The Tavern
Suburban steakhouse with a serious cellar
Libertyville · Libertyville · American, Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 7, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
You don't expect to walk into a downtown Libertyville steakhouse and find a list that's held a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence since 2006 — but here we are. The list lands with some weight: 300-500 bottles, a serious California backbone, and enough European depth to keep things interesting. This isn't a wine list that was phoned in.
Selection Deep Dive
California is where The Tavern plants its flag, and it earns it — Caymus, Silver Oak Alexander Valley, Opus One, Shafer Hillside Select, Jordan, Chateau Montelena, and Stag's Leap all show up, which reads like a greatest-hits of Napa Cab. But the list doesn't stop there: Louis Jadot anchors a respectable French section, Gaja and Ceretto bring credibility to the Italian side, and Penfolds Bin series gives Australia a proper seat at the table. Washington gets a nod via Columbia Crest Reserve, and Spain fills in the edges — it's a well-rounded list that earns its WS credentials without feeling like it's just chasing trophy bottles.
By the Glass
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is a strong program for a suburban steakhouse, running $12–$22 a glass. That range gives you real options whether you're grabbing a solo pour at the bar or working through a bottle-by-glass comparison across the table. We'd like to see more rotation and adventure here, but the volume alone puts The Tavern ahead of most in its zip code.
Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon — $40–$60
Washington Cab at a steakhouse price point that actually makes sense — Columbia Crest Reserve consistently punches above its weight and gives you the dark fruit and structure you want with a ribeye without the Napa premium tax.
Ceretto Barolo
Most tables here are ordering California Cab on autopilot, which means the Barolo section gets ignored — and that's a mistake. Ceretto makes structured, elegant Barolo that's the smartest thing on this list to drink with a dry-aged steak. The acidity cuts through the fat in a way Silver Oak simply can't.
Opus One
Look, Opus One is a fine wine — but at steakhouse markups it's almost always a 3-4x retail situation, and you're paying for the label as much as the liquid. There are better bottles on this list for the same money that will actually surprise you.
Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon + Dry-aged ribeye
Hillside Select is one of the benchmark Napa Cabs for a reason — concentrated, structured, long. The dry-aged ribeye's intensified beef flavor and fat content gives the wine something to work against, and the result is one of those pairings that makes the whole table go quiet for a second.
🔥 The Bottom Line
The Tavern is the real deal for suburban Illinois — a deep, California-forward list with enough European credibility to justify its 18-year Wine Spectator run. Markups are steep, so pick strategically, but if you're driving out to Libertyville for a steak dinner, you're in good hands on the wine front.
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