Napa hits, West Texas prices, no surprises
Central Amarillo · Amarillo · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 16, 2026
RagingWine reviewed X Bar Steakhouse’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at X Bar reads exactly like you'd expect from a polished West Texas steakhouse — Caymus up top, Rombauer in the Chardonnay slot, and a roster of greatest hits that nobody's going to argue with. It's confident in its lane, which is both the appeal and the limitation. If you came here hoping to stumble onto a grower Champagne or a left-field Ribera del Duero, keep walking.
The list runs 30-60 bottles with a clear Napa-forward identity — Stag's Leap, Duckhorn, Caymus, and Rombauer are doing the heavy lifting, with Washington State (Columbia Crest H3) offering a lower-entry-point option. Sonoma gets a nod but this isn't a list that's chasing regional breadth. There's no real Old World presence to speak of, and nothing here is going to surprise a regular wine drinker — but the producers are legitimate and the selections are well-matched to the menu's red-meat focus. The gaps are everything outside of California and Washington.
Eight to twelve pours by the glass is a decent spread for a steakhouse of this size, and the usual suspects — a Cab, a Merlot, a Chardonnay — are well represented. Don't expect much rotation; this program looks like it's been set and left alone. The upside is consistency; the downside is you'll see the same pour options every visit.
Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet Sauvignon — Unknown
Among the recognizable names on this list, the H3 is the one that punches above its retail price point. It's a legit Washington Cab — structured, dark-fruited, built for beef — without the Napa premium that inflates everything else on the card.
Duckhorn Merlot
Merlot gets ignored at steakhouses because everyone defaults to Cab, but Duckhorn's Napa Merlot is genuinely one of the best food wines in this price tier — softer tannins, plush fruit, and it flatters a bone-in filet in a way that a big Cab sometimes doesn't. Most tables walk right past it.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is the easy order and the restaurant knows it — which means the markup reflects that. You're paying for the name recognition as much as what's in the glass, and at steakhouse prices, you can almost certainly do better elsewhere on this same list.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon + Ribeye Steak
Stag's Leap Cab has that classic Napa structure — firm tannins, cassis, a little cedar — that stands up to the fat and char on a ribeye without steamrolling it. It's the right weight for the right cut.
✔️ The Bottom Line
X Bar is a reliable wine stop for steakhouse classics done well — you won't be wowed, but you won't be burned either. Send your friend here if they want a good Napa Cab with a great steak; tell them to skip it if they're looking for anything adventurous.
Downtown Amarillo · Amarillo · Italian Steakhouse
Toscana is doing the most with wine in a city that doesn't ask much of its restaurants on that front. The markups sting and the list plays it relatively safe, but if you're eating in Downtown Amarillo and want a real wine experience, this is your spot.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
South Georgia / Soncy · Amarillo · American
Send a friend here for wine? Only if they lost a bet. Order a margarita, enjoy the riblets, and save the wine night for somewhere that's actually trying.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
I-40 West · Amarillo · Southern / Country
Cracker Barrel is doing exactly what it set out to do — serve comfort food at highway speed — and wine is an afterthought by design. Come for the biscuits, skip the wine list entirely, and nobody gets hurt.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
I-40 East · Amarillo · Southern / Country
Would we send a friend here for wine? Only if that friend had wronged us. Order the sweet tea, enjoy the rocking chairs, and revisit the wine question at your next stop.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Amarillo · New American / Fine Dining
OHMS is doing real cooking, and the wine list hasn't kept up — steep markups on grocery-store names don't match the ambition on the plate. Go for the duck confit, order a cocktail, and save the wine night for somewhere that's actually trying.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Amarillo · Cajun & Creole, Seafood
The Drunken Oyster is a genuinely fun place to drink wine with oysters in a city that doesn't offer a ton of alternatives — just go in knowing the markup is working against you on the bubbles. Stick to the still wines, order something from California, and let the French Quarter vibes do the rest.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Mesquite · St. George · Steakhouse
Katherine's is a reliable casino steakhouse wine list — it won't let you down if you stick to the California anchors, but it won't excite you either. Send a friend here for the prime rib and the Rodney Strong; just don't go expecting discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Side · Green Bay · Steakhouse
Prime Quarter's wine list is a workhorse, not a showpiece — but for a grill-your-own steakhouse in Green Bay, that's perfectly fine. Come on a Wednesday, order the Malbec or Franciscan Cab, and focus on not overcooking your ribeye.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown · Atlanta · Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Downtown Atlanta is here for the steak, full stop — the wine list is a six-bottle shrug that treats wine as a revenue line, not an experience. Order the Trimbach, enjoy your butter-drenched ribeye, and don't expect the list to surprise you.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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