Southern Steakhouse Hiding a Real Wine List
East Montgomery · Montgomery · Steakhouse / Wine-Focused American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 29, 2026
Wingman Metrics
For a neighborhood gastropub in Montgomery, the wine list here earns a genuine double-take. Thirty-two labels with actual international range — Italy, South Africa, France, Washington — is not what you expect when you walk into a place known for catfish and grits. Someone here cares, and it shows.
The list punches well above its zip code. California anchors it with recognizable crowd-pleasers like Rombauer and Sonoma-Cutrer, but the more interesting picks are tucked underneath: Luigi Einaudi's Dolcetto from Piedmont, Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc from South Africa, and Brotte's Esprit Barville Côtes du Rhône signal that whoever built this list was actually paying attention. Hedges Family Estate representing Washington and Christopher Michael Pinot from Oregon round out the domestic story nicely. The gaps are in Burgundy and anything aged — this is a drink-now list — but for the setting, the breadth is legitimately impressive.
By-the-glass options weren't confirmed in detail, but with 32 labels and a casual gastropub format, expect a working selection of 6-10 pours covering the list's key hits. Don't count on deep rotation or staff-driven curation by the glass — this feels more set-it-and-forget-it than a nightly chalkboard program.
Brotte Esprit Barville Côtes du Rhône — null
Southern Rhône blends at the casual restaurant price point almost always over-deliver. If this is priced like the rest of the list, it's the bottle to order — food-friendly, versatile, and most tables here will walk right past it for the Prisoner.
Luigi Einaudi Dolcetto
Dolcetto from one of Barolo's great estates, at a steakhouse in Montgomery — genuinely did not see that coming. It's a lower-tannin, food-eager red that works brilliantly with lamb or the richer pub fare here. Most people will order the Malbec without a second thought, and that's a mistake.
Prisoner Deranged Red Blend
The Prisoner brand is one of the most aggressively marked-up wines in American restaurants. It's fine, but you're paying for the label. The Domaine Bousquet Malbec or the Einaudi Dolcetto gives you more interesting wine for less money every time.
Domaine Bousquet Reserve Malbec + Steak au Poivre
High-altitude Argentine Malbec has the dark fruit and soft tannins to stand up to a pepper-crusted steak without fighting the sauce. Bousquet's organic farming keeps the wine fresh enough that it doesn't collapse under the cream. It's the obvious call here, and for once the obvious call is correct.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Cork & Cleaver is quietly one of the better wine lists in Montgomery — international range, fair pricing, and actual producer curation hiding behind a Southern gastropub front door. Send your wine-curious friends here and tell them to skip the Prisoner.
Hampstead · Montgomery · Casual American bar food and café fare
The Tipping Point is a solid neighborhood spot that happens to have wine, not a wine destination that also serves food — and that's okay. If you're here for the patio, the burgers, or a casual weeknight out, grab the rosé or the Malbec and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Boulevard / Dalraida · Montgomery · Italian
This is a wine program by committee, for volume, not for pleasure. If someone at your table insists on wine, grab a glass while you're waiting to be seated and enjoy the half-price benefit — but don't plan your evening around what's in the glass.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
East Boulevard · Montgomery · Steakhouse
Outback Montgomery's wine program is a formality, not a feature — it checks the box without breaking a sweat or a single new grape variety. If wine matters to you tonight, order the Riesling, keep expectations grounded, and save the serious bottle for a restaurant that actually cares.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Montgomery · Montgomery · Seafood / Grill
Bonefish Grill Montgomery won't blow your mind, but it won't ruin your dinner either — the glass pour selection is broad enough to find something decent, and Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling with wood-grilled fish is a legitimate move. Just don't expect the wine to be the reason you came.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Montgomery · Southern-influenced global brasserie / fusion
Kinsmith is a beautiful room serving interesting food, and the wine list is the least interesting thing about it. Go for the Gulf seafood, order the Calera or the Pinotage, and keep your expectations calibrated to a solid hotel restaurant rather than a destination wine program.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Riverfront · Montgomery · Cocktail Bar & Lounge with Small Plates
Waterworks is a genuinely fun rooftop spot — order a craft cocktail, enjoy the view, and leave the wine list alone. If you must have wine, keep it simple and cheap; the Bezel by Cakebread upcharge exists solely to test whether you're paying attention.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.