The Burning Pear

 

4

18

Claire L.

Houston, TX

I have to agree with the first reviewer, Vinod V., that the service is iffy.  I've visited the restaurant twice on a weekday for lunch and service was slow and inattentive.  The restaurant is arranged in a weird way where it's right next to a lobby area, there isn't a podium w/ a hostess, and there's a huge wall/pillar by the entrance so a server may not see you.  I would recommend walking over near the bar to get someone's attention if necessary.  

The food, however, is wonderful.  Their portions are large, which I think makes the prices reasonable.  I was surprised that a hotel restaurant in Sugar Land would have such great food.  I would highly recommend their Country/Chicken Fried Steak (one of the best in Houston, I think) and Pork Chop entrees.  I think their gumbo is one of the tops that I've had -- it has shrimp and scallops (no sausage) in it and is not so spicy as to overwhelm the rest of the flavors.

While the service is inconsistent, I believe their food to be good enough to go back.

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9

119

Vinod V.

San Francisco, CA

I had brunch with my family at The Burning Pear this morning.  The food was acceptable but the service was beyond disappointing.  Upon arrival there was nothing but chaos.  It was not clear whether we were supposed to seat ourselves or wait for a host.  After waitstaff and bus staff scurried past me (not one of them offered any assistance), I had to walk over to the bartender and request to be seated.

Getting seated:  The bartender attempted to seat us at one table (we had a party of six and the table was not large enough...in case you were wondering, the restaurant was NOT full, maybe 20% occupied, tops), then she brought over a hostess who  had to ask another restaurant employee where he could seat six people, to which he replied "I don't know" or something to that effect.  The hostess then turned to me and said "you are eating, not just sitting, right?"  This was incredibly rude and even more frustrating in hindsight since our bill was over $100.

The Waitress:  Though it took a ridiculous amount of time for our server to approach us, once she arrived she was pleasant and friendly.  While I was disappointed she never refilled our water glasses without being chased down, and that we got our food one hour after we ordered it, she made a genuine effort to provide good service, which was much appreciated.

The Food:  It was quite good.  I ordered eggs benedict, my mom had chicken salad, dad had a fruit salad, sister/brother in law ordered the Linguine and my fiance chose the Sugar Ranch breakfast (consisting of eggs, chorizo, salsa, etc).  The best meal by far was the Sugar Ranch breakfast.  It had the right amount of flavor and spice.

I was in Sugar Land for a wedding, and was impressed by almost everything I saw.  The Burning Pear seemed like it would be no exception.  While the food was great, it was also forgettable, unlike the poor service.

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