Frank's Diner
Great Railcar, Forgotten Wine List
Various · Spokane · American Diner · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 17, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Walking into a century-old railcar is genuinely cool — the kind of place that makes you want to order something and linger. Then you see the wine list, and the nostalgia hits differently. Four options, all of them things you've seen at every chain restaurant since 2003.
Selection Deep Dive
The list is exactly four wines: White Zin, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, and Merlot. No producers listed, no regions, no vintages — just the grape names sitting there like a diner menu placeholder that never got updated. This isn't a wine program so much as a legal obligation to have wine on the menu. There's no depth to dive into here, and no indication anyone thought about it beyond checking a box.
By the Glass
All four wines are available by the glass at $8 flat, which is at least honest pricing for what you're getting. There's no rotation, no seasonal swap, no sense that anyone has looked at this list since it was printed. If you're here for wine, you're in the wrong railcar.
Chardonnay — $8
At $8 a glass with no producer markup shenanigans, it's the least offensive pick on the list — and at a diner focused on biscuits and eggs, it's probably fine for what it is.
Merlot
Nobody orders Merlot at a diner, which means the bottle might actually stay fresh longer than the others. Low bar, but here we are.
White Zinfandel
It's 2024. You're sitting in a beautiful vintage railcar. You deserve better than this.
Chardonnay + Biscuits and Gravy
Look, we're not pretending this is a sommelier moment — but a cold glass of Chardonnay cuts through the richness of a heavy biscuits and gravy plate in a way that at least makes sense. Sometimes that's enough.
❌ The Bottom Line
Frank's Diner is absolutely worth visiting for the atmosphere, the corned beef hash, and the nostalgia — just don't come for the wine. Order a coffee or a Bloody Mary and call it a day.
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