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Category: Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: Santa Monica
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The food here was DELICIOUS!! I ordered the center cut steak medium done, with a side of spinach and a loaded baked potato. The steak was done perfectly, and the spinach was surprisingly amazing. Not over-cooked and mushy like a lot of places. My sister ordered the sea bass with crab on top. Also very delicious!! I found out the reason the steak was so delicious was because it's cooked in A LOT of butter lol =\ We ordered a dessert of brownie a la mode. The brownie was good.. nothing amazing.. but the vanilla ice cream. omigod. The vanilla ice cream was the best I've ever had. Also found out that the ice cream was about 90% fat which was why it was so delicious; it was from a local creamery.
Last but not least, the thing that caught my attention the most: my sister and I ordered cocktails before dinner, and every half hour or hour they would come by with fresh/cold martini glasses and switch over our cocktails. How considerate!!!
We stayed right up until closing and didn't feel like we were being pushed out. Prices are decent too!!
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FRENCH.DIP. DO IT.
nothing else matters. just get the french dip, soak it in the au jouis (sp?) and enjoy that $hit!
atmosphere is great. and so is the dip!
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I've always passed this place for years but have never eaten here. I thought I'd give it a chance.
Throughout my visit, I wasn't sure what kind of restaurant this was suppose to be. I see signs enforcing a minimal amount of proper attire and no cellphones allowed in the dining area; basic etiquette, but often never stated at most restaurants. It gave a feeling of higher establishment. However, there must have been more kids in this place than adults. In no way were they unruly, but it certainly gave an odd feeling to the place and lowered its high end looks.
The atmosphere was great, but nothing too much. Simple low lit dining room. Service was top-notch. And the food was spectacular, even if the choices were rather typical. However, the prices did not justify for any of this. I felt like I was at a PF Chang's or Wolcano type restaurant and expected to pay considerably less in the end.
Good food, but a bit too pricey.
wow.. so i have a lot to say about this place, so if your looking for a pretty thorough review, this might be it :P
So my cousin is in town and we head down to 3rd St for a little shopping, sight seeing, dining experience. Him and his fiance arent shushi fans ,which is a disappointment to myself, but I took it in stride and suggested Houston's because I like the design of the building every time I pass by, and I've heard its a pretty nice steakhouse nonetheless. We got there around 5:30pm on a Friday evening and we were seated right away at a table in the corner. First thing I realized is what an expensive place this was. I admitt its pretty pricey, but as cheap of a person as I am, the food and service was well worth it.
The interior was very nicely designed with a large amount of dark wood pieces running along the ceiling and walls. The table we sat at was sporting Eames office chairs, which are awesome. The lighting was comfortable and the music was good white noise. The bathroom is up some stairs on the second level where is seems they seat the parties with children, to keep the downstairs level pretty legit and there was some sushi rolling going on up there too.
We were greeted right away by our waitress and had drink orders taken, which came out quickly and then our orders were taken. I got the BBQ Ribs, which came with a side of fries. The ribs were exactly as the menu described them. Fall off the bone, marinated bbq ribs. Some of the best ribs Ive ever had. The bbq sauce was spicy and sweet and the meat was tender. A+. The fries that came with i was skeptical off when i first saw them. They were very skinny and small (seen in my picture) but man they were really great little guys. They were reminiscent of chips almost. our sides of ketchup came out in tiny metal cups too haha.
After our meal the waitress cleaned our table of the plates and dropped off a place metal tray of steaming hot and damp bath clothes to wipe our hands off (because we all love to be messy when eating ribs right!). Never have i had someone bring me a moist/hot towel after eating to clean up with... it was grand haha..
At the end of the night, the bill is no joke, but i think we all left there very satisfied and and would be willing to come back again.
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Houston's, we have a problem.
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Best restroom in town.
The California Burger?
Order it right now.
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Unfortunately enough, I was severely disappointed by my first visit to Houston's. Me and three of the girls went for a lunch date and decided to pop in to Houston's Santa Monica location.
Yeesh. We were seated, then sat for about 10 minutes before having to flag someone down to order drinks. Then she said she would get our waitress right over to take our order. 10-15 minutes later a different girl came over and said she wasn't our waitress but would take an order for an appetizer. We ordered the spinach and artichoke dish which was pretty good. Then 10 or so minutes later, someone took our food order.
All the while, the restaurant- about 30% full of customers sat quietly while we tried to flag someone down to get refills.
The food was ...decent. Definitely expected more by way of food AND service. Considering how difficult parking is, how crowded SM is and now the sub-par service, I don't think I'll be revisiting Houston's Santa Monica.
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This is a nice place.
In fact, maybe too nice for my working class sensibilities. Allow me to explain, I am more of dive burger and orange whip kind of guy.
This place is a $15 dollar kind of burger, even though it tastes like a $6 dollar burger. The food was good but in my working class head the quality didn't justify the price.
The decor is nice and modern, I was at the pier earlier and coming in dressed in short gave me sense of pause and contrast to the environment.
The service was decent and the food was decent. My only complaint would be that adding a side of sour cream to the artichoke dip is a bit on the ridiculous.
* Conclusion,
This place is for people who can afford to get 15 dollar burger, and i feel like it is for a specific crowd of person.
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I met my family here for my birthday which might be the only time I'd get to try something like this out because there's no way a poor shithead like me would have any reason to go to a place this ritsy with so many McDonald's in the immediate radius.
Unless of course I stumbled upon a date with a girl way out of my league, which most are, but still, highly unlikely. Onto the details...
No free bread. I judge most higher-end (high end to me anyway) dining establishments on their bread generosity. No quarter given here. You have to buy bread. Buy it!
Plus side: cheese comes on the bread you have to buy.
I'd like a more adventurous beer selection but it is what it is, the beers they do have are by no means bad and most importantly, they're beers.
The place looks pretty nice. It's how I'd design my second house with my second family in another state if I were a wealthy womanizer. I think that's pretty complimentary. (complimentary as in kind of me to say, not like free - you know, free, like their bread isn't)
I don't know if this is a classy Hooters but at least on this night, the staff was quite attractive and mostly female. I bet they have to bring head shots to their interviews. Our waitress was very cute and had all her lines memorized. Tips all around.
I ordered a New York Strip Steak with a Baked Potato and I capitalized those because I felt they deserved it. 1) because they were expensive 2) because they were pretty damn good. My mom got some fish thing that was amazing. Made me wish I had gotten her meal it was so tasty. Now I'm not sure if my sister is just super picky or her taste buds were off because she likes sushi, ordered a sushi salad thing that came with various California Rolls and was disgusted. I didn't taste any because I don't like sushi but my sister, ever the kind-hearted one, didn't want to complain and was just going to suck it up and go without. When the waitress came by to see how everything was my mom totally dimed my sister out and said she wasn't feeling the sushi. The waitress swapped her meal out for something else, no attitude, no questions asked, no extra charge. Gotta love that!
If you were wondering, my sister was super apologetic and felt like an ass because she was worried about seeming bitchy and snobby which she clearly isn't, but whatever.
Now, I'm usually not one for desserts. It being my birthday they brought out a brownie with some ice cream on top and a candle - pretty basic. I blew out the candle and was like you guys can have that, I'm not gonna touch it. Cut to 2 minutes later I think I ate half of it and the only egging on I needed was the sight of the dessert. It was weird, this vanilla ice cream sang its own siren song and I listened and followed.
You do some eerie shit, Houston's.
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Houston's is a lovely safe restaurant in the beachy-bourgeoisie part of Santa Monica. It has a specific demographic that I happened to fall into for that day, otherwise, I wouldn't be caught dead in here.
The day in question was when I enjoyed my farewell lunch with the design studio I interned. In that respect, it was awesome. Better quality food put on the business card surrounded by the suits and upscale moms in their "lunching" outfits.
There was nothing wrong with the food. I ordered some type of spicy-tuna roll sushi salad, mostly out of curiosity because I was wondering how they integrated the two dishes. So, they don't. Imagine pretty little piles of food on a large platter, the sushi on one side, a bed of dressed cabbage on the other, with your sushi accouterments along the side. I give them credit- their sushi is packed with flavor. The raw tuna tasted fairly fresh, and the salad (while over-dressed) made a nice crunchy side. Did it blow my mind? No. Was it good enough for my free lunch? Yes. Would I pay for it on my own card? Hell no.
This is a great place if you're into steppin out with the ladies in your heels and Banana Republic finest. If you're networking with potential clients at your marketing firm. If you drive an imported car that has an acronym, I could see you here.
But if you're into microbrewed beers and comfort foods and ethnic restaurants, I'm not saying you won't like it here...but why are you wasting your time when there's so many more awesome cultural foods to sample at half the price and twice the quantity?
The wait was hellacious (Saturday evening), but the prime rib @ medium rare was ridiculous ... "good" that is! Had a sample of Lori's Caesar salad and it was surely worthy of Caesar himself -- soo good. Finished off perfectly with a chocolate brownie a la mode and asked for side of hot fudge to pour over. Satisfied indeed.
bonus: sat next to Christina Aguilera, who was w. her hubby and baby. This is apparently a favorite spot of theirs. ;)
Oh I should add I really love the ambiance of the place as well. Two thumbs up!
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No Corkage. Food here is great and yeah it's not as cheap as other places but the quality is totally worth a few extra bucks in my opinion. The short ribs fall off the bone which is good because there is nothing more barbaric than to have to rip meat off a bone with your teeth. Their Burger (forget the name, Californian?) is so worth the price of admission peeps, and their salads are mealworthy and flavorful. And this place emits the most intoxifying aromas as you walk by from their kitchen and wood burning fireplace... it lures you in.
The drawbacks are the crowded bar and the long wait since they don't take a rez.
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Stopped in last night to have dinner with my co-workers. Man, this place is starting to be like the cafeteria for my co-workers and I.
I had the veggie burger with a side of the shoestring fries.
This veggie burger was so hearty. I was expecting it to be just bland and uneventful but I was completely wrong.
It was PACKED with black beans and brown rice. The menu said it was their secret oatmeal blend recipe. I don't even know how where to start wrapping my head around that idea but it was super delish. Which is what is most important.
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Once a year I am associated to a holiday purely by the line of work that I do. Don't really like to… Read more »
California Burger
Caesar Salad
bottle of Sequoia Grove 06 Cab (great $40 Cab, you could easily have a bottle for yourself)
period!
if you are willing to wait at the Promenade, the California Burger is well worth the wait!!!!… Read more »
****RAD PLACE****
I love the decor to this place, it is GORGEOUS. This is a must stop if you're in Santa Monica!!
They even have a nice bathroom with an awesome sink. Haha.
A couple weeks ago I sat at the bar with a friend. I liked the option of being able to watch the sushi chef create their rolls. Picked up a couple pointers. Almost like watching the TV channel Food Network without the sound.
At that time I ordered the vegetarian plate & was disappointed. I missed their old style vegetarian plate. I suppose this recession changed things a bit here. If I hadn't looked at my old pictures posted & had such a good memory, I wouldn't have believed it. The baked potato shrunk, the vegetarian side portions were much smaller, a fraction of what they use to serve. No more purple cabbage. I suppose I have to go along with the changing times. My friend ordered the vegetarian burger, no cheese, with mustard & ketchup on the side. She shared a bite & I vowed to have a vegetarian burger my next visit.
After a long summer's nap today, where I dreamed about making potstickers, I awoke to being behind schedule. I had made reservations for dinner here with another friend who appreciates their flexibility with her dietary requests. I also appreciated their flexibility with regards to reservations. Spoke to the maitre 'd who consulted with the mgr., presto, reservations were cheerfully honored for 30 minutes later.
My friend picked me up in her new car, which smelled great. She dropped me off @ the corner entrance and parked in the closest city lot South of Wilshire Blvd. on 2nd St. If you enter before 6 p.m. on a weekday, it's FREE for the 1st 2 hrs.
She's on a strict diet & wanted to come here because they don't raise an eyebrow with substitutions. She ordered a California beef burger, without a bun, no fries plus a side wedge of lettuce. She said they have the best burgers in town, and she eats out a LOT. Well, she admits she doesn't know how to cook, so that's her way of life. Maybe all that will change after her cooking lessons, which begin at the end of this month.
Now if there is one thing I don't like cooking at home it is spinach. Therefore when I eat out, I usually ask for it, if it's available. I ordered the vegetarian burger with ketchup, lettuce and pickles. The waitress kindly let me substitute the fries with a side order of spinach, plus I ordered an extra side dish of spinach. Their chefs do an amazing job on the spinach. Plus, this has to be the tastiest black bean, oat bran burger yet. It was very good with the melted slice of cheese. However next time I will have to drop that off too.
The service was swift, the music, the ambience upbeat. From now on, in my efforts to be consciously healthy and harmonious, I will stick with the vegetarian burger and of course, the spinach. I feel better already.
Another bday dinner, 'cause I love their veggie platter. Their veggies tasted so sweet, even though… Read more »
I'm not a big chain-food person, but I read this review on Yelp calling "Houston's the same as Cheesecake Factory". That's where I drew the line, and came out of the closet, admitting to being a big Houston's fan.
Houston's lunch salads, though not inexpensive, are some of the most creative and best at any SaMo cafe. Plus, I love their fresh, never frozen, burger. The quality of the ingredients differentiates Houston's from all of the rest. of the chains.
Go upstairs and check out the sushi bar! Ever wonder why the sushi was so fresh in their sushi salad, it comes from upstairs. If you are lucky, this section will be open for seating and you'll have a quiet lunch, too.
For the lone business traveler, I spent many evenings at this bar enjoying a great meal, and meeting lots of interesting characters.
Last, this particular Houston's, though smaller, has much better service than the Rosecrans location. The other restaurant may be indicative of a Cheesecake factory, as folks have been known to starve waiting on their meal. (OK, I exaggerated, again). I have come REALLY close to missing a flight by stopping at the Rosecrans Houston's , though.
Funny, but true: I wouldn't eat at Houston's for about 10 years due to the name. Why name yourself after a stinky, dangerous city? What kind of market research causes you to name a restaurant after the armpit of Texas? Should I expect Beaumont's next? Anyway, glad I got over this.
I keep eating here even though I don't want to because it is across from my husbands work. It's not that its bad, but it has frustratingly inconsistent food quality.
Every piece of fish myself or a companion has eaten was dry and overcooked. My crab cake had no flavor. Yet strangely the veggie burger is one of the best I've ever had! It is rich, moist, and delicious. Again the veggie burger is amazing! The ribs are also very good, as are many of the sushi rolls. If you stick with things like the ribs and burgers you will be very happy.
It is a good choice for a group of out of town guest who may not be too daring, and can satisfy a variety of tastes in an impressive atmosphere. Just don't expect too much.
French Fry Review:
This restaurant is part of the Hillstone Group and many of them serve good shoestring fries.
Very thin shoestring fries, good but slightly bland, small amount of skin at the tips of the fries
Houstons is Houston's. Houston's is in the same rank of Cheesecake factory, however, they are a little more pricey. I had went here to meet a friend for lunch. I had been to a Houston eons ago, when I was younger, and didn't quite remember it being thoroughly amazing.
My friend wanted sushi, and since i wanted her, I figured why not? So I looked at the lunch menu, and "DAMN!!" The sushi was ridiculously priced fora role. I mean, this girl was hot, amazing legs from consistent exercise, complexion that glowed in the sun....but sushi at lunch should not be $54....which was the total after thing was said and done.
Sure, the darkened ambiance is nice, the darkened wood, the brewery effect it has with the construction of the ceiling fixtures, etc.. However, I'm a strong advocate for getting what you pay for. Two people who are going to eat a couple rolls should not have a bill that resembles the pricing of a high end meal.
The sushi we had would be the equivalent of regular of going to like Ralph's, then buying the store prepared sushi, then going to Pier 1 imports and buying some nice cutlery and plates to serve the sushi on.
I can't speak on their other items, however, from what I have seen they are overpriced for the level of food that they serve.
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Came here on friday night with a group of friends for a bachelorette dinner party. We were walking around 3rd street promenade and figured that this would be a decent restaurant. So around 7pm, we walked in and asked if they had a table for 6 - and found out it was about a 20-30 min wait. Which was fine, so we went ahead and lingered over to the bar to order drinks. Just as we just finished ordered the drinks at the bar, someone comes and finds us and lets us know that our table is ready. SWEET! We only had to wait less than 10 mins!
We started off with the spinach artichoke dip - a recommendation from our funny waiter. It was delicious. It came with a side of salsa and sour cream with warm chips. Since there was 6 of us - we decided to do it family style and order everything and shared it. We ordered the BBQ rips, roasted chicken, a salad, and the swordfish. The portions are pretty big, so it was the perfect amount of food for us to eat. Everything was very tasty: the chicken was moist, the BBQ ribs were delicious and the meat literally fell off the bones, and the swordfish was delicious and not fishy at all.
Overall this was a nice place to have dinner. It's a little nicer than the average casual place, but you can wear jeans. I believe there is a dress code, but we were dressed up anyways. The drinks were good , the food was delicious, and the service was excellent. It's conveniently located near the 3rd street promenade too, so its a great location if you are looking for a good meal at a nicer place.
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I came here with a group of friends. I always think of this place like classy TGIFridays or Chevys. The food and service is definitely better (and more expensive) but it's still a chain and somehow it gives off a chain feel.
We got got the spinach dip as an appetizer, which was cheesy and fairly good. I also got the french dip with fries ($18) which was HUGE, but just like any other french dip I've had. The fries were skinny and pretty good. I also tried my friend's sushi combo salad, and that was pretty good, with fairly fresh and spicy sushi.
The service was fast and friendly.
I think overall it deserves 3.5 stars. If I didn't have to pay, or If it was cheaper, I would give it 4 stars, but for its price, it's just not as worthwhile.
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Sometimes you just want the consistency of a chain. Sunday afternoon, after a very light breakfast, BF and I found ourselves VERY hungry at about 4:00 p.m. Hotel Bel Air? Too many cars parked out front, maybe a special event. Boa? They told us over the phone we only had an hour, after which they would shut down to prep for dinner. Some great Mexican place on 4th Street that I couldn't remember the name ... Girabaldi? Geez. Too frustrating in my weakened state to remember the name. Hunger took over and I just wanted something basic. And good. With dark lighting, Cakebread wine and well, meat. And a cozy booth. Enter Houston's.
Yummy List:
BF's medium rare prime rib
French Fries that accompanied that
Mexico City Soup
My broccoli and brown rice
Cakebread white wine
Decent List:
My medium rare Hawaiian rib eye. A little too rare and sweet.
It was nice and empty at 4:00 p.m. by the beach, and I had my wine, steak and favorite person. All is good with the world.
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Husband and I skipped valet and went to the parking garage $3 after 6 PM--great deal! I totally prefer parking my own car!
Walked past the giant kitchen windows and stared in amazement at the chefs preparing slabs of beef, fresh fish and other delights on the blazing grill. The grill chef even smiled & waved after I snapped the photo!
On to the food---wow--prepare yourself for a treat here! But first I must say that I found the service to be friendlier and more attentive at the Century City location. (However, that may be due to the awesome server that we had there--so I'm not going to knock off any stars).
We ordered a bottle of Peju, Napa Valley Merlot ($35)--which was really nice. Tried the Sequoia Grove Cab that another reviewer mentioned and yes, it was also good--and both were very affordable.
Started with the Coconut Shrimp roll---DON'T miss this one! It is absolutely amazing. The shrimp tastes like lobster because it is so thick, tender and flavorful. This is not your average fried shrimp concoction---this is fresh, delicious and very delicately prepared with toasted coconut. I could eat this appetizer as my entree and be totally satisfied! Comes with remoulade and another brilliant sauce which we couldn't get enough of.
On to our entrees: Husband ordered the grilled salmon with fresh corn. Very tasty but the plate always looks like it's missing something....another side maybe? Anyhow, it was plenty and tasted wonderful.
My entree, the Cali Sushi Salad was SOOOOO yummy! (See pics)
I would order that again in a heartbeat. I could only eat a few bites though after the appetizer and wine. That's ok, it tasted just as great for lunch the day after. Ask them to go easy on the dressing though, or get it on the side. It really doesn't need it.
No room for dessert but I nosied at the table next to us as they indulged and it looked so good.
Call for reservations as this place is crazy busy, but so worth it!
Bon Apetit!
lunch must-tries:
CALIFORNIA BURGER
FAMOUS FRENCH DIP SANDWICH
FRIES
BEER
dinner must-haves:
CRAB CAKES
will always love this place for consistent good food. if you want a gourmet burger, Houston's will not disappoint. it's fine dining but not super super formal. yes, it's pricey but cmon, you're in a nice restaurant. in other words, you get what you pay for and you're getting quality. they are famous for their french dips so if it's your first visit, definitely consider ordering this!
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The spinach dip, the burger and french dip are pretty good. That's what I usually get. Last time though, I went out of the ordinary and got the prime rib which I was very surprised with. It was quite delicious. I do hate how expensive their sushi is. I was suckered into buying some one night and it is HARDLY worth the cost. No way. Got duped on that one. It's not like this place is revolutionary or anything, it is a chain after all, but it's a pretty good place to go every once in a while when you don't feel like spending a ton of money for something more original.
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Fussy. A scene. Overpriced.
I've been to Houston's all over the US, and am surprised at how greasy the menu's gotten, as this location in Santa Monica was my most recent visit.
We were "overlooked" by the host staff for seating at a table, and ended up waiting about 15 minutes longer than we should have. Honest mistake, yes, but no apology, and nothing comped to make up for it.
Bar staff was very busy and also rather aloof. We were lucky enough to have some kind bar patrons sitting in front of us allow us to squeeze in to order a drink.
Our waiter wasn't professional, and didn't know he was out of two of the specials he'd told us about. Again, honest mistake, but there was a pattern forming here.
Food was mixed. Skip the spinach dip, but OH LORD I had best piece of Hawaiian swordfish I've ever had in my life. Ever. And that, friends, is the saving grace of this meal. That, and the fresh grapefruit juice I had in my greyhound.
Props to the valet - he was super-nice and actually had a sense of humor.
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FRENCH DIP SANDWICH, 'nuff said.
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I don't really understand the hype about this place.
The decor is standard, the service is mediocre at best, and at first I thought the menu was a joke. It is extremely limited. Some sushi, sandwiches, and a few entrees. The biggest surprise of the meal came when we ordered chips and salsa, and the salsa, it was obvious to all of us, was the Pace Picante you buy in the grocery store. When I throw a party at home, even I try to 'doctor' it up a bit so it tastes different and not straight from a jar. They didn't even try to do that.
The french dip was okay. I won't be returning.
Houston's is consistently good. The ribs are out-of-this-world, the rest of the menu is good, the wine list is satisfying and the service is typically exemplary. Take a doggy nag because the desserts are good. Yes, it's a chain. But you could easily spend the same amount in any recommended LA restaurant and it will be hit or miss. Do go there for something decadent like classic Americana. I do not want people complaining that the salad was boring. Go for something that gets your hands messy (they'll bring you a steaming wet towel anyway). I'm just saying that it always hits the spot.
Cozy + going to bed with smile + consistent = four stars.
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Apart from the wait for a table this place is really good. Chain or no chain, props where it's due. On this visit I had fun. Everything from the open kitchen, seeing a friend and her Ma at the bar, to getting a cozy booth table made this evening great. Our server, Peter, was very together too.
I'd often walked past this place thinking it was a posh expensive joint when all I wanted was fish and chips, but Houston's has a really accessible menu which is set in a warm, rich interior decor setting.
I copied my friend's idea of getting a chicken and rib combo (with 2 sides) and sharing it, leaving room for the apple walnut cobbler! Nice it up! We had some red wine to wash it down: the August Briggs was good, the Mi Sueno El Llano wasn't bad. At $15 a glass it pushed the bill up to $67, but otherwise you can eat here for $33 for two.
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One of my missions in life is to find the best burger in Los Angeles. My friend Gerald told me I had to try the Hickory Burger from Houston's, so we came here for lunch on a weekday. The place was packed, but we were seated promptly and the service was excellent.
At the Houston's in Santa Monica, the Hickory Burger is not on the menu, though it is on the menu at other locations. You can still order it though, as a 'secret' item for extra cool points. There's something strangely satisfying about not looking at a menu when you order.
When it arrived, I had to agree with Gerald that this burger is really good. The bun is fluffy and if you let it sit for a while, the grilled juices from the burger will seep into the bun to give it some extra flavor. While you're waiting for the burger to self-marinate itself, you can snack on the shoestring fries, which are great.
The quality of the patty is excellent. You can really taste the ground beef flavor. It doesn't melt in your mouth like Father's Office, which also has great meat. The Canadian Bacon in the Hickory Burger provides a nice counterpoint to the taste to shake things up a little. The Hickory sauce is also the perfect topper to round out the package.
Overall, I think my quest for the best burger comes down to three places. Father's Office has the best overall tasting 'burger' but I classify it more as a gourmet meat sandwich than a burger. Houston's Hickory Burger and The Shack's Shack Burger are the next two candidates. They're both true burgers and are good for different reasons. If you could replace the Canadian Bacon of the Hickory Burger with the Louisiana Hot Link from the Shack Burger, that combination would easily be #1 in my book. If you're a fan of hamburgers, the Hickory Burger from Houston's is a must-try.
Recently went to Houston's with some carnivores. I had the veggie burger and fries, which was tasty. Not worth 16 bucks, but since I wasn't paying for it, I didn't complain. The carnies seemed to enjoy their steaks, so all was good.
The restaurant is very nice and the wait staff top notch. This is a fine place to take a date or business client.
This dining establishment should be renamed "Singles Meat Market" because that's what it turns into during the lunch rush hour. It's a bit jarring to see so many silver fox Santa Monica men getting their pinot noir on at 12:30 in the afternoon at the bar. I just took my seat at the bar amidst the glistening gray hair and got ready to chow down.
Whenever I'm feeling carnivorous , I fantasize about a Houston's burger, probably the priciest burger I have ever eaten, but clearly worth the 18 bucks. They give you an ample serving of beef and it is always cooked perfectly to order. And I love the wasabi-tinged, cilantro sprinkled coleslaw they serve.
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Visited this location of Houstons the other day for lunch. The hostess immediately asked my friend to remove his hat as they don't allow hats in the dining area. Actually the quote was 'gentlemen are not allowed to wear hats in the dining area'. Which made it really interesting later when I noticed that some 'lady' was wearing a baseball cap about 6 tables from where we were seated. I pointed this out to my friend and needless to say that got him a bit agitated.
There's also some rule about no cell phone usage in the dining area as well, but I noticed about 10 people breaking this one as well in the short time I was there and didn't see anyone telling them to quit it. Ah well, hooray for rules and the people that follow them.
The service at this location was pretty good. The food was prepared well and my steak was good. I had a couple of thoughts about things that irritated me about Houstons this time. I asked for a substitute for the potato that was supposed to come with the meal. Out of several options I had to choose from, one of the options was sauteed vegetables. So I chose that one. Much to my surprise, the sauteed vegetables main ingredient was potatoes. Uh, didn't I ask for something that wasn't potato? It seems like my server could have told me that the sauteed 'vegetables' were actually potato. The other thing was that they don't give refills on iced tea. Refills on Ice Tea should be automatic anywhere, especially at some place that is charging you 30 bucks for a 10 dollar steak.
Anyhow, that's the restaurant chain's problem and not the service or the food. Policies and rules that are lame. This chain must be government run.
For a chain restaurant, I must say, this place is probably the winner of all chains. Service, food, and ambiance is all superb. Right when you walk in, you check with the host, and if it's a bit busy (usually weekends) there's a waitlist, but you're more than welcome to sit at the bar and have a drink and wait. If it's really busy, the front gets a bit crowded, but that just means people know where to go for some good food.
Once seated, you're greeted by your server, and they tell you the specials for the night, and then take your drink orders, drinks are delicious here, i usually get the lemon drop, or a glass of wine. They're very attentive, if it's empty, they're there.
Food: Spinach artichoke dip is pretty good, i've had their mexico city soup on sundays, they have different soups every night.
Entrees, I've had the California burger, and that's very tasty, it's huge, with string fries. My all time favorite from here though is the Thai Steak Noodle Salad... SOOO delicious, it comes with noodles, steak cooked as you want, sweet juicy tomatoes, green onions or cilantro? one of those, mangoes, trust me, this salad fills you UP.
I've also had a sample of the Ribs (delicious), roast beef dip? (okay.. im just not a big fan of that dish in general).
Don't think I've had dessert here before, only because im so stuffed from the app and entree =)
Great food, service, and ambiance.
Pro: Consistently good food at all the locations.
Con: is it THAT much better than other, more inexpensive chain restaurants?
In all, at Houston's you can expect a consistent level of good quality food. Sure, other places might beat it, but at what price? Houston's, thus, is like buying some options to hedge against a ridiculously high price. You get above average food, for less than you might expect.
So... back in a previous life, I worked a couple of summers at a rib joint in Kentucky. One of those one-of-a-kind, real-deal, high-end back-home places where, at the end of every night, I came home smelling like a barbecue pit--and loving it.
Man, those were good days. We'd get our own meals at the beginning of the shift, and those little half-racks of ribs were just the best thing ever. I'm actually slavering as I write this, just thinking about 'em.
I never thought I'd find anything as good. And certainly not in a chain restaurant. But yeah--Houston's ribs are as close as I've ever come. Can a restaurant merit four stars on the strength of one menu item? Maybe... but there are other factors to recommend this particular chain restaurant to you, as well.
The decor is right up my alley. Various locations feature different Actual Works of Art (props for authenticity!), and I knew they were serious about presentation when I noticed they had actual Poul Henningsen Artichoke Lamps at their location in Manhattan Beach (confirmed by the waitress, who seemed delighted--and a little suspicious--that I asked).
The service is polished and professional. Some people might be put off by the lack of banter; me, I'm just fine with it as long as the wait staff is attentive and prompt (which, in my experience, they are).
One pet peeve: I hate, hate, *hate* that thing they do (and I've seen it in other places, too--grr!) where they try to "class up the experience" by serving you condiments in THE WORLD'S SMALLEST TUBS rather than in a proper bottle--but I'm not so bashful that I won't ask for three or four of those suckers. I just go in knowing I'm going to have to ask, and I'm only marginally annoyed.
But let's get back to those ribs. Danish, slow-cooked, fall-off-the-bone baby backs with a sauce that is just sweet enough, just spicy enough, with just enough vinegar... ribs are one of those foods where everyone has a personal preference. For me, it's Houston's.
I reviewed the Santa Monica location because, frankly, it's my favorite. Century City, Manhattan Beach and Pasadena all have more attitude and/or more crowds. Which is surprising, as I consider most non-restaurant things in Santa Monica to be pretty insufferably smug and condescending. I'm happy to report that Houston's is none of that.
I hear they have some other stuff too--I'm sure it's very good. Leave me alone. Can't you see I'm eating ribs?
People thought this was:
Blah Blah Blah.
Over priced and under performing.
If it wasn't for the regular visit by local celebs, then this place would be two stars...there is way too much competition in LA.
People thought this was:
Really bummed by the policy that they can only take reservations for 5 or less. Weird number 5.
So I have been going to Houston's in various cities since I was in high school. (I have Farrah poster). And now this bums me out. It just makes absolutely no sense.
People thought this was:
Neighborhood: West Los Angeles
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Santa Monica
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Santa Monica
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Santa Monica
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Santa Monica
Category: Italian
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