Classic steakhouse pours, no surprises required
Lake Hollingsworth area · Lakeland · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 6, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Texas Cattle Company’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 Texas Cattle Company reads exactly like you'd expect from a downtown Lakeland steakhouse that's been doing this for decades — familiar names, safe bets, and a few brand-name splurges for the table celebrating something. It's not trying to surprise you, and it doesn't. What it does do is give you enough recognizable bottles to pair with a ribeye without breaking a sweat.
The 30-45 bottle list leans hard on California, which makes sense for a steakhouse — Caymus 'Bonanza' Cab, Orin Swift 'Bloodlines', and Emmolo Merlot cover the bold red bases without much imagination. There's a nod to the Pacific Northwest with Dark Harvest Chardonnay from Washington, Elouan Pinot Noir from Oregon, and Oyster Bay Pinot Noir representing New Zealand. Argentina gets a respectable entry with Nieto Senetiner's 'Don Nicanor' Malbec, and Italy covers the lighter-drinker territory with Torresella Prosecco and Barone Fini Pinot Grigio. What's missing: anything from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhône, Spain, or any small producer worth getting excited about.
Fifteen by-the-glass options is genuinely solid for a steakhouse of this scale — ranging from $7 for Canyon Road White Zinfandel up to $21 for something with a bit more ambition. The glass list mirrors the bottle list in personality: crowd-pleasing, brand-forward, and built for the guest who wants a glass of 'the Caymus' without flipping through a novel. Rotation doesn't appear to be a priority here — this list feels like it's been mostly the same for a while, and that's both its comfort and its ceiling.
Nieto Senetiner 'Don Nicanor' Malbec — $12/glass (estimated)
Don Nicanor is Nieto Senetiner's upper-tier Mendoza label — structured, dark-fruited, and built to handle a flame-broiled ribeye without flinching. It consistently punches above its price point and offers more complexity than anything else in its price range on this list.
Orin Swift '8 Years in the Desert'
Most tables here are ordering the Caymus 'Bonanza' on autopilot, but Orin Swift's Zinfandel-based blend is the more interesting glass — layered, slightly wild, and a better conversation starter than anything else on this list. It's still crowd-friendly enough that you won't shock your dining companion, but it actually has a personality.
Torresella Prosecco
At $9 a glass on a $13 retail bottle, you're paying 408% markup for a forgettable baseline Prosecco with no discernible reason to exist on a steakhouse list. Order a cocktail instead, or save the sparkling moment for somewhere that stocks something worth celebrating with.
Emmolo by Caymus Merlot + Flame-broiled ribeye
Emmolo is Napa Merlot done right — plush and fruit-forward without going flabby, with enough structure to cut through ribeye fat and hold its own against char. It's the kind of glass that makes a classic steakhouse dinner feel like it was planned that way.
The Bottom Line
Texas Cattle Company isn't a wine destination, but it's a competent steakhouse list that gets the job done — pick the right bottle and your ribeye dinner stays on track. Just don't come here expecting discovery; come here expecting to eat well and drink well enough.
South Lakeland · Lakeland · Italian Chef's Table
Scarpa's is doing more with wine than most of Lakeland, and the Italian selections show genuine care. Markups on the prestige bottles get steep fast, but lean toward the house Brunello and the overlooked Italian producers and you'll eat and drink well.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Lakeland · Lakeland · Italian Bar
Scarpa's is doing something genuinely unusual for its market — a curated, Italy-forward list with real producers that you'd be happy to find in a major city wine bar. The markups on the top shelf are steep, but the depth of the by-the-glass program and the presence of names like Produttori and Ridge mean there's value hiding in this list if you know where to look.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Lakeland · Lakeland · Seafood
Red Lobster's wine list does its job in the narrowest possible sense — it gives people something to drink. But there's no value play here, no curiosity, no effort. Order the cocktail or a beer and spend your wine money somewhere that earned it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Lakeland · Lakeland · Italian
Carrabba's isn't where you go to discover wine, but it's where you go to drink something decent without getting ripped off. Send a friend here if they want a familiar Italian night with a glass that makes sense — just steer them toward the Italian side of the list.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Lakeland · Lakeland · Steakhouse
Come for the steak, order whatever beer they have on draft, and save the wine conversation for somewhere else. LongHorn isn't pretending to be a wine destination, and at least the prices reflect that — but the list has the ambition of a footnote.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Lakeland · Lakeland · Italian-American
Olive Garden is not a wine destination and never claimed to be — the wine list exists to generate margin, not to inspire. Order the Chianti, enjoy the breadsticks, and save the serious bottle for another night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Plano · Steakhouse
Steve Fields clearly puts its energy into the kitchen, not the cellar — and at these price points, that imbalance is hard to ignore. Order the Evesham Wood if it's still there, and otherwise come for the steak, not the wine list.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Diego · Steakhouse
Greystone is a reliable, if predictable, steakhouse wine list — the kind where you can always find something decent but you'll rarely be surprised. Skip the Opus splurge, order the Paradigm, and you'll walk out satisfied.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Diego · Steakhouse
Morton's San Diego is spending more energy on the wedge salad than the wine list, and it shows. Come for the steak, order carefully, and don't expect much beyond the obvious.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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