Amy "Clever Girl" K.'s Profile

I know it's difficult to imagine a UPS Store warranting a four-star review, but as far as UPS Stores go, this one is pretty rock star. I've been to a few around Houston, and the people working behind the counter at this one are by far the friendliest I've ever encountered. Not bad for a place in downtown, where I'm sure they spend a fair amount of time interacting with grumpy business folks (myself included).

This place is kitschy for sure with its log-cabin-saloon-on-steroids appearance and giant barrels of peanuts flanking the entrance doors. But luckily, there is substance beyond that kitsch -- in other words, there is some damn good food to be had here. Texas Roadhouse may be a chain, but it's a good one!

The boyfriend and I decided to eat here for the first time last year, and on our first visit, the manager brought over some complimentary chili and fries for us to nosh on. Not bad! We ordered an appetizer to split and two entrees, but have learned since then that while we both love to eat and really know how to pack it away, that is WAY too much food for any two sane people to eat. Now, we skip the appetizer in favor or relishing our main dishes.

I always get the half-slab of fall-off-the-bone ribs, and they are not exaggerating when they say it falls off the bone. Flavorful, moist, and sinfully tender, the ribs keep me coming back. I live nowhere near Texas Roadhouse, but the boyfriend and I will make the trip out there every few months because it is THAT GOOD. My guy typically gets the pulled pork dinner, which is hearty and tasty, though not the best pulled pork I've ever encountered. I'd still recommend it though, since I've yet to find many places in Houston that offers up a good pulled pork. I've never ordered a steak, though, because I'd rather grill up a steak at home than eat it in a restaurant, so I can't speak to how Texas Roadhouse's steaks taste.

Each entree comes with two sides, and I've yet to try a side I didn't like. The rice is packed with savory flavor, and the mashed potatoes are incredible. I ordered them loaded with sour cream, cheese, and bacon once and it was way too good. I've never ordered it again for fear of having a heart attack on the spot, though. It may just be a "once a year" indulgence. The steamed vegetables are, well, steamed vegetables. No complaints there!

The service is friendly and attentive as well. I've yet to have a bad experience! *knocks on wood*

Be forewarned though that this place does still allow smoking indoors in the bar area, so those who are more sensitive to smoke should either sit faaaaar away or reconsider coming here for dinner.

I am a HUGE fan of J.Crew, and I honestly did not even know that the Galleria had a J.Crew at all until 2 years ago, thanks to its weird placement. For those who are wondering, the store is on the first floor right next to Borders.

I've been to my fair share of J.Crews when I lived in Boston, so I was excited to check out this store in my hometown. This particular store is hit and miss. Sometimes, they have a huge selection of merchandise and shoes (which is AWESOME), but I find that more often than not, they don't carry a lot of things and everything always looks really picked over. Also, I typically have a lot of issues finding things in my size when it comes to bottoms (I'm a size 6-8 in skirts and pants).

The sales associates are all really nice for the most part, aside from one or two who always seem to make it obvious that they hate it when I bring in things to return. You see, due to the fact that the store doesn't carry a lot and rarely has merchandise in my size, I do most of my J.Crew shopping online. I'm a petite shopper as well, and since J.Crew doesn't carry petite sizes in their stores, I go online for these options when they're available. All this means that once in a while, I'll bring in 5-6 items that didn't work out to return in the store (why pay return shipping when I can just do it in the store, amIright??). Despite the fact that I neatly organize my returns, go on a weekday to do them because there's fewer customers, and am polite, I sometimes get a sales associate who will huff and puff about it like I'm putting them through the worst thing imaginable. Luckily, the last few times, I've gotten nicer ones.

The dressing rooms are always neat, and the associates are great at helping you snag other sizes to try on if you're already in the dressing room without being too pushy. I like someone who's helpful, but hands off, and the majority of associates at this store are just that. For other J.Crew lovers in the Houston area, I'd say to come to the store during the first week when they roll in their new merchandise because that's when you'll have the biggest selection in both items AND sizes!

The best selling point of Pho 24 is the fact that it's open ridiculously late, so if you're craving something other than Whataburger, IHOP, Denny's, or Tan Tan at 2 in the morning, you can come here for a bowl of pho. I don't actually know how late this place is open (is it actually open 24 hours as the name implies?), but I have been here at 1:30 a.m. and found it buzzing with activity.

I always get the Pho Dac Biet because I love tendon, tripe, and fatty brisket goodness in my pho dishes. From here, it tastes okay. The broth is typically a low on flavor, and the meat is always a little tougher than I'd prefer. It's not horrible, but it's also not delicious. Also, the one time I got summer rolls from here, the rice paper was chewy. Blech!

The service is hit or miss as well. Sometimes the wait staff is incredibly attentive and quick -- other times, they seem to forget that they have customers. The last time I visited, my boyfriend and I waited after being seated for a good 7 minutes before anyone came by to ask for our drink orders. They only had 3 other tables, too, so it wasn't like they were swamped. Our food did come out pretty quickly, though!

I have to agree with Tanya D. about this place having a weird smell. It's definitely got a funk that hits you the moment you open the second set of doors. To make things more unpleasant, the waiters have a habit of spraying bleach onto the tables to clean them after a customer leaves, which is gross if you're sitting right next to said table. I've even felt the bleach sprays get blown onto my arm from the fan as a table was being cleaned -- ewwwwwww! I appreciate them keeping the tables clean, but maybe they should start spraying the bleach into the cloth (below table level), THEN wipe the table down. You know, like most other restaurants that aren't aiming to Lysol their customers.

All in all, Pho 24 is neither bad nor good. It's pretty mediocre. Granted, I've only been here after midnight, so maybe that has something to do with it. It's awesome to have a pho place open super late for us weekend night owls, but judging from my experiences during those times, I wouldn't come to this place if there were other options still open.

Rita's. All I can do when I think of the experience I had there is lament for the $30 I wasted. That $30 could've gotten me a half-tank of gas, or some really expensive sunblock, or a novelty plush whale hat from Sea World. Instead, all it got me from Rita's was mediocre food, the saddest margarita my eyes ever did see, horrendous service, and one of those "I swear this experience will be funny later" stories.

For the sake of full disclosure, I am rating this place based on my experience there last May. However, judging from the reviews from recent customers, it seems this place hasn't changed a bit. Hooray for consistency, I guess?

The boyfriend and I were in full tourist mode when we arrived in San Antonio. We were looking for a place to hunker down and eat along the river. We must've been hexed that day because we ended up at Rita's. Let me just make it clear that I'm not someone with incredibly high standards who demands a song and dance with my meals, or that every dish be bathed in the tears of orphaned unicorns before it makes its way to me. I come from restaurateur family. I've worked in various roles in the food biz. I've hostess-ed, waited tables, and even prepared food from time to time. What I'm trying to say is that I'm not an unreasonable person because I understand that there are good days and there are bad days. But what I got from Rita's was far beyond any "bad" day. This place wasn't just bad, it was APPALLING.

Firstly, our server was most probably drunk and wired on something simultaneously -- when he bothered to show up. My boyfriend and I waited after being seated for a good 15 minutes before anyone showed up. Luckily, at that point, we were so busy talking to one another that we only noticed how much time had passed when his watch beeped to mark the new hour. Our server took our orders 3 times because he wouldn't write it down and would forget what we had said it seemed the moment we finished saying it. Seriously? Then, he disappeared for another 15 minutes before finally bringing us our drinks, which included a suspiciously separated margarita. True story, folks. The "frozen" margarita he brought to me looked the way an Icee does when you leave it in the sun -- clear and melted on the bottom, slushy on top. He didn't even offer to get me a new one. And it tasted like straight-up tequila. I don't want limeade when I get a margarita, but I also am not looking to drink FIRE, people.

Then our food came. I'm not going to gripe about the fact that this place didn't serve "authentic Mexican food." I've come to expect Tex-Mex here in Texas, and I'm even a fan of it sometimes. My complaint about Rita's fare is that it was particularly bland and uninspiring. I got the fajitas, and my boyfriend got the taquitos. Not even a hint of proverbial caliente was to be had. It was like the dishes were created by someone who has no understanding whatsoever about Tex-Mex cuisine. But we ate it anyways with a smile.

When it came time to leave, our waiter was everywhere but near his customers. He was chatting it up at the bar. Chatting it up at the cash register. When finally my boyfriend decided to go up to him and ask him for the check, our server seemed flummoxed. Who were we again? Are you kidding me?! Part of me wanted to just run out on the check, but I decided to just be a good person and pay for the meal and the experience. Sigh. We had to ask for the check 3 times before he remembered to give it to us. Never. Again.

A search through Yelp for breakfast spots unearthed this little gem -- Baby Barnaby's. It takes a lot to get me out of bed before noon on the weekends, but the promise of Barnaby's incredible "green eggs" is usually enough to get me moving. This little eatery serves up great breakfast plates. Or at least, that's what I assume judging from what I see everyone else noshing on. I myself only rarely stray from the heavenly green eggs plate, which is a scramble with artichoke hearts, spinach, and cheese. It's light and decadent, a perfect accompaniment to the slice of wheat toast that comes with it. The chicken sausages I can do without, but my boyfriend never seems to mind wolfing them down when I push them off to the side.

The one time I tried something else, it was the seasonal fruit pancake. I believe my fruit was the banana walnut. When the menu says "pancake" in the singular form, it means it. You only get one pancake. One giant pancake. One giant pancake the size of a hubcap. At first I rather enjoyed my banana walnut hubcap pancake -- it was fluffy and packed with barely warmed-through bananas and soft walnuts. But by the 30th bite, I was over it. I imagine this is what that guy from Man Vs. Food feels when he has to chew through a six-pound burrito. Maybe if I had someone (or somethree) to share it with, it would've been more enjoyable. Lesson learned.

Maybe that's why I never try anything other than the green eggs now whenever I visit this place. THE PANCAKE scared me. I'm hoping that with some counseling (and more green eggs) I can get over this debilitating fear of the unknown and venture into the wild unknown menu again. Only time will tell.

City Pets has a HUGE selection of saltwater and freshwater fish, so if you're looking for an addition to your aquarium, you'll likely find a good candidate here. Most of their fish seemed healthy, but I'm not a fish expert so I can't be sure. The tanks were all pretty clean, and the fish pretty active. It was well-organized, too. Like some other reviewers have noted, the service isn't too great, but if you can manage to catch a store rep's attention, you'll get what you need.

In the back, there are several cages of birds like lovebirds, parakeets, cockatiels, and a few more exotic types. I saw a baby umbrella cockatoo the last time I was there, and I think several young cockatiels as well.

I went to this store specifically to look for aquarium decor, so that's what I'm rating them on. Unfortunately, they didn't have anything too special. I've seen better selections at Petsmart. Just your run-of-the-mill pirate ships, treasure chests, and dragons here -- all dusty, too. Oh well!

So, in conclusion: great selection of fish. Bad selection of aquarium decorations.

Where in Houston can you get amazing South Carolina-style pulled pork? Little Bigs! The pulled pork slider burgers are by far my favorite thing to get here. Each order comes with 3 slightly-smaller-than-baseball-sized burgers, which you can mix and match with either their pulled pork, beef patty, chicken, or black bean burger. As I mentioned before, the pulled pork is an amazing mouthful of tender pork and heat from the slaw. The beef patty is pretty tasty as well, though sometimes the caramelized onions on top would overpower the beef. I've had better chicken sandwiches at Chick Fil-A (THERE, I SAID IT), but Little Bigs' version is neither good nor bad.

I've never tried the black bean burger but I know those who have, and the general consensus is "NEVER AGAIN," so I'll continue avoiding it without remorse.

The chocolate shakes are nice and rich as well, and round out a meal at Little Bigs perfectly. Outdoor patio dining is the way to go here because the inside is small, cramped, and loud, but make sure you wear plenty of Off if you visit during the warmer months, lest you want mosquitoes to make a meal of you.

After reading a few reviews about the chocolate croissants and having a fierce craving for said pastries, I woke up obscenely early (for me) and drove over to Croissant-Brioche to make sure that I could snag one. I was surprised to already find the place packed when I arrived, and that to me seemed like a great sign for a business! After all, the products MUST be good if people wake up so early to go there, right?

I was let down. Firstly, the guy behind the counter who took my order was pretty rude. He seemed impatient the entire time I was asking for four chocolate croissants (which is amazing, considering that it only takes about 2 seconds to say "I'd like four chocolate croissants, please"). Then he jammed the four croissants into a paper bag, plopped them onto the counter, and practically ripped my credit card out of my hands to ring me up. Seriously? Someone so crabby in the morning shouldn't be working so early in the morning!

Still, I was just happy to have a chocolate croissant. The first bite was promising -- flaky, buttery crust met my teeth. But as my teeth sunk further into the croissant, I was disappointed to find that the chocolate filling was severely lacking. There was SO LITTLE filling. Maybe the places I've had my chocolate croissants before (in Sydney, Australia, for those who were wondering) were simply DECADENT in their filling, but I felt cheated with the dabble inside the ones offered at Croissant-Brioche. Coupled with the rude service, this entire place just rubbed me the wrong way. I may be back to give it another shot (and skip the chocolate croissant), but that may not be for a looong while.

I love Thai House. I've never had a bad experience there, and that's saying something, considering that I've been there so often! I've only ever been for dinner, though, and didn't even know that they had a lunch buffet, so I can't really speak to that. The Pad See Ew is one of my favorite dishes to get, and so is the Pad Woon Sen. I've never been too big on Pad Thai, so I wasn't too surprised when a friend ordered it and I found myself unimpressed.

The service is very prompt and friendly, and it seems like someone comes by every few minutes to refill drinks and clear plates. Big points in my book! The only drawback I can think of is that it can be a bit pricey to dine here because each plate is about $12-15.