Houston’s

I am glad to hear that this location has closed. The waitress that served the table was so rude and snooty. After my visit I never came back to this location. I am sure this is what happened to others, so they finally closed down.
Point — If you are in hospitality, you should not be rude and snooty to anyone.

Best french dip in Los Angeles !

Noooo! Why did it close? I love this location. This place is always packed and has a wait time. Ribs and crab cakes were my two fav stables and the portion feeds a hungry herd of carnivores.
So long, Houston’s…it was good while it lasted. I just hope that Westfield finds another equal caliber tenant.

I come here all the time and everything I’ve had has been great.
I’ve gotten the French dip (delish), the burger (ENORMOUS), the ribs (awesome but not my fav), and the filet (amazing).
The service is always good and they have $ 20 corkage, which I usually use. Sometimes you have to wait for a while if you go without a reservation, but it’s worth it.

I hit any Houston’s I come across just for those Knife and Fork ribs. Do not understand why many are closing around the USA. Chicago gone, DC gone, Nashville gone.
Come on. I need my ribs
Love this place on Santa Monica Blvd

Houston’s is a great go to restaurant! It is a restaurant that should please everyone; almost anyone can find something on the menu that they will like. It also has a really nice décor and fun atmosphere; it is almost always crowded (though that means there is usually a wait). The trick is you can usually find a great seat in the bar area, they have tables as well as the bar top and there is still great service.
There really is a little something from everyone. If you like burgers or sandwiches they are great here, my favorite is the French dip! It’s awesome I like to add cheese and the french fries are really good — shoe string style and crispy! And if you are more of a salad person the Thai Steak & Noodle Salad is really tasty. The sushi is also very good; really almost everything you get is yummy! The items that sometimes can be bland are the vegetable sides. My suggestion is to ask the server how they are prepared and if they are flavorful.
And for dessert their warm brownie sundae is really delicious! I usually do not like nuts in my brownies, and I would probably love this dessert if it did not, but even with nuts this dessert is pretty awesome! So make sure you save room for dessert!

Great location in CC. Very nice. Not as busy as gulfstream for those corporate lunches.
The grilled artichokes appetizer here. DELISH!
French Dip sandwich is filling, tender, succulent, and pretty damn delish! It’s not Phillipes but it’s damn good.
Nut brownie is also a dream.

**PHOTOS POSTED FOR HOUSTON’S** (Santa Monica)
The ambiance was trendy here and had a very young staff. They were all very friendly throughout the entire experience although nothing to rant and rave over.
This was my first visit to Houston’s so of course I was excited to try everything on the menu! Although this is mainly a steak lovers restaurant and I do not eat red meat.
For starters we got the grilled artichoke which was cut in 3 pieces and flavored to give you a heart attack. Just the way I like it! It is accompanied by a mayo/​garlic sauce which is delicious. The artichokes were slightly undersized, but good for an appetizer.
Cesar salad was the starter for my date, can’t really go wrong with a Cesar salad I guess. But they are courteous to ask if you want your Cesar with or without anchovies, so if you don’t want fish eyes looking at you, request them off. I did steal a croûton and they were a little soft and squishy. I like croutons to be crunchy, as they should be.
I ordered the chicken which had a barley mixed side. If you don’t know what barley is, it looks like couscous and tastes the same also. If you don’t know what couscous is, it just looks like stubby rice LOL. The side barley with my dish was GROSS! Had a funny aftertaste but I believe it was the spices they mixed in that I didn’t like.
The chicken was AWESOME, one the of the best chicken entrees I’ve had in a long time. Coming from a chicken eater only, I have had A LOT of chicken and have a lot to compare it to. This was fall of the bone chicken and usually you don’t hear that term too often with chicken, but the sauce was delightful and the chicken was as tender as could be and NOT DRY! For once I was so happy to find some chicken that wasn’t dry! GIANT PORTION, it was about half a chicken.
My date got the ribs, which were also fall of the bone! When it was cut with a knife to separate the bones, all the meat would just fall off. It smelled so good I wanted some, NOT! But my date loved it and said it was one of the best bbq ribs around. GIANT portions.
I had to make a separate section for the shoestring fries, they are SO GOOD! If you like crispy fries, then these are perfect. They may be scrony looking but they pack a lot of flavor! Ate almost all of them.
For dessert I got the chocolate brownie with ice cream. WAY TO MANY FREAKIN NUTS! I do not like nuts on my ice cream let alone my brownie being raped with nuts as well… that sounded weird, but you get what I mean. Brownie would have been much better if I asked for the dessert without nuts. They looked like cashews, I like cashews just not on my desserts.
1 star for service, and 2 stars for taste! Few stars off for soggy croutons and nuts galore on the brownie dessert.

Minus the wait, I love Houston’s. It’s sexy, sleek, dark interior is the perfect place for sitting at the bar with a friend and enjoying one of the amazing steak salads with mango! UGH I die thinking about that salad. Their sushi rolls are awesome as well-​particularly the coconut shrimp roll-​a party in my mouth! And the food is always consistent.
Desserts are dangerous in a good way and perfect for sharing.
You can watch «the game» in the bar as they have two TVs in either corner and you totally forget that you are in a mall. Great place to grab a bite before catching at movie at the AMC!

Houston’s in Centry city is one of my favorite one’s to go to out of the chain. They are close to a garage parking exit there so if you want to just pop in for dinner and then take off its easy access.
One of the best things about houstons is their food consistency. I’ve ate in every one in So Cal, and a few on the East Coast they all taste the same. Delicious!
Fall off the bone Ribs, Ruthford Rib Eye (some serve the hawaiian rib eye my personal favorite) 5 nut brownie, are all very tasty. I haven’t had anything there I didn’t like.
Now The french Dip is hands down the best one I’ve ever had. I’ve travelled all over the US looking for the best one, by far I’ve tried them at over 50 places and so far I still like the one at Houston’s the best. The one thing that sets the Century City location apart from the other ones, is if you have them cook the meat a bit more like say medium well, the edges of the meat come back crisped but the center is still medium well. So far haven’t really see any other ones able to do that. Irvine location came close.
When I use to live on the West side a I use to come weekly. Now we drive out from Santa Clarita monthly just for their food.

My boyfriend and I arrived at 8:00, and they told us that the wait would be 50 minutes. We decided to make a reservation for the next available slot at 9:15 so we could do a little shopping.
Spinach Artichoke Dip (3 stars) — Overall, it was good spinach dip. I wish there were bigger chunks of artichokes so the flavor and presence was more evident.
Ribs (3 ribs) — I’ve had better and worse ribs. These baby back ribs were fall of the bone tender, but there was nothing unique tasting about the sauce. I wish the ribs came out hotter instead of just slightly warm. I loved the thin fries (4 stars).
Service (3 stars) — Service was relatively fast for a sit down restaurant. Our server was very friendly and enthusiastic. He did forget our sodas. I did wish they were wipes especially after eating ribs.
For $ 12 dip and $ 29 ribs, I was expecting better.

It’s good service, fairly good atmosphere and the food isn’t bad. The problem is, the food isn’t particularly very good either, and the price suggests that it should be.
Like many chains, they have the basics down. Everyone smiles, everything’s clean, everything’s fresh, portions are large and always of a certain quality. But when you get down to it, the sushi has way too much rice. The salads are over-​sauced and for some reason have way more protein and carbs than vegetables.
I haven’t tried the burger, so I can’t say anything about that, but if just feels like the price should give you a slightly higher standard of food. Otherwise, it’s great!

It was a choice between Italian, American, and Asian. With family visiting from out of the country, and my aunt having the sarcasm she does, Houston’s became the obvious choice because «since we were in America, we should have American.» Well, I guess you had to be there to really get the joke.
I really liked the atmosphere of this place. Calming and relaxing, especially after a long, hard day. A lot of the reviews before me say they have a great view. Unfortunately, I have nothing to say about that since we were seated as far away from the windows as possible, but I’m not complaining.
Service was great, and the wait time between taking our order and getting our food was better than many. I ordered the seared ahi tuna, which was certainly delish. The tuna was flavorful, soft, and not chewy as others can be. The plate also came with a salad which is nothing to brag about. The croutons were bit hard to munch, and the salad itself was regular.
We had the spinach artichoke dip for an appetizer, which was also a good treat. I was also able to taste some of my sister’s hickory burger, which was mouth watering good. The cheese was shredded and not melted, which was a bit awkward. The fries … AMAZING.
Can see myself indulging in this place again.

The burgers have a word-​of-​mouth reputation so I had to try one. I ordered the California burger which was very tasty and far better than the average restaurant burger.
One thing I really liked about the service. The waiter, Ivan, asked us what condiments we wanted when we were ordering and brought it out to us before the burgers came out. It always annoys me when places bring out your food and walk away without even asking or I have to wait for them to bring condiments. Nice touch.

Houston’s is one of my preferred spots when I come to LA — not only because its the only restaurant that I know where its located nor because I like Houston’s in general, but because they are consistently good.
Just like the Houston’s in Houston, the service is second to none and the food is always perfect. The burger and fries is my favorite, granted not very original, but it’s the best burger and fries out there — fabulous!!!
I am never disappointed when I eat here.

The steak I ordered was cooked to order. I asked for medium and I got exactly what I asked for.
It wasn’t the best steak I ever had, but it was definitely good.
As I think more about it, I expected more from their steak…, esp it being a steakhouse.
On a side note, I would say the price to taste ratio here is… high.
*Edit*
Someone called me a cheap ass for my last statement.
Just to clarify:
a) the stars I gave it was based on taste only. ALL my reviews are based on the food alone.
b) I HAVE tasted better steak, that’s why it’s a ³⁄₅. It was cooked to order (medium). The steak had a really mild flavor though, as if it wasn’t really seasoned.
Think of it like Russell Peters when he was commenting about Jews:
«Jews aren’t actually cheap, Jews will spend the money if it’s worthwhile.»
That’s me. The Asian Jew. :D

Houston’s is almost always a great option for a nice dinner in an upscale casual environment. Soft lighting, woodsy but chic décor, and good service.
I’m not a big fan of the menu, but a few dishes really stand out. The SPINACH & ARTICHOKE DIP is really great! It’s not like some places where the spinach is an accessory to the cream and cheese. Here, you can have a hearty bite of spinach and artichoke on a crunchy chip, served alongside sour cream and salsa. Yum-​o! The RAINBOW ROLL is good too. It tastes like there’s a creamy sauce inside. Not sure what it is, pretty sure it’s not figure-​friendly, but it adds a distinct flavor to the roll.
My favorite entrée is the PRIME RIB. Houston’s prime rib is better than Lawry’s! No gimmicks; just a huge slab of quality meat. Another good option is the CALIFORNIA BURGER. The jack cheese, avocado and arugula go great together.
Also, if you like Cabernet, I recommend the Kathryn Kennedy. Great glass of wine (or bottle) at a decent price. Another good bottle is Provenance… one of my faves and isn’t overpriced. Or if you want to bring your own bottle — NO CORKAGE FEE

While I’m not usually a fan of chain restaurants, I used to frequent the location in Chicago all the time. I think Houston’s quality sets it apart from other chains. This ain’t no Applebee’s or Chili’s.
When the location in Chicago closed, no exaggeration, I cried.
When I planned my visit to LA, I remembered that Houston’s had a location in Santa Monica, so I was very excited.
My only dilemma was what to order.
Solution: Order everything I wanted and force my dining companion to share. Fortunately, she’s easy going and happily obliged.
One thing I can’t live without here are the grilled artichokes. They are simply perfect every time. Slightly charred from the grill, and served with a tangy dipping sauce, I could eat 2 entire artichokes by myself.
Next I had a Mexico City style soup. I regularly got this in Chicago on a cold day as it made me warm and toasty inside. It has everything I love in a soup: flavorful broth, chicken, rice, zucchini, tomatoes, avocado, and a sprinkling of cilantro. One of the best soups I’ve ever had, and truly a meal in a bowl.
Then we spilt a prime rib French dip served with au jus and thin and crispy fries. One of the finest French dip sandwiches the world has ever known.
We sat at the bar and chatted with the friendly bartender who I correctly guessed was from the Chicago area. I can spot a fellow native a mile away.
Houston’s will always have a spot on my must-​visit list when I’m in the LA area.

Good lawd! Hungry? Go to Houston’s!
The BF and I stopped in the other night for din din and we left beyond stuffed.
I ordered the prime rib and when it came out, I almost fainted. That thing was like ¹⁄₃ of a cow. I kid you not.
The crust was too salty, and after looking at it for a few minutes, I decided to switch with his filet mignon. I’m sorry, but I’m a visual person. If the food isn’t appealing to me, I just can’t eat it.
I mean, it tasted alright, but ¹⁄₃ of a cow sitting on my plate was not gonna work. I got a side of oven roasted veggies instead of fries, and really should have gotten the baked potato. Bleh. The veggies were not that tasty, and kinda dry.
Filet mignon was quite a heifer as well, but nothing compared to the Titanic prime rib. It tasted better than the prime rib, especially after it was dipped iin the au jus. He got the roasted veggies as well, which was meh too.
Dinner was about $ 70. Service was good, so no complaints there. But, for $ 70, I’d rather go to BLT Steak.
PIX–

I’ve only gone to Houston’s in Manhattan Beach. I went here this week and received one of the worst services of all time. The waitress barely came to our table. We tried to flag her down several times. Whenever she walked by, we would call out to her but she would keep walking. She may have been hard of hearing. We ordered a steak — medium-​well, and a pork chop plate. The steak came out rare, and the pork chop was RARE AS WELL!!! Isn’t pork supposed to be cooked fully?
We complained to an Asian girl who «claimed» she was the manager, but she was giving us attitude the whole time. Very unprofessional. I will never go back here again. And good riddance.
I’ve uploaded the picture of my Rare pork chop and my «medium well» steak. Don’t go here!

So when a friend told me that Houston’s had one of the best burgers around town, in the country, maybe the world, but definitely Los Angeles, I almost slapped him. «Don’t ever call out a burger from a chain restaurant!». I went and ate the California Burger w/​Canadian Bacon, now I want to hug him for changing my life.
The burger bun to meat to veggies to sauce to bacon ratio was near perfection. If you’ve ever had a burger with too much bun & not enough meat, or vise versa, you’d know what I’m talking about. It’s a $ 15 dollar burger that is worth every penny.
Taste: delish
Staff: friendly, knowledgeable, courteous, and fast.
Hostess: gorgeous
I also took a bite of their famous prime rib, it was as good as prime rib as anywhere… An excellent cut of meat with enough seasoning on the outer crust, but not over-​powering so you can still taste the pure meaty-​ness inside of beef.
I used to give an earful to those ordering a burger at a steakhouse. Now I’m ready take on the challenge from the next non-​believer.
Oh yeah, if you’re starving, start with the spinach & artichoke dip. Don’t ask me about their sushi, I’m taking baby steps, starting w/​the burger.