The Menu's Massive. The Wine List Isn't.
Riverside Plaza · Riverside · American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 24, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Cheesecake Factory – Riverside Plaza’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You open a menu the size of a small novel and find a wine list that reads like the endcap at a grocery store. Kendall-Jackson, Kim Crawford, Meiomi — every name here is a billboard you've driven past a hundred times. There's nothing wrong with any of it, exactly, but there's nothing interesting about it either.
The list runs 30-50 bottles and leans almost exclusively on California and Washington workhorses with zero adventurousness. Producers like Robert Mondavi Private Selection, Josh Cellars, and Joel Gott 815 are reliable enough in your kitchen, but at restaurant markup they feel like a shrug dressed up as a choice. There's no old world representation to speak of, no natural wine, no interesting regional picks — just the same cast of characters you'd find at a hotel bar in any American city. The Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling is the only wine here that suggests someone on the buying side was even briefly curious.
Twelve to eighteen pours by the glass sounds generous until you realize it's the same rotating-but-not-really lineup you'll find at every other Cheesecake Factory from here to Boca Raton. Glass prices run $11–$15, which is fair for the neighborhood but steep when you consider the retail cost of what's in the glass. Rotation appears minimal — this list feels like it was set and left alone.
La Crema Pinot Noir — $15/glass
At $18 retail, La Crema is the one bottle on this list where the markup actually eases up — around 217% versus the 300%+ everything else is pulling. It's a known quantity, sure, but it's legitimately decent Pinot Noir and the relative deal on this list is hard to ignore.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
Most people at this table are ordering the Chardonnay or the Cab without thinking twice. Meanwhile, the Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling from Columbia Valley is $11 a glass and actually has something to say — a little stone fruit, a little tension, not sweet in the way people fear. Order it with the Orange Chicken and quietly feel superior.
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay
At $49 a bottle, you're paying roughly 3.5x retail for one of the most aggressively marketed Chardonnays in American grocery history. It's not bad wine. It's just not worth $49 when you can grab it for $11 on the way home. The markup here is the highest on the list and the wine gives you nothing you couldn't get elsewhere for less.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling + Orange Chicken
The Riesling's natural acidity and subtle sweetness are built to handle the sticky citrus-forward glaze on the Orange Chicken without getting bulldozed. It's one of the few wine-and-dish moments at this restaurant that feels like it was thought through rather than stumbled into.
The Bottom Line
The Cheesecake Factory is a reliable place to eat a large meal with a large group — the wine list exists to generate margin, not pleasure. Order the Riesling or the La Crema, skip the bottle service entirely, and maybe grab a cocktail instead.
· Riverside · Gastropub
Brickwood isn't a wine destination, but it's a genuinely fair deal — honest prices, lots of glass options, and a list that doesn't try to squeeze you. Send a friend here if they want a decent pour without overthinking it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Riverside · Hotel Bar & Casual Dining
The Placery is a wine list in the same way a hotel gym is a fitness center — technically true, but you're not here to get serious. Order a cocktail or grab the Ste. Michelle Cab if you need a bottle, and save your real wine night for somewhere that cares.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Canyon Crest · Riverside · Winery Bistro
Canyon Crest Winery is a genuine local gem for Riverside residents who want to drink well without driving to Temecula. It's not a deep-list destination, but for a casual pour at fair prices in a relaxed setting, it earns its spot on the map.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Riverside · Riverside · Steakhouse / Buffet
Sizzler's wine program is a formality, not a feature. Come for the salad bar and the cheese toast, order a soda or a beer, and save your wine curiosity for literally anywhere else.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
La Sierra / Tyler Mall · Riverside · American / Sports Bar
Yard House is a beer destination that happens to pour wine, and the wine list knows its place. Unless you're genuinely stuck here and need something in a glass, skip the wine, order a craft draft, and let the beer list do what it was built to do.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Riverside · Riverside · Steakhouse
Cask 'n Cleaver isn't a destination for wine, but it's not embarrassing either — come for the prime rib, pick Jordan Cab, and call it a solid night. If you're serious about the bottle, check the markup before you commit.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Baltimore · American
Give the international and local sections a look before defaulting to Burgundy. Sula at $70 and Old Westminster at $90 offer different budget options. These are posted bottle prices, not guaranteed stock; confirm availability. This menu guide doesn't rate service or cellar conditions.
· Key West · American
Caroline's Café is not a wine destination, and it's not trying to be — the identical pricing across all five house labels makes that abundantly clear. If you're in Key West looking for something interesting in your glass, keep walking; if you just need a cold pour of Chardonnay with your lunch and aren't asking questions, $8 gets you there without drama.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kerns · Portland · American
Noble Rot is the rare restaurant wine program that would hold up as a standalone wine bar — deep list, sharp staff, fair prices, and a view that makes the whole experience feel earned. Send your friends here. Send yourself here.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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