350 Bottles Deep, Zero Surprises
Legacy Area · Plano · Upscale Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 25, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed The Capital Grille’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list arrives like a leather-bound novel you're not sure you have time to finish — 350+ selections organized with corporate precision. It's impressive in volume, California-heavy by design, and leans hard into the kind of bottles that look good on an expense report. Nothing here is going to surprise you, but it will almost certainly satisfy you.
Napa Cabernet is the clear star of this list, with supporting roles from Sonoma Chardonnay and a smattering of Burgundy and Rhône to keep things honest. You'll find familiar names like Orin Swift and Hess alongside slightly more interesting picks like Diatom by Brewer-Clifton, which is about as adventurous as this list gets. Champagne is covered with Mumm Cordon Rouge holding down the celebration crowd. What's missing is any real depth in Old World regions — Burgundy and Rhône are name-dropped in the regional focus but don't appear to be where this kitchen's heart lives.
Glass pour options aren't published transparently, which is a frustration for anyone who wants to explore before committing to a bottle. What we do know is that a sommelier is on staff, so asking for guidance on pours is your best move. Don't just default to the first Cab on the menu — push them a little.
Substance by Charles Smith Cabernet Sauvignon — null
Charles Smith's Substance punches way above its price tier — it's Columbia Valley fruit with real texture and none of the pretension of a Napa label. In a list where the Cabs trend expensive, this one is the smart play for a weeknight steak.
Diatom by Brewer-Clifton Santa Barbara County Chardonnay
Brewer-Clifton is one of Santa Barbara's most respected producers, and Diatom is their leaner, more minerally Chardonnay expression — the opposite of the butter-bomb Cali Chard most people expect in a steakhouse. Most tables will walk right past it, which means more for you.
Mumm Cordon Rouge Brut
Mumm Cordon Rouge is a perfectly fine Champagne at retail. At a high-end steakhouse markup, you're paying a significant premium for a bottle you could pick up at any grocery store. If you want bubbles, push the sommelier for something more interesting at a comparable price.
Orin Swift Palermo Napa Cabernet Sauvignon + Dry-Aged Bone-In Ribeye
Palermo is a big, dark-fruited Cab built for exactly this moment — the char on a dry-aged bone-in ribeye gives the wine's structure something to push against, and the result is the kind of pairing that justifies the price of admission.
The Bottom Line
The Capital Grille Plano is a safe, well-executed wine program with real depth on paper and a knowledgeable staff to help you navigate it — but you're paying steakhouse prices for the privilege, and the list rarely strays outside its California comfort zone. Send your clients here, bring your parents here, but don't expect to be challenged.
· Plano · American Steakhouse Grille
What we have here is a six-bottle wine dinner roster masquerading as a wine program — and every one of those bottles comes from the same producer family. That's not a wine list, that's a sponsorship. Until Del Frisco's Grille Plano puts actual curation into its wine program, we'd suggest leaning into the cocktail menu instead.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
· Plano · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão Plano isn't trying to be a wine destination and doesn't pretend otherwise — but that all-day $6 happy hour on South American wines, anchored by solid producers like Alamos and Calina, gives the list a practical generosity that earns it some respect. If you're here for the churrasco experience, the Catena Malbec at $12 is your move. Wine enthusiasts should calibrate expectations accordingly, but nobody's walking away feeling gouged.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Active Program
Acceptable
· Plano · Steakhouse
Del Frisco's Plano delivers a wine list that does its job without doing anything exciting — it's competent, recognizable, and priced for a room where the company card is doing the heavy lifting. If you're here for the steak and want a bottle that won't embarrass you, the list handles that. If you're here to drink well on your own dime, the markup will sting.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Legacy West · Plano · Italian
Taverna – Legacy West is a solid Italian restaurant with a wine program that reflects its roots in northern Italy — if you stick to the regional Italian selections, you're probably in good shape. We'd love more transparency on pricing and pour options before giving it a stronger endorsement, but for Legacy West, this clears the bar comfortably. Go for the branzino and ask your server what's drinking well from the Piedmont section.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Plano · New American
The Mercury is a safe, competent wine list for a polished New American in Plano — you won't be stuck drinking something bad, but you probably won't discover anything new either. If you're here, the Allegrini Ripasso is worth the detour from the obvious picks, and we'd skip the Moët unless someone else is paying.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Plano · Healthy New American
Flower Child's wine program exists in name only — six unnamed pours between $9 and $10 tell you exactly how much thought went into this. If you're here for the grain bowls and good vibes, great. If you want to drink wine with intention, you're in the wrong place. Order a sparkling water and move on.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Marina District (Golden Nugget) · Atlantic City · Upscale Steakhouse
Vic & Anthony's is a perfectly competent steakhouse wine list doing exactly what a casino steakhouse wine list is supposed to do — just don't expect fair pricing or anything off the beaten path. Order the Decoy, enjoy your steak, and pocket the difference.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Beachside/Ocean Walk · Daytona Beach · Upscale Steakhouse
Hyde Park Prime Daytona is a dependable, well-run wine program in a room that knows what it wants to be — and mostly delivers. Markups will sting, but the sommelier, the depth, and the oceanfront setting make it the right call when the occasion calls for a serious bottle and a serious steak.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
Cool Springs · Franklin · Upscale Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Franklin is a reliable wine execution at a chain price point — nobody's going home unhappy, but nobody's going home with a story either. Go on a Wednesday, hit the half-price bottle promotion, and drink better than the menu's markup would otherwise allow.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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