Safe Pours at Unsafe Prices
Midtown · Little Rock · Upscale Modern American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 20, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Table 28 reads like the beverage menu at a chain steakhouse — Caymus, Josh Cellars, Meiomi, La Crema. You've seen this lineup before, probably at a hotel bar in an airport. For a restaurant billing itself as chef-driven and modern, the list doesn't show up to match.
The 40-to-70-bottle list leans hard on California with a nod to France and Italy, but we're talking about the safe, supermarket-tier version of those regions. There's no producer here that required any real hunting — these are wines that distributors drop off without being asked. The French and Italian presence appears to be decorative rather than considered, and there's nothing on the list that suggests anyone spent real time thinking about what belongs next to rabbit rillettes or pork belly. It's a list that checks a box, not one that earns a meal.
Ten to fourteen pours by the glass sounds promising until you realize the roster is built almost entirely from the same familiar labels dominating the bottle list. Expect Meiomi and La Crema doing the heavy lifting on the red side, with no real rotation or seasonality to speak of. It's a Set & Forget program — same wines, same prices, no surprises.
Justin Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles — $65
At roughly 2x retail, the Justin is the least egregious markup on the list and at least delivers a wine with some actual structure and personality. It's the closest thing to a fair deal here, which tells you something about the competition.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling Columbia Valley
Yes, it's marked up nearly 3x retail and yes, it's a supermarket staple — but Ste. Michelle Riesling is genuinely good and wildly underordered at restaurants like this. If you're having the pork belly, a slightly off-dry Riesling is one of the better calls on the menu, even at $32.
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
A $14 retail bottle priced at $40 is a hard sell anywhere. Josh Cellars is a grocery store wine doing grocery store things — there is no version of this that belongs on a $28-to-$45 entree menu, and you shouldn't pay four times what it's worth to find that out.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling Columbia Valley + Pork Belly
Rich, fatty pork belly wants something with a little sweetness and good acidity to cut through the fat. The Ste. Michelle Riesling does exactly that — it's the one pairing on this list where the food and wine actually seem like they were meant to meet.
❌ The Bottom Line
Table 28 serves serious food at serious prices and then phones it in completely on wine. Unless you're steering toward the Justin Cab or making peace with the Riesling-pork belly play, you're better off asking what's on tap.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.