Pappa Geno's

5 out of 5 Stars

 

1801 Ella Blvd
Ste C
Houston, TX 77008
(713) 863-1222

YES!

YES!

YES!

Pappa Geno's is the ultimate celebration of the Philly cheese steak...arguably my favorite hot sandwich of all time (with the reuben trailing right behind).

The shop is small and simple proudly displaying Sam's Club size tubs of Cheese Whiz, Geno's most prized condiment, at the counter.

They offer an assortment of hot sandwiches and a few sides ( fries, fried mushrooms, etc), but I knew exactly what I came for: glorious thinly shaved slices of beef, grilled onions, shrooms (add 50 cents - but you gotta), and of course, cheese whiz.

Don't get it twisted, I've never been to Philly, and have never experienced the real deal sandwich of brotherly love, but I do know they rock that cheese whiz and I wanted in.

Having been a Texadelphia fan since high school, it was hard to resist the swiss, but I wanted authenticity.....and it was awesome.

I took that piping hot beauty of a sandwich to go (after a breezy 5 minute wait) and could not wait to get into it.

Verdict:

Thank goodness I don't have thin walls, or my neighbors would be convinced something else was going down in my apartment....

....every bite evoked a "hmmmmmmmmmm" and an "ooooooh".....

....I'm utterly smitten.

Geno's philly is what heaven must be like. The smooth mushrooms blended beautifully with the sweet and slippery grilled onions. Meanwhile the steak was cooked to perfection with cheese whiz dancing throughout the sandwich all held together with bread that may as well have been created by G-d himself.

YES! YES! YES!

I think you get the point.

Know before you go: This is definitely more of a takeout place, but they do have a few tables if you can't manage making the drive home.

Lastly, come with an empty stomach....this guy is HUGE (no side required).

Jus' Mac

3.5 out of 5 Stars

Website

2617 Yale St
Houston, TX 77008

(713) 622-8646

If I were to sum up my childhood as a meal it would easily be Kraft Mac and Cheese (original) with a 1 bunless hot dog.....sliced.

Then I went to Jus' Mac......and right there on the menu....was The Homerun........

Jus' Mac put a price on my childhood....just under $8! My parents were ROBBED!

Yup, Jus' Mac serves hot dog mac and cheese......with a bread crumb topping.

But I wasn't feeling like a kid on my first trip to the restaurant that serves Jus' Mac (and now paninis).

I went with the Blue Cheese Mac instead, you know, because I'm an adult.....eating at my childhood fantasy....a mac and cheese restaurant.

Confession: If mac and cheese is on a menu....I WILL get it. It doesn't matter where I am either. I got mac and cheese at a Jewish deli in Chicago...like an idiot.....because, I clearly have a problem.

The sad part of all of this is, I am usually unimpressed with it. Restaurants all to often overcomplicate mac or even worse, make it soupy.....ew.

Which is why it took me this long to go to Jus' Mac. I couldn't bare another disappointment. I approached a daunting menu of mac in EVERY variety barring durian fruit mac and cheese - but that would be weird.

I wearily ordered my blue cheese mac at the counter and started making deals with G-d. "Please, please....don't let me down."

10 minutes later my party and I were served with personal sized cast iron skillets (NICE TOUCH) filled to the brim with baked cheesy goodness (mine, topped with crunchy bread and blue cheese crumbles).

And it was goooooooooooooooooooood. Real Good. It was just the way a mac and cheese-centic restaurant should serve their namesake.....RELIEF!

Not too pungent, not too soupy......"jus' good". It would definitely hit the spot if you were hankering for the home-style variety.

Notice I'm not overselling you....good is the perfect adjective for a place like Jus' Mac.

Other good things:

Environment: casual, but hip. Very Heightsy, minus Washington nightlife.

Price: It's getting harder and harder to find a filling, tasty meal under $10, and that small skillet satisfies me just fine (no apps required).

Drinks: Keepin' it local with St. Arnold's by the bottle.

But if you are the owner......think about:

Mini skillets or "halfsies".  With SO many varieties of mac, am I seriously expected to choose just one? It can't be that hard to find a way to serve me 2 styles without having to buy 2 macs? Who's with me?

New garnish: The bread served on the side is appreciated, but a Parmesan crisp seems more appropriate. I'm such a critic.

Noodles: All macs are served with mini elbows. Why so serious?

Bottom line: You won't be blown away by Jus' Mac, but your curiousity for options like the Homerun Mac will having you coming back for more

BRC Gastropub

4 out of 5 Stars

Website
519 Shepherd Drive
Houston, TX 77007
(713) 861-2233

There are so many ways I could start this review given the name of the restaurant, but this is a family site (ha) so I'll behave.

I somehow got on BRC's extremely calculated mailing list for their weekly specials.

Calculated? Yes. The geniuses over at the Big Red Cock send you their weekly specials at 10:30 am.....who is NOT hungry by 10:30 when they are sitting in their cubicle with over an hour to kill before lunch...

just me?

...whatever...

After weeks of reading about their "mac of the day" I was completely conditioned to check them out.

Do you know what at that Big Red Cock outside this gastropub is crowing???? "Get your scrumptious, upscale comfort food HERE".

He's not full of feathers either....my meal was absolutely delicious.

The mood is set for intimate fun the moment you step inside BRC with its dramatic cream and red wallpaper (FEEL IT), cozy booths and cocktails tables.

We settled into our booth and read the wall sized menu of specials for the day that were so tempting, the regular menu was used just to compliment our pre-set selections.

The order: bison sliders, blue cheese mac, fries, and an order of their vegetable of the day - asparagus (all the makings for a fabulous meal).

I should add that we attended a zumba class prior to this feast. Did we feel guilty? Absolutely not! Each bite was totally worth the calories...and I don't say that often.

The highlight of the meal was a tie between the blue cheese mac (no shocker there) and the surprise hit - asparagus.

There is so much to say about their mac special - delivered in a small cast iron skillet - baked to perfection, complete with the crispy crumb topping we all yearn for.

For all those blue cheese nay-sayers.....there was nothing funky about this creamy goodness by way of noodles, crumbly bits of bacon and caramelized onions.

Often disappointed by restaurant produced mac and cheese, I was head over heels with this dish.

Then there was the asparagus special served with bacon jam and sour cream. Again, don't be dismayed. Yes, we totally passed on the sour cream and were skeptical about the bacon jam that was requested on the side. Not a second after we sampled the bacon jam, did we pour the entire ramekin  over the dish. You know that amazing moment when the syrup from your pancakes hit your side of bacon at breakfast.....that's what bacon jam is. And it made our healthy side gluttonous heaven.

On to the bison sliders....3 sliders paired with arugula, cheese and a spicy mayo - delectable, but not a must.

BRC's fries are served thin and twice cooked: once blanched, then fried....a perfect accompaniment to any meal. Be sure to ask your waiter about their dipping options - they have plenty!!

Our only real downer on the meal was the service. Don't get me wrong, our food came out in ample speed and our waiter was there for us when we needed him...but talk about pushy. It was unclear if he's trained to encourage us to order more than we needed to but he could have relaxed a bit. After all, didn't he know we came from zumba?

I kid.

The total damage after all was said and eaten: a cool $30 total between the two of us. No complaints from two girls totally satisfied with all the comfort food in the land.

So listen to me or the big red cock (whichever one you prefer) and head on over to BRC. It's a total home run on all of your guiltiest pleasures.

The Raven Grill

4 out of 5 Stars

Website
1916 Bissonnet St
Houston, TX 77005
(713) 521-2027

My lazy Sunday morning was interrupted by a text demanding the best bloody mary in Houston.

30 minutes later, Neil K. and I arrived at Raven Grill, the restaurant that boasts this accolade.

I had not visited this American meets Southwest bistro in several years and completely forgot how sweet it is. If Pottery Barn and West Elm got together and had a restaurant baby, this would be it...weird analogy...but hopefully you get that this place is understated chic and 100% soothing.

We were seated in a small booth immediately and reviewed the short but smart and affordable brunch menu. It had eggs benedict for the egg fanatics, french toast for the carb fanatics, and breakfast enchiladas for the tex mex fanatics, among a few other dishes.

As I nibbled on the delicious cranberry nut bread at the table, I settled on the MARGHERITA GRILLED CHEESE off the lunch side of the menu, while Neil obviously went for the breakfast enchilada.

Enter Bloody Mary.

Our morning beverages were clearly lacking in vodka, so while they were indeed refreshing, the title of "Houston's Best" is a wee bit presumptuous.

Then came our brunch orders. Hello, best grilled cheese ever! My Margherita grilled cheese was filled with ooey - gooey mozzarella, tomato, and garlic heaven pesto on beautifully grilled sourdough. The burnt cheese that leaked through to the other side of the bread only contributed to the excellent texture and flavor of this meal. The waiter claimed it's all he ate the first three months working at Raven and I don't blame him.

Neil was just as enthusiastic about his southwest breakfast enchiladas filled with grilled chicken inside of a corn tortilla topped with a delectable fried egg.

The only real fail for both of our meals was the side of green chili cheese grits. Being a cheese grits enthusiast, I was indeed pleased with my first forkful - cheap lust. Then came the second and the final third bite which put an end to our initial spark. It just didn't work for either of us and the spice had nothing to do with it.

Hey, Raven Grill - don't worry about it. With both of our meals coming in below $10 each and $5 drinks, you are still a winner to me in the brunch department.

Bottom Line - You'll already be impressed with it's understated beauty and charm, and then you get the meal and the bill and you too will fall in love.

The Counter

3 out of 5 Stars

4601 Washington Ave
Houston, TX 77007
(713) 966-6123

If The Counter was a movie, I'd fire the casting director.

The menu features their endless combinations of burgers but the real star here is their PARMESAN FRIES.....O M G.

The setting: a modernized diner; as one yelper put it "a sterile white burger joint"

The plot: building the perfect burger out of an insane variety of ingredients (including brie, eggs, and Russian dressing????)

Climax: once you've picked your patty, bun, cheese and toppings - realizing you want to top it with peanut sauce......ugh, back to the drawing board!

Luckily for my pal and I, there was no time limit on coming up with a final decision for our burgers.....I don't think I've marked so many answers on one paper since the SAT!

Hungry from our workout, my friend and I eventually gave up and ordered from the pre-set options.

An Asian inspired veggie burger "in a bowl" for her, the Mediterranean turkey burger "in a bowl" for me.

Yup, The Counter lets you have a deconstructed burger, bun-less, ultimately in salad form - which works for me given I spent my last hour in Zumba.

Consensus:
My friend really enjoyed her veggie burger made of rice, cranberry and other veggies tossed with pineapple, carrots, lettuce and a gingery sauce.

I found my Mediterranean turkey burger bowl bowl (complete with cucumber, olives, pepperoncini and tzatziki sauce) to be very light but filling, albeit the turkey was rather dry.

Plot holes:
-While The Counter allows up to 4 toppings for an $8 1/3 lb burger....they charge extra for premium toppings. And unless, their sauteed mushrooms are truffles (which I doubt), I'm not impressed.

-The $8 burger does not include fries BUT the $5 parmesan fries that can easily be split 3 ways IS A MUST. Beautiful, golden, skinny fries topped with the perfect amount of parmesan and some sort of garlic concoction is still making me blush. GLORIOUS.

Bottom Line:

The counter will NOT be your favorite burger joint. Let's face it, a burger needs to be greasy. And if I wanted a fancy burger with fancy toppings, I'd head over to Mockingbird Grill or  Washington's Block 7.

As my friend and I fantasized, however, I could definitely kick it at The Counter's patio overlooking Washington and enjoying those insane parmesan fries, maybe a dessert and a beer and be totally content.

-FIN-

Barnaby's Cafe

4 out of 5 Stars

 

Website

Montrose / River Oaks

1701 S Shepherd Dr
Houston, TX 77019
(713) 520-5131

 

Galleria

5750 Woodway Dr # 174
Houston, TX 77057-1500
(713) 266-0046

 

In light of summer, I've been craving lighter foods. Generally not a big salad girl, I'm always on the lookout for greens with a certain "Je n'ais sais Quois".

Enter Barnaby's - the posh but causal neighborhood eatery welcoming pooches (via patio) and their masters alike.

Barnaby's doesn't know how to make a lame salad. Barnaby's doesn't know how to serve a salad with less than 5 ingredients. But Barnaby's definitely knows how to turn a salad into a party (yes, I've just referenced The Hills).

I've enjoyed the Salsalito Crunch, Chinese Chicken, Lebanese Fattoush and Mediterranean Salad for years and they always impress.

Its funny - about a year ago, I thought I had sworn off Barnaby's. While they have a large menu, and I'm not very picky, most dishes did not stick out to me and I'd always settle on a burger. And while I adore their fries, the burger was always a little too dry and the bun was a little too wheaty.

Being on my salad kick has reunited me with my old friend Barnaby "and it feels so good".

What's so great about their salads? First - THEY ARE HUGE! You can actually split a salad and still take home lunch for tomorrow. $9 goes FAR.

Most salads come with grilled chicken (I always ask for the shredded form to compliment the cool and crisply chopped lettuce). But they are happy to top any of their salads with chicken / tuna salad and salmon as well (for an extra charge). As I mentioned, their salads come perfectly chopped - no cutting up massive lettuce leaves. This gives you the pleasure of tasting every FRESH ingredient in each bite.

My only issue with Barnaby's is their menu. Sure they list the salads, but could it kill them to describe the salads underneath???  I've only been to Salsalito once and can't imagine it in salad form, sorry!

JUST A TIP: Don't attempt to save $$ by doing the half order salad. They only take about $1 off so you might as well have salad that will last you another meal or 2.

Bonus: they give you insanely generous amounts of dressing in to go ramekins (so you don't have to worry about soggy salad). That's what's up!

Smashburger

3 out of 5 Stars

Greenway Location:
5220 Buffalo Speedway
Houston, TX 77005
For all locations, see website.

Smashburger always draws me in with their fun name (oddly enough, I like to smash my burger) and cool interior - so kudos to their branding team. BUT I always leave wishing I went with 5 Guys.

I consistently go with the mushroom swiss burger and add grilled onions to the mix. No burger meal is complete without a side of fries but you have to pay extra. Props to their menu for having several types of fries!

My meal always comes out promptly after I order from the moderately friendly cashiers. Don't get me wrong - I enjoy their burger served on a fresh "eggy" bun. It's a solid B. But in a city with several A+ burgers, why settle for slightly above average?

Smashburger's shining star? Their FRIES - thin and crispy! If you like your fries fancy , try their "smash fries" complete with a rosemary / garlic seasoning.

What kills me about Smashburger is their price. There is nothing I hate more than spending over $10 on a a burger, fries and soda when I'm getting counter service. I feel like there should be a rule where no meal should cost over $10 when you are in and out of the establishment in 30 minutes dining in....right?

Bottom Line: Not my first choice for a quick burger - but I'll nosh on their fries any day.

Petrol Station

4 out of 5 Stars

985 Wakefield Dr
Houston, TX 77018
(713) 957-2875

Part 1:

I selfishly debated writing this review, as I want to keep this place all to myself.

However, they say when you love something, you have to set them free...so let's do this.

First and foremost, Petrol Station Coffeehouse (PSC) is HANDS DOWN the BEST SMELLING BAR in town! Sipping on flavorful Agave Wheat beer while taking in the aromas of fresh coffee is a beautiful thing.

PSC feels as though it was the result of some guy who stumbled upon an abandoned gas station and fell into a little bit of money all in the same week. He took these two isolated incidents as a sign to make major moves.

He proceeded to quit his painful office job, purchased the gas station, gutted it, painted it, threw in a bar, tables, and some taps and then said "From this day forward, my sole purpose in life will be to provide fantastic beer and ridiculous burgers for Houstonians who just want to chill.".

And Houston Yelpers said "This is good."

Thus, Petrol Station Coffeehouse was born and the rest his history.

But seriously, I came here on Friday night for the first time. My friends and I just ordered beer, but drooled over the menu.

The joint is small, so it's best to keep your posse to a minimum. I didn't get to check out the outdoor area, but now that it's warming up - COUNT ME IN.

Bottom Line: PSC has a great vibe, great beers, and I can't wait to return.

**********************************************************************************

Part 2:

Well, folks....as promised, I finally returned to PSC and had a chance to try the menu I once drooled over.

I thankfully SPLIT the Rancor Burger....OMG....delish!

This burger is HUGE and wisely topped with a fried egg and bacon. The meat was cooked to perfection and the bun....buttery and fluffy goodness!

The thick and hearty fries that came out with my burger may strike your fancy, but if you read my reviews - you know I like mine thin and crispy.

We also ordered the spinach dip which was completely passable.

The one thing I would like to retract regarding my initial review is that this is no longer the best smelling bar in the world....it now just smells like bar - which is fine by me.

As far as I'm concerned, PSC still boasts a great vibe with great beer and NOW, DAMN GOOD BURGERS!

Benjy's on Washington

4 out of 5 Stars

Website
5922 Washington Avenue
Houston, TX 77007
(713) 868-1131

I'm STILL full from an extremely satisfying meal from Benjy's on Washington.

I have always enjoyed both swanky locations for happy hour, but somehow felt like the Rice Village location fell short on meals.

Thanks to Yelp Eats!, a pal and I decided to give the main dining room at this newer location a try.

Between the two of us, we got to try quite a bit off the Benjy's menu (which varies from the Rice Village menu).

Personal highlights:
Complimentary light bites upon arrival: consisted of ginger crackers, cheddar wafers and granola. Those cheddar wafers are CRAZY ADDICTIVE and I'm determined to learn how to make them.

Sashimi - SUPER FRESH (no surprise here) and gorgeous presentation

Boneless Short Ribs - INSANE. Tender. Flavorful. Filling.

Salmon - I'm not a huge fan of cooked salmon, but I definitely enjoyed tasting my friend's entree. The couscous complimented the dish perfectly, but we both agreed the Asian pears were a little to acidic for our liking.

Chocolate cake - HOLY MOLY (and I'm not even a dessert girl). Apparently, Benjy's mom bakes these cakes in her own kitchen and delivers them to each location. I have yet to taste a more moist cake - simply decadent. Don't get me started on the icing...

***My birthday is in December - so whoever is responsible for getting the cake....take notes.***

Our service was initially shaky (it took a while for us to understand who our waiter was) but SIMONE more than made up for it. He was personable, knowledgeable and definitely contributed to making our dining experience a pleasure.

I can't get over how consistently delicious and beautiful each dish was.

It's official, Benjy's has officially moved from "just happy hour / drinks" and into full blown dinner territory!!

Hubcap Grill

3 out of 5 Stars

 

Website

1111 Prairie St
Houston, TX 77002
(713) 223-5885

 

Should I be embarrassed about the amount of burgers I've reviewed recently? Yes.

Will it stop me from Yelping? No.

Brianna S. and I arrived at the ultimate hole in the wall, Hubcap Grill.

We came to enjoy the National Burger Month special - $5 for a burger, fries, and soda - (extra awesome sauce on the side).

Within minutes, our meals were delivered to the back alley outdoor seating area.

At first bite, I knew exactly how to describe my meal. This is your dad's burger at a cookout - definitely brought back childhood memories. The patty is grilled flat, salty and well done (but still drips the necessary grease).

The bun was really light and crispy...unique.

We tried both the regular and sweet potato fries. Both were crispy, but I definitely preferred the sweeter variety at Hubcap.

My biggest complaint was minor-no fountain drinks!

The restaurant itself is no frills all the way down to serving mayo in packets which works for a place like Hubcap.

The Verdict: This was an easy 3 out of 5 for me. Not my favorite burger, but enjoyable.

Will I come back? Totally - I gotta try the sticky burger (yes, the one with PB and Bacon). Yelpers are raving about it - I'm such a follower..

Five Guys Burger and Fries

4 out of 5 Stars

For all locations, visit website.

After several rounds in the ring between Five Guys and Smashburger, we have our heavyweight mid grade burger champion of the world.....

FIVE GUYS!

It's been close to 2 years since "better than fast food" burger chains started taking over Houston and in my mind the main contenders were always Smashburger and Five Guys (because I don't know where Moo-ya is and HATE Little Bigs).

After a few tastes in both joints, its unanimous - Five Guys has the better burger.

What initially turned me off about Five Guys was marketing their burgers as "juicy and well done". Is that even possible??

The reality of their burgers is that while you don't see pink - these burgers are cooked to medium perfection and indeed - juicy as can be (thanks grease)!

There is just something brilliantly perfect about Five Guys burgers. When you see this burger - there is nothing special to it: standard sesame bun, standard toppings, standard patty. THEN you bite into it.....and...well...sweet, sweet harmony. All of the ingredients melt together into this delicious bite of awesomeness. It's magic!

Five Guys' flaw is their fries - a little too natural for me (I need some crispiness. Let's face it -  we are eating burgers - who is trying to be healthy?

So in a perfect world, I'd take a Five Guys burger with Smashburger fries on the side....and now I'm sounding like a fatty.

Bonus: All of their toppings are free on top of an already reasonably priced burger (who likes adding .99 for grilled onions and another .99 for shrooms - not I!

Score! While I have yet to see a long wait for food, they provide complimentary shelled peanuts to munch on till your food arrives!

Tiny Boxwoods

5 out of 5 Stars

Website

3614 W Alabama St
Houston, TX 77027
(713) 622-4224

"I feel pretty, oh so pretty" when dining in the courtyard of Tiny Boxwoods.

I have yet to actually dine inside, because the courtyard is "simply maaaaaa-velous" (lush green grass, potted plants and flowers galore)!

The menu is posted on the front wall of the restaurant. Everything sounds amazing. Your decision on what to order is only made more difficult when you see their salads and sandwiches coming out of the kitchen.

I have come for lunch and dinner. I recall dinner being primarily thin crust pizzas and cheese plates (my personal heaven). You can't go wrong.

My lunch experiences have consisted of the spicy turkey burger with goat cheese (OMG), the grilled cheese (YES), and the turkey sandwich (WOW). I have only ordered the fries as my side option because they are awesome and thin (comparable to Houston's) .

Please take your out of town guests here - they will thank you. Have a gal pal that needs a pick me up? This may do the trick.

Listen to me very carefully:
YOU MUST NOT LEAVE WITHOUT A FRESHLY BAKED OOEY, GOOEY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE.
Promise?

I knocked off one star for 2 reasons.

A) It's a pricier option for something so casual. My lunch was $14, but worth every penny, especially on a beautiful day

B) Parking is tricky. If you are not lucky enough to find a spot in their small lot, you may be walking a few blocks

River Oaks moms may be regulars here, but every girl needs Tiny BW every once in a while.

RDG + Bar Annie

3 out of 5 Stars

Website
1800 Post Oak Boulevard
Houston, TX 77056
(713) 840-1111

 

If you prefer paying $20+ cover to go to a "see and be seen" club, you may very well LOVE RDG + Bar Annie.

Pulling up to the valet-only restaurant in my scratched Toyota Solara in the company of 7 Series BMWs and 2 door Benzs is always a pleasure (and by pleasure, I mean awkward).

The architects and designers for this spot were brilliant. The moment you set foot upstairs to the lounge and restaurant, you are no longer in Houston, and most definitely in LA or Miami (without any cheese factor). Unfortunately, this is the highlight of RDG + Bar Annie, as I came here to dine.

My meal began with a chopped wedge salad. The wedge was fantastic; delicious blue cheese dressing perfectly chopped, cool, and crisp iceberg lettuce with thick bacon shavings.

Impressed with my salad, I couldn't wait for my second course - steak tar tare. Now, I've enjoyed steak tar tare once before at Tao in Las Vegas. The dish came with several thin slices of flavorful, tender raw steak. LOVED IT.

Do you know what I don't love? A raw hamburger patty with a raw egg yolk on top. My friend forewarned me of this, but I assumed the steak would be of a certain grade or treated in some manner making it worthy of living on the menu of one of Houston's nicest restaurants.

RDG + Bar Annie charged me $18 for a raw unseasoned hamburger patty from the meat counter at H-E-B.

Maybe I'm not the foodie I thought I was.

My friend gave me some of her shrimp taco to fill me up. It was fine - nothing I'd ever crave.

Service was a miss for me too. While our waiter brought out everything super fast, he barley spoke to us. He made no attempt out of making an impression on our party of five and was practically a ghost. The downstairs toilets also reeked of sewage - don't know what that was about.

All in all, RDG + Bar Annie falls short for what's publicized as a five star restaurant.  I would recommend it for a drink date or perhaps a company dinner. I personally would only return for a martini on the upstairs balcony (so long as I arrived in someone else's car).

Ruggles Cafe and Bakery

3 out of 5 Stars

Website
2365 Rice Blvd
Houston, TX 77005
(713) 520-6662

Oh Ruggles!

If I was more of a sweet freak, I'm, sure I'd "4 Star" you. But alas, I'm an appetizer and entree girl. And while, I have never tasted anything bad here, my taste buds never go "OMG " while encouraging my dining mates to taste my selection.

It's a place I frequent if I am not craving anything and just want to dine in a decent establishment. The cafe itself is very quaint in that it's dimly lit and casual. The patio is nice - weather permitting.

Here are the dishes that are "A-OK" from my experience:
-Beef and Barley soup
-Spinach salad
-Fish tacos
-Burger with shrooms and swiss and sweet potato fries

Again - all of these dishes are fine but lack that WOAH factor I crave when dining out.

Service is just OK here. I am thankful I just order at the register instead of relying on a waiter as smiles are not aplenty amongst the staff.

The bottom line is, no one should ever leave disappointed when you go to Ruggles. Everything they offer is par for course, priced right, and fairly quick.

If dessert is your thing, Ruggles is bomb, otherwise it's just average.

Steak N Shake

5 out of 5 Stars

12611 FM 1960 W
Houston, TX 77065

Without sounding like a Yelp snob, I never yelp about fast food.

HOWEVER....seeing a this is the only S&S in Houston, I have to represent.

I went to Indiana University, whose business school is named after the person who founded S&S. I spent many a late night sobering up with friends, fries and fake cheese sauce (a huge guilty pleasure) in my college days.

Fast forward four years later...I had heard a rumor that they were to open a S&S here. Seeing as I am an inner looper, I couldn't understand the location they'd speak of.

One fateful day, I drove out to a friend of a friends home off of 1960 - and before my very eyes - A STEAK 'n SHAKE.

Like I said, I spent 4 years getting fries w/ cheese alone from this menu. Their fries are thinner than any other fries you've seen, but they still manage to stay crispy. And when you dip them in cheese sauce - well, things get a lil crazy.

This past Saturday late night, I had the luck of trying the Wisconsin Buttery burger - OMG.

ONE OF THE BEST FAST FOOD, NAY, ANY BURGERS I'VE EVER HAD.

Mushrooms, grilled onions, and cheese on a thin steak patty - so simple, so delightful.

I'm so thankful that it's far away from me or my doctor could be easily concerned for my health.

My friend and I made a pact that no matter the situation, from now on, if we are ever on that side of town, we must stop and split this burger.

Steak N Shake, one day Houston will understand all that you offer 24/7.

Daily Grill

2 out of 5 Stars

 

Website

5085 Westheimer Road
Houston, TX 77056
(713) 960-5997

 

I remember when they first opened up (pre smoking ban) - this place reeked of ciggs. Fast forward a few years later...this place still reeks...but this time...of blah food.

A pal of mine and I came here for a quick dinner after some late night weekday shopping. We noticed immediately that the menu was rather pricey. Just to give you an example....we decided to split a salad and still ended up spending $11 each after tip (with just 1 so-so salad)!

Everything on the menu is rather heavy, but nothing seemed to really hit the spot.

When looking through the salad options....they all pretty much sounded the same with the exception of the standard caesar, and some gorgonzola, pecan endive option.

So we went with one of the cobb / blue cheese varieties (I kid you not, there were about 4 of these salads on the menu - not sure what's going on with that).

The salad was chopped the way I like it, but as far as wow factor - there was none.

I don't plan on coming back. If I want to spend $20+ on a meal at the Galleria, I'd happily go to GiGi's.

I will say that the service was great, and the bread they give you to nosh on was even better. So Daily Grill, isn't SO bad...

Lankford Grocery & Market

2 out of 5 Stars

88 Dennis St.

Houston, TX 77006

(713) 522-9555

A Flop.

Before I continue, know that I appreciate and support local, small establishments as well as a good burger.

Let's start with the food: I ordered a cheeseburger with onions and mushrooms. The waitress looked at me like I was nuts, so I should not have been shocked to receive my cheeseburger without any of my requested toppings.

The burger was drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyy. I will say that my friends enjoyed their specialty burgers (firehouse and soldier). Regardless - if you can't master the basics...you should be shamed.

We also split tater tots (ya tots!) and onion rings. Both were overly cooked and heavy. I saw people ordering the fries - they looked like they were from soggs-ville.

If you still go and get a side - onion rings are your best bet.

As for service:

My first impression: I watched a waitress exclaim "MOVE!!!" to a patron. In her defense he was in the way and she had a tray of food - but pleeeease.

I also had to ask for mayo THREE times.

If you are looking for a quaint, hole in the wall burger joint...move on over to Bellaire Broiler Burger instead.

Little Bigs

1 out of 5 Stars

2703 Montrose Blvd
Houston, TX 77006
(713) 521-2447

 

What a disappointment. I was super excited to try Houston's newest slider joint.

My understanding is that Bigs has the same creator as Reef (correct me if I'm wrong). Back when Reef opened up, I had ordered their beef sliders and was in heaven.

Perhaps I should blame myself for thinking I'd get the same experience at Little Bigs.

On to the review:

They have 3 kinds of sliders (beef, chicken and mushroom). I went with a sampler and got one of each.

Beef was definitely the best - however it was nothing to write home about. That is all I can say about it.

Mushroom - The shroom burger was definitely overpowered by the oozing sauce bursting from the middle of the patty. I thought it was mustard, others though it was cheese. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy both of these toppings - but not on this slider.

Chicken - EW. Breaded but bland. It's as if the cook had never heard of seasoning or spice before.

In general, the buns could have been better on all of the sliders.

Enough with the scrooge talk. There was 1 pro:

The patio is adorable. I give the outdoor seating an A for ambiance. I could see it being a great place for an intimate birthday party with 10 of your closest friends on a Sunday afternoon...if the sliders were worth it.

Bottom line - Great Idea. Awful Execution.