows some regional self-awareness. You'll find recognizable names like Stag's Leap, Jordan, and Rombauer anchoring the upper end, while Josh Cellars handles the entry-level crowd. There's no real depth here — no old-world alternatives, no interesting outliers — but the core lineup does exactly what a Texas steakhouse needs it to do. Gaps are wide: if you want Burgundy, Rhône, or anything remotely esoteric, you're at the wrong address.
Ten to fifteen options by the glass, priced between $9 and $16, which is a reasonable spread for a chain steakhouse in New Braunfels. The roster skews red and California-heavy, which tracks with the menu. Don't expect rotation or seasonal curation — this list was set and forgotten.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — $16
If this is topping out around the $16 glass ceiling, Jordan is the most legitimate wine on the list — structured, food-friendly, and a producer that actually earns its reputation. Get this over anything else if you're splitting a bottle mentality on a glass pour.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
Most people at a chain steakhouse reach for Josh Cellars out of habit or Rombauer Chardonnay out of reflex. Stag's Leap is the more interesting Cab on this list — more restrained and structured than the big fruit-forward crowd pleasers, and it actually holds up better against a well-seasoned ribeye.
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
Josh Cellars is a $12 grocery store bottle sitting on a steakhouse wine list at a meaningful markup. Nothing wrong with the wine in its natural habitat, but you're paying restaurant prices for supermarket shelf stock. Spend the extra few dollars and step up.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon + Ribeye
Jordan's structure and mild tannins cut through the fat on a well-marbled ribeye without overwhelming it — this is the combo the list was quietly built for, even if nobody on staff will tell you that.
The Bottom Line
Saltgrass Creekside is not a wine destination, and it doesn't pretend to be — the list exists to sell bottles alongside steaks, and it does that competently enough. If you stick to Jordan or Stag's Leap and skip the grocery-store bottles, you'll drink fine.
· New Braunfels · Wine bar and bottle shop
A deliberately small list that earns your trust with fair prices and genuine variety — this is what a neighborhood bottle shop wine program should look like. If you're passing through New Braunfels and want a real glass of wine without paying restaurant-markup prices, this is the move.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New Braunfels · Tex-Mex
Chuy's is a genuinely great time if you surrender to the margaritas and queso — but the wine list is a placeholder, not a program. Send your friends here for the fajitas, not the Cabernet.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New Braunfels · Wine bar / lounge
The Clubhouse on Castell is a legitimate wine bar doing real work in a market that doesn't demand it, and that's exactly why it deserves your attention. Send your wine-curious friends here — they'll leave having drunk better than they expected.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Creekside / IH-35 Corridor · New Braunfels · American Casual
We wouldn't send anyone to BJ's Creekside specifically for the wine list — but if you're already there for the Pizookie and a Tuesday lands on your calendar, those half-price bottles are a legitimate deal. Come for the beer, and if you must drink wine, come on a Tuesday.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Creekside / I-35 Corridor · New Braunfels · Steakhouse
Saltgrass New Braunfels serves a wine list that was assembled by a committee in Houston and hasn't been questioned since. It functions — you'll find something drinkable — but if wine matters to you tonight, manage expectations before you sit down.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · New Braunfels · From-scratch American comfort food with Hill Country influences, brunch and brewery
The Root Cellar is a brewery first and a wine destination never — but the list earns its keep with fair prices, a Texas wine you should actually try, and the quietly baffling joy of prosecco on tap next to a craft IPA. Come for the biscuits, stay curious about the wine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Irvine · Steakhouse
Bourbon Steak Irvine is running one of the most ambitious wine programs in Orange County — 225 labels, 31 by the glass, and a list with genuine personality beyond the expected steakhouse anchors. Markups get steep at the top end, but the by-the-glass range at the $15–$32 tier offers real drinking at fair prices. If you care about what's in your glass, this list rewards the attention.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Irvine · Steakhouse
The Capital Grille Costa Mesa is exactly what it is: a well-run corporate steakhouse with a Champagne list that punches above the room's ambition and a Chardonnay section that covers the safe California bases reliably. Markups are steep throughout and the list doesn't take any risks, but if you know what you want — a glass of Hartford Court or a bottle of Schramsberg before your steak — you'll be fine. Just don't come looking for discovery.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Honolulu · Steakhouse
The Capital Grille Hawaii's wine list does what the brand does everywhere — it's safe, corporate, and priced to capture resort-market margins. The Champagne selection is genuinely deep and includes some worthwhile picks like the Paul Bara and the Llopart Cava, but markups are steep and there's little here to excite anyone looking beyond the obvious. If you're here for a steak and want bubbles, you'll find something that works — just don't expect the list to dazzle you.
Plays It Safe
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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