Mediocre Restaurants in Houston

[groovehouse]

Then, he had the nerve to pick up his tip jar and hold it expectantly in front of me! I tried to ignore him, but he just kept staring at me and pushing it at me...and it was really starting to piss me off.

Turns out that it wasn't a tip jar, it was just a very large water glass which he thought I ought to have.

This is the funniest thing I've read all week!! I can just see him shaking the glass!!

[westguy]

I went to Pei Wei once. They took forty minutes to get my order together so they just decided to give it to me for free. I didn't complain or anything.

[sevfiv]

I thought that wonton soup was a weird color.

ick!

i think i'll stop there...i am sure i've blabbed enough to warrant the dark-tinted mercedes in tow on the way home

[Jeebus]

Houston's (Westhiemer & Fountain View) - The burgers (the actual meat) tasted like the smell of industrial dishwashing liquid.

PF Changs (Any Location) - If another non-Chinese person tells me this place has the best Chinese food I'm gonna...

Lupes (Any Location) - The fajita's tasted like they had marinaded them in luke-warm lime juice & rotten orange peels.

Rainbow Lodge - This place might have been fantastic a long time ago, but the food & service certainly didn't justify our bill. Just because you have a large wine-list, that doesn't make you an automatic four star.

BJ's - (Sugar Land) - World famous for their micro-brew & pizza. Both tasted funny. The crust on our Chicago style deep-dish had a funky metallic taste, or that of dish soap - still not sure. The micro-brews lacked any sort of refined flavor as well.

[TJones]

Man them is fightin words.

Seriously, I love Fu's, I don't know why you would call it blah. I guess to each his own.

I love there sesame chicken, very hot with the right amount of brown sugar.

Gary, the only thing that worried me about the place were all the dogs tied up out by the back door, not to worry though, they were all gone by the next day.

[native_Houstonian]

BJ's - (Sugar Land) - World famous for their micro-brew & pizza. Both tasted funny. The crust on our Chicago style deep-dish had a funky metallic taste, or that of dish soap - still not sture. The micro-brews lacked any sort of refined flavor as well.

Oh, I'm going to have to disagree with you here. I've been to BJ's many times, and have never been disappointed. For a chain (I think there is one in Friendswood area as well), I think they do a good job. Good salads, good sandwiches, and good pizza. Although, I am not a micro brew kinda gal, so I can't judge that!

[drc]

I definitely agree with all on the original list - especially Julia's and Mai's. If I had to add three additional - they would probably be:

1. Kubo's (actually I have yet to find GREAT sushi in Houston -- although there is plenty of good sushi)

2. Zula

3. Cyclone Anaya's

Perhaps give 'Nippon' a try? They're on montrose, south of ... Richmond. Parking is terrible, sushi is great. I've had sushi at alot of places in town, and Nippon is probably my favorite.

I don't understand why everybody loves PF Chang's. The food is boring and tasteless, and the prices are quite high for what you get. Which is basically the same McChinese food that you find for half the price at pei wei.

I had the displeasure of going to Jenni's noodle house a few months ago. yuck.

I'll second the complaints about double dave's. Though in all honesty, I've never really felt the restaraunt aspired to be more than a mediocre Pizza Joint. I just remember my friends always raving about it, and the food being a let down when I actually tried it. I'm not really a pizza conniseur, but I really like the NY style pizza at Brother's on highway 6 and I-10.

[Jeebus]

Oh, I'm going to have to disagree with you here. I've been to BJ's many times, and have never been disappointed. For a chain (I think there is one in Friendswood area as well), I think they do a good job. Good salads, good sandwiches, and good pizza. Although, I am not a micro brew kinda gal, so I can't judge that!

Well, only the pizza & the beer earned my criticism. They have fried onion strings to die for. The pa-zookie isn't too bad either, but I'm one of those who can't stand certain "metal on metal" sounds. The scraping of my spoon against the bottom of the metal pa-zookie plate was so harsh it ruined what I knew was a fantastic desert.

[musicman]

Houston's (Westhiemer & Fountain View) - The burgers (the actual meat) tasted like the smell of industrial dishwashing liquid.

I used to love Houston's in the mid 90's. would go frequently until i had an incident with some dirty silverware. I asked for another set cause the first set was dirty. The second set was dirty as well. I then asked the server what the problem was...why are they dirty? he said "well the manager makes us wrap them after our shift in a dark room" I ask the manager if that was true and he just kept skirting the issue. i think that was about '97 and i've NEVER been back.

BJ's - (Sugar Land) - World famous for their micro-brew & pizza. Both tasted funny. The crust on our Chicago style deep-dish had a funky metallic taste, or that of dish soap - still not sure. The micro-brews lacked any sort of refined flavor as well.

i worked in clr lake and they have one there too. It's ok I guess if you're right in the vicinity but I don't think i would drive there for the sole purpose of eating. pizza hut is probably more tasty.

[TheNiche]

Since several of the posts ended up talking about restaurants and why you didn't like them I thought I would start a Mediocre Restaurants in Houston topic. I always hear people raving about this restaurant and then I go try it and i'm disappointed. Some of them you don't realize how they stay open. To get it started quickly, I will try and think of 10. But I think we should set a limit of three so everyone can get some bashing in. Also put why you didn't like it.

I was at Brady's Landing this afternoon. For those of you unfamiliar with it, it is located on an island within the Houston Ship Channel, just inside of the 610 Loop. The location and view is excellent and the building is very classy. The service is also good. About the very moment that my girlfriend and I were done with our meal, a waitress noticed, asked to be sure, and ran off to get the bill. Then another waiter passed by, saw that we were done, and stated that he was going to get our bill. Then the exact same thing happened again with a third waiter. All this in the period of less than a minute.

So why is this restaurant on a thread about mediocre restaurants? Because the food sucks and is horribly overpriced...that's why. The food, every bit of it on a buffet, tastes bland. The seafood pasta was too creamy and the pasta was bloated with dampness, probably having been on the buffet for too long. The beef tasted ok, but was so tough and chewy as to have made it nothing more than a waste of a perfectly good cow. For once, the vegetarian argument seemed convincing. Although unlimited fried shrimp were available, they were cold, small, box-shaped, and tasteless. The only redeeming point was the dessert, which for me consisted of a slice of key lime pie, lemon merengue pie, and bread pudding. Although I was satisfied with the taste of these desserts, my girlfriend tried the key lime pie and said that it was disgusting.

Throughout the meal, a meeting in one of the dining halls had a singer that was pushing her vocal cords way too hard and could be heard throughout the restaurant. The place was also packed with Navy JROTC cadets.

After tax and tip, the bill for two was $60.00. I will never eat there again unless (god forbid) I have to attend an event held there.

They do have a grassy knoll and some wooden decks outside of the restaurant with better views of the ship channel that they'll let you have a picnic on. I'd recommend that experience, but advise folks to bring their own food.

[musicman]

I was at Brady's Landing this afternoon.

They do have a grassy knoll and some wooden decks outside of the restaurant with better views of the ship channel that they'll let you have a picnic on. I'd recommend that experience, but advise folks to bring their own food.

Forgot about that place too. Pricy, mediocre food. Only time i ever go now is for a wedding reception etc. I will say this, when we regularly skated from downtown to eastside, they always let us in to the bar area on skates. I thought that was nice.

[MidtownCoog]

Brady's and Shanghi Reds remind me of the good "oil" days.

[TJones]

Brady's and Shanghi Reds remind me of the good "oil" days.

MMMmmmmm Shanghai Red's.

Now for mediocre food at a good price I have a contender out in Stafford, The Great American Buffet. I take my dining experiences a little more serious than most. I am a terrible critic, because I was in the business for way too long, so I find myself rating service and food all the time. I like TGAB because there are really no waiters. The chicken strips are some of THE best I have ever had. Rest of the food isn't that bland and is always fresh and hot. Everyone should try it at least once.

[heights_yankee]

I don't understand why everybody loves PF Chang's. The food is boring and tasteless, and the prices are quite high for what you get. Which is basically the same McChinese food that you find for half the price at pei wei.

I'll second the complaints about double dave's. Though in all honesty, I've never really felt the restaraunt aspired to be more than a mediocre Pizza Joint.

Just in case anyone else isn't aware, Pei Wei is owned by PF Chang's. Pei Wei isn't great, but we get take out there for lunch a lot b/c it's around the corner from my office. I just don't get why people would pay 2x as much for the same PeiWei food b/c you get to sit down (at PF Chang's).

I can honestly say I've never even thought of going to a Double Dave's. I always just assumed that it was akin to something like CCs. Guess I was right...

+ Sambuca. People LOVE this place and the food is horrible. It all tastes microwaved and there is nothing creative about it. PLUS, it's freaking expensive. This is never a place I'd go on my own-- but numerous friends/ coworkers have dragged me there b/c they just loooove it. I just don't get it.

+ Mia Bella. I'm Italian. This food insults me. [i actually like the red sauce at Pronto Cucina (which is the same as Vincent's) and so did my best-italian-cook-in-the-world Grandmother]. Mia Bella is... just not right. Again, there is a cost vs taste factor. I would be ok eating it for lunch take out at 1/3 the price.

[genghiskahn]

Berryhill.

That place, despite the standard casual-dining prices, is far too expensive for the quality of food you get.

[TJones]

Texadelphia, is by far a nice mediocre restaurant, never had a bad experience at the one on Westheimer.

[musicman]

+ Mia Bella. I'm Italian. This food insults me. [i actually like the red sauce at Pronto Cucina (which is the same as Vincent's) and so did my best-italian-cook-in-the-world Grandmother]. Mia Bella is... just not right. Again, there is a cost vs taste factor. I would be ok eating it for lunch take out at 1/3 the price.

OUCH i go there when i can. Heights Yankee please recommend several Italian restaurants to me. Done the Vincent's, Nino's, Damien's scenes. Anywhere else? Just don't say Patrenella's

[TJones]

OUCH i go there when i can. Heights Yankee please recommend several Italian restaurants to me. Done the Vincent's, Nino's, Damien's scenes. Anywhere else? Just don't say Patrenella's

Musicman, I don't know what part of town you live in, but the place I know of is DEFINATELY worth the trip, and it is NOT mediocre, and is NOT expensive at all. It is a little place called Nick's on FM1464 close to West Airport in Sugarland. YUMMY !

[editor]

OUCH i go there when i can. Heights Yankee please recommend several Italian restaurants to me. Done the Vincent's, Nino's, Damien's scenes. Anywhere else? Just don't say Patrenella's

There was a small place on the west side of downtown that was fun. Across from South Texas College of Law.

[musicman]

There was a small place on the west side of downtown that was fun. Across from South Texas College of Law.

Josphine's? i didn't like that.

[torvald]

I forgot about Jenni's -- that place is way overrated... good call. Not exactly bad food -- it just really doesn't live up to all the raving people do about it.

my other complaint is that you HAVE to order a drink --- meaning

you can't get water you have to buy a drink (a plastic bottled water

is an option, though) i may be cheap but for the prices (and the wait)

complimentary water there would be nice, especially being in houston.

[Subdude]

I've only been there once, but I thought Mo Mong on Westheimer was very mediocre. To me, a good rule of thumb is that if a restaurant is mixing multiple cuisines, it's not going to be any good. There is also a fairly new "upscale" Thai restaurnant on Montrose that was pretty darn mediocre. It's like PF Chang - why pay a lot for mediocre when there are dozens of cheap good places around?

[musicman]

I just got back from breakfast and thought of another place that is just mediocre but crowded. The Breakfast Klub just doesn't do it for me. There's no way i'd go and wait in line there. The food is OK but there are other places like TelWink or Frank's Grill that are better for less money. You may have to wait inline at both at least it is well worth it.

[heights_yankee]

OUCH i go there when i can. Heights Yankee please recommend several Italian restaurants to me. Done the Vincent's, Nino's, Damien's scenes. Anywhere else? Just don't say Patrenella's

Nope- not Petronella's. It's ok but not a place to rave about. I like the atmosphere more than anything else. I do not like Damian's either. Add that to my "over rated" list.

I actually love Prego in the Village. My grandmother said their gnocci is the best she's ever had outside of her mother's homemade. I like the lasagna with veal meatballs and the homemade raviolis are also have a very high "Yum" factor. However, for "basic" I always go to Vincent's and just order angel hair with marinara. Their red sauce is soooo good.

I like DiVino on W Alabama. It's not super traditional but all the food is yummy.

I used to think Grotto was ok, but we all know what happened there (damn you to hell, Tillman!).

I also like to eat pasta/Italian at Gulf Coast Kitchen on W Gray.

Overall, the Italian food scene in Houston is just ok. It was the same thing when I lived in Dallas. You just can't get it the way you can in my teeny hometown or Boston's North End. I have had to learn to live with that and make the most of what I can get

[dalparadise]

Well, I know for a fact that Jenni takes a lot of pride in the family recipes she serves at the noodle house and that it's hard to argue with her prices. If you don't like the bottled water thing, that's one thing.

The food is only mediocre in the fact that it's a NOODLE HOUSE, people. It's meant to be like a burger joint, not high cuisine. These are basic Vietnamese "fast food" dishes that Jenni has tuned a bit for American tastes. Expecting it to be anything more is weird and is the root of your disappointment, I'm sure.

I don't think anything in the house is more than $10, including bottled water.

[ricco67]

In Jenni's defense, I have only eaten there twice, and I think it was a matter of poor food selection on my part. I regretted ordering what I did, but my I enjoyed my date's dish and the same with her.

So when I go back, I'll just try different things until I find something I like.

My only beef with the place was the service, it just didn't seem to be very organized and it seemed as though Jenni (or whoever was there) was pre-occupied with everything BUT the food and customers.

[TJones]

I just got back from breakfast and thought of another place that is just mediocre but crowded. The Breakfast Klub just doesn't do it for me. There's no way i'd go and wait in line there. The food is OK but there are other places like TelWink or Frank's Grill that are better for less money. You may have to wait inline at both at least it is well worth it.

If you need a good Breakfast, try the "Hofbrau" at Mama's Cafe'. Nuff Said !

[MidtownCoog]

The food is only mediocre in the fact that it's a NOODLE HOUSE, people.

There is no excuse for frozen pineapple chunks in my soup.

Why blame Jenni, I guess I should just blame her cheap microwave?

[Idylweird]

I couldn't agree less with including Jenni's Noodle House in this thread. I've eaten there 30+ times (including last night -- the Infernal Chicken was delightful) and have never been disappointed. I've taken friends, girlfriends, family members and co-workers there and every one of them came back for another meal.

The place is always spotlessly clean; they won a best restroom award from the Houston Press. The water situation, that was mentioned earlier, was fixed a year ago. The staff is always friendly and often very enthusiastic. Scott, Jenni's husband, always comes over for a friendly chat.

I've pretty well eaten my way around the menu. Some of the Noodle dishes are a liitle bland for my tastes, but the soups and spicy dishes have all been terrific. Mama Tran's Spicy Shrimp Soup and St. Arnold Lawnmower Beer is a Houston match made in Heaven. The Desserts, while not Vietnamese, are really good too. I particularly like the Carrot Cake and Hummingbird Cake.

[MidtownCoog]

See the Jenni's reviews on B4-U-EAT.com. Back in 02 the reviews are great, and as you head-up into 2006 they continue to get worse.

Somebody sound the down hill alert!

http://www.b4-u-eat.com/houston/restaurant...ews/rsv2459.asp