Shula's Steakhouse

The wine list at Shula's reads like every other chain steakhouse in America: the usual suspects marked up to eye-watering heights. Walking in, you know exactly what you're getting before you even crack the leather-bound list — Caymus, Duckhorn, maybe a token Barolo at triple retail.

The selection sticks hard to the corporate playbook: safe California cabs, predictable Napa names, and a smattering of French and Italian reds that feel obligatory rather than curated. There's no regional exploration, no surprises, just the wines every distributor pushes to every steakhouse chain from coast to coast. The list favors big brands over interesting producers, and the markup structure suggests they're banking on expense accounts rather than wine lovers. You won't find natural wines, orange experiments, or emerging regions here — just the wines your boss ordered in 2005.

The glass program is minimal and predictable: a house cab, a house chardonnay, maybe a Malbec if you're lucky. Pours are generous but the selections rotate about as often as the furniture. Expect standard 6-ounce pours from bottles opened who knows when, served in generic stemware that treats a $15 wine the same as a $30 one.