Houston's Menu

Houston's Restaurant Review:

Since the first Houston’s opened in 1977, all locations of this deliberately small nationwide chain from Hillstone Restaurant Group have been known for serving upscale-casual American fare in a handsome, lively setting. The menu still seems dominated by traditional pricey proteins: filet mignon, “Hawaiian” rib-eye, hefty burgers, and, best but not easy to find in most steakhouses these days, roasted-on-the-bone (for maximum flavor) prime rib. There’s also branzino plus, of course, Houston’s famous tender “barbecue” ribs, lean imported Danish baby-backs that are oven-cooked and finished on a grill rather than pit-smoked. For groups who want to graze (Houston’s outposts tend to be popular after-work hangouts as well as formal restaurant), the place’s own smoked salmon, a generous portion served with toast points and a mayo-based tarragon-spiked sauce reminiscent of béarnaise, is mighty tasty and shareable. Overall food and setting are both consistently well-crafted and comfortable --- far from adventuresome, but adventure isn’t always a good thing.