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Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: MontroseMon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mon-Thu. 5:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Fri. 5:30 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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And so the wait is over! Literally & figuratively. After fielding questions from our dinner group ("so what would you give this place," "how many stars," "but what about the ambience, the service"), I've finally come to the conclusion to give Mark's 4-stars.
Let me enchant you with a little story on why there was so much confusion in our group of 11 regarding the rating for this restaurant. On a Friday night, we were celebrating two gal pal's bdays and had reserved ahead of time for the 8:30pm time slot. The birthday celebrant herself (upon making the reservation) asked the reservation hostess at the time if this was a good time slot, as the restaurant apparently also had another large party at 5:30pm. The hostess assured her that it would be plenty of time for the party before us to be seated, served, & cleared by our 8:30pm reservation.
And so on a slightly chilly Friday evening, after valeting our cars, we piled ourselves into the tiny waiting area at Mark's. It was 8:15pm, and half of our group was there. We were told by the maitre' d at that point that the dinner party before us was paying their tab, and that as soon as it cleared, they would seat us. We didn't mind, at first, since some of our party weren't there yet.
At 8:45pm, our group was complete, and we ask if the table is ready. The maitre' d nervously explained to us that the party, although paid, was still loitering around the table, but that he would go over to *politely* tell them that our party was waiting for that table. For the time being, that was a sufficient answer for us. It was, after all, only 15 minutes past our reservation.
At 9pm, a complimentary round of champagne rolls on by us, served by the maitre d himself. He profusely apologized, and stated that the table STILL had not left. We asked if we could be seated elsewhere, if table arrangements could be made, and frankly, if we were actually going to be eating dinner or BREAKFAST. Finally, at 9:30pm, we were seated with the promise of comped dessert for all!
Other than the 1 hour wait for our table, the rest of the night went smoothly. Our main server and his two accomplices were great at answering all our questions, from wine pairings to preparation questions, etc. He also rattled off a few off-the-menu specials that I ended up ordering.
This, of course, is when I get into trouble. There are a few food items that , if available, I always want to order. One of these are truffles. That night, they had WHITE TRUFFLES shaved over some buttered bowtie pasta.. And yes, that needed to be in caps, and if possible, in bold letters as well. As soon as I heard WHITE TRUFFLES (for appetizer) coming out of the server's mouth, I was $old. When the "diamond of the kitchen" came out, it came with a full on presentation...and I was even offered to do the last shavings of the truffle for a photo-op (I declined, because as much as a picture-whore I am, I don't play with my food). Did the taste hold up to it's presentation & reputation? You bet your mother's knickers! I savored every tiny, buttery, shaving, and was even able to share a few bites to my seat mates.
For the main entree, I again went with a special. It had the giant spiny lobster. And by giant, I mean gargantuan. Split right down the middle, and served alongside some sauteed spinach & angel hair pasta, the "meat" inside was plump, juicy, and tender. Though served with two dipping sauces (melted butter, and a lemon-butter sauce), the lobster flavor really did not need any aid as it was prepared perfectly. I've NEVER been full on lobster before and for the first time in my life, I conceded defeat.
The low-point of the evening was my chocolate cake, but to be fair, it was possibly just hugely over-shadowed by my app and entree. Our group ordered mostly bread pudding, chocolate cake, and even the $20 milkshake. All were decent, but didn't induce fireworks.
And now came the exciting part of the evening...splitting the bill! For a group of 11, our tab came up to roughly $750 (with grat included). At first, we thought, NOT BAD! Between 11 people, that's roughly 60-70/pp, which is what we alotted for. However, when we truly separated the checks, $300 out of the $750 was all MINE. =)
How did I do that much damage, you say? Well, for starters, the white truffle app was (gulp) $60...spiny lobster: $80. And it just snow-balled from there! Now, was the truffle worth $60??? I'd say $40 (since most apps cost between $15-30), but it shouldn't cost more than most entrees on the menu! I do understand, however, the price of white truffles and supposedly, it contained a sufficient amount in my dish. The spiny lobster to me was worth every penny, if not more.
Do I regret spending so much on one night of gustatory indulgence to celebrate two birthdays with 11 friends? Not one iota! Life is short! Carpe Diem! Insert whatever old adage here, and then head over to Mark's and enjoy.
Truly mediocre-tasting food.
The cathedral interior is not as "romantic" as everyone claims. It's pretty un-memorable.
The food was disappointing for the price, but the dessert was my favorite course!
The creme brulee was good, and a pretty generous portion.
The chocolate plate (one of the special desserts of the day) was also yummy... it came with a chilled choc. souffle, choc. mousse, choc. ice cream, and something else chocolatey. My creme brulee reminded me of the movie Amelie, and then my friend's chocolate plate made me think of Chocolat...
I had the opportunity to go to the restaurant on a date with my wife. The restaurant is a converted church giving the place a lot of atmosphere. We had a romantic evening in the choir loft.
To start I had the oyster appetizer, which was four shells with fried oysters and a multitude of wonderful garnishing. For the main dish I had the special Dover sole, served whole on spinach. It was very moist and well seasoned. For desert I had the 20-dollar milkshake (vanilla bean ice cream, 12-year-old rum, 50 year old Spanish port), which has been my favorite drink ever since. My wife had the quail appetizer then duck with wild berries, for desert she had shortcake with pistachio ice cream.
All in all this is an amazing place to eat!
When you are expecting the best, even excellent can be disappointing. This is an excellent restaurant. The redone Gothic church provides a nice setting. I don't mind the valet parking, frankly it is good not to have to worry about finding a parking space or walking. Service was exceptional, our waiter was knowledgeable, happy to discuss the menu and attentive without being intrusive. The seating was a little on the cramped side. Our waiter always apologized for having to reach across, but our table was up against a nook in the wall so there was no way for him to avoid it. The wine and cocktail lists were both extensive and interesting.
The menu uses all the finest ingredients from heirloom tomatoes to Neiman Ranch pork, Kobe beef and black truffles. Another review comments about too much going on with the dishes and maybe that is the issue because for all the effort and choice ingredients and elegant presentation, the meal just did not carry me away to another level. Even the tomato and fresh mozzarella salad featured several different varieties of tomato, two different mozzarellas and various vinaigrettes, but for me tomato and mozzarella salad should be a celebration of simple but great ingredients, not a 99 piece marching band. The pork chops were a little on the tough and dry side and the fish was a little overdone for my taste. Not that everything was not very good, it really was. It is just that for this kind of hype and price, I was looking for something very special.
The coffee really was outstanding. If only the whole meal had been the same.
Mark Cox, CIA trained darling of Houston's culinary scene, misses the mark, with me. His fabulously decorated Gothic church is crowded with adoring patrons, but I find the dining experience to be rather ordinary for a venue in his price range.
I made Saturday evening reservations, with high anticipation. But, the simple heirloom tomato salad turned out to be the highpoint of my meal. My salmon main course was served with a heavily encrusted shrimp on a nice bed of grits. Unfortunately, the salmon was covered with an over-the-top reduction that diminished the natural flavor of the fish ... to be honest, I expect a chef of Cox's reputation to offer some flair with his preparation of sides so as to support the natural flavor of the central entree ... one never need introduce heavy reductions to enhance fish.
Our server, while nice, was a bit daffy ... failing to recall which wine we ordered, among other oversights.
Reservations were being seated late (which is to be expected in Houston on weekend evenings); hence, the bar area was quite crowded. My final observation is that a bartender should not serve Jack Daniels as the house bourbon ... because, Jack Daniels is not a bourbon.
I am an outlier, with my less than glowing review of Mark's ... in particular, I note that I am not in agreement with Cory O (a Yelper whom I consider to have exquisite taste). Oh well.
Mark's is by far one of Houston's best restaurants. Service is outstanding and their food - goodness gracious!
We started off with their Quail & Foie Gras appetizer - amazing. We also ordered their special appetizer of that evening - a shrimp dish but cooked four ways. It was delicious and delicate. For dinner, I of course ordered their lamb - medium rare. It came out perfect, more on the rare side just as I requested. We also ordered the prime sirloin beef which was also cooked to perfection. We had a wonderful evening and left happy :)
My husband and I wanted something special for our 9 yr anniversary. We have been to many restaurants in Houston and this was the best dining experience we have had. All the food was delicious; everything from the appetizer to the soup, salad, main course and dessert. The server was very knowledgeable, attentive and friendly. We were there for almost 3 hours and never felt rushed. We even received a complimentary dessert for our anniversary. If you want a good dining experience where not a single detail is missed, I highly recommend this restaurant!!!
The food was fine--some hits and some misses--but the service was horrendous. For the price, the food is probably on the lower side of acceptable (which means pretty good when dollars are not considered). Yet the server's neglect, unpolished ways, and inability to show any concern for the quality of the food or experience make the prices inexcusable and ruin what would have been an enjoyable (but not great) meal.
Where do I start. My michelin star restaurant lover / works for the largest distillery distributor in the world best friendhad arrived for a visit from the Netherlands and asked me to choose a suitable restaurant for our 3 year reunion. I liked the look of Marks and after reading the reviews, booked a reservation.
The forced valet parking seems a bit over the top for Houston and especially once I saw the clientele inside, but for $5, whatever, right?
The hosting staff was very friendly and we were seated a little close to the kitchen but otherwise we had a lot of room and a beautiful view of the ornate bar and the wonderful glass-enclosed wine cellar/attic housing what must be thousands of bottles. Truly lovely to see.
We went all out and started with champagne aperitiefs. Perfect. You cannot go wrong with Veuve-cliquot and it was chilled nicely, not too cold.
The waiter was wonderful and very knowledgeable. He also did not hover, which made me happy. We started with the appetizer plate special and here's where the evening gets murky. There was shrimp, a lobster sauce, some type of crawfish, I think and at least 20 other ingredients set on a plate split into 3 different but somehow hauntingly similar appetizers. I cannot say that it did not taste good, but I can say that there was so much going on, well, it made it confusing and decreased it on my specialty meter, if you know what I mean.
For the meal, idem ditto. Way too much going on. Again I think I had shrimp, but what with the 4 or 5 different veggies thrown on the plate and the abundance of corn, (yes, I get that corn is American, thanks for the reiteration), again, I was just not impressed. It all tasted good, but it was too much, together. I also could not complete it, not even close.
One thing they do perfectly: Wine & Coffee. The coffee took me back to the banks of the Seine, terraces in Toulouse and pleins in Maastrict. Perfect. The wine list was equally excellent and their choice of some wonderful Pinot gris from Oregon made my day.
The ambience is excellent, you cannot go wrong with an old refurbished Gothic church, the wine superb, the staff wonderful. My humble advice to the chef would simply be, Less is more. Maybe a quick perusal of one of Chef Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares, will put them back on track.
When they get that down, I will be happy to go and spend another $300 for a meal for 2.
My friends and I recently celebrated one of my best friend's birthday at Mark's and I have to say I was disappointed. My entree, grilled cod, was good but nothing to brag about. The best part I could think of was the onion bread. I could have eaten that all night.
What I was really not happy with was the cake cutting fee. When I made the reservation two days earlier I asked the hostess if it was okay for me to bring in my own cake for dessert and she said yes. When my friend and I arrived and asked the hostess if she can put the cake in the cooler, the manager walked up to me and asked if I knew about the fee we would have to incur for them to cut the cake. I was taken aback because I have never heard of such a thing! The girl who took the reservation did not once mention a cost to cut the cake. He then goes on to tell me it is $5.00 PER PERSON for them to slice up the cake!!! I told them we could cut it up ourselves but he said they would still charge!!! I HAVE NEVER EVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING! Except for at weddings but never at a restaurant. I think that is such a ridiculous rule.
Needless to say I will not be returning to Mark's. Not because of the cake but overall my experience. I have to agree with the other reviews in that the food was not memorable.
I'm starting to wane on this place. I took my mother here while she was in town and was a bit disappointed. The food was still good, but the service was really slow, and the portions were overly large, such that an appetizer and main course left me unpleasantly full.
I had a pork dish, with loin, a big chop, and pork belly, as well as a dish with a few oysters topped with a whole bunch of other stuff. While everything was well-prepared save for the overcooked pork belly, it seemed like overkill, with too much stuff going on. Two types of pork would have been better, and having stuff only over the oysters instead of both over and under them.
I'm probably just getting overly whiny and am trying too hard to be a food critic, but I think that I'll skip this place for a while and try elsewhere.
I've been back here a few times for dinner with job candidates for work, and gone with the… Read more »
We went to Mark's over Labor Day weekend. Beautiful interior, well decorated. We had a table on the second floor overlooking the main dining area. Food was great and portions were quite sufficient - my date and I were satisfied in that regard. But, this restaurant was definitely not among the best experiences I've had and did not live up to the hype. Food presentation was a little ostentatious and actually made some things harder to eat - the tomato salad and shrimp were overdone experiences example. Service was merely adequate; our waiter was polite but we sensed he didn't really want us as customers.
The main issue was that I had actually planned to propose to my date there at the restaurant. The restaurant knew this, so I was surprised when I was attempting to talk to my date and we were both weirded out by the multiple waiters hovering around the floor, talking to each other, etc. We had to leave and go somewhere else. The proposal worked out well in the end, but Mark's wasn't a high point of the weekend.
Marks always leaves me feeling vaguely disappointed. The room is lovely, the food is quite good, but the service is often so uneven that it overshadows the rest of the experience.
And when you're a restaurant playing at this price point, you can't afford to make these sorts of mistakes. A pity, because Mark Cox is one of our town's best chefs.
Want an excellent meal in a fabulous building with impeccable service? Then go to Mark's. A Houston institution, Mark's is located in an old Lutheran church on Westheimer in the Montrose area. The standard menu is divine but they have excellent daily specials. Tonight, I had the beef special, texas wagu beef and beef shortribs. Um, Um good. Add an excellent bottle of wine and you are "good to go."
We also had a napolean of squash as an appetizer and duo of fois gras. Yummy, yummy.
If you have a nice business dinner or date...go to Mark's.
Tip: They have a fun little bar with great bartenders and appetizers. It's a nice way to experience Mark's without the hefty bill.
First visit in a couple of years. Great ambiance as always. We almost seem to get seated in the hallway section, but they had no problem moving us to the main dining area when requested.
We shared the trio of seafood appetizer - grilled scallops, mini shrimp from Belize and crab over a bread\corn cake. Great plate, but by far my favorite was the crab, the bread\corn cake made the dish.
We also split the wedge salad. It was different from a steak house wedge in that it was mini wedges. It was okay, but not memorable.
I had the trio of pork, by far the most disappointing dish of the night. For the most part, it was dry. The different fruit in the plate somewhat made up for the dryness.
My partner had the escolar special and he seemed to enjoy it.
Overall, an okay dinner.
The service is great, the specials are always creative, and the atmosphere is very intimate. My wife thinks the steaks are dry but I think they are done well. I suggest the house tenderloin, the mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, and the creme brulee. (I know nothing groundbreaking but everything is done well) Best date spot in Houston!
We went here for our anniversary dinner. Easily one of my favorite meals in Houston. We started out with the smoked seafood platter. I love smoked anything so I was really happy with this appetizer. For our entrees, the husband had the veal (or was it lamb something or another?) and I think I had the beef tenderloin medallions (?).
That's the thing about New American cuisine. I always really enjoy it when I eat it (it might be my favorite kind of fancy food) but it's never that memorable. I liked the interesting sides that came with the entree; there were several vegetables I didn't recognize. They paired the flavors really well! I also liked their bread basket -- especially this one type of onion bread that tasted a lot like Chinese Onion Bread (literally translates as Flower Roll).
Dessert was really good -- but I can't remember it! Haha man. The service was excellent here. The husband let them know it was our anniversary and they brought out our desserts with a candle. The place is as cozy and romantic as advertised. We were on the farthest table from the door on the first floor so we had a great view of the place. I've always thought that churches were romantic.
So this review probably isn't very helpful as far as ordering goes but just know that I would go back to this place in a heartbeat!
I had been wanting to check out Mark's and finally went for lunch on a Friday. The restaurant had a decent number of patrons even for lunch.
Foodwise, I would give it a Michelin star or even two. I've eaten at dining establishments with one star that were far sub-Mark's. We started with the chicken salad (lotta chicken on a small bed of greens plus mangoes, pecans, papaya ribbons and some other fruit) and the grilled oysters. And this is where I was first impressed - the little things that accompanied the oysters. When a restaurant is at that level, it's the little things that count - I am not just talking beautiful food display (which Mark's had down) but things like the complexity of the tapenade-esque thing that accompanied the oysters and the sauces that accompanied my grilled turbot. The remoulade that went into the artichoke risotto was good too, and that citrus sauce for the fish was just excellent. And went well with my cousin's kurobuta pork dish as well, although that dish, while delicious, was a little tough. It was obvious that the chef(s) paid attention to detail, and I appreciated it. My other cousin had a seafood ensemble of crab cakes, smoked salmon and grilled shrimp - I thought the flavor was a little strong (a strong cheese) but she liked it.
And Mark's desserts really deserve a rating of their own. I am not a huge dessert fan unless it truly is excellent - and I have to say I may have had the best dessert ever at Mark's. Their white chocolate bread pudding.. was not your ordinary bread pudding. I can't even begin to describe to you the excellence that was that bread pudding. Simply divine. Not to mention its being served a la mode with passion fruit ice cream being a nice touch. We also got a trio of sorbets - well, swapped out raspberry with Dutch chocolate ice cream, haha - and had the strawberry Balsamic and Blackberry Cabernet sorbets. Mark's patissier must be bold - one can taste the Balsamic vinegar and feel its taps down the throat - but it was so yummy. And who's going to say no to the wine taste mixed with blackberry? From texture to taste to mouth-feel, these desserts were delicious.
So yes, kudos to the chef(s) :) But the other thing I look for at top notch restaurants is service. We had a Mr. Cruz who unfortunately failed to introduce himself (found his name on the receipt) but provided excellent service - attentive but not overbearing and very charming. I love it when I feel good about placing a nice tip.
So the bill for 2 appetizers, 3 entrees and 2 desserts came out to be $150 before tip - what a steal. Can't speak for dinner yet but go for lunch, hehe :)
I will sum it up- excellent food, wonderful ambience, good service, pricey.
Ok, so bf and I had reservations but our table wasn't ready so we took a seat at the bar. My martinis wasn't at cold as it should have been but bartendars were very nice.
Once seated in the long room on the left, we took in the architecture and wonderful atmosphere. We ordered the corn chowder as appetizers and they were delish!
I had the shrimp entree and David had the Texas Kobe beed special. Mine was good but not memorable, but he raved about his!
We also had the chocolate cake for dessert. Also good, but not better than others that I've had.
The one thing that I noticed and wasn't comfortable with was the waiter's servant attitude. He said "yes ma'm" or "yes sir" after everything we said. He ever slightly bowed his head before leaving our table. I know some people like their "servants" to be this subservient, but I didn't like feeling as if he could bend down at any moment and kiss our feet. Maybe I'm not rich or snobby enough to enjoy that type of service.
Overall, $200 for 3 courses and drinks.
Kinda overrated. Food is good, but not worth the price. The atmosphere is nice and classy, so if… Read more »
The food is exceptional and service wonderful. However, the 2 times that I've been here I was seated in the same place - the 2 seater by the stairwell. That is not a pleasant place to sit. Not only does the view SUCK, but you feel really cramped. There were other 2 seat tables available - why we were not given those seats?
We requested to move and of course they obliged.
Moments later, I saw a mirror couple of us (young, asian) sit at the table where we were first were seated.
And another young middle-eastern/indian couple sitting at the other 2 seater table by the stairs...
Mighty suspicious...
Again I love eating lamb here and the service is good (my greatest experience has been capital grille), The parking is tight and i just simply love that it was a church...but I can't help but think about the young-asian prejudices? Is it me? or a huge concidence?
As far as Houston is concerned, this is my favorite dining spot. The cuisine is always crafted to perfection with a list of Mark Cox classic to the innovative off the menu selections. A delightful wine list and beautiful restaurant. I love to get away and relax knowing I will be taken care of and that the food will always be outstanding.
I could speak endlessly for the food- and I think it speaks for itself, it must be tried and enjoyed. I love best to come for lunch- it makes the day more special. I always leave happier than when I came and anxious to return again.
As for dessert- the lemon cake with foam is a light and wonderful treat, but you must try to blueberry trio when available. The blueberry ice cream mixed with crumbles of blueberry muffin (homemade off location) is simply marvelous.
Great place. The food is phenomenal, but not just for the taste: the presentation is what puts it over the top. I will say the stone fruit salad (a seasonal special) was probably the best forkful of food I have put in my mouth in a long time. Yes, it was a salad. I think they must have laced it with something :) Needless to say, I was impressed.
So I had the stone fruit salad, the duck confit, and shared the warm chocolate cake. My dining companion had a tomato & mozzarella salad and the "study of pork." All food was good, but the duck leg was the best in my opinion. The duck breast was good, but not as unbelievable as the leg. Wild rice pilaf was also great. The study of pork was really interesting, and it came with some really good yams. As for the tomato & mozzarella salad, it was good and the mozzarella was prepared three different ways, but I have to say I liked my salad better :)
For anyone who likes chocolate, I beg of you...get the warm chocolate cake! It comes with a small scoop of peanut brittle ice cream, a thin piece of peanut brittle on top of the cake, german chocolate goodness to paste the brittle on top of the cake, and finally a moist, flavorful, intensely chocolate treat on the bottom that is a perfectly-cooked work of art. Eat it, love it, share it. Or else you'll need a gurney to roll you out of the restaurant.
i have to use a made-up word to describe how good my veal chop was; my veal chop was splendiferous. it came with porcini and morel mushrooms, which i love, and various other deliciousness. the interior is really cool, and its interesting that the restaurant used to be a church, but really, the food was just impressive.
The best restaurant in Houston as far as I'm concerned. This place is beautiful-- at least the main dining room is. The side rooms are ok, but if you're going to shell out, you should definitely make reservations early and request to sit in the main dining room.
The waiters and servers are attentive, knowledgeable, and very professional without losing cordiality. What more can you ask for service? Valet is free (minus tip).
The food is inventive and the ingredients always seem to be top notch. My suggestion would be to try everything. If you see some weird-looking green jelly on one side of your duck and another strange orange sauce on the other side, try both! The chef knows what he's doing and it is definitely something special.
The prices are steep. Expect entrees to be around $30 and specials to hover over $40. The one entree that has really stuck out to me after 5-6 visits is the duck. It always seems to be on the menu and probably is my favorite entree in Houston. It is also one of the cheaper ones at $28. But, if you see "Study of" anything, order it.
If you want to save some dollars and beat the Friday/Saturday dinner crowd, I would suggest going for lunch, which is Monday - Friday. For $20 you can get to experience one of the best restaurants in Houston.
One last thing. My favorite part of eating at Mark's is their desserts. They are extremely unique, delicate, and amazingly delicious. I would eat dessert there every day if I could.
Mark's is one of Houston's top fine dining restaurants. Nothing is better than a seasonal menus to keep the menu fresh, exciting and new. The atmosphere is good although it can become loud during diner service. Chef Cox does a wonderful job of mixing styles of Southern, South Western, Creole and French cuisines with a hint of Asian thrown in.
The food here was amazing. Went here for Christmas/Birthday celebration. Just the two of us. Full courses and wine for $250. Service was good, atmosphere amazing. We had a table along the wall in the main dining room. It was perfect for a couple. We had trios of shrimp and crab, respectively. Then we moved on to main courses. Samplings of pork and beef. The food was so memorable, it's hard to remember exactly what it was, other than delicious and well presented.
Kobe beef!!!! Ahh.. my mouth salivates as I think of you... long for you.
So good.... TEXAS BEST.
I love Mark's. I had one of the three best meals of my life here, the other two being from Auberge du Soleil in Napa and the Glass Wall right here in Houston. The bartender makes a perfect martini and the wine list is awesome; do not be afraid to ask for help, that is what they are there for.
I have, however, had a bad meal here recently which makes me tend to agree with other reviewers who say it has gone down-hill in recent years. Though everyone else's dishes were perfect, my tuna was over done and dry.
While I could never pick a favorite restaurant, Mark's American Cuisine would be fighting for the top spot. When I'm interested in having a great dining experience, this place is always on my short list of places to go. Amazing food, excellent wine selection, and great staff.
If you are looking for a place to take that special someone, do yourself a favor and give Mark's a try. You will not be disappointed.
I went here for lunch and everything was excellent. The food was very good, service was extra efficient and friendly.
Mark's is by far my favorite fine dining restaurant in Houston, every time I have visited there the experience has been fantastic. The service has always been great with multiple servers taking care of us and one time we even consulted with the sommelier! The atmosphere is fantastic with it being housed in a converted church (note: there are some bad tables there so make reservations well in advance) and I have always found the food to be the best of fine dining in Houston.
If I have a date for a special occassion then Mark's is always my first choice, however I go there prepared to spend a LOT of money and they probably know that from their records so that probably helps me obtain the great service.
This place is truly brilliant.
It starts with the decor. They remodeled the old church with a modern twist. They have the vaulted ceiling, but it is made with painted steel. Towards the top of the far wall, they have a beautiful wine cellar (can you call it that if it is basically on the ceiling?). They have little alcove dining rooms off of the main hall, definitely looking very romantic.
The food itself is what I was really interested in. And that is what definitely sets this place apart. For my meal I had the shrimp three ways (tempura, grilled, and sesame). The shrimp were cooked perfectly in all three variations. The light sauce for the sesame and grilled shrimp was a great compliment, and the tempura shrimp was a nice mix texture next to the other two varieties.
I was full after my meal, but the people I dined with decided to go for desert... and boy did they make me jealous. The desert I was really interested in was the one that got the most rave reviews. As an addition to the menu, the chef had a perfect seasonal addition to his desert menu: butter-pecan bread pudding with pumpkin ice cream (you don't get more Fall than that).
All in all it was a spectacular meal with attentive yet not overly intrusive service (by far my biggest complaint about most higher-end restaurants). It is definitely a wee bit pricey for lunch, but it really was worth every penny.
My wife and I were in Houston for the holidays and I wanted to take her out for our first romantic dinner since our daughter was born. I consulted Yelp, and the reviews sounded great (Boooooo Houston Yelpers). I'm not a total snob, but when I'm going to drop $200+ for a nice dinner for 2, everything better be impeccable. So many things were good, but so many things were bad. First we showed up an hour early so we could have a drink at the bar before dinner. They informed us that our table was ready and proceeded to sit us in the side room away from the main dining area even though the restaurant was almost completely empty. Our table was right next to the door and the cold draft made enjoying anything a challenge.
So about the food. Our appetizers were fantastic, and that's where the good times ended. I had a foe gois and quail dish, and my wife had a poblano/corn soup. For our main dishes we opted for two specials, one seafood and one steak. My wife got the seafood special that included crab meat (excellent), a very bland and dry fish and some average scallops (claimed by the waiter to be super rare, and the best around). I had a Kobe beef dish that was flat out not good. (On a side note, I hate when waiters try to feed you information to make the restaurant seem so special and they're really just full of shit). Both of our main courses were $55 each and I wouldn't have paid $20 for them both. The dessert was ho-hum. I was very impressed with the wines, but was astounded by the absurd prices. Being from San Francisco I know wine and relative prices and their wine list is so so so so so so over priced it's a joke.
All in all, I would probably never go back. Being from Houston I tout our amazing restaurants all the time so this is a major disappointment. I'm even more disappointed that Yelpers have made this one of the top restaurants in Houston.
OK. Only four stars might seem harsh for a place that most people I know think is "the best fine dining in Houston." And Mark's is very good. But it doesn't live up to all the hype in my opinion.
The dining space (renovated church) is gorgeous--I've never seen better in Houston.
But the food I've gotten the few times I've been there, while perfectly good, hasn't been the kind of good I expect from a place aspiring to be the best restaurant in a major city.
So far I've been once, but it really sets a nice tone. The soft shell crab appetizer I had was to die for, seriously memorable. I can not wait to go back.
still amazing, don't believe all the negative reviews. two years later after my first review, still one of the best restaurants in houston. foie gras, crab, fish, soft shell crab, you name it, they do it absolutely right. you have not experienced fine dining in houston until you have been to mark's.
this place is phenomenal. the food is just top notch and the service is impeccable. the wine list is… Read more »
On my first visit here, I was slightly disappointed in the food. I had the pork and Lopez had the duck. She was less impressed than I was. Not that the food wasn't good, it just wasn't memorable. It tasted good and was presented exceptionally. The service and atmosphere was excellent and we had a couple of excellent drinks at the bar before dinner. I forgot to mention dessert: the warm chocolate cake is incredible. If I visit again, I'll try a different entree.
The temple for great food, and great service. Mark's is the best in the city of Houston hands down. Everything is well prepared, sauces savory, flavors blended perfectly and very easy to understand. It's not cod roe with monk fish livers and chocolate foam. It's good down to earth flavors presented in a way your taste buds can understand.
Even though I weigh something like 400 lbs, it isn't every day that I see a menu and think to myself, "man, I would be happy ordering literally anything." The variety and creativity inherent in Mark's seasonal menus always makes settling on something difficult, but the other night, my wife and I had a near-perfect meal, with everything done right on the food end. I had a shrimp prepared three ways dish followed by the rack of lamb (one of the top 5 lamb dishes I've ever had), while my wife had an heirloom tomato salad and steak. Since I weigh 400 lbs, I also had a bit of her plates, and could easily have gone with her choices as well. Service was friendly and professional, and the wine list was well thought out, though perhaps not as expansive as one would expect of a "special occasion" place like Mark's. Whatever--quality not quantity, right? The ambiance is always wonderful at the converted church, although I echo some of the previous reviewers who noted that the food is a bit slow to arrive. Again, though, this is a minor complaint, as a meal like this should be savored slowly. Mark's was just as good as I remembered it, and I cannot wait to go back.
I agree with some of the other reviews, totally over rated. You can get a much better meal at many restaurants, more importantly, you can certainly get much better service. The last time I was at Mark's, they sat my husband and I under the stairs, giving me a bird's eye view up every woman's skirt who walked up them. Not to mention the table rattled every time a server bounded up the stairs.
The food used to be innovative and delicious, it has really gone downhill in the past few years. Too many old business men out for dinner for my taste, the romantic atmosphere is no more.
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