Great Views, Wine List Phoning It In
The Buttes / West Tempe · Tempe · Upscale New American / Southwestern · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 29, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Top of the Rock Restaurant’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
The view from this hilltop perch is genuinely stunning — valley sprawl, desert sunsets, the whole cinematic deal. Then you open the wine list and the magic fades a little. It reads like a Marriott property wine list because, well, it is one — safe, recognizable names designed to move bottles without raising any eyebrows or any real excitement.
The list leans hard on California workhorses and a handful of recognizable French and Italian names to round things out. You've got Cakebread, Jordan, Prisoner — bottles you'd find at any hotel steakhouse from Phoenix to Pittsburgh. There's no real regional story being told here, no Arizona producers, no nod to the adventurous end of American winemaking. If you came hoping to discover something, you're going home empty-handed.
Roughly 10 to 15 pours by the glass in the $13–$22 range, which is a decent spread on paper. In practice, it's the predictable rotation of Chardonnay, Cab, Pinot Noir, and a Rosé or two — nothing that's going to make you linger over a second pour for its own sake. No evidence of seasonal rotation or anything approaching an active glass program.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — $120
Still overpriced at 85% over retail, but Jordan is at least a genuinely good bottle of Alexander Valley Cab — food-friendly, well-structured, and built for a steak dinner. If you're going to spend money here, this is where to spend it.
Veuve Clicquot Brut NV
At a romantic, sunset-view restaurant, ordering Champagne is actually the right call — and Veuve Clicquot holds up. It's the most contextually appropriate bottle on this list given the setting, and the markup, while still steep, is the least egregious of the bunch.
Cakebread Chardonnay
At $85 a bottle — more than double retail — this is the most aggressively marked-up wine on the list. Cakebread is a fine Napa Chard, but it's also available at your local Total Wine for $40. The view doesn't justify this math.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon + Grilled Steak
Jordan's Alexander Valley Cab is built for exactly this moment — a properly seared steak, a desert sunset, and a wine that won't fight the beef. Classic for a reason.
The Bottom Line
Top of the Rock is a place you go for the view and the occasion, not the wine list — and the list knows it. If you're celebrating something and need a bottle, Jordan Cab and the setting will carry you through; just don't expect the wine program to pull its weight.
South Tempe · Tempe · American / Neighborhood Bistro
The Hudson is a fine place to eat a burger and drink a beer, but the wine list is on autopilot — familiar labels, steep markups outside of Wednesday's deal, and no evidence that anyone on staff is losing sleep over it. Send a friend here for the food, tell them to drink a cocktail.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Novus / ASU Campus District · Tempe · American Burger & Craft Bar
Eureka! Tempe is a craft beer bar first, a burger spot second, and a wine destination never. Order a local draft, enjoy your Truffle Cheese Fries, and save the wine for a place that's actually trying.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Tempe / Tempe Marketplace · Tempe · Modern Mexican
Blanco is a tequila bar that serves wine as a courtesy, and the list reflects exactly that level of commitment. Come for the cocktails and the Short Rib Machaca Enchiladas — if you want wine, order the bottle with the lowest markup and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
The Buttes / West Tempe · Tempe · Steakhouse-Lean New American
Top of the Rock is a safe, predictable wine list dressed up in a genuinely spectacular setting — you're paying a resort premium for Napa's greatest hits, and the view is doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Send a friend here for the scenery and the steak, but tell them to pick their bottle carefully.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
The Buttes / West Tempe · Tempe · Lounge / New American
Top of the Rock is a perfectly acceptable place to drink wine if the sunset and the occasion are doing the work — just don't expect the list to surprise you or the prices to be anything but hotel-steep. Order the Brunello or the Penner-Ash, enjoy the view, and let it be what it is.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Mill Avenue · Tempe · Cocktail Bar
Filthy Animal is the last place you'd expect to find a real wine list, which is precisely what makes it a Wild Card — the selection punches above the bar's party-school energy, and if you know what to order, you can drink well while everyone else is doing kamikazes. Just don't come here for the value; come for the vibe and the pleasant surprise.
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.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
