Saltgrass Steak House – Waco
The Ribeye's Great. The Wine List Forgot To Try.
Central Waco / near Richland Mall · Waco · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 16, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
You open the wine menu at Saltgrass and it feels like someone copy-pasted the shelf at a grocery store checkout. Woodbridge, Josh Cellars, Meiomi — these are fine wines, but they're also wines you could grab on the way here for $14 a bottle. The list exists because a steakhouse has to have wine, not because anyone here actually cares about it.
Selection Deep Dive
The list runs 30 to 50 bottles and leans almost entirely on California and Washington State workhorses. Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling is probably the most interesting thing on here, and that's a $10 bottle at Costco. There's no real depth — no Malbec for the steak-and-wine crowd, no aged Cabernet, nothing that says 'we thought about this.' What you get is a branded chain wine program designed to generate margin, not discovery.
By the Glass
Ten to fifteen by-the-glass options sound like a decent count until you realize they're all greatest hits from 2012: Josh Cellars, Kendall-Jackson, Meiomi, Decoy. Rotation appears nonexistent — this is a set-it-and-forget-it pour list. At $10 to $13 a glass, you're paying restaurant prices for wines that retail for less than what a single pour costs you here.
Decoy by Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon — $13/glass
If you're going to order wine here, at least Decoy is actually drinking above its grocery-store peers. It's still a 195% markup on a $22 retail bottle, but it's the closest thing on this list to a wine worth ordering with the ribeye.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
Nobody at a Texas steakhouse orders Riesling, which is exactly why you should. It cuts through rich beef fat better than most of the Cabs on this list, it's priced low, and it'll genuinely surprise your table.
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay
A 284% markup on a $13 retail bottle is the worst value on the list. This is an $8 wine being sold to you at $10 a glass, and it's not even interesting enough to justify the indignity.
Decoy by Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon + Certified Angus Beef Ribeye
Decoy has enough dark fruit and structure to stand up to a well-marbled ribeye without overwhelming the beef. It's the most obvious pairing on the menu, but it's obvious because it works.
❌ The Bottom Line
Saltgrass is here for the steak, and the steak is genuinely good — but the wine program is an afterthought wearing a price tag. Order the ribeye, split a bottle of Decoy if you must, and don't expect anyone on staff to help you think beyond that.
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