Spokane's Comfort Food Spot Gets Wine Right
Downtown Spokane · Spokane · New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 11, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Onion Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
The Onion is the kind of place you already know before you walk in — a Spokane institution built around burgers, cold beer, and zero pretension. The wine list matches that energy: short, regional, and designed for people who want a glass of something good without a dissertation. It's not trying to impress you, and that's actually refreshing.
The list runs 20 to 40 bottles deep and leans hard into Pacific Northwest and California — exactly what you'd expect from a casual Spokane anchor. There's no Old World detour, no skin-contact experiments, and no esoteric producers hiding in the back pages. What you get is a focused, approachable hit list of crowd-pleasers that works for the room. Gaps are real — wine geeks will scroll to the bottom fast — but for a burger-and-beer joint, this list does exactly what it needs to.
Six to ten options by the glass keeps things manageable without feeling like an afterthought. The pours lean toward familiar varietals from the Pacific Northwest and California, which pairs logically with the comfort food menu. Rotation appears limited, but the real story here is the happy hour: half-price wine Monday through Friday from 3 to 6pm, and all day Sunday.
Akli Chardonnay — $10.50
At $10.50 a glass with a retail bottle sitting around $15, this is practically a steal. The markup is almost nonexistent by restaurant standards — you're paying barely above what you'd hand over at a wine shop, which almost never happens.
Akli Chardonnay
Nobody orders Chardonnay at a burger bar, which is exactly why you should. At this price, it's the smartest pour on the list and flies completely under the radar.
Unknown premium bottle
Without full list data, we can't call out a specific bottle — but as a general rule, skip anything here that pushes above $50. The list isn't built for high-end exploration, and you won't find the kind of cellar depth to justify splurging up.
Akli Chardonnay + Fish and Chips
A lightly oaked or unoaked Pacific Northwest Chardonnay and fried fish is a classic match — the wine's acidity cuts the grease and the bright fruit holds up against the batter without fighting it.
Monday–Friday & Sunday — Half-price wine during happy hour Monday through Friday 3–6pm, and all day Sunday.
The Bottom Line
The Onion isn't a wine destination, but with near-zero markups and half-price pours most of the week, it's one of the better deals for a casual glass in Spokane. Send your friends here for burgers and a guilt-free pour, not for a deep-dive into Burgundy.
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Vin48 is a genuinely surprising wine program hiding inside a Colorado ski resort, and if you're a wine-first diner passing through Vail, it absolutely warrants a stop. The markups reflect the zip code more than we'd like, but the depth and curation of the list are the real deal.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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