Crawfish Yes, Wine List No
South Bethlehem · Bethlehem · American, Southern, Cajun & Creole
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 14, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Bayou: Southern Kitchen & Bar’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The Bayou is a great place to drink a beer or throw back a bourbon — and that's exactly the energy this list communicates. Wine is clearly an afterthought here, shoved onto the drink menu between craft drafts and cocktails like a relative nobody invited. If you came for the shrimp and grits, you'll be fine. If you came for the wine, wrong bayou.
The list is essentially a short row of California grocery-store staples: Block Nine Pinot Noir, Robert Mondavi Private Selection Merlot, Juggernaut Cabernet Sauvignon, Bogle Sauvignon Blanc, and Ca' Del Sarto Pinot Grigio. There's no regional depth, no producer story, no Old World presence — just a handful of brands you'd find next to the paper towels at Total Wine. To be fair, the wines aren't offensive, but the selection makes zero effort to complement the kitchen's Cajun and Creole cooking. A crisp Muscadet or even a basic Côtes du Rhône would do wonders alongside a bowl of gumbo — but that's a conversation for a different restaurant.
Everything here is by the glass — there's no bottle program to speak of based on what we can see. Glass pours run $10–$11, which sounds reasonable until you clock that Bogle Sauvignon Blanc retails for $10 a bottle and they're charging $11 a glass. The markup math on these pours is aggressive for wines that don't exactly inspire awe at any price.
Juggernaut Cabernet Sauvignon — $11
It's the most drinkable option on a thin list, and at a retail price of $16 a bottle, the markup is at least less punishing than its neighbors. If you're having the fried chicken or a burger, this is the least painful choice.
Block Nine Pinot Noir
It won't blow any minds, but Block Nine is a reliable Central Coast Pinot that tends to punch a bit above its shelf tier. On a list this short, it's the closest thing to an interesting pour — lighter-bodied enough to work with the spicier dishes without fighting them.
Bogle Sauvignon Blanc
Bogle Sauvignon Blanc retails for around $10 a bottle. Paying $11 a glass for it is a 210% markup on a wine that's perfectly fine from your own fridge. Pass and get a cocktail instead — the bar program here is clearly where the love is.
Block Nine Pinot Noir + Shrimp and Grits
The lighter body and fruit-forward profile of the Block Nine won't steamroll the delicate shrimp, and its mild earthiness plays well against the creamy grits. It's not a perfect match by design, but it's the best this list can offer for that dish.
❌ The Bottom Line
The Bayou is a genuinely fun Southern bar and kitchen — just don't come here for the wine. Order a cocktail, eat the fried chicken, and leave the wine nights for somewhere that actually wants to host them.
Bethlehem Township · Bethlehem · Japanese
Kome isn't building a destination wine program, but they're doing enough right to drink well here — especially if you dig past the familiar labels. The markups ask you to pay for the ambiance, but the Taurasi and the local Grüner are genuine finds worth the trip.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Historic Downtown · Bethlehem · Brewpub / American
Fegley's Bethlehem Brew Works is a genuinely great brewpub doing a lot of things right — wine just isn't one of them. Come for the craft beer, skip the wine list, and nobody gets hurt.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Bethlehem · Bethlehem · Gastropub
The Goosemen is a perfectly decent place to eat a burger and drink a beer — but the wine list is a cash grab dressed up as a menu. The Wednesday half-price bottle promotion is the only reason to think about wine here at all; on any other night, order something from the tap.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Bethlehem Township · Bethlehem · Sports Bar / American
Copperhead Grille is a perfectly fine sports bar where you should order a beer. If it has to be wine, show up on a Monday when the by-the-glass options are half price — that's the only math here that makes sense.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown Bethlehem · Bethlehem · Italian
Tre Scalini isn't trying to be a wine destination, but the Italian-focused list is coherent, fairly priced, and punches above its Bethlehem zip code. If you're eating pasta this good, you owe it to the meal to drink something Italian alongside it.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Historic Downtown · Bethlehem · American, Contemporary, Mediterranean-influenced
Apollo Grill won't earn a wine destination reputation, but for downtown Bethlehem, it's doing the job honestly — fair prices, more glass options than you'd expect, and a few genuinely good bottles hiding in plain sight. Send a friend here without hesitation; just steer them past the Meiomi.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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