Brenner’s on the Bayou

My Brenner’s on the Bayou adventure began many years ago as I began my search for a location for a small wedding. We scoped the place out, visited on a couple occasions, ate from their regular and Restaurant Week menus and decided it was the place for us. We married on a cool (for Houston), crisp October morning at the gazebo and then made our way to the private room where we had the most extravagant and delicious lunch I could have ever hoped for. Every course had a wonderfully paired wine and it was perfect. I can’t recommend Brenner’s more! Lovely location, lovely food, lovely service. Also, have your wedding there!

Sitting right along the Buffalo Bayou, Brenner’s on the Bayou owns some prime real estate and is one of the most beautiful restaurant locations in the Houston area, period. Combined with one of the best steaks in Houston, Brenner’s was a no-​brainer 5-​star review.
AMBIENCE: Just as gorgeous on the inside as it is on the outside: romantic, upscale, and perfect for a date night or a group celebratory dinner. For a Friday night dinner reservation, their upstairs dining area wasn’t as packed as I had expected. Brenner’s is a prime example of the «upscale steakhouse» classic vibe done to perfection.
APPETIZER: Get the Texas Quail. Don’t ask, just get it. Bacon wrapped. Only about 5 pieces, but do yourself a favor and order 3 servings of these guys. Best appetizer I’ve ever had, period.
STEAK: I ordered the 10 oz Filet Mignon (medium) and my date ordered the 6 oz Filet (medium-​well). After the first bite, it was clear we were both thinking the same: the Filet Mignon is absolutely AMAZING. Brenner’s cooks it in such a way that it stays true to its natural «Filet» flavors, while adding subtle hints of Brenner’s own seasoning. Their seasoning is certainly noticeable, but it’s very subtle and not overpowering. I added the Garlic Sriracha Butter sauce on the side (to complete my Asianness once again), and it definitely went well with the steak (thanks to the waiter for the recommendation!). However, for the steak purists out there, I’d fully recommend getting the steak straight up.
SIDES (Caramelized Brussel Sprouts & German Potatoes): The Brussel Sprouts were full of flavor but VERY salty, and the Potatoes were well-​prepared, expertly seasoned, and extremely filling. Both come recommended, though I’d suggest getting a smaller meat plate or splitting these sides with more people. The two of us tapped out before we were able to finish both of the sides.
BEVERAGES: Split a bottle of wine, and the La Crema pinot noir comes highly recommended if you’re looking for a worthy yet budget-​friendly bottle. Their wine list is quite expansive, so you’ll have plenty of great options to choose from without breaking the bank.
The Verdict? A must-​visit for the steak-​heads of the world, whether you’re from Houston or not. The filet mignon ranks as one of the better steaks I’ve ever had. It’s one of the cute & romantic yet totally classy & upscale gems Houston has to offer. Comes with my highest recommendation, and make sure you swing by Blue Bar for a drink before and/​or after!

My wife, daughter, son, and I dined at Brenner’s on the Bayou on Sunday evening, June 5^th. Our reservation was for 6pm and we arrived a few moments early; however, was seated upon entering the restaurant.
Our waiter, Richard, was FANTASTIC!!! We asked for some recommendations on wine and Richard suggested a Rombauer Vineyards, Carneros Merlot which was delightful! This was my first time having a Rombauer Vineyards wine, but will not be my last.
At one point, I excused myself to go the restroom and when I returned to our table, my son informed me that «they had come by to fix my napkin.» He was quite impressed with the way that it was folded and put back on the table for my return.
My wife inquired about a 3 course meal (I believe she had seen something online about it) but we did not see it offered on the menu. She asked Richard, and he said he would go speak with the chef. He came back with a couple of menus, and my wife and I ordered off of the menu that he provided us. We had a choice of soup or salad to start. My wife chose the Caesar Salad and I chose the Soup du Jour, which was a Beef, Chicken, Barley soup. This soup was «Out of Bounds» delicious! The soup smelled (and almost tasted) like a chicken sausage gumbo, and was PACKED with flavor and was piping hot. Each bite was an explosion of flavors in your mouth. My son had a «bite» of my soup and could not stop eating! We had to order him his own cup for dessert (that was after he ate some bites of my cheese cake, which was one of the dessert items).
For my entrée, I opted for the Chipotle Shrimp & Grits, and my wife went with the Filet Mignon. My shrimp and grits came with African Salt Prawns (2), Anson Mills Grits, White Cheddar, Nueske’s Slab Bacon, and Chipotle Butter. While they were good, I didn’t think they were great. A couple of pieces of the slab bacon was very hard to chew. The prawns were still in the shell and did not pack too much of a flavor profile. You could definitely taste the chipotle as the plate had a nice little bite to it. I had a bite of my wife’s filet which was cooked to a medium temperature, and it melted in your mouth. It was very good.
We had two choices for dessert, a chocolate, hazelnut cake or a cheese cake. We both ordered the cheese cake and it came topped with diced pineapple which I do not ever recall having on cheese cake before. It was different, but was also good. The cheese cake was very light and airy, and I believe described as «fluffy» on the menu.
Again, I thought the food was good. For me, the soup (which I know is probably not supposed to) stole the show.
Richard was the true highlight of the evening! At one point, my son asked if he (Richard) would show him how to fold the napkin, and Richard showed him two different ways that the staff fold their napkins, to which my son quickly began practicing. Richard was very patient with our children, answering their questions and even providing them with a taste of different food here and there. He even stopped speaking with a nearby table to say ‘bye’ as we were leaving. I was very impressed with the level of service that Richard provided! Had it been anything less, I would have been disappointed. Thank you Richard for making our first visit to Brenner’s on the Bayou a memorable occasion!!!

The food, ambiance, and staff was amazing! I went for brunch and had the belgium waffles as my entrée with a cappuccino and beigents. Then for dessert I had the tres leche bread pudding and crème brûlée. The waiter was friendly and very forthcoming with suggestions. There was a background singer singing classic songs and the ambiance speaks for itself.
P. S.: valet

A group of four of us came in to Brenners on a Tuesday evening and sat ourselves in the patio area. The patio was about a third of the way full. After approximately 10 minutes without anyone coming to greet us or give us a menu I decided to go ask one of the several waitresses on the patio for a menu. She came over a minute later, laid a single menu down on the table (again, there were four of us) and left without saying a word. We looked through the menu and figured out what we wanted.
After waiting another ten minutes without anyone coming to our table, we decided to leave and give our business to a restaurant that cares at all about its customers. It’s not that we had bad customer service; its that we had absolutely non at all. What a disappointing experience.

This is just a quick drive by review of their patio bar out back, «Blue at Brenner’s». We dropped by earlier in the week for a birthday party and had some cocktails and lite bites overlooking the bayou.
Like the restaurant, their patio bar has great views of the bayou and surrounding nature. The bar area is spacious, with plenty of seating options, mostly covered patio space but open air. Once it gets dark the bar is lit predominantly with blue lighting, hence the name.
There’s good selection of beers, top shelf spirits and specialty cocktails. I ordered a glass of the 10 year laphroaig scotch for around $ 11 if my memory serves me. The great surprise was the full to the brim glass of scotch that came out, either that’s one hell of a happy hour deal, or the waiter was new and lost his jigger. Win/​win either way. Another guy in our group ordered a high end tequila on the rocks and had the same result, getting a rocks glass filled to the brim. Maybe you’ll get lucky on your visit too.
Food wise, our group ordered most of the bar menu’s small plates to share and everything we tried was good. The bites I remember trying and enjoying were the Tuna tartare tacos, burger sliders, shrimp/​lobster roll sliders, and the skewered pork belly Fortunately, we didn’t have any run-​ins with half frozen bites, like I read from a couple other grumbles on here.
Blue is a great dressed up but relaxed bar to head to for drinks, some small plates and a great view.

Outside of Pappas, this is the other best steak I’ve had since moving back to Houston.
Venue — this place feels like a Texas steakhouse should — like you’re eating in a rich Texans log cabin that you’d see on HGTV. You know, tall so you have views from all angles, great setup so you can’t find a bad seat, and an outdoor bar/​seating area (2 levels outside even!).
We were treated to the best table in the house, no doubt. The table would be the 1.5 level of the restaurant where there is 1 table to the side of the winding log stairs. Such a treat.
It was Kentucky Derby day so we got there 30 min early to have some bubbly outside. The view is that nice. You’re in a green setting with plants, landscape, and water. My heart emoji wants to post right here.
Experience and food — Richard took care of us, and he was a delight. My pet peeve is when people can’t recommend anything and they’re like — blah blah everything is delicious. He instantly recommended the quail app, which you should get. Quail wrapped in bacon. Get it.
There will be a basket of complimentary bread and butter. Tell them you’d like for them just to bring you the cornbread. Don’t even waste your time with other fillers that are unnecessary. You’ll be full.
The tuna tartare was pretty good. The serving is pretty big for a tartare, and the flavors were there, but the tuna needed to be cleaned a bit more. I had a few stringy bits that are mainly annoying because they get stuck in your teeth and have an extra chew. But overall — good dish.
We split a bone in strip and had a side of the potato au gratin. Medium rare. Great steak. Cooked perfectly. Potatoes were cheesy and rich, not overdone. They paired well. After 2 apps, 1 side was plenty. That steak was giant!
Jim would have been fine stopping there… but Richard told me about their tiramisu bread pudding 1) and 2) how well it would go with a glass of Glenlivet 15. We split one glass, which they graciously put into 2 glasses since we just wanted a taste to go with dessert.
Not to mention we started with champagne. Actually Perseco. Then a G&T. Then a couple of glasses of Bordeaux (only have one by the glass and it paired well with the steak).
Summary — I’ve heard some mixed reviews of Brenners, but we had a great experience. We even signed up for the Landry’s membership when we were halfway out the door, mainly bc they have a decent lineup of restaurants, and why not.
The restaurant is a nod to the traditional steakhouse, which is a feel that is actually difficult to find these days. The staff pays attention to your table. You look around and there is plenty to look at — between the scenery or the goings on of the restaurant. The only disclaimer is that I pay zero attention to prices when I go in with that mindset and that meal ran about $ 250.
You can go and spend less and still have a very enjoyable experience. If you want to go and have a, let’s say, $ 100 budget for 2, have your pre dinner drinks somewhere else, get 1 salad for 2 (salads are even bigger than the steaks), and split a steak. You should be able to get a couple of glasses of wine too.

This was our second time at Brenners. First was Father’s Day over a year ago where we found a hair in my husbands dish… no big deal we understand it happens. They quickly apologized and comped the dish. We decided to visit again today for Mother’s Day and we will never go back.
Strike 1– we ordered the mimosa salad to be shared and when it arrived it was on one plate. Our waiter Cameron apologized and brought another plate so we could split it ourselves.
Strike 2– our 2 year old’s toy car fell on the floor and as I reached down to get it I noticed a large dead COCKROACH by my foot!!! Absolutely disgusting! We pointed it out to Cameron who grabbed a table napkin and picked it up… I feel bad for the person who will use that napkin next. He should have used a disposable paper napkin IMO.
Strike 3– we ordered a side of asparagus with NO butter for my son since he has a severe dairy allergy (which was explained to Cameron as soon as we sat down). Guess what… butter was slathered all over the asparagus. They brought over a new one but imagine if my son had picked it up and eaten it? Thank god for epi pens right?
The real kicker, NO apology from management. NO offer of a comped dessert or coffee for our troubles. Spent Mother’s Day brunch fighting off roaches and inspecting all my food for life threatening allergens.
Safe to say this will be my last visit.

My fiancé and I had dinner here Friday night to celebrate our engagement. I love celebrating special events (birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, etc.) at nice steakhouses and Houston has a lot of great options. We chose Brenners on the Bayou last night. I’ve been here 2 times before and I have to say, after 3 times I’ve concluded this place really is just mediocre. There is nothing bad about this place but there isn’t anything excellent either, and when you’re paying for a steak dinner with a bottle of wine I expect excellent.
I ordered the 6 oz filet well done. The steak was a little dry and lacked flavor. Yes, I realize I ordered it well done but that’s the beauty of good steakhouses — they can get well done right. My fiancé ordered the ribeye medium well and it came out medium rare. He still enjoyed it though. For our sides we ordered creamed spinach & the Mac & Cheese. The creamed spinach was good but we both agree we’ve had better Mac & Cheese at other steakhouses in town. We also had a bottle of Pinot Noir.
For dessert we ordered the butterscotch crème brûlée. Crème brûlée is one of my all time favorite desserts and I always order it if it’s on the menu, but this was just really really mediocre. The weird thing was they wrote «congratulations» on the dessert plate but didn’t comp the dessert. Call me cheap but I’m used to restaurants giving you a free dessert when you tell them you’re celebrating a special occasion. Is that not a standard thing anymore?
After tax and tip our total was $ 200. Overall, we liked our dinner OK but for the price I think you’re better off at some of the other steakhouses in Houston.

This place is amazing. So far the best restaurant I’ve tried in Houston in past 10 years. Lamb chops are crazy good. We went there for V-​day and enjoyed the romantic atmosphere. service was great with friendly staff.

We had reservations for 8:45 and arrived at 8:15 ish. Once I got to the hostess stand and let them know my party was here they took us to our table. The ambiance was nice and the view outside was beautiful. There was a private event on the patio so it was closed. I had a blue berry cocktail. It was good and strong. They brought out some bread and cornbread bites. The cornbread was really good moist and flavorful. Since I love bisque. I ordered the lobster bisque for starters. Presentation was nice. However, it was very bland and I had to return it. In place I ordered the crab cake which was very tasty till the last piece. For my entrée I had the red snapper topped with jumbo lump crabmeat over a bed of green beans. I enjoyed it. It was cooked just right with a nice flavor. The butter sauce complimented the fish and crabmeat on top.
Birthday –complimentary brownie with ice cream
Friend had the fried chicken, smoked macaroni and cheese. They loved it. I had a little taste myself. The chicken was cooked just right not to dry or under cooked and filled with flavor. Macaroni tasted good but can be filling.
Our server was very attentive and took great care of us. The service was top notch. I had a wonderful birthday dinner over all.

This review is not for the restaurant, but for the experience of renting Brenner’s gazebo and garden for our wedding ceremony.
We worked with over a dozen vendors for our wedding, but Brenner’s was by far the worst (and only negative) experience with a wedding vendor.
The price we were quoted in our original event order changed. About one month before the event we were told we would have to pay an additional cost per guest (not per car) to cover valet.
I did not appreciate working with the events coordinator Allison-​I wish we could have gotten a correct initial event order that included all the fees and costs, so that we wouldn’t be surprised with additional costs and mandatory gratuity a few weeks before our wedding.
Overall, the ceremony was nice and the location was beautiful, so I don’t regret having our ceremony there. However, everything leading up to the event was unpleasant, so be warned.

I am being generous and giving an extra star because the service was impeccable and the atmosphere is lovely. The only problem is the food. We came here for Sunday brunch and the quality of food was seriously lacking.
I will say their COLOSSAL CINAMMON ROLL was the only great tasting thing (baked to perfection)!
I ordered the BEER CAN CHICKEN CHILAQUILES and you know that nasty chicken taste you get sometimes when you cook chicken at home? Well… the chicken had that nasty taste. It wasn’t even fresh. It tasted like it was sitting out for a long time and the flavor was lacking. Even salt and hot sauce couldn’t make it more delicious. I couldn’t even take more than 2 bites out of it.
My mother ordered the CRAB CAKES BENNEDICT and I am a huge crab cake fan. I tried some of her dish and it was not impressive either. Her dish wasn’t very warm… it seemed like her meal was sitting out for a while too.
To top all this off… I began to feel extremely nauseated after eating my meal. That whole day I felt so sick and every time I thought of that Beer Can Chicken I wanted to vomit.
Regardless the place is really nice and the atmosphere is great and our waiter RYAN is amazing. Definitely ask for him.

What a great place to dine on my birthday. The salmon was cooked to perfection and the service was impeccable. Perfect for date night as it has a very classy romantic atmosphere. I look forward to visiting for Brunch.

The ambiance can’t be beat. This is as romantic as it gets. The waitstaff carries about them air of tradition. Despite being bought out by the Landry’s Corporation, the nostalgic remnants of the Rainbow Lodge permeates Brenner’s still.
I had the fillet. It was oven-​cooked to perfection but just lacked in flavor. Maybe it was the cut. For the steak, I’d say 3 stars. But the service and ambiance gives it another star. So 4 stars it is.

During my last visit, my expectations of Brenners steakhouse weren’t met and left me unsatisfied. After writing my first review, it caught the management’s attention and they immediately called me the next day, apologizing on what had happen and was invited to come back to give them another try.
I booked a reservation a week later. Upon arriving 15 minutes early, I was warmly greeted by the staff and seated immediately. Our waitress was Anna and she was very professional, attentive, and friendly. The food was delicious! I ordered the same lobster entrée as last time to do a comparison. This time the lobster was cooked perfectly, and moist. My fiancé ordered the crab cake appetizer which was filled with lump crab meat and the ribeye which was cooked perfectly upon the request of the steak temperature. On top of that, the restaurant decided to take care of our tab for the evening. Which I thought was very generous and thoughtful of them. The whole dining experience took an hour and It was a true fine dinning experience, this is what I call great customer service!

Love this place, the moment we stepped out of the car we were impressed for the first time. We arrived about 15 minutes prior to our reservation so we went to the outdoor bar and grabbed a drink and walked the grounds. The weather was perfect and the scenery was just magnificent. We walked around, talked, enjoyed our time together, and took pictures!
After we went back to the bar, the hostess told us our table was ready and she escorted us to our table. She was very nice and kind. We were greeted by our waiter and they were all kind and pleasant. We ordered the Texas Quail, which was recommended multiple times and was super delicious! I was worried that cream cheese would be overwhelming but it was not at all. We ordered the Colorado Lamb chops, the 16 oz. Prime steak, the soft shell crab macaroni and cheese (it was super delicious), and grilled asparagus!!! For dessert we ordered the Apple pie and bread pudding (love bread pudding)!!! The food were cooked to perfection and all the dishes were delicious! But, be ready to spend some serious cash! It’s expected for a fine dining joint so I wasn’t surprised.
Overall, the atmosphere, the food, and the service was top notch! I’m so glad I took my date here for her birthday (as it was the first time for the both of us, we were very pleased) and I will definitely be coming back here!

Total disappointment. Which is sad, because once upon a time, Brenner’s was the place to have a fabulous steak dinner, decadent sides, delicious wines, and great service.
It’s GNO, and my gals and I began with happy hour on the patio bar, «Blue at Brenner’s.» Happy happy hour is 5−7pm with a menu of $ 6 cocktails, $ 7 wines, $ 4 craft beers, $ 6 small plate items. We all started with wines and cocktails of our choice — the Cool Cucumber Martini was a favorite. One of our girlfriend’s ordered the Veal and Ricotta Meatballs app; I had a one bite and it was COLD in the center. Not sure why, but if you’re thinking what I’m thinking…
For dinner, some ladies went with the HRW menu; but for me, a huge fan of bone-​in ribeye, I chose to split that with my GF since we both couldn’t commit to 21oz each. I was super excited about the steak — based on my last visit there in 2009 — however, our medium rare steak came out medium well. No marbled fat. Not much flavor. I honestly think the cowboy bone-​in at LongHorn Steakhouse has Brenner’s beat in flavor, quality, size and price; which I’ll keep in mind for next time. And the creamed spinach? No the least bit impressed. Sorry, Sullivan’s takes the win. My girlfriend and I also split their special app with a scallop, a crab cake and bacon-​wrapped quail $ 20. It was good, and a nice way to experience three of their their popular apps all in one small order.
Overall, dinner was a total miss for me. It was almost $ 200 for just my half of dinner (with tip) and not including wine since one gal covered the bottles. Houston is filled with amazing restaurants, and I never mind paying mucho dinero for a mind-​blowing meal.
But it didn’t end there. We headed up to the bar to buy another bottle of red. The bartender didn’t know too much about the wines, but another gent helped us out. All was ending off on a better note until the bartender was basically encouraging us to wrap it up. He was ready to leave. My friend pointed that out to him — an uncomfortable truth — but someone had to do it.
The good news is that we’re an amazing group of gals, and we all had a great time enjoying each other’s company; so the evening was not a total waste.
Other pros?
: Service during happy hour and dinner was flawless.
: They still have a lovely, rustic, upscale atmosphere and scenic views of the bayou.
: Happy hour menu:

This place is so romantic… (insert smile here)… and I love it!
I’ve been to Brenner’s for both dinner and happy hour several times and I must say I really love it there. The food is always great. The ambiance and decoration at Brenner’s are really what give it all its magic! I do recommend you walk around the beautiful grounds, its really pretty and peaceful. Valet is free and the service in the restaurant is always on point. This is definitely one of my favorite spots in Houston. Do yourself a favor and go indulge! =)

I have to say. Right when you drive down to this restaurant you feel like you’re in another world. The trees, the courtyard with the fountains and water features, gazebo. Just very pretty and treehouse like right on the bayou. Once you enter you get the nice wood panels and big open windows and pretty light fixtures and staircases. Such a nice atmosphere for a special occasion. Even a great venue idea for a rustic lodge wedding. The tables were set immaculately and the chairs are nice and plush.
The food. I’ve been here before for their normal menu but decided to come back for HRW. The bacon wrapped quail was delicious! Stuffed with cheese and pepper? It had a kick to it but the flavors were amazing. Two very small pieces and maybe 4 bites but so worth it! The 6oz filet mignon came with mash potatoes, green beans and fried onions. Everything was seasoned perfectly and the steak was cooked right (I got mine medium rare) and so tender and juicy. I was savoring every bite. For dessert, I really wanted their famous soufflé! It’s not even on the dessert menu but on the regular menu. It’s large and so so soft and amazing! I loved every bite of it. It comes in 3 flavors but we got the Godiva chocolate one! Well worth it. Didn’t like my restaurant week dessert of Hazelnut cake and ganache but my friend’s cheesecake was spectacular. The apple strudel wasn’t bad either.
Do take an after dinner stroll through the courtyard in the back. So beautiful, especially when it’s lit up at night. Lovely place. Will definitely come back for a special occasion. Normal prices weren’t outrageous for a steak house either compared to some bigger chain steakhouse. Loved it! Service was wonderful as well.