Gastropub Staples, No Surprises, No Regrets
· Plano · New American Gastropub · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 17, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Whiskey Cake’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Whiskey Cake Plano is exactly what you'd expect from a place called Whiskey Cake — short, approachable, and not trying to impress anyone. Fourteen labels, all available by the glass, priced mostly between $9 and $15. It's a beer-and-cocktail joint that remembered wine drinkers exist, and honestly, that's not a knock.
The list hits the usual New American gastropub beats: bubbles, whites and rosés, reds — nothing too adventurous but nothing embarrassing either. You've got Chehalem Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley, Daou Vineyards from Paso Robles, and Altocedro from Argentina's Río Negro — a few names worth noting among the crowd-pleasers. The Seeker, Bonanza, and The Pinot Project are perfectly fine restaurant wines but they're also on every mid-tier list in the country. There's no real old-world presence here, no skin-contact wines, no deep regional exploration — but again, this is Whiskey Cake, not a wine bar.
Every single wine on the list is available by the glass, which is the right call for a gastropub format — no one's committing to a bottle of Bonanza with their smash burger. At $9–$15 across the board, the glass prices are fair for a Plano casual dining spot, and the range covers bubbles through reds without making you do any mental math.
Chehalem Pinot Noir — $13/glass
Chehalem is a legit Willamette Valley producer that earns its reputation — getting this at $13 a glass in a gastropub is genuinely solid value. Most places charge more for far less interesting Pinot.
Altocedro
Argentina's Río Negro region is one of the most exciting cold-climate wine zones in South America, and Altocedro is one of its better producers. Nobody at a gastropub is ordering this — which means you can. At $11 a glass, it almost certainly punches above its menu placement.
Bonanza
Chuck Wagner's Bonanza Cab is a bulk-production value play that retails for around $20 a bottle. At $11 a glass you're paying close to full-bottle retail price per pour. It's not offensive wine, but there are better options on this same list for the same money.
Daou Vineyards + Whiskey Cake Burger
Daou's Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon is structured with enough dark fruit and grip to hold up to a rich, charred burger patty. It's the most classically food-forward red on the list and at $15 a glass it's doing exactly what you need it to do.
The Bottom Line
Whiskey Cake Plano's wine list won't earn any awards, but it's fairly priced, decently curated for the format, and has a couple of genuinely interesting picks hiding in plain sight. If you're here for the food, the wine will do its job — and that's a reasonable ask.
· Plano · Steakhouse
Steve Fields clearly puts its energy into the kitchen, not the cellar — and at these price points, that imbalance is hard to ignore. Order the Evesham Wood if it's still there, and otherwise come for the steak, not the wine list.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Plano · Plano · Steakhouse & Wine Bar
Fleming's Plano is a chain steakhouse that takes its wine program more seriously than most — 43 by-the-glass options and some genuinely interesting white wine picks earn it a pass. Markup is real and the list won't blow anyone away, but if you know where to look you can drink well here.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Plano · Plano · Wine Bar & Kitchen
eight | 11 is the kind of wine-forward spot that Plano genuinely needs — real effort, fair deals, and weekly programming that gives you a reason to come back. Send your friends here on a Wednesday and let them figure out the rest.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
· Plano · Italian
Roma has enough wine on the list to get you through a good dinner, but it leans hard on California crowd-pleasers and marks them up accordingly. Stick to the Italian reds, avoid the Napa trophies, and you'll drink well enough — just don't expect the list to match the ambition of the cuisine.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Plano · Plano · Steakhouse
Bob's Plano is a dependable steakhouse wine list built for the business dinner crowd — technically solid, California-centric, and priced to match the room. If you know what you want and you want something familiar, it'll deliver; just don't come here looking for adventure or value.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Legacy Area · Plano · Upscale Steakhouse
The Capital Grille Plano is a safe, well-executed wine program with real depth on paper and a knowledgeable staff to help you navigate it — but you're paying steakhouse prices for the privilege, and the list rarely strays outside its California comfort zone. Send your clients here, bring your parents here, but don't expect to be challenged.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Kalamazoo Mall · Kalamazoo · New American Gastropub
Principle isn't a wine destination, but it's a wine list that clearly had some thought put into it — a rare thing for a cocktail-first downtown spot. Send a curious friend here and tell them to order the orange wine.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Massachusetts Street · Lawrence · New American Gastropub
Merchants is a beer bar that quietly runs the best sparkling wine list in Lawrence — and with Happy Hour discounts daily and a local glass pour option from VinZant, it's genuinely worth ordering wine here. Just don't show up expecting a red with your burger.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Downtown · New Haven · New American Gastropub
Elm City Social is a great spot for cocktails, a rooftop, and fried chicken and waffles — the wine list is an afterthought, and it knows it. If you're coming here for wine, recalibrate; if you're coming here for a good time and happen to want a glass of something red, the Killka will do the job.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
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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