Comfort Food Gets a Decent Wine Sidekick
Eastside / Michigan Avenue Corridor · Lansing · New American Bistro · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 7, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Soup Spoon Café’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Walking into Soup Spoon Café, you're not expecting a wine revelation — and you won't get one. But the list is tighter and more considered than the cozy soup-and-sandwich vibe suggests. For a neighborhood bistro in Lansing, this is genuinely better than it needs to be.
Thirty to forty labels covering Napa, Willamette Valley, Rioja, Sicily, the Rhône, and even Vinho Verde — that's a reasonable passport for a café of this size. There's clear intent here: La Rioja Alta Viña Alberdi sits next to Feudo Montoni Catarratto from Sicily, which tells us someone on staff has at least flipped through a wine atlas. Gaps exist — Burgundy is absent, there's nothing from Germany beyond the St. Urbans-Hof Riesling — but the selections that are here lean quality over filler. The $28–$55 bottle range keeps things accessible without bottoming out into table-wine territory.
Ten to fifteen pours by the glass at $8–$14 is a solid spread for this format — you can explore without committing to a bottle. The Saumur Chenin Blanc and Arca Nova Vinho Verde give the program some texture and personality beyond the usual California suspects. Rotation doesn't appear to be a strong suit, but the standing lineup covers enough ground to satisfy most tables.
La Rioja Alta Viña Alberdi Tempranillo, Rioja Alta — $38
Viña Alberdi is a legitimate Rioja Reserva from one of the appellation's most respected houses. Finding it in this price range at a neighborhood café is a genuine win — you'd pay double at a proper steakhouse.
Feudo Montoni Catarratto Bianco, Sicilia
Most tables will walk right past this for the Chardonnay, and that's a mistake. Feudo Montoni is a serious organic producer in the Sicilian interior, and Catarratto at this price is the kind of crisp, mineral white that makes the whole meal feel lighter.
Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Duckhorn is a perfectly fine wine, but it's also available at every Total Wine in America and every safe-choice restaurant list from here to Phoenix. The markup here doesn't make it a bargain, and for that spend you could be drinking the Viña Alberdi instead.
Saumur Chenin Blanc + Homemade Soup (daily special)
A good bowl of soup — especially something creamy or vegetable-forward — needs a white with acidity and a little body. Saumur Chenin Blanc threads that needle perfectly: enough structure to cut through richness, enough brightness to keep it from feeling heavy.
The Bottom Line
Soup Spoon Café isn't a wine destination, but it earns its keep — fair prices, a few genuinely interesting bottles, and a list that punches above its weight for a Michigan Avenue bistro. Send a friend here with confidence, just don't expect the staff to geek out with you.
East Lansing · Lansing · Mexican
El Azteco is a beloved college-town institution, and the wine list knows its place — it's there so you can technically order wine, not because anyone thought hard about it. Stick to the margaritas; they're the real program here.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Lansing · Lansing · American, Brew Pub, Bar
Beggar's Banquet is a beloved East Lansing institution and the wine list reflects that — it's comfortable, familiar, and a little overpriced. Come on a Wednesday when half-price bottles make the steep markups survivable, order the bubbles, and remember that the beer list is probably the real reason everyone keeps coming back.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
East Lansing · Lansing · American bar & grill
Peanut Barrel is a beloved East Lansing institution and a genuinely great place to grab a burger and a beer — emphasis on the beer. The wine list is a placeholder, not a program, and no one at the table or behind the bar is pretending otherwise.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Lansing · Lansing · Hotel Restaurant
If you're staying at the Crowne Plaza or just need a reliable glass of wine before a meeting in Lansing, Kindred Table won't let you down — prices are fair, the producers are legitimate, and nobody's trying to fleece you. Just don't come expecting discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Old Town Lansing · Lansing · Gastropub
Zoobie's isn't where you go to geek out on wine, but if you're meeting friends for dinner in Old Town and someone at the table insists on a glass, you won't be stuck with regret. Grab the Malbec or the Mawby rosé, let everyone else argue about the beer list.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Okemos · Lansing · Seafood and American
Real Seafood Company Okemos is a dependable neighborhood anchor where the wine list won't embarrass you or excite you — fair prices and familiar faces make it easy, just don't come expecting discovery. Order the La Marca with the oysters and leave the wine nerd hat at home.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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