Best Wine Lists in Minnesota

Fogo de Chão

Downtown · Minneapolis · Brazilian churrascaria / Brazilian steakhouse

The Reliable

Fogo de Chão Minneapolis is a reliably fun night out if you're there for the meat spectacle — and you should be. The wine list is a supporting cast that knows its role: keep people happy, don't surprise anyone, move on. If wine is more than an afterthought for you, lower your expectations before you open the menu.

Olive Garden Italian Restaurant - Rochester

Northwest / 55th Street · Rochester · Italian-American

The Lazy List

Olive Garden's wine list exists to check a box, not elevate a meal — it's priced above its station and assembled without much curiosity. Order the Chianti, eat the breadsticks, and don't come here expecting the wine to be the point.

The Cheesecake Factory

Apache Mall · Rochester · American

The Lazy List

The Cheesecake Factory's wine list is exactly what you'd expect from a high-volume mall chain: safe, recognizable, and marked up enough to make you wish you'd ordered a cocktail. Come for the Chicken Madeira, skip the wine hunt.

CRAVE American Kitchen & Sushi Bar

Downtown · Rochester · American, Sushi

The Reliable

CRAVE isn't a wine destination, but it's a perfectly competent place to drink on a Monday when those bottle prices get cut in half. Show up any other night and you're paying full markup on a list that doesn't earn it.

Ground Round Grill & Bar – Rochester

South / near Hwy 63 · Rochester · Casual American bar & grill

The Lazy List

Ground Round is a solid spot for a burger and a beer — lean into that and don't look at the wine list. If someone at your table insists on wine, point them toward the Kim Crawford and move on.

Newt's South

South · Rochester · American bar and grill, burgers

The Lazy List

Newt's South is not a wine destination — it's a great burger bar that happens to sell wine at suspiciously cheap prices. Come for the food, order a beer, and if you must have wine, hit it on a Wednesday when the glasses drop to under four bucks.

ThaiPop

Downtown · Rochester · Thai

The Wild Card

ThaiPop isn't a wine destination, but its list is smarter than the size suggests — just stick to the aromatic, low-tannin options and leave the Cab to someone else. If you're in downtown Rochester and want Thai food with a decent glass of something cold and food-friendly, you won't be disappointed.

Five West Kitchen + Bar

Northwest / West Circle · Rochester · American Contemporary

The Reliable

Five West is a perfectly competent neighborhood spot where the wine list does its job without embarrassing anyone. Don't come here chasing something rare — come for the patio, order The Beach Rosé, and call it a win.

Victoria's Ristorante & Wine Bar

Downtown · Rochester · Casual Italian-American

The Reliable

Victoria's is doing more with wine than it has to for its market, and that deserves real credit. The markups are a frustration, but the depth and the 26-glass program make it the best wine option in the room — and probably the zip code.

Solo Vino Wine Shop

Cathedral Hill / Summit Avenue · St. Paul · Wine Bar / Retail with Food Pop-Ups

The Wild Card

Solo Vino is the kind of wine shop that moonlights as a destination, and the tasting bar makes it worth the trip even if you don't buy a bottle — though you will. Send your wine-curious friends here before they spend the same money on something forgettable at a restaurant down the street.

Yarusso Bros Italian Restaurant

Payne-Phalen · St. Paul · Italian

The Lazy List

Yarusso Bros is a St. Paul institution worth visiting for the food, the history, and the vibe — just don't make the wine the reason you go. Order a glass of whatever's cold, eat the meatballs, and enjoy it for what it is.

Shish Mediterranean Kitchen

Macalester-Groveland · St. Paul · Mediterranean and Middle Eastern

The Lazy List

Shish is a genuinely good casual Mediterranean spot — the food earns its reputation on Grand Avenue. But the wine list is strictly utilitarian, and you'd be better served ordering a beer or skipping the wine altogether until they decide to put in some effort.