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Categories: American (New), Steakhouses, Burgers, Barbeque [Edit]
Neighborhood: West Los Angeles
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Yes, this is a chain..... But I love it damn it! What kind of communist doesn't love Houston's? And have you ever noticed that it is always full of Black people? I'm just saying....
Anyway so I am obsessed with their veggie burger. I know many meat-eaters who love this burger too. I mean everyone knows that I don't like sandwiches, but there are two at Houston's that are ALL good: The aforementioned veggie burger and the Fresh Fish Sandwich. Now I don't eat the fish sandwich anymore because in general fish now makes me sick, but trust me, it is delicious.
Oh so many wonderful things at Houston's that I don't eat anymore.... The caesar salad is very good, spinach and artichoke dip, chili, barbecue chicken and the side orders - the menu is succinct, but they do it so so well.
Now it is my understanding that the veggie burger is vegan if you ask for no cheese, no mayo and a vegan bun.
People thought this was:
This is probably my favorite restaurant. Let me tell you why...
They have high standards when it comes to their staff, their food, and the environment.
My roommate and I usually sit at the bar, and the bar staff is very friendly, helpful, and attentive.
LET ME TELL YOU THIS... no matter WHAT you order on the menu, everything is so, sooo good! My roommate absolutely loves and, in her words, is "addicted "to the Artichoke appetizer. It is really tasty and is grilled with a big side of remoulade sauce.
My favorite is their "fall off the bone" ribs (their words), and they are so right! The absolute best pork ribs I have had in my entire life! Comes with shoestring fries and coleslaw, but you can sub them for any of their other tasty sides if you want.
Their wine list is phenomenal, their martini glasses hold a good amount of alcohol. Very classy place, wonderful experience. I have eaten here what feels like a bagillion times, and don't see myself stopping any time soon.
WONDERFUL EATING EXPERIENCE!
The menu here is very limited. I love how dark it is inside and the décor is nice. I have never seen anyone here actually order a steak, most people order the salads or the sushi. Which are both not up to par. The salad is loaded with oil and the sushi is not fresh. People must come here for atmosphere.
Please do not order sushi from a steakhouse unless you have completely lost your mind! Go to a Japanese restaurant where it is fresh and almost half the price of here.
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Yea, I know...it's a chain. How uncool of me to review a corporate giant like Houston's but what the hell. It's not like I'm reviewing something lame like...say Target.
On our way up to an event in Granada Hills, we popped in for a nice lunch. I was a little concerned when the hostess said, "We just ask that gentlemen take off their hats." Since I am a gentleman, I obliged but I wasn't technically wearing a hat. That said...off with my toupee and on to lunch.
The restaurant is very clean, warm and nice. If I had some parents that I actually liked, I'd take them here. My perfect angel of a wife ordered her usual dainty lunch...a huge french dip with fries and it was The Bomb (that means it was delectable...I'm street). I rolled with the grilled salmon and veggies. Mine was very good.
All in all, we had a nice lunch...good service too. Went to the bathroom, put the toupee back on and we were off to my appearance in Granada Hills.
People thought this was:
The baby back ribs at Houston's are some of the best I've had. The literally fall off the bone and are so tender and dressed perfectly.
I honestly haven't ever ordered anything else on the menu because I can't stand to go without these ribs, so I can't give much advice on the rest of their menu. But the side dishes I have had are great, especially the creamed spinach.
HOWEVER, I went to the Santa Monica Houston's once, and was very disappointed. It might have been a bad night for them, but the ribs didn't come close to the quality and taste of the ones at the Century City location.
Granted, I haven't tried the steak here, which Houston's is famous for, I admit, but this place hasn't wowed me, given that they are an overpriced, supposedly high class joint to be going to.
Every time I've ever come to Houston's, usually always on the fly, I have found there is an obscene wait to get a table in the main part of the restaurant. Maybe 45 minutes to up to an hour and a half. The bar, however, with a somewhat large amount of seating, usually doesn't have more than a 10 minute wait and has nice high tables and chairs for you to sit at, enjoy the company of others and fast, friendly service.
Their menu isn't that extensive, to be honest. While I like their bar area and their waiter staff, which is, as I said, friendly and speedy, I expect a restaurant of Houston's caliber to have a nice selection of appetizers to enjoy with my Pinot Grigo. Unfortunately, they do not. They have maybe five selections, none of which are all that...appetizing. When you do finally order your food it isn't made in a way that makes your mouth think "I'm sitting in a high class restaurant."
In fact, their entrees are somewhat bland and almost lazily prepared. Their sushi, which they have to offer for some reason, is not of a high quality fish. It seems...somewhat fresh. And I say somewhat surprised, again, and I can't reiterate enough, because a place like Houston's should have the freshest sushi you've ever tasted. Like it's just fallen out of the ocean and onto your plate. But no.
Their drinks are good. I will give them that. But Houston's doesn't deserve the title of high class and be allowed to charge what they do if they can't deliver.
People thought this was:
I just love the Houston's chain and they have quite a few locations in Los Angeles. The Century City Mall has some really lackluster options for food so this is your best stop.
A great decor, amazing servers, and spot on food. They have some amazing spinach artichoke dip, top of the link steaks, and even fantastic hamburgers. The place has a dark atmosphere that I just love and it's great for a lunch date or business meeting.
The mall has 3 hour free parking which should cover you for your eating needs. I love how the parking deck does green lights for empty spots and red lights for full ones. More people need too adopt this platform for ease of parking in these large parking monstrosities found around Los Angeles.
First-time experience for dinner...food was excellent...service was rather indifferent...had to ask for bread with our meal (4 people)...this hipster spot seems hoppin' even in these troubled times...
The hostesses are terrible terrible human beings. They always ruin my lunch here. In fact, the C word comes to mind, but I'll refrain. Instead of a quick, polite "hey I'm sorry we're running behind, give us a few more minutes and I'll get you seated ASAP." Instead, the ice queens in their corporate-mandated all black pant suits, stare you down and explain: "It's not actually a reservation, but priority seating. We let you put your name on a list as a courtesy, but it's usually 10-15 minutes until after you arrive that you'll be seated. Actually no, it hasn't been 20 minutes, it's been 19 so we're only running 4 minutes behind. Actually if you would like to be seated earlier, I would suggest coming in earlier. You'll always have to wait."
Excuse me??? There's also like 5 of them hovering uselessly over their podium staring at you with evil woman death stares. What was Hillstone management thinking? "Let's greet customers with 5 unfriendly bitchy women dressed in black!" By the time I'm seated, I am super cranky and I want to rip my server's head off, which is a shame, because the servers are almost always quite pleasant and extremely competent.
Eating here is an emotional rollercoaster. Proceed with caution or avoid drama and snag a seat at the bar
People thought this was:
Their French Dip makes me very happy.
I found a bug, yes.
But hey, they comped the dessert.
The food here? Awesome.
People thought this was:
One of my "go-to" standards for great food, exceptional service, and a relaxing atmosphere.
My favorite item is the ahi tuna steak with the beet salad- this isn't always on the menu but if you ask, they'll usually make it.
Also, make sure to try the spinach dip for an appetizer and the tres leches cake for dessert- delicious!
This place represents how my tastes have radically evolved over the last 5 years.
If you asked me 5 years ago what I thought of this place I would have said DEEEE-licious. In that exact way...and then I would give a thumbs up..
If you asked me now, I would say it's alright, nothing special, just another american chain with bland choices. The food is seasoned and decent, but nothing on the menu will get you excited. It's like going to Outback Steakhouse...you know what you are getting there.
But then again, I'm all about new experiences, so it depends on what kind of foodie you are!
The location in Santa Monica is really the best one. I've been to Manhattan Beach, Century City, Irvine and Pasadena... They're all fine, but Santa Monica is special for some reason.
I know it's a chain, but I judge Santa Monica as it's own restaurant because it's so much better than the rest.... plus, for a chain, could you get any cleaner, fresher, consistent, high-quality?... Nope.
They have one of the best burgers ever (California Burger)... and the Thai Jungle Salad is spectacular - although sometimes, it's a little 'hotter' than others).... Steaks are very good. (some people call Houston's a Steakhouse I beg to differ).... They serve Sushi as well (and it's great!)
Basically, they do EVERYTHING really well... it's a great place to go with others, when you're not sure what they like or will eat - there's gotta be something on the Houston's menu they will like.
Service can be spotty - all the wannabe actors are here I tell you... but usually the 'team' is picking up or dropping off something - so that balances out the service part of it.
All in all - terrific place to go if you haven't booked a special occasion restaurant instead.
I love this place. The food always comes out perfect. Great date and family restaurant. They always have amazing specials strong drinks. You have to be patient because the wait to sit can be quit long.
People thought this was:
Atmosphere - wonderful
Presentation of food - great
Waiter - engaged me in a staring contest while giving me the specials
Support staff - dropped off things at my table without telling me its purpose
Up for review:
* Seared Sashimi Salad with Avocado & Mango
* Grilled artichoke appetizer
Service was awful -
* we asked to have our water refilled several times
* the waiter would check on us at inappropriate times (i.e. come in and wait during a heated parts of conversation and wait for us to note his appearance, while other times where we needed his service had to go searching for him as it seemed that he would disappear!)
* appetizers proceeded he main course - odd
Food
* nicely presented
* grilled 'chokes had great flavor and perfectly cooked
* seared tuna was perfectly cooked & seasoned
* salad was overdressed and soupy - dripping with dressing
* their meat selection sounded unappetizing. You'd think that coming to Houston's (whose name just screams STEAKHOUSE) would have an appetizing selection of cuts and accompaniments. I was positively looking forward to cutting into a nice cut of meat, but NOTHING sounded appetizing.
Overall:
Atmosphere - fabulous
Food - let's improve the steak selection, featuring sushi is a little weird, but for LA sure why not.
Price: Pricey - if I ever came back it would be for drinks & appetizers
People thought this was:
Be prepared, the wait is long on a Friday night.
I am not usually a fan of creamy artichoke spinach dip, but their dip was so good. It came with tortilla chips, salsa, & sour cream. I didn't try the sour cream, but the dip was even better with the salsa mixed in.
For dinner I went with a market fish (California Seabass), which came with a side of creamed corn (just what I needed, more cream!). Both were really good.
And, I now have a new favorite riesling - Schloss Vollrads from Germany. It was sweet, but not too sweet.
I didn't have dessert because my brother just got off a plane with a box of Luxemburgerli from Sprungli in Switzerland. That was heaven in my mouth. :)
People thought this was:
Oh, Houston's... Somewhat limited menu -- mostly steaks, ribs, burgers of various sorts, salads, alcohol -- but it's a menu that works.
If you find something you like, you'll find yourself ordering it repeatedly every time you go there, not because you dislike trying new things or have OCD, but because you want that same delicious taste again and again (Classic French Dip, I'm talking to YOU).
This restaurant, in its particular location (within the Century City Mall) perfectly slips into that thin band between ultra casual eatery and casual-but-still-great-for-special-occasions restaurant. Norm's or iHop this is NOT.
You can wear denim and a Tshirt there, or a suit, and it's the same difference. Take your shopping bags from the mall with you! They fit beneath the huge tables.
It's dark inside, but still light enough to see your hand in front of your face and identify who you're eating with well enough.
Also, the ambiance is unique in that it's almost always crowded and noisy, and yet somehow you can still hear everything you want to hear from the people you want to hear it from. Makes sense? No? Whatev...
Service is normally very fast, even if the restaurant is super-crowded (which it usually is). The wait staff are very attentive for the most part.
If you fail to make a reservation you can sit at the bar and drink several reasonably priced beers -- hey, you'll be more fun during dinner -- or nurse one of their more conservatively priced hard drinks.
Also you can sit outside or windowshop the outdoor mall stores (don't go outside the range of the pager they give you, though), or watch the people go into the Gulfstream restaurant next door, pondering silently (or loudly, if you have finicky friends of the same mindset) about whether or not you should defect from Houston's and go to Gulfstream. Don't! Traitor! :-)
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We are in LOVE with this particular Houston's! The house salad, come on, they are usually just filler-I know-this one, OMG I actually crave the thing! We usually have the pork chops and the filet-both excellent. I am so in love with their particular kind of coleslaw I conjured up the recipe and make it at home...:) I'm figuring out the dirty rice...
If you go on a weekend night, you may have to wait a few minutes, but it goes fast-you can always watch them make sushi. I'd try anything on the menu, it's sure to rock!
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I've been to several Houston's restaurants (Manhattan Beach, Santa Monica, Pasadena, and this one). The Century City Houston's is the best of the bunch. The Manhattan Beach one can sometimes be inconsistent. The Santa Monica restaurant was fine when I went though the menu was slightly different than other Houston's (and when you come to a chain, isn't it all about knowing what you are going to get). The house salad at the Santa Monica one was kind of a Greek inspired salad.
The Century City one does pretty big business. It is always packed (which can result in some long waits though I've never had a ridiculous wait here). Century City location does get cold in the winter so waiting outside of the restaurant is not fun (though there is usually enough room inside to wait). Its success may be why so many other sit-down places fail in the Century City mall (they cannot offer a strong alternative to Houston's).
The decor is the same as all the other ones (very dark with strong, focused lighting and big, comfortable booths). I had the ribeye here, and it was very good. Perfectly cooked and seasoned. I went with the fries, and they were crisp and hot. Sometimes, the shoestring fries can be over-crisped or cold, but these were good. The service was good as well.
Other good dishes at Houston's include: Hawaiian ribeye (when and where available), the loaded baked potato, the spinach and artichoke dip, the house salad, and the five nut brownie with ice cream.
If you are in the Century City mall and you want to go to one of the mall's sit-down places (before or after a movie), Houston's may be your best bet.
By the way, a 3 course dinner here (without drinks, tax, or tip) will run you about $35-50.
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I dine here quite often, and it is consistently excellent. I did have to borrow a shirt from the restaurant once because they won't allow tank-tops!!(I think it's okay for the ladies to have sleeveless tops...boooo..i mean..yay!!) Anyhow, my favorite dish here is baby back ribs w/ lots of french fries. I've had my share of ribs from various restaurants specializing in ribs, but this here, is truly the best ribs...hands down. I don't have to get my hands dirty because with minimal effort, the meat just falls off the bone. Tender, juicy, and all around goodness. And, the fries are always seasoned just right and crispy.
Warning: Pay attention to your almost empty , but not finished plate because waitstaffs here love to clear tables a.s.a.p.
My fiance and I love this restaurant. We have been there at least once a month since June of 2009, and it is a fantastic experience every time.
You can't make reservations before 6pm. You can let them know you're on your way, but you have to wait for the evening shift to start for reservations.
The waiters here are all very professional, but also personable. They know if you are in a mood to talk or just want the food. They are also great about changing orders when you want something specific or don't like what is being offered. Beyond your own waiter, other waitstaff is on hand to buss your table when you have finished your meal, so you can enjoy your company without the leftover smells of food or the dirty plates. If you look around at the other tables, you'll notice people are never waiting very long with empty plates, the tables are all very clean and controlled.
The atmosphere is interesting, because it mixes deep wood colors, dark red leather, and nuanced lighting with bright patterned rugs that hang inside frames on the walls alongside dried out desert trees. It seems like the restaurant was transplanted from New York to Los Angeles and picked up a few pieces of art along the way. Yet, it all works well. The deep chairs and spot lighting help set each table apart. While there is kitchen noise and other people's conversations going on around you, it is never loud and you can still speak in a low voice to the people at your table. Speaking of talking, cell phones are not allowed in the dining area.
Finally, the food. While we usually stick to sharing a California Burger and substituting in a baked potato for the fries, the other dishes we've ordered are all great. The thing that we have noticed the most about the dishes is the consistency. Every meal we have tastes just as good as the last. It is something like a space mountain phenomenon. Every time you think it won't be as good as the first time, but it is!
Off the menu there are items you can order and specials for the day. The best thing to get is the Key Lime pie. If you haven't tried Key Lime pie, this is definitely the place to start. The other desserts are great, especially the semi-sweet brownie & ice cream, but the Key Lime pie will make a light and crisp ending to any meal that you order.
Houstons's is my favorite restaurant in Santa Monica. Everything about it is great. They have delicious food with prices that work. The staff here is very friendly and are always around when I need something. The drinks are pretty good too compared to most places in SM.
Although there is sometimes a long wait to get a table here, I honestly don't mind because I know that I will be getting my money's worth!
Not only a steakhouse that serves steak, but they also have delicious chicken dinners. They are broiled to perfection and made to your delight. I also had their famous filet mignon. And it was scrumptious.
They also have great side dishes that are plentiful. Every time I go to this place I am full and have no real room for desert. But form what I have been told, the desert is excellent as well.
The BBQ ribs are delicious as well.
People thought this was:
This place is a pricey steak house, but arn't they all? What do you expect when you're next to beverly hills? I met The Game here while waiting to be seated, and the grill makes the anticipation to be seated very exciting. The foods, good, and the fillet is tasteful, but once you've been to Ruth's Chris - even this place is second. It's business casual attire and please turn off your phone when you eat! Their service is great too, so you'll definitely enjoy the food since the experience is memorable.
A very good restaurant. I've been to the Pasadena location several times as well, and Houston's has never disappointed.
TORTILLA SOUP
The soup had a good consistency and taste. It was served at the perfect temperature; the cheese (which I could tell was freshly grated) was either just starting to melt or in the soft stage just before beginning to melt. The avocado was smooth and cold, which made a great contrast with the rest of the dish.
I think crunchy tortilla strips would have made this dish perfect; that would have given the contrast of crunchy and smooth as well as hot and cold.
TUNA ROLL SALAD
This dish was not what I expected. 'Inside-out Tuna Roll' means the rice is on the outside, followed by the seaweed, followed by the inside (fish, avocado and jicama). I expected a salad with all the sushi ingredients mixed together. This dish to me was not a salad; it was a sushi roll with a side salad.
The rolls were good. The ingredients were very fresh, especially the fish. I had never had jicama in a sushi roll before, and it was interesting to have the crunchy along with the soft and smooth of the fish and the avocado.
The side salad was delicious. The avocado was soft and perfectly ripe, the mango was very flavorful, the pickled onions were bursting with so much flavor that I had to lean back in my seat to take it all in. The cilantro added a very distinct flavor without adding much texture. The dressing was tasty and perfectly subtle. However, I do recall a piece of avocado that was too big; it would have been better if that piece were cut into two or three pieces and more evenly distributed in the salad.
I thought the jicama was a bit out of place; the cucumbers added enough crunchiness to the salad, and the jicama added too much crunch. Another aspect of the dish I disliked was the peppers. Either the peppers or the seeds of the peppers were WAY too spicy for that dish. I usually love spicy food, but this made me sit back in my seat for a good 20-30 seconds before I was ready to move on. It was an unpleasant experience.
CALIFORNIA BURGER
In general, very good ingredients make for a very good burger, and Houston's has hit the nail on the head. The bun was perfectly soft and sweet (are these made in-house like the rest of the breads?). The meat was flavorful and juicy, though may have been a bit undercooked for medium (see pictures). Additionally, the avocado and tomatoes were unevenly distributed (see pictures) and I couldn't really taste the arugula.
The fries were good, with perfect texture and flavor. However, I think they could have used less salt; my guest and I both mentioned how they weren't far from being too salty.
SERVICE
Greeters were helpful and smiling, but not overly enthusiastic, which I think fit well with the attitude the whole place exudes (which seemed masculine-sexy-professional).
Our server, Daniel, knew everything and presented it very well, including letting us know the fresh fishes of the day as well as telling us about the different dishes on the menu. He was professional but also fun and laid back; he kept us smiling all night. Michelle, the manager, stopped by our table and asked how everything was going. I feel that it's rare for the manager to ask a random table if everything is going well, and I liked that.
AMBIANCE
I liked the lighting a lot. Again, it follows the professional-masculine-sexy attitude. The soft lighting complements the dark woods well. I like the Southwestern wooden cacti. Some of the framed artwork seemed a bit out of place though; I recall one painting with abstract black images on a white canvas, which reminded me of Chinese characters.
People thought this was:
Long wait time ! but their fries and their Thai steak salad are really good !
After a full afternoon of shopping through 3rd Street Promenade, a close friend of mine took me to Houston's. Thankfully there was no wait because I was starving. I enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant, which was busy but the lighting made it very calming at the same time.
Our server was wonderful. He was very attentive and kind. He provided us with very good recommendations for our appetizer and entrées. We ordered the coconut shrimp roll and this was very pleasing to my palette. It came with two dipping sauces which went very well together. I ordered the catch of the day special with garlic and parmesan cheese. Mmmm... My friend had the Roast Prime Rib which was quite tasty. But quite frankly, sounded better on the menu than on it did in my mouth. For dessert, we had the Apple Walnut Cobbler. I like this dish. The walnuts with the Vanilla ice cream were a perfect pair.
I'm honestly not a huge fan of chain restaurants, but this one was pretty decent. I would like to go back and try some other dishes on their menu like the Pork Chops and Filet Mignon.
People thought this was:
Consistently great food with excellent fast service. Their filet is my absolute favorite (even better than Mastro's or Ruth's Chris, or at least that was my experience), their prime rib sandwich is classic, and even their salads are great (I like the spicy tuna one and the Thai beef). For sides, their fries are perfect. The Century City mall location of this restaurant makes it very crowded, so expect a wait, but once you get seated, everything moves quickly.
I've been eating at Houston's throughout So Cal for years and it is one of my favorite places to go. Despite being a "chain" with locations throughout the country, the food is excellent. Fresh ingredients, flavorful and consistent broguth to you by an eager staff who shares the load. It's not uncommon for a waitress or waiter to see you're glass of water needs refilling and before you can ask, they're on it. I've tried the fish sandwhich, French dip, chicken salad, sushi, prime rib, seared ahi, ribs, burgers, soups, all the salads and have never been dissappointed. Only downside is the price of items which could be lowered a bit.
So I've been going to the Houston's chain of restaurants on and off since high school when my cousin first brought me for a birthday dinner. What hooked me then was the truly "fall off the bone" ribs....and the spinach and artichoke dip. It still amazes me how consistent the ribs are. These are must orders for me every time I go. Thank God my wife orders different things each times she goes otherwise I'd never really get to try anything different. I wish they had more types of beers.... and the ribs were warmer yesterday. They felt like they were sitting out for a while... The waitress seemed like she was expecting a complaint? After I finished my plate another person came to clear it off... The waitress thought I sent it back, and asked if anything was wrong with it. I just said I was already done.... Anyway, other than that this place would have gotten 5 stars...
The strange thing to me... Sushi here? Weird.... I'm sure it's tasty, but just can't ever get myself to order it from a place called Houston's....
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So I have always liked Houston's and the other night I was with some friends at Century City Mall. We had just seen a movie and came out and wanted to grab something to eat and a glass of wine. Houston's is perfect right???
We walked in and my friend, a very nice guy approaches the hostess Roseny and says table for three. She looks at him and says it will be ten to fifteen minutes. Okay, he steps back to us and we begin rehashing the movie. There was no one else waiting in the front for a table. Immediately a pair of very sophisticated women in their fifties come in, speak to the hostess, she grabs menus and another hostess comes up and they are seated. Then another couple comes in, and are seated immediately. A third couple come in speak to the hostess, stand around for a minute or two and are seated. So my friend goes back to the hostess and says, "Are we still on the list? Why are these other walk-ups getting sat?" She says our table isn't ready yet ------i know the people who work in the restaurant industry get a lot of flack and it's a hard job. I used to be a waitress, but this girl's attitude was so dismissive and unapologetic. I saw her roll her eyes at my friend and then watched as another hostess came up and they began to snicker. It was completely unacceptable and rude. Roseny never offered that we could sit at the bar and wait, she never said sorry for the wait, she wasn't the least bit interested in us or our perception of what was happening. When we were finally sat, there were four tables around ours that were four tops all vacant and ready for customers. Why did we have to wait? Even if she had a good reason, shift change, no server assigned to those tables, servers too busy, etc. she could have explained that to us with a smile. Or she could have sat us and told us that we would have to wait at the table for ten to fifteen minutes before our server was available but here's some water. That would have been fine and we would have really appreciated that instead of feeling like we weren't important or worth an explanation.
Now I have to admit that once we were sat, our server was very nice and the food and wine were great. I had a burger, delish, one friend had sushi and the other had a grilled fish. We left totally satisfied with the food but the hostess nonsense really put a damper on our experience.
People thought this was:
Love Love Love this place. A great place for yummy tasty food with a chill out atmosphere. Favorite dishes: the french dip is off da hook, the sushi are amazingly good and their Thai Steak and Noodle Salad is simply amazing. Don't be fool by the salad label. This one has chunks of yummy tasty steaks, mango, peanuts, thai basil and mint leaves and of course, salads. All mixed up in this huge bowl of yumminess.
Quick fun factoid: The Thai Steak and Noodle Salad used to be called Evil Jungle Thai. Why was it change, don't know but Evil Jungle Thai just rocks compared to the now more PC title.
Anyways, if you're still on the fence about this, go and check it out for yourself. You will love it. Everything on the menu is tasty.
Cheers!
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Houston's is getting sloppier with every year. Pasadena location - our waitress brings us our drinks, 2 of the glasses had lipstick on them from the previous customers. Santa Monica location - my veggie burger had a long strand of hair in the middle of the burger. Manhattan Beach location - staff was ridiculously rude. Century City location - I can't say since this one's always so busy we usually nix the wait altogether.
Overrated, overpriced, underwhelming.
People thought this was:
Dining at this Houston's is like paying for beamer, but getting a very reliable Accord. Sure, the food is just fine. I had the Rutherford Ribeye (ordering this is like being forced to say a tongue twister under pressure).
The steak had way too much fat on it (think recent Russell Crowe, while expecting The Gladiator version). But copious amounts of bleu cheese crumbles surrounded it, as too cherry tomatoes. Some of the tomatoes were firm, and some fell apart faster than a Robert Downey sobriety mission.
My birthday girl friend had the seared ahi, which was awesome. The side was a set of tasty greens. Beware, though your grease impassioned inner self might want to substitute fries, there are no substitutions allowed. I always find the no substitutions mantra rather tacky. I mean, if a girl wants fries, give her fries.
Really, Houston's should just use the slogan "nothing is cheap and nothing is free." You want a baked potato with your steak? Get ready to shell out four bucks. You want a salad with your meal? That'll be six bucks if you add it to the purchase of an entree.
Overall, a very flat experience. This Houston's used to be better.
People thought this was:
Talk about eating the wrong thing at the wrong restaurant two nights in the row... The night before, I was at Michael Mina's Sea Blue restaurant in Las Vegas, having steak in a seafood restaurant, and this particular night, I was at Houston's having wild halibut.
So I happened to be staying at the Century Plaza, and just had a really long day, and it was already pretty late, and didn't want to venture too far out, but didn't really want to eat at the hotel. So Eunju O. came by to pick me up from the hotel, and we decided to go to Houston's.
I have never been to a Houston's before, and didn't really know what to expect, but I hear that they had really good hamburgers and steaks, but I simply wasn't in the mood for more beef, especially after several days of it in Las Vegas.
I asked the waitress what she would suggest, and surprisingly, she suggested the wild halibut, so that's what I ended up getting, and she also recommended having the cauliflower with it. Eunju ended up just getting a salad, but it sure did look good since it had steak in it.
The halibut was actually very good, and the cauliflower wasn't too bad either, but just wished they didn't put as much of that orange colored sauce on it.
Maybe I had the wrong impression of the restaurant, but Eunju and I hadn't seen each other for a long time, and wanted to take our time, have dinner, catch up, etc., but I think the waitress came by several times asking if she could take our plates, even though we were not even close to done each time she asked. It was a little annoying, and I don't think we were there that long (maybe a little over an hour)
Overall, the place wasn't too bad, and it was a really nice set up. I just felt that we were being rushed out with the waitress constantly coming back to clear our plates.
People thought this was:
The food here is fantastic! They are more well known for their steaks, but also offer lots of different kinds of sushi rolls. EVERYTHING here is delicious. I have never been disappointed with anything I tried.
On the down side, it is quite pricey. $12 for a sushi roll and $34 for steak from what I recall. You definitely do get your money's worth, as again, nothing here disappoints...not even the dessert!
The girl sitting across from me (supposedly a friend), "My girlfriend got a fungal skin infection once using those warm, wet wash clothes at a Japanese restaurant."
Me: (staring back at her, not saying a word) --thinking, "why the hell would you tell me that AFTER you just watched me take a virtual bath, with a total-body wipe-down with that hot, moist, spore-ridden hand towel?"
The baby back ribs were 5 stars. Meena, the waitress, was 5 stars. The decor 5 stars. Everything else, 3 stars... including the shoe-string fries, the cole slaw, and the fancy vegetables.
People thought this was:
I've only gone to Houston's in Manhattan Beach. I went here this week and received one of the worst services of all time. The waitress barely came to our table. We tried to flag her down several times. Whenever she walked by, we would call out to her but she would keep walking. She may have been hard of hearing. We ordered a steak - medium-well, and a pork chop plate. The steak came out rare, and the pork chop was RARE AS WELL!!?!?! Isn't pork supposed to be cooked fully?
We complained to an Asian girl who "claimed" she was the manager, but she was giving us attitude the whole time. Very unprofessional. I will never go back here again. And good riddance.
I've uploaded the picture of my Rare pork chop and my "medium well" steak. Don't go here!
People thought this was:
If you can get past all the buttoned up shirts and dress pants, Houston's Century City is pretty decent for the food. Everything else - service, decor, ambience...blah. My bf and I came here for a mellow dinner on a weeknight, and even though I had made a reservation earlier, the hostess wasn't ready to seat us when we arrived, so we decided just to grab dinner at the bar.
It might have been because we didn't have the requisite preppy gear on, but our bartender was quite brusque with us (she completely changed her tone with two men who sat next to us midway through our meal). But I ordered the cheeseburger and my bf ordered the filet. They exceeded our expectations with the food. My burger was cooked exactly the way I ordered it - medium, and the filet was huge, juicy, and perfectly medium rare. I also loved the shoestring fries - not too crispy, not too salty. We were pleasantly impressed and enjoyed our food while watching the Australian Open highlights on the flat screens.
People thought this was:
As a transplant from the east coast I just started my new adventures in Los Angeles. Back home I was a foodie and I was happy to see a Houston's just a short walk from my new apartment. I know it isn't the most high falutin food in the world but it's always solid. Here in Santa Monica the restaurant is sleek, comfortable and even serves Sushi. The hamburger was delicious and my b.f.'s fish sandwich was yummie. A good selection of wines and good beers. And of course, the service is always good at Houstons.
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Neighborhood: Santa Monica
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: El Segundo
Category: Steakhouses
Neighborhood: Pasadena
Category: Steakhouses
Los Angeles, CA
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: West Los Angeles
Category: Restaurants
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