Lodge Views, Grocery Store Wines
Airport / Chena River · Fairbanks · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 19, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Red Lantern Steak & Spirits at Pike's Waterfront Lodge’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
You're sitting in a genuinely beautiful lodge overlooking the Chena River in Fairbanks, Alaska — moose could walk by the window — and then the wine list lands on the table. It reads like the shelf at a gas station that also sells wine. The setting deserves better than what's being poured here.
Every bottle on this list is a brand you've seen in the checkout lane at Safeway: Kendall-Jackson, Meiomi, Yellow Tail, Barefoot, Woodbridge. There's no regional identity, no interesting producers, and no evidence that anyone curating this list has thought about wine in the last decade. California value-tier and a token Italian Pinot Grigio cover the entire range, with zero representation from the Pacific Northwest, France, Spain, or anywhere that might surprise you. For a steakhouse serving ribeyes and prime rib, the absence of anything with real structure or age is a missed layup.
Glass pours run $9–$14, which sounds reasonable until you realize you're paying restaurant prices for wines that retail at $11–$18 a bottle. The by-the-glass selection mirrors the bottle list — same recognizable grocery names, no rotation, no seasonal thinking. There's nothing wrong with a $9 glass of Meiomi Pinot Noir, but there's nothing exciting about it either.
J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon — $38
It's the most food-friendly bottle on the list for a steakhouse setting — structured enough to hold up to a ribeye, and at $38 it's the least offensive markup of the bunch at 153% over retail. Low bar, but that's what we're working with up here.
Meiomi Pinot Noir
Look, we know it's not exactly a hidden gem in the traditional sense — it's one of the best-selling Pinot Noirs in America. But order it by the glass instead of the bottle and you sidestep the markup pain while getting something soft enough to work with the halibut or salmon. It's the path of least resistance on a list that doesn't offer much else.
Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio
At $30 a bottle with a 173% markup on an $11 retail wine, this is the worst value on the list. It's a perfectly forgettable Pinot Grigio on a good day — here it's also the most overpriced thing they're pouring. Order a cocktail instead.
J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon + Ribeye steak
Seven Oaks is built for exactly this moment — it's got enough dark fruit and structure to stand up to a fatty ribeye without requiring you to spend serious money. It's not a thrilling pairing, but it's the most coherent one available on this list.
❌ The Bottom Line
The Red Lantern is a perfectly nice place to eat a steak while watching the Chena River do its thing — but the wine list is purely functional, overpriced for what it is, and completely uncurious. Drink the cocktails, or bring your own bottle if corkage allows.
Chena River / University West · Fairbanks · American
The Edgewater isn't a destination for wine lovers, but it's a fair, no-nonsense list that doesn't punish you for being stuck at a resort. In Fairbanks, that's genuinely worth acknowledging.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Outside Fairbanks / Yukon Quest Trail · Fairbanks · New American
Borealis Basecamp deserves credit for maintaining a 51-bottle list this far off the grid, and the recognizable names will keep most guests happy. But the markups are steep, the list plays it safe, and the program feels like it was assembled to impress rather than to excite — if you're here for the aurora, order wine and enjoy the view; if you're here for the wine, temper your expectations.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Pioneer Park / Downtown · Fairbanks · American
Come for the salmon — it's the real reason anyone's here — and don't overthink the wine list. Grab the J Lohr or the Angeline, enjoy the Alaskan summer light, and save your serious wine energy for a different restaurant.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Fairbanks · Fine Cuban and Latin/Latino cuisine with tapas influences
Jazz Bistro On 4th is a genuinely charming spot that gets almost everything right except the wine list, which reads like it was assembled in ten minutes from a distributor's bargain shelf. Come for the music, the food, and maybe a cocktail — and hope they eventually hire someone to build a wine program worthy of the room.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Pioneer Park / Downtown · Fairbanks · Alaskan Buffet & Grill
The Salmon Bake isn't a wine destination and never claimed to be — but fair prices, nearly everything available by the glass, and a list that at least covers its bases make it easy enough to drink well alongside some genuinely great fish. Come for the salmon, order the Pinot Noir, don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Old Steese Highway North · Fairbanks · American Brewpub
The Banks Alehouse isn't trying to be a wine destination, and it doesn't need to be — it's a dependable neighborhood alehouse where the wine list exists as a honest backup plan. If you're eating here and skipping the craft beer entirely, the Pouilly-Fuissé and Kung Fu Girl give you more to work with than you'd expect.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Salt Lake City · Steakhouse
STK Salt Lake City has the bones of a wine program but none of the follow-through — three by-the-glass options and a bottle list built around brand recognition rather than quality. Order a cocktail, or spring for the Veuve if you want to feel good about what's in your glass.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central / McClain Rd · Bentonville · Steakhouse
River Grille is a solid place to eat a steak in Bentonville, but the wine program — at least what we can verify — stops at dessert and Port while the main event stays in the dark. Order a cocktail with dinner and, if you must, grab a glass of Tawny at the end.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Carson · Carson City · Steakhouse
Casino Fandango Steakhouse delivers a wine list that's safe, California-centric, and marked up the way casino restaurants tend to be. It's not a destination for wine lovers, but if you're already here for the prime cuts, Jordan Cab and a good steak will sort you out just fine.
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.