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Raffa's Waterfront Grill
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
1660 W Lake Houston PkwySte 103
Kingwood, TX 77339
Neighborhood: Lake Houston
(281) 360-1436
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 4:30 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 11 pm
Sun 11 am - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
16 reviews for Raffa's Waterfront Grill
16 reviews in English
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Review from Alison H.
9/5/2011
Raffa's is nice, food was great, sitting outside was very nice but it is a bit pricy. I went with my cousin for dinner. We sat on the outside patio. Houston is having a major drout so the water level was quite low but I still preferred it to inside. It is a little noisy outside with the kids playing in the fountain next door and the music from sharky's. Ohhh and we saw a snake!....I am not in NJ anymore ha.
We ordered the crab cake app with was fab. She had the filet (a little over cooked) and I had the stuffed flounder which I loved. It came with shrimp which it did not say on the menu so...bonus :-).
Service was great our waiter was young and did have trouble remembering the specials but she was very sweet and made no mistakes. -
Review from Katherine R.
Houston, TX
9/4/2011
This place has very spacious seating both indoors and outdoors, however their service is something that is clearly lacking at this establishment. My parents and I came here for a meal and it took us over 2 hours to be seated, order and eat our food then get the bill. I'm all for enjoying quality time and conversations, but the place was dead (except another family) and we expected the service to be much better than what we received.
Their food is very yummy, but beware of the service! -
Review from Nicole C.
Kingwood, TX
1/2/2012
Raffas food is very good, atmosphere is very nice as well. Sat outside and enjoyed every moment of it. Afterwards was able to walk up and down the pier that lines the Lake. There is a fountain for the kids to play in as well.
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Review from Mark R.
Kingwood, TX
6/4/2011
This is about my fourth time here for brunch. It is a little pricy, one reason it is only our fourth time, but so worth it. The extra charge for bottomless drinks is worth it if someone else is driving that did not get that option.
They have a salad side and a hot side to the buffet brunch. And a dessert bar.
Everything I had was just excellent.
Some of the best deviled eggs I have ever had. Fruit salads (notice the s on that), cheeses, breads.
The hot side is a virtual cornucopia of breakfast and brunch dishes. The normal fare, and some excellent things such as chicken and pork in mushroom sauce. Try the pasta dishes also.
I didn't even have any dessert because I was to full from all great main dishes.
This is worth the trip every so often. -
Review from John M.
Kingwood, TX
Updated - 2/17/2011 2 photos
Having been pleased in the past, whether for a late Saturday lunch or weekend night out, we chose Raffa's for our Valentine's date night. I had to work late on Valentines so we decided to go out last night (Wednesday) instead, thinking the restaurant won't be as crowded and we would be able to enjoy a quiet, dinner together.
Well, we were correct, there wasn't a crowd at all, with only about a fourth of the restaurant filled with customers at the 8:00 PM hour. We first sat in the bar area for a drink and could not believe the poor service. The waitress / bartender had about fourteen or fifteen people at the bar which is more than enough to keep her occupied but she also was expected to cover the side tables, where we sat. In a hurried manner she walked up and said "what would you like?" Not a welcome or hello, but "what do you want?" When she delivered the drinks she sat them on the menus she had sat on the table at first, no napkins or professional presentation, just, here you go...
I got up and walked to the bar and asked for napkins and questioned by cocktail. I order the same thing, all the time and I could tell that this was not what I ordered. I always drink Crown Royal straight and it is pretty difficult to mess that up, but congratulations, they did. I swear it had been blended with either Canadian Club or some other blended whiskey, it was NOT Crown Royal. I asked they open the bottle in front of me and when they did, voila, now it tasted like Crown Royal.
We then moved into the dining room for dinner. When my wife asked the waitresses her recommendation between two of the seafood entrees, the waitress replied, "I don't know, I don't like fish." Admit, she gets points for honesty, but a very poor job of representing the kitchen. It went on like this all night, had to ask for water, had to ask for bread, had to flag her down for another glass of wine, etc., etc.
Speaking of wine, this place needs a serious overhaul on its wine list. For a fine dining restaurant, they have a poor selection of varietals. Heavy on Cabs and Merlot (I guess the choice of suburbia) but poor on Pinot, Zinfandels, Shiraz or Italian, Australian or Chilean wines. This is a real missed opportunity since their only serious competition in this department, The Wine Loft, which was two doors down the sidewalk, went out of business last fall. With nice weather coming, a beautiful patio / bar area, they could really do well with a wine list that is appealing to a variety of people.
Overall food quality is three out of five stars, it's good, but not exceptional, Raffa's problem is their lack of professional service for a fine dining restaurant. Kingwood could use a top-notch, local restaurant with professional wait staff, impressive kitchen and selection of wines. Unfortunately, we don't have one...yet. There's a reason that this restaurant has not become the success of its sister Amedeo's and it is professional service.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/6/2010
My wife and I have been to Raffa's for dinner before and it did not disappoint. We were having an… Read more »
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Review from Jessie D.
11/30/2010
A big plus for this place: They have a lovely patio overlooking the river. So if you want a classy, al fresco date, this place might still be on your list if you're more interested in impressing your date than chowing down.
Raffa's is one of those places that looks really fancy, it's very comfortable and upscale inside and out, but the food is just par.
I came here late with my friends, and we chatted long past closing without them ever saying a word to us, so that bumped them from two to three stars.
I didn't dine this evening, although I did steal a bite from my friend's lobster enchiladas. Yeah, did I mention this place is supposed to be ITALIAN? I just had dessert and wine. I ordered the bread pudding of the day since I'm on a one woman mission to try every bread pudding in the Greater Houston area. A restaurant with a bread pudding rotation seemed like they would have AWESOME bread pudding. It was kind of bland.
For good Italian food, go to Zammitti's next door. For good bread pudding, go to Zachary's in the front of Kingwood. -
Review from Marie E.
Breckenridge, TX
6/1/2008
The location is amazing! The weather was amazing with the breeze from the lake cooling us off! A great escape from the city! However, they need more lighting on the patio. Even though one of us were directly under a light, I couldn't see the food on my plate. The wait staff is very green, which is a real turn-off.
The appetizers that we had were great! The chicken quesadillas were perfect! Chicken was flavorful and tender, there was the perfect amount of cheese, the tortilla was crispy and they weren't greasy in any way! Also the baked brie with caramelized onions was amazing! For my entree I had the special for the night, which was 5 Chili Shrimp over Cajun Rissoto. The shrimp were in the shell, butterflied, but a bit overcooked. Due to the lighting factor, I couldn't see if I had removed all of the shell before putting my food in my mouth. My boyfriend had the beef bourguignon, which was very tender and tasty. Don't waste your time on the gooey pecan pie. I would almost have to say disgusting. -
Review from Scott B.
Truckee, CA
8/16/2010
Every once in a while, we need to relax to actually enjoy our food and dining experience. At first I thought the service was slightly slow, and I realized they just weren't pushing us to get out in 45 minutes to turn the tables faster.
While still experiencing some growing pains of being a waterfront restaurant, the service has been getting better over the last year. A little more training for the wait staff might help.
We started with some very good garlic bread, and found it odd that we didn't get bread plates. The Ginger Salmon is really an Excellent dish. We also had the Rissoto of the day which was very good and plenty for two as a meal by itself.
As always I got a perfect Titos martini while waiting for our table, and the option of a half bottle of Santa Margherita Pino Grigio was perfect for the meal. -
Review from Shaun A.
Kingwood, TX
10/25/2010
This place has changed some since it opened but we continue to enjoy it. David the chef/owner is the best in Kingwood! The brie appezier is amazing, all of the salads we have tried are great. Our favorite entrees are the pork and the salmon. Risotto of the day can be excellent also. Great atmosphere. Definitely our favorite restaurant in Kingwood.
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Review from Jeff S.
Humble, TX
6/18/2010
We made a reservation and asked for a seat by the window and that's exactly what we got. The view overlooking the San Jacinto River at sunset was quite nice.
Our server was nervous and new. Someone has to be a guinea pig for new servers and I've had my fair share so I try to be more accommodating.
The first mistake was she couldn't remember everything about the specials even though she was reading off a sheet of paper.
When our server poured the wine she split some on the table which we knew was coming because everyone at the table started to lean away, which in itself was quite comical, but really not that big of deal.
My wife had prime rib which is served every Thursday night and was quite good with rich creamy mashed potatoes.
My Stuffed Flounder was good but a little on the cheap side. It had crab-meat stuffing that was more stuffing than crab (same stuff as the crab cakes) the shrimp on top felt as though they were pre-boiled and then placed in a sauté pan at the last second with the lemon butter sauce. It was served with broccoli and carrots which made it feel like a Luby's plate. The flavor was overall quite good.
One of my companions ordered the special which was amberjack wrapped in bacon and smoked. He said it was delicious and I was intrigued with the smoking of the fish; It came with the mashed potatoes and same old broccoli and carrots...Jenny (or was that peas and carrots?).
My other companion had the crab cakes which like my stuffing was tasty but lacking in the crab meat department.
We ordered a side that was excellent. It was roasted Cauliflower with a lemon butter sauce and bacon bits. Not sure if it wasn't fried quickly then roasted but it was very good.
Overall we all said would go back and try it again for dinner.
As a side note: I find it interesting that so many times Amedoe's (sister to Raffa's and original restaurant of Tony Raffa) and Raffa's are always bordering on really good food but somehow food costs or laziness seem to get in the way. It's always right on the edge of being really good but something like broccoli and carrots get in the way. Just put the roasted cauliflower on my dish and sauté my shrimp a little better and your there. -
Review from Gigi G.
Houston, TX
9/15/2009
I was quite surprised by Raffa's. The hubby and I decided to try it out last minute and I'm glad we did.
The decor is very posh and the lighting is just right. It also overlooks the lake -- and they have plenty of outside seating -- so the scenery is really serene.
We got sat in a really large booth, which was a bit awkward for two people, but whatev. Our server came by promptly to rattle off the specials of the night. I wasn't super hungry so I went with the chicken special. I rarely order chicken at restaurants since I can usually just make chicken dishes at home (and quite frankly, most restaurants' chicken dishes are just blah). But this dish really got my taste buds going. The chicken was nice and juicy and the apple glaze it had on it was so flavorful. The chicken was served on mashed potatoes, which were kinda thin but still tasted good, alongside green beans.
Hubby ordered the bacon-wrapped jumbo shrimp stuffed with white cheddar and jalapeno chili. He must've really liked it because, by the time I looked over to ask for a taste, he had already polished it off. So much for not being hungry.
For dessert, we ordered the cheesecake, which is made with goat cheese and has blueberries baked in. SO GOOD. The goat cheese gives it an earthiness while the blueberries provide a tartness that balances the sweetness of the goat cheese.
They also have a full bar and a pretty decent wine list. Not too many wines by the glass, though.
On the way out, I noticed these divine looking coconut macaroons that they were selling for $1 each. I ordered three and I'm happy to say, they've been little fluffy beds of goodness, and I'm not usually a fan of coconut, unless it comes in a drink. They also sell the fabulous cheesecake to go. I'll definitely get a slice for home next time. -
Review from Pukar R.
Dallas, TX
10/3/2009
The crab cakes were really good as appetizers. My steak was ok except it had really funky sauce all over it. I hate when restaurants ruin a perfectly good cow. I had it medium rare and it was a bit over cooked but still tender. It would have been a lot better without the sauce for sure. The service was really slow and the place was not very busy at all. A nice place to go for a date.
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Review from CSTXgal F.
College Station, TX
8/26/2009
My boyfriend and I go here alot for local date nights! We always sit outside and the lake ambiance is so nice. We usually get a bottle of wine. I always order Cesar salad (which is the best Cesar I have found, however shockingly rainforst cafe is a close 2nd) and the asian chicken wings and sauce are a must try appetizer. The wait staff is very attentive and the food is always A+. Looking forward to going there lots in the fall.
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Review from Alicia M.
Humble, TX
8/30/2009
New to this area...heard Raffa's was a good place to eat, and they were right! Ate on the outside patio, but you can sit inside and still have a view of the lake. Pretty big selection on the appetizer as well as dinner menu. Had the pork tenderloin, hubby had redfish, and son had NY strip steak...all were very tasty. Wait staff was attentive. All around cool place. We'll definitely be there again soon!
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Review from Katy J.
Humble, TX
9/20/2009
I've been to Raffa's a few times since it's been open and was casually impressed -- it's not often you find a restaurant that doesn't have fried cheese sticks on their menu in the Humble/Kingwood area. Last night the boy and I went to Raffa's for date-night. Not sure if the first few visits I was overwhelmed by the idea of the place, but last night was not stellar. The food was good, but not great. My shrimp brochette sounded ideal but the shrimp was slightly over-cooked and the Jalapeno & Cheddar stuffing I had been expecting was almost non-existent. Boy got the Filet Mignon and it was ok too. Drinks were great, though. Service was kind and polite and, when she was at the table, attentive. Long waits in between visits though.
Best part of the evening was laughing at all the older men sipping their desert port. I guess that's the new thing among yuppies these days? Hardly any of them finished it though. Guess it's a status thing. Seems to be the general trend of Raffa's -- let's make these suburbanites feel classy & worldly. When in reality, anyone who has frequented real fine-dining establishments in places like Houston, London or New York will realize that it's a poor shadow of the real thing.
In all, if you are looking for a fine-dining experience and don't want to go too far away and don't mind over-paying, then by all means check out Raffa's. It's not the worst place you will ever eat. -
Review from Chris G.
Crosby, TX
4/12/2009
Great Setting. Had nice seats inside overlooking the lake. I cannot recommend the crab cakes as an entree. However the pork tenderloin I had for the main course was the best. So flavorful and tender, perfectly cooked. I will return to this bistro to try some of their other dishes.
