Burgers, Milkshakes, and Somehow a Wine List
Lake Hamilton · Hot Springs · American Diner
Reviewed July 21, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed The Purple Cow Hot Springs’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You walk into a Purple Cow — a chain diner famous for burgers and ice cream — and there's a wine list. It's unexpected enough to make you do a double-take. This isn't a wine destination by any stretch, but the fact that they're trying at all earns them a look.
The list is short and entirely approachable, pulling familiar names from California, Oregon, New Zealand, and Patagonia. You've got Freakshow Cab, Meiomi Red Blend, and Evolution Pinot Noir — nothing adventurous, but nothing embarrassing either. There's a nod to Italy with a couple of La Torre Di Veglia pours and a Fleurs de Prairie Rosé that's genuinely a solid choice regardless of the zip code. The range covers the bases without taking any risks, which is pretty much what you'd expect from a family diner that also sells birthday cake shakes.
Eight still wine options by the glass plus two splits — that's actually a respectable count for a burger joint. Prices run $6.50 to $11 a glass, which is honest money for what you're getting. The splits are a smart move for solo diners who want wine without committing to a bottle.
Fleurs de Prairie Rosé — $11/glass
Fleurs de Prairie is a legitimate Provence rosé that typically retails around $18-20 a bottle. Seeing it on a diner list at this price point is genuinely surprising — it's the best wine on the menu by a wide margin and a fair pour for the money.
Alpataco Malbec
Most people at a Purple Cow are reaching for the Freakshow Cab or the Meiomi blend out of habit. The Alpataco Malbec from Patagonia is the more interesting pick — it's a solid, food-friendly red that works well and flies under the radar here.
Meiomi Red Blend
Meiomi is fine, but it's also on shelves at every grocery store in America for around $15. You can do better on this list — skip the familiar and go for the Rosé or the Malbec instead.
Artezin Zinfandel + Classic Burger
Artezin is a fruit-forward, high-toned Zinfandel that can handle a juicy, grilled burger without getting steamrolled. It's not a sophisticated pairing, but it works — and honestly that's the whole point of this place.
The Bottom Line
Nobody is driving to a Purple Cow diner for the wine list, and that's fine — but the list is priced fairly, the Rosé is a legitimate find, and the by-the-glass program is more thoughtful than it has any right to be. If you're here for a burger and want something in a glass that isn't a milkshake, you could do a lot worse.
· Hot Springs · Fine dining
Vault is a genuinely charming place to spend a special evening in Hot Springs — the room earns its keep. The wine program, from what we can see, does its job without distinguishing itself: serviceable, probably priced on the steeper side, and built to please rather than provoke. Go for the atmosphere and the food; just don't plan your wine nerd moment around it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Hot Springs · Italian
Little Italy in Hot Springs isn't pretending to be a wine destination, and that's fine — but a seven-bottle list anchored almost entirely by supermarket brands doesn't give wine drinkers much to work with. The pricing is honest and the Selbach is a genuine bright spot, but if wine matters to your evening, temper expectations before you sit down.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Hot Springs · Wine Bar
Splash Wine Bar is doing something genuinely worthwhile for Hot Springs — an almost-entirely-by-the-glass list with fair pricing and a few smart picks that go beyond the obvious. If you're rolling through town and want a real glass of wine without a lecture or a markup, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Central Avenue / South Hot Springs · Hot Springs · Sports Bar Chain
Buffalo Wild Wings Hot Springs is a place to drink beer and watch sports — the wine list exists to technically have one, not to be used. Order a beer, order a cocktail, or bring your own if they allow corkage, but don't let the wine list be the reason you're here.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central Avenue / Commercial Strip · Hot Springs · Mexican / Tex-Mex
This is a margarita restaurant with a wine list that exists only so no one has to say there isn't one. Come for the fajitas and the frozen drinks — the wine is strictly last resort.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Highway 7 North / Outskirts · Hot Springs · Southern Country Restaurant
We wouldn't send anyone to Cracker Barrel for wine, and neither should you — the food is the point, the wine is a footnote. If you need a glass with dinner, grab the Gambino sparkling and move on with your life.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Kingston · American Diner
Boulevard Diner is almost certainly a perfectly fine place to eat a stack of pancakes or a club sandwich. The wine list, however, is an afterthought — six anonymous varietals with no pricing, no producers, and no personality. Order the coffee.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Tarrytown Road / Westchester Avenue junction · White Plains · American Diner
City Limits Diner is a great spot for a satisfying all-day meal in White Plains, but the wine list exists purely as a formality — overpriced pours of familiar labels with almost no curation or care. Order a cocktail, enjoy the crab cake, and save the serious bottle for somewhere that earned it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Side · Stamford · American Diner
City Limits isn't a wine destination, but it's not a wine disaster either — a handful of legitimately interesting bottles are hiding among the crowd-pleasers, and the pricing is tolerable if you know what to order. Come for the comfort food, pick carefully off the list, and you'll have a fine time.
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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