Permanently closed · Reported closed at the end of August 2024 (Anchorage Daily News)
Anchorage's Most Serious Wine Program, Period
Downtown · Anchorage · New American / Contemporary with Global Influences · Visit Website ↗
Updated October 2026
Reviewed June 21, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed The Marx Bros. Café’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into a converted Victorian house in downtown Anchorage and being handed a 200-plus bottle wine list feels like finding a functioning espresso machine in a fishing cabin — unexpected, impressive, and a little disorienting. The list leans into familiar prestige territory: Napa, Willamette, Burgundy, Pacific Northwest. It's a curated selection that takes itself seriously, which, given that we're 2,000 miles from the nearest wine region, deserves real credit.
The list covers its bases well without breaking much new ground — think Stag's Leap Cabernet anchoring the Napa section, Domaine Drouhin Oregon holding it down for Willamette Valley Pinot, and Chateau Ste. Michelle representing the Pacific Northwest with dependable Riesling. Burgundy makes an appearance but doesn't run deep. There's a noticeable absence of natural wine, skin-contact options, or anything from the Southern Hemisphere — this is a classicist's list, built to please a fine-dining crowd that wants confidence over discovery. For Anchorage, the breadth is genuinely impressive; judged against a major city, it's solid but safe.
Somewhere in the 10-to-15 glass range, the by-the-glass program gives you enough to work with across a tasting menu or multi-course meal. Rombauer Chardonnay almost certainly anchors the white side of the pour list — it's crowd-pleasing, rich, and exactly what this room's clientele expects. Rotation appears minimal; this is a set-it-and-let-it-run program rather than something being refreshed weekly.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling — $45
At the lower end of the bottle range, Ste. Michelle Riesling punches well above its price point in this context. It's a versatile, food-driven wine that works across half the menu — and in a room where bottles start climbing fast, it's the smartest order on the table.
Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir
Most tables here gravitate toward the Napa Cabs, but Drouhin's Oregon Pinot is the more interesting bottle. It bridges Old World elegance and New World fruit in a way that flatters the kitchen's seafood-forward cooking — and it tends to get overlooked whenever a Stag's Leap sits two lines above it on the list.
Rombauer Chardonnay
Rombauer is a reliable wine, but it's also one of the most marked-up labels in American fine dining. You're paying a premium for brand recognition, and in a room this far from a distribution hub, that markup only compounds. The wine itself won't disappoint — but your wallet will.
Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir + Pan-seared halibut with seasonal sauce
Alaska halibut is mild, meaty, and delicate enough to be overwhelmed by a big red. Drouhin's Pinot has the structure to match the fish without steamrolling it — earthy, red-fruited, with enough acidity to cut through whatever butter or cream shows up in the sauce.
The Bottom Line
The Marx Bros. Café is the best wine program in Anchorage by a significant margin, and that's not a backhanded compliment — it's a genuinely thoughtful list in a room that knows how to use it. Just go in with eyes open on pricing, order the Drouhin, and enjoy being somewhere that actually gives a damn about what's in your glass.
Girdwood · Anchorage · Cajun and Steakhouse with Alaska Seafood
Double Musky Inn's official notice lists a planned reopening on December 10, 2026. Do not treat the former wine choices on this page as current availability while the restaurant is temporarily closed. Check the date and current wine list directly before making plans.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Anchorage · Fine Dining
A wine-bar list with real range: 29 pours with glass and bottle prices, and 73 bottles from $31 to $1,200. Start with the Dr. Loosen Red Slate Riesling at $38 or the Chateau Recougne Bordeaux Superieur at $40, and step up to the Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir at $84 (or the 375 mL half at $46) if you want something to build the dinner around. Confirm prices, since neither list shows a date. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown · Anchorage · Craft Brewery & Wood-Fired Cuisine
A brewhouse with a real two-column wine list: 40 wines, 18 by the glass at $9.95 to $14.95, and bottles up to $155.95. Start with the $9.95 Mionetto Prosecco or the $11.95 Rainstorm Pinot Gris by the glass, or order the $65.95 Hugel with the halibut, and confirm prices because the dinner menu carrying the list is printed June 11 - 24. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Anchorage · Anchorage · American
A very large list with real range: 18 glass pours and bottles from $41 to $13,000. Order the $51 Kermit Lynch 'Terra Viva' or the $66 Marcel Lapierre Morgon if you want a red that won't wreck the check, and confirm availability because the wine page is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Midtown / Spenard · Anchorage · Mexican / Pub / Pizza
A compact nine-wine list that mixes Washington, Chile and Argentina with a Portuguese Vinho Verde and a Spanish Cava. Try the Vidigal Vinho Verde or the Cordorniu Cava before defaulting to the Chardonnay, and confirm what the unlabeled prices mean, since the page carries no date. This unrated guide covers the posted Grill bar menu, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown · Anchorage · Japanese, Fusion
Whisky & Ramen's wine list is short but practical for a ramen bar, with 13 glass pours and bottles from $36 to $680. Order the $58 Los Chuchaquis pét-nat with The Hook, or go the glass route with the $14 Riesling. Confirm current availability and prices before you go; this unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
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