Old Brea Chop House
Orange County's Steak Night Just Got Serious
Brea · Brea · Steak House · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 5, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Walk into Old Brea Chop House and the wine list lands with real weight — dark booths, leather, candlelight, and a 200-plus bottle list that means business. This isn't a steakhouse that slapped a few Cabs on the menu and called it a day. Wine Spectator handed them a Best of Award of Excellence in 2025, and the list earns that credential.
Selection Deep Dive
California is the anchor and it's a deep one — Caymus, Silver Oak, Jordan, Stag's Leap, Far Niente, Chateau Montelena, and Grgich Hills all show up, covering the greatest hits of Napa Cabernet and Chardonnay without feeling like a tourist trap. France gets genuine respect too: Chateau Lynch-Bages Pauillac and Louis Jadot Burgundy bring some Old World seriousness to the proceedings. Italy rounds things out with Antinori Tignanello and Marchesi di Barolo Barolo — two bottles that signal someone actually thought about what belongs on a steakhouse list beyond the obvious. The gaps are real — no Oregon Pinot, no meaningful sparkling program visible — but for the core steak-and-wine mission, the list delivers.
By the Glass
Twelve to twenty options by the glass at $12–$18 is a solid spread for a steakhouse in Brea, and the prices are honest for this context. We'd want to see a little more rotation and adventurousness in the glass program — right now it reads like the list's conservative half — but there's enough there to drink well before you commit to a bottle.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — Not publicly listed
Jordan reliably drinks above its station — structured, food-friendly, and far less polarizing than the bigger cult Cabs on this list. At a steakhouse where bottles trend north of $200, Jordan is the move for a full dinner without wrecking your evening financially.
Marchesi di Barolo Barolo
Everyone at a steakhouse reaches for a Napa Cab. Barolo is Cab's more cerebral Italian cousin — same tannin structure, better with beef than most people expect, and almost always skipped in favor of something California. Don't sleep on it.
Château Margaux 2015
At $850 on the list, you're paying steakhouse markup on one of the world's most famous bottles. Margaux 2015 is genuinely great wine, but a classic steakhouse is arguably the worst place to drink it — the flavors compete rather than complement, and you're leaving real money on the table.
Antinori Tignanello + Bone-in Ribeye
Tignanello is a Sangiovese-Cabernet blend with enough dark fruit and structure to go head-to-head with a fatty, charred ribeye, plus an earthy complexity that makes the whole experience feel like more than just meat and tannins.
Wednesday — Half-price wine night on Wednesdays — easily the best reason to plan a midweek steak dinner in Brea.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Old Brea Chop House is doing more with wine than you'd expect from a suburban OC steakhouse — the Best of Award of Excellence is legit, Wednesday half-price night is a genuine gift, and the California-France-Italy trifecta is executed with real thought. Markups trend steep at the trophy end, but come on a Wednesday and drink very well for the money.
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