Ribs Are the Star, Wine Is the Understudy
Mall del Norte Area · Laredo · American steakhouse / ribs · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 26, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Tony Roma's Laredo reads like the shelf at a grocery store checkout — familiar labels, zero surprises. It's functional, it's inoffensive, and it tells you exactly where wine ranks on this restaurant's priority list: somewhere between the coleslaw and the extra napkins.
Fifteen to twenty-five bottles deep, the list leans hard on California and Washington State workhorses — Kendall-Jackson, Columbia Crest, Mark West, Apothic. There's no adventurous regionality here, no small producers, no Old World presence whatsoever. Washington State gets a nod via Chateau Ste. Michelle and 14 Hands, which is about as far off the beaten path as this list gets. If you've seen the wine wall at a Chili's, you already know this list.
Eight to twelve pours by the glass at $8–$12 is actually a reasonable range for a mall-adjacent steakhouse in Laredo. The problem is the options are all greatest hits from the mainstream New World playbook — nothing rotates, nothing surprises. You're not discovering anything here, but you're also not getting gouged.
Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon — $32
Columbia Crest Grand Estates punches above its bottle price. It's a legitimate Washington Cab that can actually hold up to the baby back ribs and steak on the menu — and at the lower end of the bottle range here, it's the most wine for your money on the list.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay
Most people in this room are grabbing the Kendall-Jackson out of habit. Chateau Ste. Michelle's Chardonnay is the better wine — slightly less oaky, better acid structure, and comes from one of Washington's most consistent producers. It flies under the radar because the KJ label is just more recognizable.
Apothic Red Blend
Apothic Red is a supermarket wine dressed up in moody packaging. It's sweet, soft, and built for people who don't really want to taste wine. At restaurant markup, you're paying extra for a bottle you could grab at H-E-B for $9. Pass.
Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon + Baby Back Ribs
The smokiness and char on Tony Roma's ribs needs a wine with enough structure to stand up to it. The Columbia Crest Cab brings dark fruit and just enough tannin to cut through the sauce without overwhelming the meat. It's the obvious call and it works.
❌ The Bottom Line
Tony Roma's Laredo is here to serve ribs, and the wine list knows its place in the pecking order. Nothing wrong with it, nothing exciting about it — if wine matters to you tonight, manage expectations accordingly.
South Laredo · Laredo · Steakhouse / Mexican Grilled Meats
El Rancho isn't a wine destination — it's a meat destination that happens to have wine on the table. The list is basic, the prices are fair, and if you stick to the 14 Hands or Mirassou, you'll drink fine. Just don't show up hoping to discover anything.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Laredo / Mines Road · Laredo · Mexican / Tex-Mex
Maria Bonita is a genuinely fun spot to eat, but the wine program is a non-event — grab a margarita or a cold beer and save the wine conversation for somewhere else. Come for the fajitas, not the Frontera.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
I-35 / North Creek · Laredo · Steakhouse
Outback Laredo's wine program is a national chain doing national chain things — predictable, overpriced relative to quality, and staffed by people who aren't expected to know anything about what they're pouring. Come for the Bloomin' Onion, stick to a cocktail, and save the wine order for somewhere that cares.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Mall del Norte Area · Laredo · Casual Italian
The wine program here is a placeholder, not a feature — a chain-mandated afterthought designed to upsell, not impress. Drink the Chianti Classico if you must order a bottle, but nobody's coming to Olive Garden Laredo for the wine list.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Creek / I-35 · Laredo · Steakhouse
Logan's Roadhouse is not a wine destination — it's a steakhouse chain where wine clearly wasn't part of the concept. Order a beer, order a cocktail, and save the bottle for a restaurant that's actually trying.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Mall del Norte Area · Laredo · Steakhouse
Texas Roadhouse Laredo is a great spot for a $17 steak and a bucket of rolls — the wine list is an afterthought and everyone involved knows it. Order a margarita, or grab the Ste. Michelle Riesling and call it a night.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.