Renae’s

There are enough crappy people in this world trying to scam you, I don’t need it from my local mom and pop shops as well. I received a nuCard for this place and it has only ensured that I will not patronize your business. nuCard is a giant scam designed to get as much personal info as possible so they can spam the beejeezus out of you. Hard pass!

I’ve been waiting to write this review as I needed time to get my thoughts together. My honey wanted to take me out, but he wanted to change things up. We rarely venture out to this area, but he felt like taking a ride for some reason. He pulled into a parking lot and told me that he wants us to check out this place as he remembers the guys were working on it before it opened and they told him to come and check them out when they are up and running. Well, there we were in a scattered parking lot looking at near-​empty restaurant in the corner or a strip mall. I thought the place was closed, buy he assured me that they were open and the food was supposed to be true southern cuisine. We walked in and were seated in a large booth near a window. Let me warn you now that this is about to be a long review.
When you walk in the restaurant, you are not sure what to expect from the outside. When you walk into the dining area, you feel like you are in a rural town in Mississippi visiting your aunt who still keeps the plastic on her sofa that you are not allowed to sit on unless it is Sunday and the Pastor is visiting the house for dinner after a long Sunday service. All of the tables had full place settings with chargers, bread plates, water glasses, etc. It was odd, but it was different in a nice way. The waiter was quite professional. He offered us a sample of the fried green tomatoes. I’m a true girl raised in the south so I considered that nice treat. The owner stopped by the table to greet us and made us feel welcome. He told us to stick around for the live band that would be performing around 8pm. There was a stage with full sound equipment, but I wasn’t expecting a band because there were only four patrons in the establishment at 6:45pm on a Saturday. Who knew???
Anyway, I ordered a meal of fried chicken wings, black eyed peas, and macaroni and cheese. My wings were crispy, hot, and flavorful. They were not greasy and they tasted pretty good. I think they gave me four whole wings with my meal. The black eyed peas were so good. They could have come out of can, but they doctored them up to the point of no return. Those things were so good, but I’m happy they were not salty. The macaroni and cheese was alright. It wasn’t super cheesy, but I could taste the cheese. It did not taste like it came from a wholesaler such as Aramark or Sodexho so it was worth it. My iced tea was weak which I frowned upon, but the food was the best part of the experience. My honey ordered fried chicken and waffles. He cleaned his whole plate… happy camper. We also had the peach cobbler for dessert. The serving was so huge that we both tried to force each other of finish it, but we were so full.
As we neared the end of the meal, the band showed up. They were older guys, but they were some soulful dudes. They sang old school hits, but they were entertaining. About 6 other people showed up when the band arrived. So I guess this place is really considered a brunch and supper club. The waiter told us we should return for Sunday brunch as it is really nice.
I don’t know what the future holds for Renae’s, but I hope they make it. It is possible that this could have been an off night, but I don’t know how to call it. The owner is a cool dude and the staff is quite personable. I want them to thrive and I hope people will dine with them and give them a chance to impress. I believe in giving the small guy a chance. We have so many dining options and chains in Houston. However, when you find someone real who wants to put themselves out there and take a chance, I believe they should have a fair shot. Renae’s has some growing and tweaking to do, buy I think this place has something different to offer. I look forward to checking them out for Sunday brunch when my soon to be Mother in Law comes for a visit. Stay tuned for that review! Oh yeah, the restrooms were clean!

Went there with family on Mother’s Day. Had to wait 40 mins. For a table although restaurant was only half full and I had reservations. From there it got progressively worse. We were placed in the middle of 3 tables that had not been bussed (nor were they ever bussed during the course of our meal.) our waiter was clearly inexperienced and nervous. He couldn’t answer any questions that we asked of him and at one point he had forgotten my wife didn’t order the buffet and she sat there waiting for him to bring out her meal for the longest. They were totally unprepared for a holiday experience and the manager/​owner acted as though his suit was too nice to roll up his sleeves and help out his staff. I read all the good reviews on this place on Unilocal but they obviously were paid by the restaurant.

Good food and our waitress, Viki, went above and beyond to make our evening the best ever. Great live entertainment also.

I had the pleasure of dining at this restaurant while I was visiting Houston last month. The place has great food, great atmosphere and courteous staff that knows the menu and makes great recommendations! You will enjoy the live bands as well as the DJ and the dance floor. Renae’s owner was also friendly and welcoming.

Today I had an oh so bitter sweet experience at the infamous Renae’s I’ve heard so much about! Walking into the place I felt a little underdressed. Almost seemed like I should’ve had my car parked by Valet.
I was their first customer of the day, yay me! The place smelled awesome, not from the aroma of food but an air freshener or something. Their music was a bit loud but it got me in the mood to eat and dance or dance while I’m eating Kmsl! I was seated by a very friendly waitress that seemed genuinely concerned about how I faired out doing the recent flooding around Houston. I guess I was a little too early because none of the buffet food was out yet at around 11:25 AM so I had to wait a while (about 10 min). I did get a lemonade, and cornbread muffin to eat in the meantime.
Once the food was placed in there dishes, I was informed the buffet was set and ready. She threw me off when she stopped me and said «if anything is still cold let me know so I can microwave it for you». Uhmm why would fresh cooked food be cold? Or is it freshly cooked?
I was overwhelmed with the multitude of items I could have chose from! I immediately loaded my 1^st plate and took off to the table to dig in. Salad was good. Next, vegetables almost tasted like they were straight out of the can. Meatloaf, smothered pork chops and everything else I tasted was flavorless as well. Not bad but it could’ve used way more seasoning. I’m from Louisiana myself and grew up on my grandmother’s cooking so I know real southern seasoned food. Every time I took a bite of the Luke warm food all I could think of was the lady telling me if it’s too cold she’d microwave it for me.
After packing as much food as I could in to get my money’s worth I requested some red Kool Aid and the check. THEY HAVE KOOL AID! Yessss! A total of $ 14 isn’t bad for all you can eat but the $ 3 for drinks; man! I must say if the food matched the décor and atmosphere they would definitely get 5 stars from this guy! Please please please add more seasonings?!? Overall this was nearly an above average restaurant but the lack flavor in the food brought the ratings down.

My fiancée and I had dinner here and were very surprised to find such a high quality establishment in such a shabby little shopping center. as soon as we entered we were impressed! The décor is very nice, and the table settings, while not elegant, definitely were an attempt at elegance, so we knew that this place wanted to set it’self apart. and it did! Good food, excellent free appetizers, and friendly wait staff and management. Do yourself a favor and give it a try… worth the cost and the trip.

Ordered a pork chop plate. Pork chop was seasoned fair. The sides of macaroni, great beans, broccoli/​cheese/​rice were very bland. Like nursing home bland. I think my my elementary cafeteria food is better. Needless to say I couldn’t finish the meal after a couple of bits. Salt and pepper could not save the dish. Staff were friendly and accommodating… but I won’t be back.

I can’t exactly remember how I found out about this place but bookmarked it for when I was in the area. About 2 weeks ago I was able to make it for their Sunday brunch buffet after church. Driving up I immediately realized that Renae’s was in the same small shopping center as Le Pam’s which I have dined at before and enjoyed. Walking inside, it was immediately clear that Renae’s is a nice upscale restaurant. The interior décor is classy and gave me a warm feeling. After being seated and ordering something to drink, I went straight to the long buffet line skipping the breakfast foods and going for the lunch/​dinner options.
Here is what I tried and what I thought of each (see pics). Stewed okra and tomatoes were as good as I have ever had. They were just perfect (5). Dirty rice (4). Cornbread dressing (3.5). Porkchop (4). Pinto beans (3.5). Broccoli rice (4). Fried chicken wing (4). Chicken and dumplings with a nice peppery flavor (4). Fried fish (4). Banana pudding was excellent (5). Peach cobbler (4.5). My table service was a (4). Yes, I tried some of each just to give you this review. Oh, don’t feel sorry for me because as you can see from my scores everything was very good to excellent. I was really impressed with the quality of the food so much that I could have given this meal a 5 overall. Also, during this Sunday lunchtime meal there was a dude playing some really mean saxophone on the stage. I would readily come back for this experience again. Cost of the buffet is about $ 21 and worth every penny of it for the food and entertainment. Mimosas are slightly more. I met the owner Danny who thanked me for coming by. This is the place to come and have a nice meal after Sunday church services for brunch if you are on the north side of town.
I was so impressed that I decided before writing this review that another visit was warranted. It was a week later when I returned for dinner on a Wednesday night to eat off of the menu. That night I ordered the oxtails (about $ 15) with rice and gravy along with the stewed tomatoes and okra again and black eye peas that came with cornbread (see pic). Unfortunately this meal did not live up to my earlier experience however it was still good. My only real let down were the oxtails. They tasted good but there just wasn’t enough of meat on the bones (the picture is deceiving). More bones than meat and that never makes me happy. I should have ordered the pork chops instead. I rated this meal a 3 only for this reason. Oxtails can be hit or miss and I knew that when ordering. A bright spot were the 2 fried pickles (comped) that were brought to me while waiting for the entrée. They were very good (4.5). I liked the batter they used to fry them. My table service this visit was a 3. There is no entertainment on Wednesday night which saves you the $ 8 cover that they charge on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. No cover charge on Sunday. I am giving an overall score of 4 but think this place is more like a 4.5 so you can see I like it!
On both of my visits, there were very few other diners which surprised me. This is a very good place to eat in a upscale setting. I am sure their entertainment is well worth the cover charge. There is also an attractive bar in this restaurant. Great date place. It’s location off of FM 1960 might hurt it somewhat from being noticed. Along with Le Pam’s, it is next door to an Italian restaurant. They also have a weekday lunch buffet for $ 9.99 (I believe) and that would be a great deal to take advantage of because here these people know how to cook good food. I would be happy to return here and will when I am in the area. I recommend!

I have had Renae’s twice now and both times I have had a great meal. First time I went there I had the ox tails. They were tender and very tasty. They put a brown gravy on them and I would have rather had them not smothered to taste the actual tails, but they were good. The second time I went I had the smothered pork chops which had the same gravy as the ox tails. They were tasty too. The sides are great and you have a lot to choose from. They give you fried green tomatos for free for an appetizer which is nice. After 8 p.m. on the weekend, you have to pay an $ 8 entertainment fee. I stayed for the band once and I liked them. The singer was entertaining. The only negative was the sound system was not great and it hurt the overall sound. I haven’t seen it crowded, but I hear their brunch buffet is packed. I hope to try the buffet. I think Renae’s needs some recognition as it is a good spot.

Saw an advertisement for a $ 9.99, all you can eat, soul food buffet on Stuebner airline and 1960. After driving around there parking lot of a strip mall, I decided to call the number to see where the actual business was. They advertise about 10 minutes away from the actual business. The business is actually headed northeast towards the 45 freeway.
This place is elegant and not what I expected for a buffet. Ambience and fine linen is what you get here instead of sneeze guards and people yelling at the Bluetooth headsets. There is an intimate bar area that is really well stocked. There is even a private eating area if you choose to reserve the space.
This guy is from Mississippi and went to school in Louisiana, so you know this is authentic Southern cuisine. Speaking of Southern, he attended the university by that name in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Geaux Jaguars!
What would I like to drink you ask? Did you just say you have Kool Aid? Why are we still speaking? Insert a line from a «beast mode» NFL interview. I had cherry, grape and strawberry and liked them in that order. You know it is Southern eating when you have «red» drinks as your options!
The corn bread is soft and sweet… just like it should be. There are many items to try on this buffet. Stewed chicken, smothered pork chops, greens, salad, fruits, yams, chicken and dumpling just to name a few items.
The fried fish sold me. Balanced flavor and fried light with a representative crunch. Not greasy at all. The dish that surprised me was the okra and tomato stew. Not only are the ingredients plentiful with meat, but it is also hearty and rich with flavor galore.
They keep a staple of items but add a new item or two every 2 weeks. There is also a Sunday buffet brunch for $ 22. They are looking to hire waitresses. The service here has room for improvement because of many people coming in, and lack of staffing. The staff here is extra nice and polite. Once they are adequately staffed, this will be 5 star dining.
It seems they have a cover change on weekend nights because they have live entertainment. There is also free Wi-​Fi. Come eat here… period. The buffet ends at 3pm and it even includes dessert!

I’m eaten food from Renae’s at least eight times and it’s consistently good! The $ 7.99 lunch specials are a steal considering how much food you get. I especially love the cabbage and fried fish! They give you rice and gravy with your order which helps make you super full and not needing more food. I’ve ordered the wings before and they were pretty OK too.
I recall visiting Renae’s for the first time and the owner asking a server to give me a tour around; it was a kind gesture and it symbolizes the great customer service I received every other visit. I usually order for pickup and have never dined in the restaurant to experience the ambience but it seems like it could be a pretty nice place to hang out, have drinks and enjoy a great meal. The restaurant is located in the back of a not-​so-​fancy shopping center but there’s a new business being built right next to it so that may up its curb appeal.
I definitely recommend paying a visit and I hope to visit for brunch soon!

The best soul food in Houston! We have dined here twice within the past two days. I had the smothered pork chops and my sister had the turkey necks. Both were seasoned to perfection. Miss Bettie put her foot in the food. Kelvin was our server on both days and he is great. Mr. Danny is the owner and greeted us personally each day. He gave us the history behind the name of the restaurant, which is named after his daughter. (We met her too.) This is a must visit and we will definitely be back. The ambiance is nice, elegant, upscale and appropriate dinner music.

I was looking forward to a nice southern meal. This experience was far from that. The décor was cool but the food was lacking. It was a group of us and we all tried four different dishes, all of them were bad to worst.
One dish, the Turkey Wings were obviously not made fresh. They seemed to have been made a few days ago.
The Pasta Alfredo was overcooked and the chicken seemed like leftover chicken pulled off of a bone, rather than chicken breast. The plate display was horrible– Sprinkled parsley which made the plate look dirty.
Cabbage– Either it was spoiled or they used vinegar. I’ll let them decide.
Overall, the place has potential. It has a great vibe. The dining room is a decent size. There is a bar, cake display, and entertainment stage. The server was friendly and honest.
Maybe we will try it again for the live entertainment nights, like Reggae Night or zydeco night.

Just visited this restaurant for a birthday party. The back area is great for a private party… there is an area for live entertainment and a small dance floor. Food was just ok. The service was decent. they did their best but seemed very understaffed.

Visited on a sunny Sunday at noon. Ample parking, greeted at door by friendly hostess. Plenty of seating available. Mostly couples. No kids yet. Solo saxophone artist on stage setting the jazzy and calming ambiance. Beautifully designed interior. Started with mimosas. I could’ve easily drank 3 they were so good and refreshing. Had the spicy chicken and waffle plate for $ 10.99. The chicken wings were HUGE so two was plenty. They were seasoned well so didn’t need hot sauce. The waffle was just a regular waffle and I would’ve preferred a Belgian waffle which is different texture (crispy outside and fluffy inside). They offered regular and red velvet waffles.
I have no complaints really. The owner even greeted us at the table. It was packed by the time we left at 1:15. Lots of «after church» crowds which included families young and matured. I would definitely recommend this place for cocktails, family dining, group parties etc. Check out the calender of events before attending because there is a cover charge some nights when there is live band. There is full bar with seating and outdoor covered patio with few bistro tablet as well.

I don’t understand y’all’s lousy reviews: I’m writing this while eating a piece of cornbread baked by Ms. Betty Smith, the friendly lady doing the cookin’ there. My wife brought me her leftovers, and lord, lord, lord, it’s good!
As near as I can figure, this is the child of a marriage between a down-​home soul-​food place and a mellow music club. Very cool vibe, food’s good… what’s not to like?

I must say that I’m very surprised by all the negative and mediocre reviews that Renae’s has received. That, however, didn’t stop me from giving this place a chance (shout out to Bruce O. for the recommendation)! Whenever I visit my car dealership, I like to try new places and make the most of my time in the area.
Renae’s definitely has a lot of potential — in fact, depending on the day of the week (and time) of your visit, it’s a soul food café, wine bar and live music/​karaōke venue. Perhaps, the biggest obstacle it faces is its location. It’s inconspicuously located in the back corner of a shopping center. You can definitely miss it if you’re not familiar with the area. Hence, I’m not sure if it’s receiving enough foot traffic. There are daily $ 7.99 lunch specials happening Wednesday through Friday (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.); happy hour specials Tuesday through Friday (3 –7 p.m.).
After dining here, I can say that much of the bad rep is undeserved, especially regarding the service. I came on a Wednesday evening and was one of the first to arrive for dinner. The place was nearly empty. I was promptly seated and my server briefly went over the menu, the most popular items and their weekly events and specials. My server was VERY attentive — albeit a little flirtatious, but it was all in good fun. I was just in time to enjoy their $ 4 house wines, the happy hour special of the day. I ordered a glass of Cabernet while I waited for my food and watched the musicians set up for the live entertainment. It was actually a really good glass of wine.
Since it was my first time, I received a complimentary order of fried pickles, which I hadn’t had before. They were good, just not my thing. But, I appreciated the hospitality. I ordered the fried catfish with a side of greens and macaroni and cheese. It also came with cornbread. The fish was absolutely delicious! It wasn’t overly-​seasoned, but was still good without ketchup or hot sauce (although I like both on my fish). The greens were pretty standard and tasted better after adding hot sauce. The macaroni was better than most I’ve tasted at soul food joints, but I personally would’ve liked a little more cheese. Altogether, it made for a good meal and I was more than satisfied with the taste and portions.
I neglected to try dessert so while I waited for my bill, I was asked to complete a survey on my dining experience and what events I would like to see more of. I thought that was a nice touch and indicative that this place is at least trying to be more accommodating. (Perhaps what others experienced were growing pains as Renae’s tries to adjust, IDK). I didn’t leave feeling like I’d wasted my time or money. In fact, if I were on the north side of town more often, I would frequent this place more.
On the way out, I received a pamphlet listing more information on their weekly events. The Sunday Gospel Brunch and Business Mixer on Wednesday are on my list. Don’t count this place out just yet!

Visited this restaurant on two occasions on Sunday, because I LOVE gospel music! The saxophonist is amazing. I love to hear him play.
The food the first time was pretty good. I had the fish and grits.
The second time we visited was for Mother’s Day 2015, they tried to cut corners with a mediocre brunch, that they were having a hard time stocked with food. It was not GOOD, this really put a bad taste in our mouths. The server was not friendly and it just was not worth the money or time. As much as I love live music I will not return in the near future.

Came here for a birthday party. The place is in a strip mall. The parking isn’t bad, & the décor is pretty cute. There is also a stage where they sometimes feature live music. The servers are really nice… However the food was a miss. They gave us the options of chicken, fish, dirty rice, green beans, potato salad, & a corn bread or a roll. For some reason, they later decided to make us choose between chicken *or* fish. I found that pretty annoying.
The chicken was okay. The flavor was decent but it was dry & cold. Catfish was okay. It was cold also. Dirty rice was average, green beans had no flavor, potato salad was pretty nasty. All of the sides were cold as well. The bread was extremely dry and tasted like cardboard. The cornbread was good.
All in all, this place needs more consistency and the food needs some TLC. They could be successful if the food tasted better.