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Masraff's
Categories: Restaurants American (New) Restaurants Seafood American (New), Seafood [Edit]
1753 Post Oak BlvdHouston, TX 77056
Neighborhood: Galleria/Uptown
(713) 355-1975
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 10:30 am - 10 pm
Fri 10:30 am - 11 pm
Sat 5:30 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot, Valet
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Classy, Trendy, Upscale, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
153 reviews for Masraff's
Review Highlights
"Wild Mushroom Ravioli - Amazingly tasteful."
(in 15 reviews)
"Sea Bass, Paella Risotto, NY strip."
(in 23 reviews)
"Garlic Seared Calamari - Another great dish."
(in 21 reviews)
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153 reviews in English
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Review from Matthew S.
Houston, TX
2/1/2012 Seated via OpenTable
This is a really tough review. It was a tale of two dinners. The service and the food.
I was at dinner with my wife, and mother-in-law to for an anniversary celebration. The big problem was we just never got a good vibe from our waiter. He was condescending. When asking for a recommendation on wine and giving our price limit he scoffed at us. A how dare you limit the price on a bottle of wine you will buy. That and a few more small incidences immediately put a downer on the evening. But as we drank and started to get the food the evening turned around.
We got two appetizers, the chefs risotto and an heirloom tomato salad. I thought both were fine but nothing special, those I was with really liked them. The main course however was phenomenal. We got the tuna, the walu and the rack of lamb.
I tasted them all and they were all excellent. I had the tuna myself, and it was the best tuna I have ever had in my life. The way all the parts of the dish went together were phenomenal. Wasabi potatoes, who'd have thunk it.
We had told them that it was our anniversary and they gave us a complimentary desert. On top of that the owner came over to wish us a happy anniversary and ask how our evening was.
All in all it was a very nice evening. With the minor exception of a somewhat snooty waiter who was attentive but just had a poor attitude, it was a great night.
Note: Started this review a while ago and never finished it. Since then I have had another meal at the restaurant. The food was still fantastic, and the service was phenomenal as well. So highly recommended. -
Review from Monica K.
1/18/2012
Terrible name, Amazing restaurant.
In the growing spectrum of New American places in Houston, Masraff's is head and shoulders above the rest. While atmosphere, service, and menu are consistent for the pricepoint, when it comes to the FOOD, Masraff's really shines. They have their execution down pat.
Get the Seared foie gras on toasted brioche w/ sauteed pears. Sure that combination sounds familiar, but Masraff's will serve you a perfect rendition. Go for it.
The off-the-menu bass w/ lump crab meat, mushroom risotto, & panko fried asparagus... Every component, perfect. Heaven in my mouth.
You can't go wrong with the rack of lamb. It appears to be the crowd favorite here, much preferred over the steak. I had a bite, and it was pretty f-in good.
Stop being disappointed by other fine dining restaurants and check this place out! -
Review from Jeff C.
Cincinnati, OH
11/28/2011 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
The food here was good, but not mindblowing. We started off with the fois-gras which was delicious with the buttery texture I expected. The ciabatta bread was delicious as well. For entree, my date had the seafood risotto and I had the special - a fish in the bass family (I forget the specific name) on a bed of more risotto. Both dishes had fish and scallops/shrimp that were cooked to the right texture and with good seasoning. We skipped on dessert here because we were planning on heading elsewhere.
Service was excellent, with the waiter getting us extra ciabatta bread that we loved + recommending a sweet dessert wine to go with the fois gras. We were in and out in less than 1 hour.
Bill was about $100 for 2, with one of us having a beer.
Like I said, the food was cooked well and to the level I expect when I spend $100, but the taste or value didn't wow me, so I wouldn't likely come back - I would rather try something else new in search of more unique tastes or super value food. -
Review from mayita g.
Manhattan, NY
2/2/2012
So I never been to this restaurant before but the reason I am giving it 5 star is:
So its was my brother's birthday and I didn't know how to surprise him. I asked his fiance to let me know where they are going for his BD dinner. She mentioned Masraff's . I called the restaurant and was greeted very nicely by the phone receptionist. I asked for someone who can help me buying a bottle of champaign. Surprisingly the restaurant manger (Russell)came over the phone and made a few suggestion, I bought a bottle to so it can be delivered to the table right when my brother is seated. Later my brother told me how the food, service, delivery of the champaign and the management was an extraordinary experience for him. I live in NYC and will definitely visit this place when I got o Houston next time. Thanks Russell for creating an unforgettable night for my brother. See you soon. -
Review from Jenny L.
Cambridge, MA
1/24/2012
So I booked this place for my sister's bachelorette party:
1. I couldn't book it on OpenTable (CON).
2. I left a voicemail reservation and it was answered the next day (PRO)
3. It took about 10-15 minutes to settle my party in DESPITE the fact I had a reservation (CON)
4. The portions were extremely small. However, the pork chop I had was cooked perfectly (PRO)
5. Desserts were also very small and I was still a little hungry after paying about $80 for my meal. (CON)
6. AMAZING service. The service was an 11/10. (PRO)
7. Wine and port were amazing!
Overall, I would come here again. -
Review from Mario A.
Houston, TX
1/16/2012 Seated via OpenTable
I have eaten at Masraff's on several ocassions and each time the food has been superior. I keep going back because of this consistency and quality. A superb experience from the food to the service.
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Review from Tracey L.
10/28/2011
I am so very confused! This restaurant has excellent reviews from people that I follow and so I took the BF there to sort-of celebrate his birthday.
I ordered the Chef's Risotto du Jour: oyster mushrooms & crab and it was FANTASTIC!
For my entree I ordered the Caramelized Diver Scallops with Carrot-Ginger Bisque, Buttery Sweet Corn with Petite Arugula Salad. Now before the dish even got to our table, both the BF and I could both smell it. The scallops had this strange/odd odor that I couldn't identify, but it wasn't fishy/old smell. It was more like whatever they had caramelized the scallops in.
Even worse, they tasted just like they smelled! I didn't even know that it was possible to mess up a scallop so much that I couldn't even eat it, but Masraff's apparently knows how to do this very thing.
What a huge and utter disappointment. I literally left a large beautiful diver scallop untouched on my plate because the taste had permeated my palate and I couldn't stand it anymore.
What a complete FAIL! :-( -
Review from Stacy C.
Houston, TX
10/24/2011
This place was like a lukewarm bath. It's not too bad but it's not so great either.
I was taken here for a fancy schmancy birthday dinner from a friend who I'd be happy just hanging out with and eating food cart fare with, but he insisted; it was my birthday and it was restaurant week so why not? I just wasnt impressed. It was kind of loud and a lot of the food had the same flavor. He ordered the calamari because everyone raved about it. It had a super sweet taste to it, the same taste that emerged on his steak. I fared better and had the risotto and fish. I had less complaints and mine tasted more varied. The dessert was the creme brulee peach and we almost licked our plates clean. That was killer.
I'm not sure this would be a return for me because it's pretty forgettable but it wasn't totally disappointing either. -
Review from Ashley B.
MASRAFF'S...MORE LIKE MUST-RAFF'S
I actually discovered this place by using my Yelp app on my phone (holla)
Definitely an enjoyable, upscale experience. I took my mom here for lunch on a Monday. The service was great and the interior is chic and pretty. There's even this cool elevated fire feature betweeen the bar and dining area. Oh and the potty's were fancy and clean with really cool sinks :)
Our server was Eric, very knowledgable/friendly/took good care of us. The free pre-entree snack is a assorted bread basket, butter, and a cup of green and red olives (loved it!)
Mama got the seared tenderloin sandwich with truffled parmesan potato chips ($17) - she said there was some kind of red wine sauce on the lettuce leaves that was awesome! She didn't much care for the chips but I thought they looked really good, didn't try them though.
I ordered the garlic charred swordfish with creamed spinach polenta and chilled yellow beet salad ($24). It's a mouthful to say AND eat! Haha...really tasty though, I liked it a lot. At first I was like "uh yellow beets?" but they were pretty dang amazing.
I've heard good things about the desserts but we were too stuffed to try any, dang it. The hot mini cinnamon-sugar donuts were definitely calling out to me :(
Next time I guess!Listed in: Houston Eats
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Review from David N.
9/3/2011 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
1600 Reviews a mini-milestone.
Masraff's is well deserving of the award.
With Houston Restaurant Week wrapping up and my mom's birthday right around the corner I figured why not kill two birds with one stone?
I promptly made reservations for my mom's birthday on a Monday night via the yelp app through open table, this new feature is wonderful!
Every once in awhile I drag my mom out to explore and try new restaurants with me and usually it is a fail. Not only that, my mom i really bad with showing up late. So I was a bit worried about having 7:30 pm reservations at a new restaurant I had never tried, and as my oldest bookmark.
I arrived early and saw they had complimentary valet, but there was a huge lot and a like parking my own car so I opted for a short walk across the parking lot instead. It was pleasant for this area to have so many parking spaces!
I was seated quickly and started gazing over the HRW menu along with the cocktail menu. An item caught my eye the mango mojito martini, but I didn't want a martini and asked if the waiter could just make mango mojito and surely he obliged. It tasted wonderful and was a good drink to sip on as I waited for my mother...on this occasion she showed up only 15 minutes late, I was SHOCKED.
We started out sampling the variety bread basket. There is wide mixture of white, wheat, soft, and poppyseed breads. The poppyseed was both our favorites.
Our waiter was, Brandon and he simply was the highlight of the evening. He was ever so gracious and attentive.
On to the meal. For the first course my mom had the risotto du jour, which for today was a shrimp rosotto, and I had the garlic seared calamari. Both dishes were superb, but I favored my mom's risotto more.
For the main course I had the Slow Cooked Hawaiian Walu with Celeriac puree, haricot Vert, three berry beurre rouge and my mom had the Pan Fried Peking Duck Breast with White Polenta along with Cheddar and Truffle Oil, Cauliflower Lyonnais and Mediterranean BBQ Glaze. Once again my mom had the better dish!
When it came to dessert our waiter surprised up and showed up with all 3!!! My favorite was the Molten Chocolate Eruption with Vanilla bean ice cream, while my mom enjoyed the Triple Berry Bread Pudding with White chocolate, blueberry compote and cream cheese mousse. We were so stuffed but still sampled the Sugar Roasted Texas Peach with Crème brulée and berry soup.
This was the first time my mom and I dined together and both walked away happy. She even was like wow, first time we tried a new place and I didn't leave hungry or sick. My mom is picky. So this is very important moment.
Thank you, Brandon, and Masraff's for making our evening enjoyable.Listed in: Best American Food
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Review from Aimee S.
Little Elm, TX
9/30/2011
My husband and I had an absolutely amazing meal here tonight! The service was the best I've had in a long time (thank you Brandon!).....and every aspect of the meal was perfect.
The calamari appetizer was fantastic. We'd never had it prepared that way, but it may have ruined all other calamari for me from now on. It was THAT good! I enjoyed the scallops while my husband had the lamb for his entree. Both were delicious. we finished with the peach creme brûlée and fried banana split for dessert.
Honestly - I can't find one negative thing to say....everything was wonderful! -
Review from Sejal P.
Pearland, TX
10/16/2011
Appetizer: calamari, good but me and my husband are not fans of sweet sauces on meat so wasn't really our cup of tea
Entree: New Zealand sea bass: amazing. My hubby had the bison rib eye and and to send it back as it was completely raw on the inside...they were nice enough to send him my sea bass at no extra charge.
Dessert: homemade donuts: dry and not memorable. Bread pudding was also ok, nothing special.
In general, great atmosphere, good sea bass but not memorable enough for us to come back. -
Review from Nima T.
Houston, TX
12/9/2011
Overpriced and poor quality - I am writing to provide feedback on behalf of my wife who had dinner with two friends at Masraffs on Thursday night, December 8, 2011. My wife ordered scallops with some type of sauce and arugula. She was served THREE scallops lukewarm and all three were gritty with sand particles because they had not been washed thoroughly. Now the best part - the three scallops cost $23. Yup. Almost $8 per lukewarm and gritty scallop! NEVER EVER AGAIN.
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Review from Joe B.
Chandler, AZ
10/23/2011
This place is excellent! I cannot recommend this enough!
Let me start with dessert...a creme brulee inside of a poached/caramelized peach....oh my word...if that doesn't get you to go...I don't know what will!!
Anyways...this place is top notch in every aspect...service was outstanding, dinner was amazing.
We sat out on the patio...and it was perfect.
The appetizers we had were the foie gras and the calamari....2 absolutely amazing dishes and a great way to start.
They also bring some awesome bread fro the table.
The main courses were excellent. The seafood risotto was cooked perfect and was excellent. I had the special, which was ono with a couple of scallops as well.
A bottle of Albarino(highly underrated wine) and the meal was perfect!
Make plans to visit here...sit outside in the nice weather and have an awesome meal. -
Review from Lesa T.
8/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'd truly give Masraff's 4.5 stars, and I highly recommend it for HRW!!!
Although the earliest reservation we could get on a Saturday night was 9pm, our party of 5 happily took this time and were excited about trying Masraff's out for HRW dinner.
The ambiance was very nice (think warm Euro modern, if that's possible), and the service was spectacular throughout the evening. Our waiter was very attentive and friendly, and our food came out as the perfect times.
Masraff's had a sale on a few of their wine bottles (great selection) in honor of HRW, so it was definitely a nice plus to get a bottle of malbec for only $28! The best part of dining with a large group for HRW is that you can try almost all the dishes offered on the menu (all were very well-done and delicious):
Appetizers:
Garlic Seared Calamari (4.0) - Definitely a new and different take on what you'd expect calamari should be. Rather than being deep-fried, these bad boys are grilled and served with this sweet oyster/soy reduction. The only gripe I had about it was that the calamari itself was a little too salty for my liking.
Risotto du Jour (4.5) - Perfectly cooked, the risotto they had for us was with pork and shrimp. Very creamy, and great portion.
Entrees:
Slow Cooked Hawaiian Walu (Escolar) (4.5) - Deliciously prepared for a delicious fish. The escolar was seared on the outside and slightly raw in the middle - perfect for me. The three berry beurre rouge was the perfect sauce for the fish. Huge portion
Angus Ribeye A la Plancha - (4.0) Although it was ordered medium, it came out medium rare. Otherwise, a solid steak dish with potatoes and mushrooms.
Desserts:
Molten Chocolate Eruption (3.5) - Extremely rich and extremely liquidy, this is your standard molten chocolate cake. The ice cream was yummy though.
Warm Triple Berry Bread Pudding (4.0) - Very delicious, with a wonderful white chocolate and berry sauce. The cream cheese mousse adds an interesting saltiness to it, in a good way.
Sugar Roasted Texas Peach (4.0) - A perfectly roasted ripe white peach topped with creme brulee (but not quite enough). Very unique and yummy.
Overall, large portions of delicious food, all included with wonderful service and atmosphere. I'll definitely be back if I'm in the mood for a fancy dinner.Listed in: Date Night Restaurants in…
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Review from jessica s.
Houston, TX
8/10/2011
Hooray Restaurant Week(s)! Most restaurants typically don't offer the food that I would want to get off-the HRW menu, but Masraff's menu is what convinced me to come here, they offered the best of all 3 course worlds: risotto, steak and molten chocolate cake.
In order to get a variety, we each got something different to split. The spinach salad was pretty yummy, the dressing was legit. I got the ribeye which was not too fatty, perfectly cooked, my boyfriend got the walu (huh?) which turned out to be an amazing halibut-like fish with awesome flavor. The waiter was great and the water boys definitely earned their pay since I drink like a camel.
Overall, this was a nice experience and I would come back during non-HRW. -
Review from Jeff B.
11/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Masraff's has a great atmosphere and wonderful food. We stopped in for lunch a couple days ago. I had the open faced sirloin sandwich. The homemade potato crisps were a great treat on the side. The service is very attentive and the serving sizes were perfect.
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Review from Marc C.
11/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
The calamari appetizer was great, moist and tender not fried, unlike any calamari I had had before. For desert I had creme brulee inside a carmelized peach which was amazing. The main course, a seafood risotto, was ok but not really a highlight, the shrimp in it were a bit salty.
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Review from Rory P.
Houston, TX
8/29/2011
So this is my first review to ever write, but I really really liked this place and thought I should at least say something to encourage others to visit.
Me and my date visited this place one evening for Houston Restaurant Week at the recommendation of my foodie Friend Karen C. As a side note, you should follow her on here. Really. Do it now....You can thank me later.
Okay, welcome back. Parking was interesting. I find it funny to valet with a huge parking lot filled with empty spaces, but I didn't want to seem cheap to my date.
Upon entrancing, you realize that it is big....really big, but they did a good job separating the spaces. Decor wasn't too overdone like America's (not tasteful at all)...just a tad so with the tree trunk set ablaze near the ceiling. It was loud and not the perfect place for a romantic evening since I had to sit across from my date as opposed to right next to each other. However, I seemed to forget all of that by the time I had my first sip of wine.
The wait staff was very attentive and helpful with meal and wine selection. We didn't have to wait for water, drinks or ordering . The night really went so smoothly. Even Tony Masraff himself made a point to go to every table, enquire about the meal and thank the patron's for visiting
Okay..on to the food. For the first course I had the calamari. It seemed to have been lightly battered and cut into squares covered with a rich sauce and slivers of sautéed mushrooms. Hands down the BEST calamari I have EVER had. My date had the risotto which was rich and creamy and delicious as well.
For the second choice, I had the Duck. I'm not a big Duck fan, but I ordered this at the waiter's recommendation, and he was right. Delicious. The sauce, a little tangy with a hint of BBQ was perfect. What I don't like about duck is the layer of fat it had on it. But the way this was served, I was able to easily cut the fat loose and enjoy the meat. My date had the rib eye covered in delicious red wine sautéed mushrooms. It looked good. I stole a bite and it was done perfectly. He doesn't usually eat red meat...AT ALL...and he almost finished the entire steak. We had to leave something on our plates after all....didn't want to seem like pigs.
If there was a disappointment for the meal, it was the dessert. I had the crème brulee served over a baked apricot (I think) and my date had the bread pudding. Both were unremarkable. So many places in Houston have fantastic bread pudding. This was not.
If the desert was better, I would have given 5 stars and overlooked how loud it was.
This has to be one of my favorite stops for Houston Restaurant week and I will be back again very soon. -
Review from Connie W.
9/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went to Masraff's as part of a girl's night and found the atmosphere to be incredibly intimate and warm. It was the perfect place for us to gab on about our days and catch up on each others' lives.
We had some pretty good service here from the hostess to the server to the guy who refilled our waters. We were seated immediately upon arrival for our HRW reservation, even though our entire party hadn't arrived yet and we were 10 minutes early. Our server was pretty attentive throughout the meal, and I like how at the end of the meal, when we were clearly done eating and drinking all the wine, he didn't immediately present the bill as if to rush us out of the restaurant. He let us continue our conversation, if only using the restaurant as a place to host our mini-reunion, until we signaled that we were ready for the check.
I ordered the Risotto du Jour as my starter and was so incredibly pleased with the presentation and taste of it. It had just the right texture and consistency, especially for risotto, which some restaurants can sometimes mess up when they make it either too soupy or too dry. That day, the risotto was seasoned with garlic, tomatoes, shrimp, and I believe some cheese. It was so amazing that I swear the plate looked as if it had been licked clean.
For the entree, I ordered the Angus Ribeye A la Plancha and was impressed with how huge the portion size was, especially since it was during Houston Restaurant Week. The meat was tender and cooked exactly as I'd ordered. The huge ribeye came with a small serving of mashed potatoes and a few garnishing vegetables - all delicious! There was so much that I actually had to pack some up for to-go in order to even stand a chance of being able to eat some of the dessert.
For dessert, I ordered the Sugar Roasted Texas Peach, which is basically just a creme brulee inside an open peach. I would give 5-star ratings more for the presentation of the dessert only because it was just that much prettier than it tasted. Don't get me wrong. There was nothing wrong with the creme brulee, but it was pretty standard. The dessert was a little bit difficult to eat too since they didn't provide a knife, so I just used the spoon to cut off chunks of the peach to eat with each bite of creme brulee.
If you're going for Houston Restaurant Week, I think this will be $35 well spent! -
Review from Deja C.
Houston, TX
9/3/2011
I had an exquisite lunch experience here recently! I had heard many things about Masraff's and even tried to dine here once, but was thwarted by some weird construction. But I finally made it and boy, was it worth the wait.
At the insistence of my girlfriend who works in the area and dines here regularly (lucky bitch) we ordered the crab cakes for an appetizer. These crab cakes literally melted in my mouth. It had the sweet, the savory, and was NOT full of bread filling. DIVINE. Presentation was gorgeous. Truly an excellent crab cake- highly recommend you try this!
Everything on the menu looked delicious, but as we were there for lunch I decided to go with a lighter meal- salad. At her urging, I ordered the crab salad, despite my reservations of eating even MORE crab (which, you can never really have too much crab, can you?) It was not a disappointment! Yummy mango, avocado, fresh greens, crab and this delicious white balsamic dressing. It was the perfect salad, truly!
The service was impeccable. Our server was always checking up on us and providing refills, silverware, bread, etc without being intrusive. The sign of a perfect server!
Masraff's has certainly earned its excellent reputation in Houston. -
Review from jeena l.
8/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was recommended by friends to check out Masraff's for Houston Restaurant Week. Here's the quick downlow of me and my girl friend's choices:
Appetizers: Both were fantastic choices, especially the calamari. It was the best calamari I've had, I can't look at calamari the same anymore.
Baby Spinach Salad
Creamed Goat Cheese, Onion Confit, Roasted Walnuts, Garlic Vinaigrette
Garlic Seared Calamari
Oyster Mushroom, Shaved Onion, Cilantro, Soy Reduction
Entree: I wouldn't get the chicken breast again but I would def recommend the ribeye. It was so tender and delicious.
Pan Roasted Chicken Breast
Pomodoro Israeli Couscous, Baby Spinach with Petite Heirloom Tomato Salad with Aged Balsamic
Angus Ribeye A la Plancha
Charred Portabellas with Scallions and Smashed Gold Potatoes, Soy Glaze
Dessert: What a letdown. I was looking forward to the dessert part but was a bit disappointed. The Molten chocolate eruption was literally drinking chocolate syrup, there was not much cake. It was better off pouring the melted chocolate onto the vanilla bean ice cream. I'd say that Chilis molten chocolate cake is 10x better than this one. The bread pudding is not your typical bread pudding. It wasn't that great either, i hope the sugar roasted peach creme brulee is the winner in the dessert category.
Molten Chocolate Eruption
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Warm Triple Berry Bread Pudding
White Chocolate, Blueberry Compote and Cream Cheese Mousse
Service was great, the bread served in the beginning was soft and warm, water was refilled constantly, servers are pretty fast when it comes to clearing your plate off the table. It was a bit irritating sometimes when I wasn't finished with my dish and they assumed to take it away though. Overall great ambiance, only thing is that the tables are way too close to each other so it's a bit distracting to keep focus in conversations.Listed in: HRW 2011 - IMO...
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Review from Ada L.
8/29/2011 9 photos
Due to all those 5-star reviews i had seen on Yelp, i felt like i had to give Masraff's a try, and the best time to go in was, of course, during the Houston Restaurant Weeks (Month)!! My boyfriend and I finally visited Masraff's for dinner on last Friday, and everything we had we enjoyed! wheeeeee~
For Appetizers, we had the calamari and risotto. oh my goodness! The risotto (with corn, green peas & small shrimps) was so buttery and creamy and i loved it! My boyfriend liked the calamari, too, which was lightly breaded and served in a sweet soy glaze! Not crunchy or chewy at all, but very soft and delicious and one of a kind! Both appetizers were worth 5 stars, baby!!
For Entrees, I had the slow cooked walu (escolar) and my boyfriend had the ribeye steak. The fish tasted better than the steak, we thought, because the sauce over the steak was a little bit too sweet, and the green beans seemed overcooked....that knocked off one star :'(
For Desserts, we had the creme brulee over a peach and the bread pudding, both of which were yummy! I liked the creme brulee better because I never had creme brulee on a peach, which looked so adorable! The bread pudding was very dense, and portion size was good that I could barely finish it by myself hehee ;P
Service was prompt and excellent. The server was a pretty nice, friendly guy who was not overwhelming but was always right there whenever we needed something. The manager also did stop by our table to make sure everything went well. oh, one last thing, the Moscato wine (sorry, i forgot the name) that I had was very sweet and fruity, and i loved it a lot! -
Review from Joy C.
San Antonio, TX
8/2/2011
I came her with my boyfriend for Houston Restaurant Week and was blown away by the impeccable service and delicious food. Usually pricey restaurants translate to small portions, but all three courses were generous and filling to the point that my boyfriend actually left this restaurant satisfied.
I started with the risotto du jour (crab risotto) which was creamy and bursting with flavor. For my entree, I had the slow cooked Hawaiian walu which was tender, juicy, and buttery. For dessert, I chose the sugar roasted texas pear which was the perfect ending to a great meal-not too sweet but sweet enough. Overall the food definitely met my expectations.
Now onto the service. Though my boyfriend and I weren't as dressed up as the rest of the patrons, we never felt judged and in fact had never felt more welcomed in a restaurant. Our waiter was friendly and attentive, our glasses always filled, and Mr. Masraff even stopped by to thank us for coming and to ask how we liked our meal. Best service I've ever experienced! I will be back as soon as I graduate and get a job... -
Review from karen c.
Houston, TX
9/5/2011 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
My new favorite restaurant in Houston!
The space is pretty, parking is plentiful but valet is still an option, but most importantly, food is amazing.
I've been here for Restaurant Week and a catered event. Needing to host a party? The h'ors deurves are delicious. Especially the lamb chop pops. I could eat those like candy!
Get the calamari. It's fork tender and sooooo good. The escolar was great, and even better left over (huge portion!). And the molten chocolate explosion was yum. Also, great reasonable wine list.
Looking at the regular menu, it looks even better - which is amazing because I was completely in love with my meal! -
Review from Alison L.
8/22/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Wonderful experience, came here for a celebration dinner and I'm so glad it lived up to all the 5 star reviews.
I loved everything from the ipad cocktail menu to the friendly bartender to our wonderful waiter. The decor was impressive and Tony Masraff even stopped by our table to be greeted by a big, wine-fueled SQUEAL from all of us.
The food was spectacular: fresh bread and creamy butter, meaty calamari paired with a most amazing sauce, creamy polenta, a juicy steak, and this sugar roasted peach dessert that still has my mouth watering two weeks later. Can't wait to return! -
Review from Diane N.
8/22/2011 3 photos
My time here for HRW was exceptionally exquisite. The food, the service, the ambiance deserve all five stars. We were promptly seated a few minutes after we checked in with the hostess. The waiter was also attentive to us. Our plates got cleared almost immediately after we finished. Masraff's was dimly lit for that romantic feeling and the art decor was cool.
Their assortment of breads was yummy with butter and they give you a dish of olives too. The calamari and risotto was amazing. The sauces were rich in flavor and I couldn't help but leave my calamari dish empty. My friend and I both ordered the Walu which was recommended by our friends and the waiter. The Walu (Escolar) was delicious. Each bite I took tasted moist and buttery and it was cooked perfectly. No dryness. The mash potatoes were creamy. I ate the creme brulee on top of the poached peach and I think this was probably the best creme brulee I ate. The tartness from the peach went well with the creme brulee. I really can't wait to come back again for a special occasion. -
Review from Eric L.
Sugar Land, TX
8/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came here for HRW. As everyone has stated, the service is excellent despite us being HRW customers.
On to the establishment and food. The decor of the place is excellent. I mean come on, there is a suspended log with fire on top separating the bar area from the dining area. You can't get more awesome than that.
The restaurant has a HRW wine menu which has discounted bottles. We started the night with a bottle of malbec for $28. The waiter suggest the garlic seared calamari to start off the night. This is definitely something to order since it is completely different than any other calamari I have ever tasted. If you are eating with other people, have someone else order the daily risotto and eat the risotto with the calamari sauce. The sauce which is sweet and a little bit salty is a great glaze for the risotto. (AMAZING!!)
The second course I had was the Angus Ribeye A la Plancha. The steak turned out good, however I ordered the steak medium and it came between medium to medium rare. Overall, this is like any other fancy place which the steak was cooked well along with mashed potatoes and vegetables.
The dessert I ordered was Sugar Roasted Texas Peach Crème brulée. I normally hate peach but the peach I had was a delicious white peach. On top of the peach was an awesome creme brulee. The creme brulee was delicious, however the dessert didn't come with much of the creme brulee which was sad because it was better than most places.
Overall, a great place to go for HRW. For guys, you can dress as casual as jeans and a dress shirt, but if you want to fit in...business casual. -
Review from jim h.
First visit. Was impressed.
The decor in their new location kind of smacks you in the face when you walk in -- in a good way. The ambiance, the service, exudes a type of quality that is hard to find in Houston. 5/5 for that alone. Positive impression right there.
The service is detailed, attentive, and extremely polite, which is kind of par for the course for this type of restaurant, but still. I received no impression of inferiority when our table decided not to order wine, which I did notice at some other restaurants. Nor did I get the impression that someone was watching our every move -- it was relatively unobtrusive.
Now for the food:
3.5/5 Bread - Impressive and eclectic bread "display". Some I found quite tasty; the savory oregano one was kind of weird, though.
5/5 Poached Wild Shrimp and Blue Crab Napoleon - Wow, I never thought I would like a crab dish. The balance of flavor, texture, and presentation of this dish won me over. Amazing. Impeccably balanced.
3.5/5 Paella Risotto, Diver Scallop, etc - Scallop extremely tasty. Not that big of a fan of the risotto - the combination of cajun, cheese, and risotto is a bit ... well, off.
3/5 Herb Roasted Filet Mignon - um... "did not look like the picture on the website"? No bacon (whine...). Filet mignon here (in a savory pepper sauce) is not that well balanced - should have a more marbled meat (strip, rib eye, etc) in its place. Would prefer either a lighter presentation with the filet, or a more savory meat to balance the sauce here. Potato "sausage thing" was quite good. String beans fresh.
Overall, my 5/5 rating here is pending until they get a entree that truly impresses me. Will definitely come again though.
PS Total for 3 people was $93, before tip. No wine. A real bargain.Listed in: Expense account places
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Review from Kara V.
Central Coast, CA
5/19/2011
Was solo in Houston for work. Sat at the bar on a busy Wednesday evening. A busy Wednesday evening? This is a good sign.
The good: The staff! Super friendly people! However, coming from California maybe I'm just used to people being not-so-friendly at restaurants. Regardless, I sat at the bar and had a lovely time with the bartenders.
The bad: And not that it was even "bad" - maybe I'm just a food snob? At any rate, I ordered the foie gras appetizer. It had a larger-than-I-could-finish-in-a-timely-manner piece of foie on the toast - would you kill me if I said too much foie gras? Sorry. But it was! Especially for one person. And the cherry reduction sauce was just too sweet. More green pesto stuff, less cherry reduction please? :)
Had the Sea Bass as an entreé. Again with the size portions! You Texans eat a LOT of food, don't you? The Sea Bass was just "ok". Too many mashed potatoes. The mushroom sauce was sorta flavor-less. Sea Bass was of good quality - but I've had better. See, I guess that's the food snob in me.
The ugly: Maybe it was the 1 shot of tequila that the dude sitting next to me bought (nah, why would we want to blame 1 shot of tequila on anything?) but I dunno... I went back to my hotel room and was not feeling well AT ALL. Needless to say the smell of previously digested foie gras... well, I might not be able to have foie in awhile. :\ Sorry, was that too much?
Oh also - the wine list seems sorta lacking for such a semi-pretentious place. However I also am from the wine country and am sorta spoiled - but I was definitely hoping they had a better by the glass list. Oh well. Can't win 'em all. -
Review from Raele O.
Austin, TX
8/26/2011
An immaculate experience! Not a single error in a symphony of well-played notes!
We came in from Austin for the day and stumbled upon ecstasy.
BEST. CALAMARI. EVER. Really, ever. About 9 years ago, on the Central California coast, I had some tender melt-in-my-mouth calamari, not the breaded, fried kind. I've hoped ever since to find anything like it, but tonight fully surpassed it. Every succulent bite was memorable. So tender, you could cut it with your tongue.
We didn't know it was HRW, and were thrilled to get a fabulous bottle of Argentinean Malbec for under twenty-something bucks!
The staff was very friendly and down-to-earth. And Mr. Masraff himself came over to make sure we were perfectly happy! We were.
Eat here right now. -
Review from David C.
Houston, TX
7/2/2011 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
The grilled seared calamari appetizer was a refreshing and tasty change to the traditional fried calamari you get everywhere else. Everything we had was just as succulent! I had the Peking Duck Breast, Foie Gras, Apple Bacon and Sweet Potato Hash with a Bing Cherries Gastrique. I don't think I left a single thing on the plate! My wife had the Hawaiian walu, which was tasty and buttery, but I much preferred the duck.
Service was excellent when we got there at 6:30, but by 7:30 on a Monday night, the restaurant was full and I noticed service began to lag a little for several of our neighboring tables. Also, it tends to be a little loud if you really want to nit-pick. Overall, it was a great dining experience, with delicious food. We'll definitely go back to try more entrees. -
Review from Shawn K.
Parkland, FL
10/23/2011
Good wine list, but they were out of our first choice. Had the foie gras, calamari, risotto, and tuna tartar... The calamari was the standout dish. Service was good.
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Review from Chen C.
Houston, TX
8/15/2011
We came here for HRW, like so many others. We got the calamari and risotto to start. Risotto was really good (husband loved it), but the calamari is prob the best I've had. Incredibly tender and flavorful. I knew it would be good when I could cut it easily with just a fork. Walu and ribeye for the entree. Both were good, but the Walu was better. Nice and buttery and melt in your mouth tender. Only complaint was that there were a couple of bones. Ribeye was cooked well and tender ( notice a theme?), but it was a little on the sweet side. We were stuffed halfway through the entrees so had the desserts boxed up to take home. bread pudding tasted fine, but it was more like a dense cake than other bread puddings, like Ruggles. The peach creme brûlée was really cool, and delicious. The peach was a nice contrast to the richness if the creme.
Overall, great experience and would definitely come back even when it's not HRW! -
Review from Seldon Paul S.
Dallas, TX
6/29/2011
After arriving on time for my 8:30 Wednesday reservation and waiting in the bar for a table for 25 mins, I finally decided to have dinner at the bar where the staff were friendly and helpful.
I started with the wild mushroom ravioli with truffles lemon sage broth. MELT IN YOUR MOUTH DELICIOUS! And ended with the Pan Roasted Chicken Breast, Pomodoro Israeli Couscous, Baby Spinach with Heirloom Tomato Salad with Aged Balsamic. PERFECTION ON A PLATE! I tried several wines and found them to be both very good and relatively affordable.
FOOD = 5 STARS
HOSTESS STAFF = MINUS 1 STAR
OVERALL = FOUR STARS -
Review from King T.
6/21/2011
My gf and I came here last year for Restaurant Week. We walked in, and were quickly escorted to our table. We went in at around 6PM, and the bar seemed to be pretty lively.
Anyways, we sat down and were greeted by our waiter, who gave us our menus. Our server was extremely nice, and asked us if we've been here before, and gave us his recommendations when asked.
I ordered the Garlic Seared Calamari for my appetizer, the Pan Seared NY Strip as my entree, and the Pear Creme Brulee for dessert. From beginning to end, everything that was put in front of me was absolutely delicious. The calamari had a sweet sauce over it, and it was very delicious. The steak was cooked absolutely perfectly, and dripping with flavor. My girlfriend had ordered the Paella Risotto as her dinner, and that was really good too. The scallops on that plate were GIGANTIC!! Our desserts were also very delicious, and fairly light.
Overall, I had a very good experience here at Masraff's. The service was great, and the food was wonderful! -
Review from Kasushi S.
Houston, TX
5/31/2011
The term "gourmet" gets thrown around a lot; not by me and apparently not by the good people at Masraff's. The food was high art, the wine list was reasonable (both in selections and prices) and the service was impeccable. I have never heard this placed mentioned in the on-going "what's-the-best-restaurant-in-Houston" debate that all my friends seem to have, and I don't understand why: it's great.
Free parking is always appreciated! -
Review from Oswaldo R.
Spring, TX
4/14/2011
Went to Masraff''s for the first time in late March 2011 for a business dinner.
It was interesting to me that our host, a gentlemen from NYC who travels to Houston extensively, picked up this restaurant as it has been a favorite of his for a number of years. This was his first time in the new location.
The new location on Post Oak is very nice and elegant, the place was packed, even if it was only Wednesday evening at 7pm.
Service was great, the waiters were very friendly and knowledgeable and were able to answer all my questions on the menu very well.
The food was solid, I had pan-seared foie-gras, with port and caramelized pears to start, which was nice. As an entree I had the diver scallops, which had a thin nice crust on the outside. The polenta and truffle oil really go well together on this dish.
For dessert I had the chocolate fondant which I must say was OK, but nothing out of the ordinary for me.
Another nice touch was the opportunity to chat with Mr. Masraff, who came to the table and spent a few minutes asking about our dinner, the experience and also shared some thoughts on the new location and how their restaurant is really bringing lots of new people in,
Highly recommend it to anyone, based on food, ambiance and service, -
Review from danielle g.
Houston, TX
2/25/2011
I love the new location and decor - very nice and sleek. Just went there for a charity cocktail, and ended up staying at the bar - mainly because of the great bar food! I had one bite of the calamari that was being passed around, and that was such a tease. I had to see what else their kitchen could dish out, and they brought it on!
Their bar menu is a great way to try what they have to offer without having to blow a hole in your wallet. Everything is $10 so it's easy to do the math (for those like me, who think numbers are shapes... ahem)
We ordered, devoured, and loved:
Crispy Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Spring Rolls with Cilantro and Sweet Chili Butter,
the Mini Tuna Tartar Tacos with some kickin Wasabi Aioli (favorite of mine!)
some Oyster Shooters,
more of the Calamari Fries with this "Kabayaki Sauce"
and finally their pizza with Baby Spinach with chicken and tons of garlic. mmmm!
What I really want to go back to try are the Fois Gras Sliders. OMG, those sound amazing!!!
couldn't really give it the full 5-star rating, a little because some of the crowd was a tad "douchy" but easy to ignore that, but mostly because we didn't have a full meal. But if the rest of the food is as good as the bar food, which i'm sure it is, then it will be delicious! Can't wait to go back to see... -
Review from Ty D.
3/5/2011
My girlfriend and I are competitive people, and so naturally, we try to see who can order the better meal when we eat out. I'm something like 1-30 at this point, but hope springs eternal.
For Valentine's Day, my girlfriend and I went to Masraff's. I was excited because I had not been to the new location, and I had thoroughly researched the menu so that I could pick something great and stop my long losing streak. I ordered a crab dish that was nothing short of amazing, but still wound up losing, because my girlfriend's steak was literally one of the most outstanding meat dishes I've ever tasted. It was so tender, perfectly cooked, and full of flavor that I am salivating as I write. I lost again, but there's no shame in losing to the best.
The wine list is really nicely done, with something good for everyone. And I'll echo what Dia V. said, as well. Masraff's does a good job of being a high end foodie experience without feeling pretentious. It was a great meal, and I can't wait to go again.
