California Classics, Steak-Ready and Unapologetic
Glen Allen · Glen Allen · Steak house · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 30, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Hondos opens the wine list and makes its intentions crystal clear: this is a California Cab house, full stop. The list is built around the kinds of bottles that show up in every airport lounge and expense-account steakhouse from Richmond to San Francisco — and that's not entirely a bad thing. If you came here for a Cowboy Cut and a Caymus, you've arrived.
The 150-plus bottle list leans hard into California, with a solid roster of household names: Caymus, Silver Oak, Jordan, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Duckhorn, Far Niente, Rombauer, and Beringer Private Reserve anchor the program. There's no real Old World presence to speak of, and adventurous drinkers hunting for Burgundy, Barolo, or anything natural will come up empty. That said, for a Virginia steakhouse that's held a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2002, the California depth is legitimate — these aren't random shelf pulls. The gap is variety; the strength is focus.
The by-the-glass program runs 12 to 20 options, which is respectable for a neighborhood steakhouse format. Expect the usual California suspects in the pours — Rombauer Chardonnay will likely be present, as will a few Cab options that do the job without embarrassing anyone. Rotation appears minimal; this is more of a set-it-and-leave-it program than one that surprises you on a return visit.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — $70
Jordan consistently overdelivers for the price in this tier — it's a polished, food-friendly Alexander Valley Cab that holds its own next to Silver Oak without the Silver Oak markup. Order this instead of reaching for the obvious.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
Most people at a table like this gravitate toward Caymus or Silver Oak by name recognition alone. Stag's Leap is the more restrained, elegant option — it won't beat you over the head with fruit and oak, and it actually lets the steak share the spotlight.
Opus One
Opus One at a restaurant is almost always a gut-punch markup on a wine you can find at retail for far less. It's a genuinely great wine, but paying steakhouse prices for it when Jordan or Stag's Leap are on the same list doesn't make sense unless someone else is signing the check.
Duckhorn Merlot + Jumbo Lump Crabcakes
Hear us out — the Cowboy Cut gets all the attention, but the crabcakes at Hondos are the sleeper hit. Duckhorn Merlot brings enough structure to stand up to the richness of lump crab without steamrolling it the way a big Cab would. It's the move for anyone who ordered seafood at a steakhouse and doesn't want to drink water.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Hondos is exactly what it is: a reliably solid California-focused steakhouse wine list that's been doing this long enough to earn its Wine Spectator credential. Don't come here looking for surprises — come here knowing what you want and you'll leave satisfied.
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