California Cab Heaven in the Heartland
Downtown Omaha · Omaha · Steak House · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 17, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Spencer's For Steaks & Chops’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Spencer's arrives looking every bit the upscale steakhouse accessory — leather-bound, California-heavy, and built around the bottles you'd expect to see at a power lunch. It's a confident list that knows its audience: someone who wants a big Napa Cab with their ribeye and isn't here for surprises.
The 200-300 bottle list is essentially a California Cabernet parade, anchored by the usual suspects — Caymus, Silver Oak, Jordan, Stag's Leap, and Opus One. Far Niente shows up on the Chardonnay side, and Duckhorn covers Merlot duty, which at least gives you something to work with beyond red. What you won't find here is much adventure: Old World representation is thin, and if you're hunting for Burgundy, Rhône, or anything that doesn't come with a Napa Valley appellation, you're mostly out of luck. For a hotel steakhouse in Omaha that's held a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2009, the list is well-curated within its lane — it just never leaves that lane.
With 15-25 options by the glass ranging $12-$25, there's enough to work with before committing to a bottle. The program skews predictably toward big reds that make sense alongside prime cuts, but don't expect anything rotating or adventurous in the pour lineup. What's here is consistent and crowd-tested — just don't show up hoping to find something you haven't seen before.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — $40s-$50s by the bottle
Jordan consistently punches above its price in this price tier — it's a polished, food-friendly Alexander Valley Cab that holds its own next to the more expensive Napa bottlings on this list without requiring a second mortgage.
Duckhorn Merlot
Everyone at a steakhouse beelines for Cabernet, which means the Duckhorn Merlot gets overlooked almost every time. It's a serious, plush wine with real structure — great alongside a filet mignon — and you'll likely pay less than the Cab crowd is shelling out for the same quality experience.
Opus One
Opus One is genuinely a great wine, but in a hotel steakhouse setting the markup is going to be brutal relative to what you'd pay at retail. The prestige tax is real here, and there are better-value Napa Cabs on this same list that will make your steak just as happy.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon + Prime dry-aged ribeye
Stag's Leap brings elegance and structure without the sledgehammer tannins some Napa Cabs deliver — it lets the char and dry-aged funk of the ribeye do the talking instead of competing with it. Classic combination, and this is exactly the right version of it.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Spencer's is a reliable, well-maintained California Cab showcase that does its job without drama — it's the wine list equivalent of a well-cooked steak. If you want adventure, look elsewhere; if you want a great glass with a great cut of beef in Omaha, this delivers.
South Central Omaha · Omaha · Steakhouse, American
The Drover is a steakhouse that knows what it is and serves a wine list to match — safe, California-forward, and priced for a special occasion whether you wanted one or not. Send a friend here for the ribeye; tell them to pick Jordan and skip the Caymus tax.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Aksarben Village · Omaha · American Comfort Food
Beacon Hills is a genuinely warm neighborhood spot with food worth coming back for — the wine list, unfortunately, is an afterthought dressed up as a choice. Come on a Monday when bottles are half price, order the Claret, and enjoy the pot roast.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Westroads / Central Omaha · Omaha · Steakhouse
Saltgrass Omaha is a reliable wine stop for steak night, not a destination for wine nerds. Order the Jordan, skip the Caymus markup, and enjoy your beef.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Old Market · Omaha · Brewpub / American
Upstream isn't a wine destination, but it earns real credit for maintaining a 100-bottle list with fair markups and a Monday half-price program that's genuinely generous. If you're here for the beer, great — but don't let that stop you from ordering a bottle of Au Bon Climat.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
West Omaha · Omaha · American with Northwestern, Hawaiian and seafood influences
Twisted Cork is doing something genuinely unusual — a coherent, Northwest-focused wine program in a landlocked city, built around food that actually earns it. The markup inconsistencies are real and the Columbia Crest pricing is embarrassing, but Wine Monday at 50% off bottles resets the math considerably — go on a Monday and this list gets a lot more interesting fast.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
West Omaha · Omaha · Italian
Vincenzo's is not a wine destination — it's a neighborhood Italian where the pasta is the point and the wine list plays a supporting role with zero ambition. Come on a Tuesday, grab the Santa Margherita or the Decoy at half price, and let the list do its job without asking it to do more.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Hartland · Hartland · Steak House
Palmer's is a reliable steakhouse wine list that delivers exactly what its suburban clientele wants — well-known California names, solid execution, and nothing too weird. If you're a wine adventurer, you'll want to temper expectations; if you're celebrating with a ribeye and a Jordan Cab, you'll leave satisfied.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Town Square · Jackson · Steak House
The Million Dollar Cowboy Steakhouse has a sommelier, a Wine Spectator credential, and a list that knows its audience — which is Jackson tourists who want great steak and great Napa Cab, full stop. Send a friend here if they want a proper California red with a serious piece of beef; just warn them to skip Opus One and let Jordan do the work.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Milwaukee · Milwaukee · Steak House
Ward's House of Prime is exactly what it says it is: a classic Milwaukee steakhouse with a wine list built to match big cuts of beef. The Wine Spectator Award of Excellence is well-earned, but don't come looking for adventure — come looking for a great California Cab and a slab of prime rib.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
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