Corporate Wine List Meets Corporate Steakhouse
Fort Lauderdale · Fort Lauderdale · American Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed February 28, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The Capital Grille wine list is exactly what you'd expect from a national chain steakhouse: safe, familiar, and designed not to offend anyone. It's a leather-bound book of Napa Cabs, big-name Bordeaux, and exactly zero surprises. This is wine-by-committee, built for expense accounts.
The list leans heavily on California prestige labels and French blue chips—think Silver Oak, Caymus, Jordan, with some Penfolds and Antinori thrown in for international flair. You'll find a respectable Bordeaux section with recognizable châteaux, though mostly from accessible vintages. The Italian section plays it safe with Super Tuscans and Amarone. What's missing: anything remotely adventurous, any natural producers, any reason to get excited. It's a wine list built for people who order wine because they're supposed to, not because they want to.
The glass pour program hits the expected notes—a Napa Cab, a Willamette Pinot, a Sancerre, maybe a Malbec. Pours are generous and the selection rotates seasonally, but don't expect anything to challenge your palate. Prices by the glass hover in the $14-$22 range, which isn't unreasonable but isn't exciting either. They'll have something drinkable, just nothing memorable.
Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages — $42
One of the few lighter reds on a Cab-heavy list, drinks well and won't bankrupt you for a Tuesday night steak
Antinori Pèppoli Chianti Classico
Everyone sleeps on this because they're hunting trophy Napa Cabs, but it's got structure, acid, and plays beautifully with the dry-aged ribeye
Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet
Marked up to $175+ when you can find it for $75 retail—the poster child for steakhouse wine pricing
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc + Lobster Mac & Cheese
The only white with enough acid to cut through all that cream and butter—everyone orders Chardonnay here and regrets it
✔️ The Bottom Line
The Capital Grille delivers exactly what it promises: a predictable, well-executed wine program with corporate polish and corporate markup. If you're here on someone else's dime and need a safe Cab, you'll be fine. If you're looking for discovery or value, order a cocktail.
Fort Lauderdale · Fort Lauderdale · Mediterranean
The Terrace Grill isn't where you go to chase down rare bottles or get your mind blown by an unexpected producer — it's where you go to drink well without overthinking it. For waterfront Mediterranean dining in Fort Lauderdale, that's a perfectly respectable offer.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Fort Lauderdale · Fort Lauderdale · Italian, Floridian
La Fuga earns its Wine Spectator hardware with a focused Italian-California list that does right by the food — just be prepared for steep markups on the prestige bottles. Send a friend here when they want serious Italian wine with their pasta and a view.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Fort Lauderdale · Fort Lauderdale · Italian
Anthony's Runway 84 is a Fort Lauderdale institution that knows its audience and delivers exactly what it promises: big Napa names, old-school Italian comfort, and no surprises. Wine-forward diners may find the list a little safe, but the Italian highlights and the fresh Wine Spectator Award of Excellence signal that someone here is paying attention — even if the list isn't ready to take risks.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Ft. Lauderdale Beach · Fort Lauderdale · Steak House
Steak 954 is a legitimately strong wine program for a beach hotel steakhouse — deep on the producers that matter, proper storage, and a by-the-glass count that punches above its weight. Markups are what they are at this address, but if you pick smart, this is a great place to drink wine with a serious piece of beef.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Fort Lauderdale Beach · Fort Lauderdale · French, Japanese
MAASS is the real thing — a sommelier-driven program with genuine depth, proper glassware, and staff that actually knows what's in the cellar. Markups run steep at the top end, but this is a Best of Award of Excellence list for a reason, and it earns every bit of the credential.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Fort Lauderdale · Fort Lauderdale · American, Farm to Table
Daniel's is a legitimate Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence earner — the list is deep, the heavy hitters are all here, and the room is built for serious wine drinking. The markups sting and there's no sommelier pushing you toward discovery, but if you know what you're looking for, this is one of Fort Lauderdale's best bottles-over-dinner experiences.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Hanes Mall / Strickland Rd · Winston Salem · American Steakhouse
Firebirds isn't trying to reinvent anything, and the wine list reflects that — it's a dependable, California-forward selection that does its job without embarrassing itself. If you want adventure, look elsewhere; if you want a solid bottle with a good steak in a comfortable room, this gets you there.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Jersey City Waterfront · Jersey City · American Steakhouse
Fire & Oak is a hotel steakhouse wine list that does exactly what it's supposed to do: make business travelers feel at home and move bottles that everyone recognizes. If you're expecting something beyond that, you're in the wrong restaurant.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Nob Hill / Van Ness Corridor · San Francisco · American Steakhouse
House of Prime Rib is one of San Francisco's great dining institutions and the wine list knows its assignment — California Cabs to drink with California beef, no fuss. It won't thrill anyone looking for adventure, but it won't embarrass anyone either, and for a night built around tableside carving and Yorkshire pudding, that's probably enough.
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.