Solid steakhouse pours, no surprises either way
Downtown Murfreesboro · Murfreesboro · Steakhouse / American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 1, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Alley on Main’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 Alley on Main opens its wine list like a greatest-hits album you've heard a hundred times — Caymus, Jordan, Meiomi, Kim Crawford. It's a California-forward, crowd-friendly lineup that matches the lively downtown energy without challenging anyone. Comfortable, familiar, and priced like they know it.
The list leans hard into Napa and Sonoma, which makes sense for a steakhouse crowd, but there's not much wandering outside those borders. If you're hunting for a Rhône, a Malbec, or anything with a little Old World grit, you're going to be disappointed. The producers on offer — Caymus, Jordan — are quality names but they're also the most requested bottles in every mid-range steakhouse in America, which tells you everything about the ambition level here. Forty to eighty bottles sounds like range until you realize half of them are variations on the same California Cabernet theme.
The by-the-glass program runs roughly 10-18 options and hits all the expected marks — something red, something white, something that sounds fancy enough for a date. Pours are priced $10-$18, which is fair for downtown Murfreesboro but not exactly aggressive value. Don't expect a rotating guest pour or anything that'll make you put your phone down.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — $60
Jordan is a legitimately well-made Sonoma Cab that punches above its typical restaurant markup — if The Alley is pricing it anywhere near the lower end of their bottle range, it's the best quality-per-dollar on the list and a natural match for the ribeye.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc
Most people at a steakhouse sleep on the Sauvignon Blanc, but Kim Crawford is a clean, citrus-driven pour that cuts right through a cream-heavy pasta dish. It's the most underordered bottle at every table that orders pasta, and it shouldn't be.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is a fine wine trapped in a restaurant pricing nightmare. By the time a steakhouse marks it up, you're paying a significant premium for a bottle that's widely available at retail — save it for when you can buy it at the store and enjoy it at home.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon + Ribeye Steak
Jordan's structured tannins and dark fruit stand up to a well-marbled ribeye without bulldozing it — this is the classic California Cab and red meat combo done at its most honest.
The Bottom Line
The Alley on Main is a dependable neighborhood steakhouse wine list — nothing will surprise you, but nothing will embarrass you either. If you're here for the ribeye, grab the Jordan and call it a night.
Rutherford Blvd · Murfreesboro · Japanese / Sushi
Wasabi is a fun spot for teppanyaki and sushi, but the wine list is an afterthought dressed up as a menu section. Order the plum wine, enjoy the hibachi show, and save the serious bottle for somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Murfreesboro · Murfreesboro · Brewpub
Blackhorse is a genuinely good brewpub, and you should absolutely order a pint. The wine list, though, is purely functional — it exists so the person at the table who doesn't drink beer has something to order, and it doesn't pretend to be anything more than that.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Old Fort Pkwy · Murfreesboro · Steakhouse
Logan's Roadhouse in Murfreesboro isn't trying to impress you with wine, and it succeeds. Save your wine budget for somewhere that's actually spending a moment thinking about it — here, order the whiskey.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Old Fort Pkwy · Murfreesboro · American
O'Charley's isn't where you come for a wine experience, but if you're here for the food and want a fair pour at a fair price, the list delivers exactly that. Send a friend here for the Wednesday half-price wine night and keep expectations calibrated.
Crowd Pleasers
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Old Fort Pkwy · Murfreesboro · Tex-Mex / American
Chili's wine program is a checkbox, not a commitment — and the Murfreesboro location is no exception. Drink the margaritas, eat the ribs, and don't let anyone at the table order the bottle.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Murfreesboro · Murfreesboro · Southern comfort food and barbecue
Puckett's is a great night out for live music and serious BBQ — but the wine list is here because it has to be, not because anyone really wanted it. Stick to the A. Marshall pours during happy hour and let the food do the talking.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown / Spalding Hall · Bardstown · Steakhouse / American
The Rickhouse is a perfectly competent steakhouse wine list doing exactly what a steakhouse wine list in bourbon country is supposed to do — familiar names, heavy pours, and enough bottles to keep the table happy. Just go in knowing you're paying for the atmosphere and the ambiance of that historic cellar as much as what's in the glass.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Durango · Steakhouse / American
Ore House delivers a competent, Napa-centric wine list that matches the room and the menu without much ambition beyond that — the markups sting on the trophy bottles, but there are a few smart finds if you know where to look. Send a friend here for steak and the Eroica Riesling; tell them to skip the Silver Oak.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Atherton · State College · Steakhouse / American
Texas Roadhouse is not a wine destination and makes no pretense of being one — the food is the point, and the wine list is a legal obligation. Order a beer, enjoy the rolls, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that earned it.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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