Black & Blue Steak & Crab
Big steakhouse energy, California wine done right
Burlington · Burlington · Seafood, Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 15, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at Black & Blue arrives looking exactly like the room feels — dark, confident, and built for people who know what they want. California reds dominate the top, Italy shows up with a few serious names, and the whole thing reads like a steakhouse greatest hits album. No surprises, but no embarrassments either.
Selection Deep Dive
This is a California-forward list with genuine depth where it counts — Caymus, Silver Oak Alexander Valley, Stag's Leap, Jordan, and Duckhorn anchor the reds with enough prestige to satisfy the table that orders by brand. Italy earns its place with Antinori Tignanello and Gaja Barbaresco, two wines that belong in any serious list and signal that someone here was paying attention beyond Napa. The white wine side leans on Rombauer and Mer Soleil Chardonnay, which are safe bets for a surf-and-turf crowd but leave little room for Burgundy lovers or anyone chasing something off the beaten path. At 120-180 bottles, the range is solid if predictable — this is not a list for adventurous drinkers, but it is a list that delivers on its promise.
By the Glass
Sixteen to twenty-four options by the glass is a genuinely strong showing for a suburban steakhouse, and the $10-$18 range keeps things accessible without feeling cheap. The pours likely rotate through the same recognizable names as the bottle list — think Meiomi Pinot Noir and Rombauer Chardonnay as workhorses. We'd love to see more rotation and a couple of curveballs here, but for a weeknight dinner with a filet, you're covered.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — $85
Jordan punches well above its price point in steakhouse territory — it's structured enough to stand up to a dry-aged ribeye without the triple-digit markup that Silver Oak commands. Reliable, elegant, and actually worth what they're asking.
Gaja Barbaresco
Most tables here are ordering Cabernet on autopilot, which means the Gaja Barbaresco sits quietly on the list waiting for someone to notice it. Nebbiolo from one of Piedmont's greatest producers is a genuinely exciting option with a ribeye, and it's the kind of wine that makes your table look very smart.
Meiomi Pinot Noir
Meiomi is a grocery store staple marked up to restaurant territory — you've had it, it's fine, and it's not why you're at a steakhouse. There are better options at this price point on the same list, and ordering Meiomi in a room with Stag's Leap and Gaja feels like ordering a Caesar when the lobster bisque is right there.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon + Dry-aged ribeye
Stag's Leap has the tannin structure and dark fruit depth to match the intensity of a dry-aged ribeye without bulldozing it — this is the pairing the list was built around, and it delivers.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Black & Blue earns its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence — the California and Italy anchors are legitimate, the by-the-glass program is generous, and the storage is clearly taken seriously. The markups sting and the list won't excite adventurous drinkers, but if you want a great bottle of Napa Cab with a serious steak in Burlington, this is your room.
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