Southern Steakhouse Hiding a Real Wine List
East Montgomery · Montgomery · Steakhouse / Wine-Focused American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 29, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Cork & Cleaver’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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.
EastChase · Montgomery · Seafood Bar
Bonefish Grill isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the three-label bar menu makes that abundantly clear. Order a cocktail, enjoy the fish, and save your wine curiosity for a restaurant that shares it.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Montgomery · Steakhouse
This is a wine list by legal obligation, not by passion. Order a cocktail, a beer, or just accept that Outback Taylor Road is not your wine night destination.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Cloverdale · Montgomery · French Wine Bar
Frenchie's is doing something genuinely rare for Montgomery — committing to a French wine bar identity in a city that mostly plays it safe — and that alone earns them the Wild Card. Come for the duck confit and the atmosphere; just go in ready to explore rather than expecting a deep, curated cellar.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Montgomery · New American
La Jolla isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's putting in more effort than most restaurants in Montgomery. Fair prices, a surprising Loire pick hiding in plain sight, and enough glass options to keep the table happy all night.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Alley Entertainment District · Montgomery · Upscale American, Contemporary Southern
Central is the kind of place where the wine list supports the meal without stealing the spotlight — which is exactly what a restaurant like this needs. Send your friends here for dinner; just steer them toward the Rhône white or the Pinot Gris and away from the Rombauer markup.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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