Wine Spectator‘s Restaurant Awards recognize restaurants whose wine lists offer interesting selections, are appropriate to their cuisine, and appeal to a wide range of wine lovers. Tampa’s own Bern’s Steak House ( is one of just 96 restaurants to receive its Grand Award. The restaurant first earned the distinction in 1981, and has continued to retain that distinction each year.
A wine list must present complete, accurate information to qualify for an award, including vintages and appellations for all selections. Complete producer names and correct spellings are mandatory, and the overall presentation of the list is also considered.
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For the Grand Award, wine lists must typically feature 1,000 or more selections, and “deliver serious breadth of top producers, outstanding depth in mature vintages, a selection of large-format bottles, excellent harmony with the menu, and superior presentation,” notes Wine Spectator in its rubric. “These restaurants offer the highest level of wine service.”
A massive Wine Cellar in the heart of Tampa
“What began as a strip mall bar now boasts the largest cellar collection of any Restaurant Award winner in the United States,” writes Wine Spectators group of judges. “Age is a virtue here, with wines by the glass ranging back to the 1970s. Owner David Laxer upholds the legacy of his late father, Bern, who opened the restaurant in 1956 and was among the original Grand Award winners in 1981.”
In addition to excellent wines, Bern’s is of course revered for its steak. Three words: perfectly aged steaks. That’s how Bern’s menu was descibred by Chef Robert Irvine in his review of the iconic restaurant. “Their whole schtick is steak elevated to an art form, and my experience there has been true to their mission,” Irvine writes. “It’s fitting that a place that opened in the ’50s still has a dress code — and trust me, this is food worth dressing up for.”
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