The Bloomin' Onion Deserves Better Wine
Dimond · Anchorage · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 22, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at this Anchorage Outback reads exactly like you'd expect from a chain operation running the same playbook from Tallahassee to Fairbanks. It's a laminated insert tucked inside the main menu, heavy on familiar labels and light on anything that would make you put down the Foster's and pay attention.
California dominates, with Washington and Australia filling in the gaps — a safe, predictable triangle that never challenges anyone. The producers here are household names in the most literal sense: Kendall-Jackson, Beringer, Josh Cellars. Nothing wrong with any of them individually, but as a collective wine program they signal zero ambition. There's no representation from Alaska's interesting import corridor, no nod to Oregon or South America, and certainly no one in the back who's losing sleep over regional diversity.
You're looking at somewhere between 10 and 16 pours by the glass, which sounds generous until you realize the rotation hasn't changed since the George W. Bush administration. The Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling is probably your most interesting option by the glass — everything else skews toward big, blunt Cabs and buttery Chardonnays that function more as beverages than wines.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling — $9
It's the one wine on this list that shows actual winemaking intent. Ste. Michelle's Columbia Valley Riesling is consistently good, food-friendly, and likely the lowest-marked-up bottle relative to what you'd pay at a wine shop. In a list full of overhyped Napa Cabs, this is the honest pour.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
Most people at a steakhouse are reflexively ordering a Cab, but the Riesling is genuinely the smartest move here — especially with the Alice Springs Chicken or the Bloomin' Onion. It cuts through the richness, handles the sweetness in the dipping sauce, and costs less. Nobody orders it. They should.
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
Josh Cellars is everywhere, which means the markup here is easy to benchmark. You're paying restaurant prices for a $12 retail bottle that's pleasant but completely unremarkable — a wine built entirely by marketing budget. Save the money, order a cocktail, or spring for an actual steakhouse Cab somewhere else.
Beringer Founders' Estate Cabernet Sauvignon + Ribeye Steak
Look, if you're committed to the steakhouse Cab-and-ribeye move, Beringer Founders' Estate is the most honest version of that transaction on this list. It's soft, fruit-forward, and built for exactly this kind of red meat moment. Not a revelation, but it does the job without embarrassing anyone.
❌ The Bottom Line
Outback's wine list is a corporate afterthought — functional if you need something in a glass, but there's no reason to get excited about it. Order the steak, grab the Ste. Michelle Riesling if you're wine-curious, and save your real wine spending for somewhere that's trying.
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