The Observatory
Good burgers, forgettable wine list
Southeast Portland · Portland · American, Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 13, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The Observatory is a genuinely likable Southeast Portland neighborhood bar — casual, comfortable, and good at what it does. But the wine list reads like an afterthought stapled to the back of a menu that already knew what it wanted to be. Nothing wrong, exactly. Just nothing trying very hard.
Selection Deep Dive
The list clocks in at 20-35 bottles with a loose focus on Oregon, California, and France — which sounds reasonable until you realize the producers skew heavily toward grocery-store-familiar and import-filler territory. Giocato and Zaccagnini aren't exactly the names that get Portland wine nerds excited. To the list's credit, it nods at regional identity with Oregon representation, but doesn't dig deep enough to reward anyone who's looking for something beyond the obvious.
By the Glass
Eight to twelve by-the-glass options in a $10–$14 range is workable for a neighborhood bar, and the price points won't shock anyone. The problem is the markups behind those prices — the Bocelli Prosecco split lands at $10 for a 187ml pour on a bottle that retails for $5, which is a 100% markup on something you're drinking out of a tiny bottle. The glass program feels static rather than curated.
Bocelli Prosecco 187ml Split — $10
Look, it's not glamorous, but a cold split of Prosecco before a burger is a move. The markup stings a little, but at $10 you're not making a major financial commitment, and it's cheerful and fizzy and does its job.
Giocato Sauvignon Blanc
At $36, it's not thrilling on paper, but if you're eating something with heat — like the Chipotle Elk Burger — a crisp Sauvignon Blanc is doing real work on your palate. Most people here are ordering beer. You ordering this gets you something that actually cuts through the fat and fire.
Zaccagnini Pinot Grigio
Forty-four dollars for a bottle that retails at $18 is a 144% markup on a perfectly average Pinot Grigio. It's not bad wine. It's just not $44 wine, and in a casual bar setting, that math is hard to justify.
Giocato Sauvignon Blanc + Chipotle Elk Burger
The brightness and acidity in the Sauvignon Blanc does what beer can't — it actually refreshes the palate between bites of that smoky, spicy elk burger rather than just sitting alongside it.
❌ The Bottom Line
The Observatory is a great bar with decent food that treats wine as a box to check rather than a reason to come in. Drink the beer, drink the cocktails — but if you must order wine, go in with eyes open on the markups.
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