California classics meet Southern comfort food
Downtown / Louisiana Street · McKinney · New American / Southern-inspired · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 28, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Sugarbacon reads like a greatest hits album of California Cabernet — recognizable labels, zero surprises. It fits the room: a buzzy, modern-rustic downtown McKinney spot where the pork belly gets more attention than the Pinot Noir, and rightly so. But for a restaurant with real energy and good food, the wine program feels like it's running on autopilot.
Twenty labels deep and almost entirely California-centric, this list leans hard into Napa and Paso Robles Cabs with a few token gestures toward Sonoma. You've got your Caymus, your Prisoner, your Duckhorn Merlot — all the wines that sell themselves because guests already know the names. Flowers Pinot Noir from Sonoma Coast is genuinely the most interesting bottle on the list, and it sticks out like a good idea at a committee meeting. There are no white wines of note in the research data, no rosé to speak of, and nothing from Europe — which for a Southern-inspired kitchen serving smoked tomatoes and fried chicken, is a real missed opportunity.
Fourteen by-the-glass options is a solid count for a restaurant this size, and the range from $10 to $30 per glass gives people real room to choose. Liberty School Cab at $14 a glass is the obvious workhorse, while the Rombauer Zinfandel at $26 a glass tops out the premium tier. Rotation appears nonexistent — this list looks like it was set and hasn't moved since opening day.
Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles — $14/glass
At $14 a glass, Liberty School is the honest move — it's a well-made Paso Robles Cab with enough dark fruit and structure to hold up to anything on this menu without making you do mental math on your way out.
Flowers Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
Every other bottle on this list is something your uncle has heard of. Flowers is the one wine here that requires actual intention to put on a menu — cool-climate Sonoma Coast Pinot with real elegance. Most people will scroll past it looking for a Cab, which means more for the rest of us.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
At $155 a bottle, you're paying a significant premium for a wine that retails around $80-$90 and has become one of the most mass-produced 'luxury' Cabs on the market. The name still commands the price tag, but the juice stopped earning it years ago.
Rombauer Zinfandel Napa Valley + Sugarbacon (pork belly with smoked tomatoes)
Rombauer Zin is bold, jammy, and built for smoke — exactly what you want next to pork belly and smoked tomatoes. The wine's ripe fruit and spice mirror the dish's richness without getting buried by it.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Sugarbacon is a genuinely fun place to eat, and the wine list won't ruin your night — but it won't add much to it either. Come for the food, order the Liberty School, and save the serious bottle shopping for somewhere else.
Craig Ranch / SH 121 · McKinney · American / Brewhouse
BJ's McKinney is a beer destination with a wine list that exists mostly as a formality — the Wednesday half-price deal is the only reason to engage with it seriously. Come for the craft beer and the Pazookie; the wine is just along for the ride.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
SH 75 Corridor · McKinney · Asian Bistro
P.F. Chang's wine list won't win any awards, but it's doing exactly what it needs to do for a busy suburban dinner crowd. Don't come here for a wine experience — but don't write it off either, especially if you know what to order.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
SH 121 Corridor · McKinney · Steakhouse / American
Saltgrass McKinney is a reliable spot for a Texas-style steak, but the wine list is clearly not why anyone is driving out here. Unless you're sticking to the J. Lohr Pinot or talking someone into splitting the Hampton Water, you're better off ordering a cocktail and calling it a night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Craig Ranch / SH 121 · McKinney · Tex-Mex / Mexican
Blue Goose is a perfectly fun Tex-Mex night out — just don't come here for the wine. Order a margarita, eat the tamales, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that returns the favor.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West McKinney / Custer Area · McKinney · New York-style pizzeria
Durkin's is a legitimately good pizza spot that happens to have a wine list in the same way a convenience store has a wine list — it's there, it's functional, and nobody's proud of it. Come for the pies, order the beer, and if you must have wine, go Louis Martini and don't overthink it.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Adriatica Village · McKinney · Seafood & American
Harry's is a reliable neighborhood anchor for McKinney — the kind of place you bring out-of-town family without stressing about it. The wine list won't blow anyone's mind, but it won't embarrass you either; just steer clear of the grocery-store staples and lean toward the upper end of the bottle list.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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