Houston's Restaurant

 

0

11

Benjamin W.

Washington, DC

I've heard the rest of the menu is fantastic, but one of the very few things I find making it worth being in Rockville, MD is Houston's grilled artichokes. Unbelievable.  They almost taste like a buttered steak, with the perfect amount of salt.  A long forgotten classic in todays health regime.

The attentiveness of the staff could be better during lunch, but again, the grilled artichokes alone make this place worth a visit.

Personally I like the "No Cell Phones" postings on the menu, etc.

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8

8

Richeen A.

Gaithersburg, MD

THE WAIT...was long, but expected, it was a weekend night and I was a party of 4.

THE WAITER...our particular waiter was rude...and sort of an ass. Whatever..maybe it was just OUR waiter. I was on a double date and he never looked at our dates in the face...he only spoke directly to me and my best friend (a female aka. the other dater)...it was weird. When it came to taking our guys' orders, he looked at his notepad the whole time...I didn't get it at all, it's not like they were ugly! LOL!

THE RULES...don't get the cell phone rule. We saw the sign (regarding cell phone use) so we all decided to turn our cellphones to vibrate - we did this all at the same time just as our waiter was coming over to take our drink order. He looked shocked and advised us to turn our cellphones off...umm yeah right. I guess he thought we were texting each other or something. I left mines ON...vibrate.

THE FOOD...I am absolutely in LOVE with their chicken tenders! It's like CRACK wrapped around meat! LOL!

THE PRICES...high, but the food is good.
----

CONCLUSION...If the food weren't good - I wouldn't return, b/c I didn't like the service.

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Elite '08

5

83

Timmy C.

Columbia, MD

I lost a bet a few months ago and finally had to pay up tonight by taking a couple of my friends out to Houston's for dinner.  Of course since I was paying I wanted to go to Sizzler but my boys weren't buying that. You can imagine I was quite distraught when they chose Houston's because, like most good steak houses, it is a little on the pricey side.

The restaurant is in a weird location and is quite easy to miss as you go by it on Rockville Pike. It's much bigger on the inside then it appears on the outside and sports plenty of tables in a dimly lit atmosphere.

The three of us all left from work and arrived at slightly different times. I was kind of pissed that they wouldn't seat me and my other guest while we waited for our third. I thought that it was quite rude that they made us sit in the lobby when there were plenty of empty tables. When we were finally sat we were put at a large six top and had to request to be placed at a smaller, more conversation friendly table which I thought was rather odd.

It was smooth sailing after that.

I ordered a caramelized onion soup along with the ribeye, medium rare, and a cold pint of Sierra Nevada. The soup was served with bread and melted cheese and was pretty good. The steak came about ten minutes after the appetizer and was cooked to perfection. It was incredibly tender for a ribeye and was marinated in an incredibly delicious marinade. It also had a slight charcoal taste that was rather delightful.

My buds both ordered the prime rib with the bone in and were very very pleased with what they got. They also ordered side salads as appetizers (which were $11!) and a beer and diet coke.

Overall this was a fantastic meal at a fantastic steak house. This was my second great experience at this Houston's. It was pricey ($120 for three of us) but it's always worth it when your with good friends. I'm still bitter Memphis lost that game and it was me buying as opposed to being treated. But hey, at least I still have both of my thumbs..... For now.

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0

6

ursila V.

Bethesda, MD

I love the food & service here.
been going here for 10 years and the food is always the same .

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6

38

g l.

Los Angeles, CA

everything we ordered was great!  (i had a bite from everybody's plate, hehe)  the steak in the thai steak salad came in big juicy chunks.  the halibut topped with crab was sooo tasty (even though it could have been a teeny bit bigger...).  there were a couple other dishes i tried that were good as well.  our waitress was really personable and sharp as a tack!  

the 2 drawbacks are 1) they don't take reservations for parties of 6, which i found strange for any sit down restaurant of their caliber.  and 2) they don't do take out (we wanted to order for people we were meeting later).

but, our waitress accommodated us by bringing the additional entrees out on their plates, and then transferring them to boxes at our table like they were "leftovers."  

overall really pleasant dining experience.

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1

11

Rachel L.

Rockville, MD

Excellent food, nice atmosphere. I don't particularly like the "attitude" everyone seems to have there, at various visits we've been treated rudely by hostesses and waiters, and they have a few "rules" listed on the menu (no cell phone in the dining room, 18% tip is 'customary') which is off-putting, even if I would never carry on a loud cell phone conversation or tip less than 20%! They seem to always be out of Shiraz, our favorite wine, but the rest of the options are good. However we keep going back because the food is fantastic.

Definitely make reservations if your group is more than two. If it's just two, you can usually get a booth at the bar within 15 minutes. Otherwise, you'll have a good hour of a wait (and get a "look" for not making a reservation!).

Some of our favorite items on the menu are the spinach-artichoke dip, the grilled chicken salad (probably my favorite salad anywhere - delicious asian lime dressing), the french dip/beef au jous sandwich, the new england clam chowder, and the various steaks. They will cook the steak any way you want it, and usually get it right. Probably the best steak in Rockville. Also a very nice lunch if you don't mind paying the $$.

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Elite '08

23

86

Irena N.

Washington, DC

Not impressed, especially considering there's a Clyde's nearby - the prices are comparable, the quality of the food is not. My advice? Stick with the basics - burgers, sandwiches, salads etc. If it sounds at all complicated (seared ahi tuna, anyone?), you will be disappointed.

The service was speedy and attentive - no complaints there.

Tip: try the Chicago-style spinach dip appetizer - pretty tasty.

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Elite '08

41

125

Victoria S.

Rockville, MD

This place is one of the best in Rockville...they are so great at customer service it's almost unreal. They don't upcharge for additional vegetables --- who does that anymore??? :-O (look of surprise) They actually come to the table and ask you important questions like "how is everything?" Who knew there were still places like this in existence...expecially  in suburbia?

Everything is good here! Food & Service...now I am not sure about the crowd that shows up there...but you didn't hear it from me.

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0

24

j d.

Arlington, VA

hands down the best restaurant and value in the DC area.  best Ribs in DC and 2nd best i've ever had.  good luck finding french fries better than Houston's.  wonderful service.

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2

2

R. J.

Gaithersburg, MD

(Rockville) I've been eating here since 1988 when it opened, back then they had the guacamole and the spinach dip but now only the spinach remains.  My favorite's, chicken tenders, spinach dip, the Jungle Salad (recently renamed to thai steak salad), tuna salad, the filet, butter fly cut and a side of au ju and horseradish (the real stuff not the watered down, they have both), grilled sword fish, ** santa fe chicken ** this is an off the menu item and they have it on occasion when asked, ahi tuna (mm mm with side of horseradish and ginger) and for finale the apple cobbler or the five nut brownie with a shot of kalua on the side to pour on top (wow).  Unbuckle the belt or wear a skirt for the ladies so you can properly enjoy the experience that the ambiance and food has to offer for a small group of friends or a couple...and remember the customer is always right here so if the service or food is not to your liking send it back until you're both speaking the same language...

ps i find the O room as my favorite section to sit...

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13

12

Corey I.

North Potomac, MD

Although other people often rave about this restaurant, I think it's pretty average, especially when compared to other steakhouses in the DC area.   I've had all sorts of dishes here -- NY strip, filet mignon, grilled fish, etc., so I'm not just talking about the steak.  There isn't much variety in the steak preparations -- they always seem to be hickory-smoked! -- and the appetizers are not very original or exciting -- I mean how many dressing-drenched chicken Caesar salads can a person stand before wanting to tear their hair out?!!!!!  

Also, the food is often overcooked:  I've had this experience enough times at this restaurant to make me believe it's not just an unusual occurence.   On my last visit,  I got a very well-done steak when I'd asked for medium-rare (or as close to medium-rare as they were allowed to make it by USDA regulations).  Needless to say,  I was disappointed with my steak, despite my efforts to ensure otherwise.  

Now it's usual conventional wisdom to stick to what a specialty restaurant does best.  It's not usually advisable to eat chicken at steak restaurant or steak at a fish restaurant.   This is generally the wisest course of action.  However, on a previous visit, I took a chance and veered from conventional wisdom and tried the salmon, after being repeatedly assured by the waiter that the grilled salmon was superb and cooked to perfection.  Needless to say, it was  -- sigh -- overcooked!  Looking back on the experience, I think the waiter's advocacy of the salmon was more of a sales ploy to "move" more fish out of the kitchen -- or perhaps it was due to his severely off-center & possibly wilting tastebuds(!) -- than a genuine attempt to give an honest opinion.

If unexciting, conventional American fair is what you're looking for, well then, look no further.  I personally expect a little more pizazz and excitement from DC area restaurants.  Why have the ordinary, when you can be pleasantly surprised by something new and unexpected?  I believe in not settling for "just average," and also in the importance of expanding your food horizons by taking some risks in your culinary adventures.  After all, life is too short to consume bad food & wine.  Why play it safe & eat less-than-thrilling food?  If you try something you've never tried before, what's the worst that can happen?  You don't like it?!  Well, now you know.  So what, take it home & feed it to your dog; maybe he'll like it!  I'd still rather keep an open mind and discover what's out there.

My general philosophy is that there's no reason or excuse for going someplace truly awful (like Hamburger Hamlet and its ilk) or even average (like Houston's), when you can pay the same amount of money or less and get good quality food elsewhere.  Or better yet, spend the evening at home with your loved ones and cook up a feast!   Cooking (and not just eating!) is truly one of the great pleasures of life -- It's one of the few rare activities in life that uses all 5 of your senses.  Yes, cooking is a beautiful thing -- lively, often communal, frequently memorable, sometimes awe-inspiring --  even earth-shaking at times, but rarely dull.   You can't go through the experience unchanged or unmoved.  I'd go as far as saying that if the experience of cooking doesn't make you feel more alive, then there's got to be something wrong with you!

But alas, I digress.  Back to eating & some final thoughts on Houston's:
To be fair, it's not that the food is always horrible; it's just that it's average.  For all of its hype, it fails to meet my expectations of what a good steakhouse of its pupported caliber should really be.  For what Houston's offers, I frankly think the food is overpriced and over-touted.   For a fraction of what it costs to eat a steak at Houston's, you could eat a much better steak at Red Rock Canyon Grill.  Save your money & head over to Red Rock.

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1

40

Mike S.

Brookline, MA

A great place for a business lunch!  A nice selection of items from burgers to salads to steaks to crabcakes.  I've been to this location twice.  Once for lunch, once for dinner.

I suggest this place at lunch as I wasn't much impressed with the dinner selections at my last visit.

Service is average, prices are what you'd expect for a decent restaurant in Rockville.

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Elite '08

19

62

Rachel K.

Rockville, MD

The spicy thai steak salad (formally known as jungle salad) is amazing.  The portion is huge, and there is just so much flavor that my mouth is watering as I type this.  Unlike typical steak salads, they actually give you quite a large portion of steak.  If you can't handle the spiciness of the dressing, ask for peanut sauce instead.  If you can't find parking, you can always park in the apartment complex (Miramont Apartments) just behind the restaurant without getting towed.

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Elite '08

43

431

Daryll H.

New York, NY

This is my second favorite Houstons location, after the one in Century City (Los Angeles).  It's a bit out of the way in a nondescript strip mall on the Rockville Pike, but completely worth tracking down (and trying to find parking)

The waits are usually shorter than the Bethesda location, and this location  usually doesn't have the double cut pork chop, which is a bit of a crime.

Otherwise, though, this is basically my favorite suburban Maryland dining destination.

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0

8

Natasha C.

Silver Spring, MD

i loved this restauraunt!!! Any special ocasions I always head over there!! my favorites have to be the Knife and fork ribs, and the main specialty the fries. They are so thing and not overwhelmed with salt or any other flavorings. The steak is also a great choice, as well as the biltmore sandwich!

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