The Wine List That Corporate Built
Valley View / North Roanoke · Roanoke · American Chain · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 10, 2026
RagingWine reviewed TGI Friday's Roanoke’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at TGI Friday's Roanoke isn't really a wine list — it's a laminated insert that exists to justify the bar section on the menu. You get a handful of corporate-approved pours, priced for convenience, chosen for brand recognition over anything resembling quality. If you came here for the wine, we need to talk.
We're working with a micro-roster of mid-shelf domestic brands: 14 Hands Merlot out of Washington and Canyon Road Cabernet Sauvignon from California anchor the program, plus whatever house pour is running the happy hour shift. There's no regional exploration, no Old World presence, no natural or boutique producers, and no apparent curation happening at any level. The list reads like a purchasing manager hit 'sort by price ascending' on a distributor spreadsheet and called it a day. Gaps? The list is almost entirely gaps.
You've got two or three identifiable by-the-glass options plus a house wine that appears at $5 during happy hour and a wine spritzer clocking in around $12.50. The 9oz pour of 14 Hands Merlot at $10.49 is the most 'premium' thing on offer, which tells you everything. Rotation doesn't appear to be a concept here.
Cupcake Rosé NV — $5.00
On the Fridays Five happy hour menu, this is the least offensive play on the list at the lowest price. It's a 6oz pour of a widely available, inoffensive rosé — not exciting, but at $5 you're not paying to be excited.
14 Hands Merlot
We use 'hidden gem' loosely here. In a list this thin, the 14 Hands Merlot from Washington is the closest thing to a legitimate wine choice — it's a real producer, a real region, and actually drinks reasonably well with a burger. Low bar, but it clears it.
Canyon Road Cabernet Sauvignon NV
At $5 a glass during happy hour, Canyon Road Cab sounds fine — until you remember this is a bottle that retails for under $7. You're paying a 429% markup on a wine that grocery stores sell as a checkout-line impulse buy. Hard pass at any price outside of desperation.
14 Hands Merlot + Jack Daniel's Whiskey-Glaze Burger
The smoky-sweet whiskey glaze on the burger actually needs something with a little fruit weight to hold up against it, and the 14 Hands Merlot is soft and ripe enough not to fight the sauce. It's not a sophisticated pairing — it's a functional one, which is all we can ask for here.
The Bottom Line
TGI Friday's Roanoke is a fine place to grab a beer or a Jack and Coke, but the wine program is a corporate afterthought with steep markups on bottom-shelf bottles. Order a cocktail, save the wine for somewhere that gives a damn.
· Roanoke · Wine Shop / Wine Bar
The Jolly Grape has a brand that promises more than five bottles, three of which are the same grape from the same region. Until the list grows up to match the name, order the Peyrassol and call it a night.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Roanoke · Seasonal Small Plates / Wine Bar
Bloom is a genuinely wine-forward neighborhood spot in a city that doesn't have many of them — that alone earns it some goodwill. We'd want more list transparency before calling it a destination, but it's an easy yes for a date night in Roanoke.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
· Roanoke · American / Deli & Grill
Montano's wine list is inoffensive, modestly priced, and almost entirely forgettable — a functional afterthought at a spot where food and atmosphere are clearly the point. If you need wine, the Albariño is your move; otherwise, this is a beer-and-cocktails kind of place.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Roanoke · Fine Dining / New American
Table 50 does more with 68 labels than most fine dining rooms do with twice as many — the fortified wine section alone earns it a second look. If you're eating in Roanoke and care about what's in your glass, this is where you go.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Roanoke · Roanoke · Cocktail Bar with Neapolitan-style Pizza
Stellina is a cocktail bar that happens to have a thoughtful four-bottle wine list, which is more than most cocktail bars can say. If you're there for the vibe and the pizza, the wine program will take care of you just fine — don't show up expecting a deep cellar.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Hollins / North Roanoke · Roanoke · Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi
Tokyo is a hibachi restaurant that happens to have wine, not the other way around — and that's fine, but don't make the wine the reason you come. Stick to the sake options, keep your glass price low, and enjoy the show.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Dirksen Parkway / Sunrise Drive · Springfield · American Chain
We wouldn't send anyone to Applebee's specifically for the wine, and we won't start now. If you're here, you're here for the food, the vibe, or the company — and that's perfectly fine. Just know that the wine list is purely incidental.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Springfield · Springfield · American Chain
The markup is shockingly fair, but you're paying near-retail for wines you could grab at Walgreens on the way home. Order a cocktail, order a beer, and save the wine night for literally anywhere else.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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