Katz 21 Steak & Spirits

Katz 21 looks the part — private rooms, a lounge, a patio bar, live music. When the wine list arrives, it feels exactly like the room: polished, confident, and playing to the crowd. You know what you're getting before you read a single label.

The list clocks in somewhere between 80 and 150 bottles, which sounds like range but really isn't when California Cabernet dominates the conversation. Caymus, Jordan, Silver Oak — the holy trinity of steakhouse wine lists from Corpus Christi to Columbus. There's a nod to Washington and some Texas representation, which is appreciated, but this list was built to sell bottles that guests already recognize, not to introduce anyone to anything new. The gaps are real: minimal Burgundy, no real Rhône presence, Italy exists but probably just to say it does.

With 12 to 20 by-the-glass options, there's enough to work with at the table without committing to a bottle. The pours skew predictably toward California reds and safe whites. Don't expect anything on the by-the-glass list to surprise you, but you won't be stuck drinking something terrible either.