Oregon-first steakhouse wine list done right
Pearl District · Portland · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 11, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Urban Farmer Portland’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Three hundred and fifty bottles at a hotel steakhouse could easily go wrong — stuffed with Napa trophy cabs nobody asked for at prices nobody wants to pay. Urban Farmer sidesteps that trap almost entirely. The list lands with a clear point of view: Oregon first, with enough global depth to keep things interesting.
Willamette Valley Pinot Noir anchors the list the way it should at a Portland steakhouse, with names like Bergström 'Cumberland Reserve' sitting alongside more approachable pours like Erath 'Resplendent' — so you're not forced to choose between drinking well and paying rent. California gets its due with Quintessa on the high end, and Italy sneaks in with producers like La Pettegola Vermentino for people who don't want red wine with everything. France, Washington, and New Zealand fill in the gaps without feeling obligatory. The range from $32 to $285 a bottle is wide enough to accommodate a first date and a deal close at the same table.
Eighteen pours by the glass is a serious commitment, and at $15–$20 a glass, it's priced like they actually want you to order wine. The Illahe Pinot Gris from Willamette Valley is a smart anchor for the white side — local, food-friendly, and interesting enough to drink on its own merits. We'd like to see more rotation details made public, but the breadth here beats most steakhouses in the city without question.
Illahe Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley — $15
A glass of well-made Oregon Pinot Gris at the low end of the by-the-glass range? That's a win before your steak even arrives. Illahe is a legitimate producer, not a placeholder, and this pour punches above its price point on a list that could've gotten lazy at the entry level.
La Pettegola Vermentino, Tuscany, Italy
Most people at a steakhouse aren't looking for a Tuscan Vermentino, and that's exactly why you should order it. Bright, saline, and refreshing — it's the move before the meat arrives, or alongside the charcuterie when you're not ready to commit to a full bottle of red.
Quintessa Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Quintessa is a beautiful wine and we have no complaints about it existing on the list. But at the top end of a steakhouse wine program, the markup on prestige Napa Cab is almost never in your favor. Unless someone else is paying, there are better places to spend that money on this list.
Bergström 'Cumberland Reserve' Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley + Oregon Lamb
Cumberland Reserve has the structure to stand up to lamb without bulldozing it — earthy, red-fruited, and with enough acidity to cut through the fat. It's also a point of local pride on a menu built around Oregon sourcing, which makes the whole thing feel intentional rather than accidental.
Sunday–Thursday — Half-price wine bottles on daily selection, Sunday through Thursday, 4pm–6pm during Happy Hour.
The Bottom Line
Urban Farmer runs one of the most thoughtful wine programs in Portland's steakhouse category — Oregon-rooted, fairly priced, and backed by a sommelier who clearly isn't just there to upsell you. Add the daily happy hour half-price bottles and this list earns its Rager badge without much argument.
Northwest 23rd · Portland · Rustic French / Northwest French
St. Jack is the rare Portland restaurant where the wine list earns as much respect as the kitchen. The French-Oregon axis is well-executed, the staff knows what they're talking about, and the pot lyonnais format alone is worth the trip.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown · Portland · Mexico City–inspired tacos and small plates
Tope is a Wild Card in the best sense — a rooftop taqueria that's quietly assembled a natural and low-intervention wine list worth paying attention to. If you're eating here and only drinking mezcal cocktails, you're leaving half the story on the table.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Portland · Texan–Pacific Northwest, Wood-fired American
Bullard Tavern is the Wild Card badge in its purest form — a smoked-meat joint that snuck in a genuinely considered wine list without making a fuss about it. Send a friend here if they think good wine and good brisket can't coexist.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown/Waterfront · Portland · Seafood, Pacific Northwest
King Tide earns its Wild Card badge by hiding a genuinely curious, well-priced wine list inside what could easily have been a forgettable hotel seafood room. If you're eating oysters on the Willamette, you could do a lot worse than Domaine de l'Écu in your glass.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Concordia · Portland · New American
Dame is the rare neighborhood restaurant where the wine list is genuinely worth the trip on its own. Send your friends here — just tell them to skip the safe picks and trust the list.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Buckman · Portland · Russian/Eastern European
Kachka is the best argument in Portland for drinking wines you've never heard of — the list is adventurous, the staff backs it up, and the food was built for exactly these bottles. Send every curious wine drinker you know.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Steakhouse
Hal's delivers a competent, Napa-forward bottle list that does exactly what a steakhouse wine program is supposed to do — just without much surprise or value mercy. Send a friend here if they want a reliable big-red experience; warn them to leave the credit card breathing room.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Houston · Steakhouse
Perry's is a reliable steakhouse wine list — nothing that'll make you rethink your palate, but enough to drink well with red meat if you know where to look. The fortified and dessert wine section is genuinely worth your attention; the rest is competent but forgettable.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Steakhouse
New York Prime's wine list is exactly what it needs to be for its audience — safe, recognizable, and priced for expense accounts. If you know what you want and don't mind paying for it, you'll be fine; just don't come looking for discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
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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