First question I ask when going to a new restaurant: what is your corkage charge. If it is reasonable, $20 or less, I make the reservation. If not, I look elsewhere. If in a state that “prohibits that”, I buy a bottle and take home the residue. BTW, NEVER have a bottle delivered to your table opened, especially if it is not an inexpensive bottle.
If just drinking at the bar, order the well drinks or house wine.
Just my 2 cents.
One good thing (maybe the only good thing) about my home state of New Jersey is the proliferation of “Bring Your Own Bottle” restaurants. Most restaurants cannot afford to pay tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy a liquor license on the open market, so they are willing to open and pour the wine that you bring for no corkage fee whatsoever in order to get you into their establishment.
So, instead of going to a crappy chain restaurant and spending $15 on an entrée and $25 on drinks, one can opt for a more upscale restaurant, spend $25 on an entrée, and bring a very nice $15 bottle of wine that will serve 2 or 3 people.