Wine Down Wednesday Can't Save This List
South Tempe · Tempe · American / Neighborhood Bistro · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 30, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The Hudson is a genuinely likable neighborhood spot — warm room, good burgers, approachable crowd — but the wine list reads like someone handed a manager a distributor's top-20 sheet and called it a day. California and Pacific Northwest heavy, with a nod to Argentina, but nothing here is going to make you put down your fork and pay attention.
Thirty to fifty bottles sounds like a reasonable slate until you realize the anchors are supermarket staples like Josh Cellars doing double duty in both red and white. The regional focus on California, Pacific Northwest, and Argentina isn't inherently bad — those three zones can yield genuinely exciting bottles — but The Hudson doesn't dig past the first layer of any of them. No standout producers, no interesting sub-appellations, no reason to stray from the cocktail menu. This is a list built for comfort, not curiosity.
Eight to fourteen pours by the glass is a decent count, but when the marquee bottles we can confirm are Josh Cellars Cabernet and Josh Cellars Chardonnay, the range is doing less work than the number suggests. The Wine Down Wednesday promotion drops bottles to $20, which sounds fun until you realize retail on these runs under $11 — you're still paying close to double even on deal night.
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (Wine Down Wednesday) — $20
It's the best this list offers on a value basis, and only on Wednesdays — at $20 a bottle it's drinkable enough for a casual weeknight out, even if the markup is still steep relative to what's in the bottle.
Josh Cellars Chardonnay (Wine Down Wednesday)
Nobody's ordering Chardonnay here, which means the kitchen might actually be keeping it at a decent temp. It's a crowd-pleaser at its core, but on a hot Tempe evening with fish tacos, it's an easier call than you'd think.
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (full price)
At full list price you're paying a steep premium on a bottle that retails for under $11. Unless it's Wednesday, order a cocktail — The Hudson does those better anyway.
Josh Cellars Chardonnay + Fish Tacos
Look, we're working with what's on the list. The Chardonnay's soft, unoaked-leaning profile won't fight the citrus and crema on the fish tacos, and in the Arizona heat it's cold and it's there.
Wednesday — Wine Down Wednesday — select bottles for $20, including Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon and Josh Cellars Chardonnay.
❌ The Bottom Line
The Hudson is a fine place to eat a burger and drink a beer, but the wine list is on autopilot — familiar labels, steep markups outside of Wednesday's deal, and no evidence that anyone on staff is losing sleep over it. Send a friend here for the food, tell them to drink a cocktail.
Novus / ASU Campus District · Tempe · American Burger & Craft Bar
Eureka! Tempe is a craft beer bar first, a burger spot second, and a wine destination never. Order a local draft, enjoy your Truffle Cheese Fries, and save the wine for a place that's actually trying.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Tempe / Tempe Marketplace · Tempe · Modern Mexican
Blanco is a tequila bar that serves wine as a courtesy, and the list reflects exactly that level of commitment. Come for the cocktails and the Short Rib Machaca Enchiladas — if you want wine, order the bottle with the lowest markup and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
The Buttes / West Tempe · Tempe · Steakhouse-Lean New American
Top of the Rock is a safe, predictable wine list dressed up in a genuinely spectacular setting — you're paying a resort premium for Napa's greatest hits, and the view is doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Send a friend here for the scenery and the steak, but tell them to pick their bottle carefully.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
The Buttes / West Tempe · Tempe · Lounge / New American
Top of the Rock is a perfectly acceptable place to drink wine if the sunset and the occasion are doing the work — just don't expect the list to surprise you or the prices to be anything but hotel-steep. Order the Brunello or the Penner-Ash, enjoy the view, and let it be what it is.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Mill Avenue · Tempe · Cocktail Bar
Filthy Animal is the last place you'd expect to find a real wine list, which is precisely what makes it a Wild Card — the selection punches above the bar's party-school energy, and if you know what to order, you can drink well while everyone else is doing kamikazes. Just don't come here for the value; come for the vibe and the pleasant surprise.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Tempe · Tempe · Wine Bar / Mediterranean Small Plates
Bar Capri isn't trying to be a destination wine program — it's trying to be a really good neighborhood wine bar, and it mostly nails that. The Pasta Night deal alone is worth bookmarking, and the Barolo on a short list is the kind of detail that tells you someone cares.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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