Old-school glamour, Sunday nights are a steal
Mount Vernon · Baltimore · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Updated July 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 24, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Prime Rib’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list walks in wearing a tuxedo — heavy on Napa Cabernet, Champagne, and Burgundy, built for the kind of night where someone's celebrating something. It's a serious list for a serious room, and the pricing reflects that the house knows exactly who its audience is. You're not here to discover obscure Georgian amber wine; you're here to drink well with a slab of beef.
The 150-250 bottle list leans confidently into California and France, with Napa Valley Cabernet doing the heavy lifting alongside a respectable Champagne section featuring Veuve Clicquot, Billecart-Salmon Rosé, and Dom Pérignon. Opus One ($775) and Harlan Estate ($3,995) anchor the trophy end for the table that just closed a deal. Italy and Argentina show up, but they feel more like supporting cast than a reason to come. The real gap is anything under $60 a bottle that's genuinely interesting — the list doesn't work hard for the value-conscious diner.
Eighteen pours by the glass is a solid count for a classic steakhouse, spanning $13 to $26 and covering Champagne, Chardonnay, Cabernet, and a few supporting options. The range is respectable but not adventurous — you're not finding skin-contact Friulano here. Still, having Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé available by the bottle means the Champagne section is taken seriously, and that confidence carries through.
Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 — $159
At roughly 77% over retail, Silver Oak Alexander Valley is the least-punishing markup on a recognizable Cabernet that actually drinks like a special occasion. It's the sweet spot between crowd appeal and relative restraint on the pricing — especially compared to everything around it.
Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé NV
Most tables ordering Champagne here reach for the Veuve on autopilot. Don't. Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé at $210 is a more interesting, more elegant bottle — and at a steakhouse with crab cakes on the menu, it's genuinely the right call before the beef arrives.
Veuve Clicquot Brut NV
At $139 on a bottle you can grab for $55 retail, this is a 153% markup on a wine everyone already knows. You're paying for the yellow label's name recognition more than anything else. Step up to the Billecart or come on Sunday.
Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 + Prime Rib
Caymus is big, ripe, and plush — which is exactly what you want next to a slow-roasted slab of prime rib. It's not a subtle pairing, but subtlety isn't why you're at The Prime Rib. The wine's dark fruit and soft tannins lock in with the beef's fat and salt like they were made for each other.
Sunday — Select Half-Priced Wine List every Sunday
The Bottom Line
The Prime Rib is a reliable, well-run wine program inside a Baltimore institution — the sommelier is present, the list is coherent, and Sunday's half-price offer is genuinely one of the better wine deals in the city. The markups sting everywhere else, but if you play it smart (or show up on Sunday), this room still delivers.
Clipper Mill · Baltimore · American, Farm to Table
True Chesapeake is a Wild Card in the best possible sense — a working waterfront oyster spot with a Wine Spectator-recognized list helmed by a sommelier who clearly cares. Go for the oysters, stay for the Weinbach, and don't skip the Muscadet.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Horseshoe Casino · Baltimore · Steak house, European
Gordon Ramsay Steak isn't going to surprise you, but it delivers a solid, award-backed California-and-France wine list in a setting where you'd half-expect to be handed a laminated card with three options. For a casino steakhouse in Baltimore, that's genuinely worth something.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Harbor East · Baltimore · Steak House
The Ruxton is the rare steakhouse where the wine list is a genuine reason to show up, not just a formality next to the beef. Send a friend here, tell them to skip the Caymus, and let Patrick Owens point them somewhere better.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Baltimore · Baltimore · American
Bygone is the kind of wine list that makes Baltimore dinner reservations worth planning around. The markups are real, but the depth, the sommelier, and the setting make this one of the better places to spend money on a serious bottle on the East Coast.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Little Italy · Baltimore · Italian
La Tavola isn't a wine destination, but it earns its keep as a solid neighborhood Italian with a list that at least respects where the kitchen is coming from. Order the Vermentino, enjoy the Shrimp & Calamari, and don't overthink it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Mount Vernon · Baltimore · Afghan
The Helmand isn't a wine destination, but it's a Wild Card worth betting on — a 30-year-old Afghan institution that's put enough thought into its list to make the right bottle genuinely accessible. Go for the Cigare Volant, order the lamb, and enjoy the fact that this place still exists.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Plano · Steakhouse
Steve Fields clearly puts its energy into the kitchen, not the cellar — and at these price points, that imbalance is hard to ignore. Order the Evesham Wood if it's still there, and otherwise come for the steak, not the wine list.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Diego · Steakhouse
Greystone is a reliable, if predictable, steakhouse wine list — the kind where you can always find something decent but you'll rarely be surprised. Skip the Opus splurge, order the Paradigm, and you'll walk out satisfied.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Diego · Steakhouse
Morton's San Diego is spending more energy on the wedge salad than the wine list, and it shows. Come for the steak, order carefully, and don't expect much beyond the obvious.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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