Bloomin' Onion, Wilting Wine List
Mesa East · Mesa · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 22, 2026
Wingman Metrics
You open the laminated wine insert tucked into the back of the menu and it's exactly what you feared — a greatest hits album of grocery store brands dressed up with a steakhouse price tag. Nothing here is offensive, but nothing here is interesting either. This is a wine list designed to not lose a sale, not to win over a drinker.
The list runs 30-odd bottles deep and leans almost entirely on California and Australia — two regions capable of producing exciting wine, neither of which is represented that way here. You've got Josh Cellars, Meiomi, Kendall-Jackson, and Chateau Ste. Michelle doing the heavy lifting, which means the list reads like a Costco end-cap with a 200% markup applied. Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz is the one label with any actual pedigree behind it, even if it's firmly an entry-level pour. Beyond that, there are no meaningful producers, no regional surprises, and zero evidence that anyone with wine knowledge curated this thing.
Ten to sixteen pours by the glass, which sounds generous until you realize most of them are the same five brands in different varietals. Prices run $7–$14 a glass, which feels fine until you remember these bottles retail for $10–$15. The glass program isn't a feature — it's a margin strategy.
Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz — $9
It's the one wine on this list with an actual winemaking legacy behind it. Penfolds knows Shiraz, and even at the entry level, Koonunga Hill delivers dark fruit and structure that holds up against a ribeye better than anything else here.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon
Most people scroll past Washington State at a chain steakhouse, but Ste. Michelle's Cab punches above its price class — structured tannins, dark cherry, and enough backbone to actually cut through a fatty cut of beef. It's the sleeper on a list full of California crowd-pleasers.
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay
KJ Chard is a $14 retail bottle that appears on nearly every casual chain list in America at a steep markup. It's reliable in the most boring sense of the word — oaky, a little sweet, completely forgettable. You can do better, even on this list.
Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz + Bone-In Natural Cut Ribeye
An Australian Shiraz with a bone-in ribeye is about as straightforward as wine pairing gets — the peppery, fruit-forward character of Koonunga Hill stands up to the char and fat of the steak without overthinking it. If you're eating a ribeye at Outback, this is the move.
❌ The Bottom Line
The wine list at Outback Mesa East exists to check a box, not to excite anyone — go ahead and order the Penfolds if you need a glass with your steak, but don't expect the wine to be a reason you came. If wine matters to you tonight, pick a different restaurant.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.