Safe Pours at Unsafe Prices
Midtown · Little Rock · Upscale Modern American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 20, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Table 28 reads like the beverage menu at a chain steakhouse — Caymus, Josh Cellars, Meiomi, La Crema. You've seen this lineup before, probably at a hotel bar in an airport. For a restaurant billing itself as chef-driven and modern, the list doesn't show up to match.
The 40-to-70-bottle list leans hard on California with a nod to France and Italy, but we're talking about the safe, supermarket-tier version of those regions. There's no producer here that required any real hunting — these are wines that distributors drop off without being asked. The French and Italian presence appears to be decorative rather than considered, and there's nothing on the list that suggests anyone spent real time thinking about what belongs next to rabbit rillettes or pork belly. It's a list that checks a box, not one that earns a meal.
Ten to fourteen pours by the glass sounds promising until you realize the roster is built almost entirely from the same familiar labels dominating the bottle list. Expect Meiomi and La Crema doing the heavy lifting on the red side, with no real rotation or seasonality to speak of. It's a Set & Forget program — same wines, same prices, no surprises.
Justin Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles — $65
At roughly 2x retail, the Justin is the least egregious markup on the list and at least delivers a wine with some actual structure and personality. It's the closest thing to a fair deal here, which tells you something about the competition.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling Columbia Valley
Yes, it's marked up nearly 3x retail and yes, it's a supermarket staple — but Ste. Michelle Riesling is genuinely good and wildly underordered at restaurants like this. If you're having the pork belly, a slightly off-dry Riesling is one of the better calls on the menu, even at $32.
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
A $14 retail bottle priced at $40 is a hard sell anywhere. Josh Cellars is a grocery store wine doing grocery store things — there is no version of this that belongs on a $28-to-$45 entree menu, and you shouldn't pay four times what it's worth to find that out.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling Columbia Valley + Pork Belly
Rich, fatty pork belly wants something with a little sweetness and good acidity to cut through the fat. The Ste. Michelle Riesling does exactly that — it's the one pairing on this list where the food and wine actually seem like they were meant to meet.
❌ The Bottom Line
Table 28 serves serious food at serious prices and then phones it in completely on wine. Unless you're steering toward the Justin Cab or making peace with the Riesling-pork belly play, you're better off asking what's on tap.
Rodney Parham / Northwest Little Rock · Little Rock · Mediterranean (Greek/Middle Eastern-influenced)
The Terrace isn't a wine destination, but it's doing the right things on a modest scale — fair prices, a few genuinely good producers, and a list that mostly fits the food. Send a friend here and point them toward the Greywacke or the Albariño.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Little Rock · Little Rock · Seafood / Steakhouse
Oceans at Arthur's is a reliable wine stop if you know what you're walking into — a greatest-hits California list at upscale-restaurant prices, served in a room that earns the splurge on food. Order the Rombauer, skip the Caymus markup, and let the kitchen do the heavy lifting.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Little Rock · New American / Contemporary American
Allsopp & Chapple isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's doing the work — fair markups, a few genuinely interesting bottles, and a list that respects the food it's sitting next to. Send your friends here for dinner; just steer them toward the Lingua Franca and away from the Cakebread.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Riverdale · Little Rock · Mexican and Latin American
The Fold is a converted service station serving solid tacos, and somehow it's also pouring El Enemigo Malbec. We'd send a friend here for the food and tell them to skip the margarita — at least once.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Multiple Little Rock locations · Little Rock · Wood-fired pizza, gourmet salads, and gelato
ZAZA is a solid neighborhood spot that treats its wine list like a useful accessory rather than a centerpiece — and at these prices and this vibe, that's the right call. Send a friend here for pizza and a glass of rosé without hesitation; just don't send them here expecting to be surprised.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Little Rock / River Market · Little Rock · Classic American Steakhouse
Riverfront Steakhouse is a dependable, if uninspired, wine destination — the list does exactly what a classic steakhouse list is supposed to do, but it's not going to excite anyone who's eaten at a great wine-forward restaurant. Come for the views and the steak, order Jordan over Caymus, and don't expect to be surprised.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.