Houston’s Restaurant

The service was excellent and the food was delicious. My wife’s burger was really quality and I had the crispy shrimp roll and a salad with the soup. We will plan to come back here again for sure. Nothing like a good meal on your day off. They really seem to know exactly what the customer wants and how to provide it.

It’s a Monday night. I ordered a New York steak it was burnt and I told the waitress about it she took it back and asked if I wanted a different type of steak n that was terrible. They rushed my food. And told me I couldn’t order anything else. Will never go here again. The worst place alive and the manger is a asshole.

Today will be my last visit to Houston’s. When we arrived to Houston for dinner I was told by the host the wait time will be a 45 minute wait, I expected that at Houston’s on a Saturday evening. I gave the host my name and told her that would be fine as I walked to the restroom. I counted 4 open tables that was not being used by anyone. I’ve waited about 10 minutes and decided to walk out to the floor again and the same 4 open tables on the floor not being used at all. After waiting for about 25 minutes my name was called to sit in the bar area at a small table near the door. I asked the gentleman could we sit in one of the open 4 tables in the dinning area and he said those table were for other customers and if we were not going to take this table in the bar area we will have to go back on the list «and it will be the quoted time of a 40 – 45 minuet wait» (we been waiting for 20 minuets at this time). I told the gentleman (see picture) will wait for a table in the dinning area and thank you. After waiting another 15 miuets I walked in the dinning area and counted 3 open tables. I asked this young lady at the host station (the manager) why do the staff tell customers there’s a 45 minute wait when your restaurant have about 4 open tables in the dinning area? The manager looked up at me and said people being seated now and kind of gave me this look of dismissal and said «Thank You». I continue to wait another 10 minutes and I went out on the floor again and counted about 3 tables at this time that was still not being used. Now at this time customers were walking into the lobby and being seated before us. We asked to speak to the Manager and she stated those people had reservations however, there were still open tables in the dinning area. We stated to the Manager it’s been about an hour wait and she told us we only been waiting for 46 minutes for a table. We were finally seated in our server name was Melissa and she was very nice to us however the manager and the hostess staff made our dining experience unpleasant.

Food was so incredible! Our waitress Chavonne was superb as well! She literally sets the bar on what it means to give amazing customer service. She was in tune with all of our needs, consistent with her visits to our table and understood all of our needs. I would recommend anyone in the Manhattan Beach area to try this Houston’s location. Ask for Chavonne!
You won’t be sorry!
Happy New Year!

The wait was pretty long, but expected for a Friday night. You can wait at the bar, which is nice and pretty roomy.
Highlights — French dip, ribs, and ribeye. All pretty delicious, but especially that French dip! I’ve heard the food is microwaved here and I find it really hard to believe.
Disappointed with the spinach dip, but I would try other starters.
Service and dessert were spot on. We had a great waitress, food was timely (thanks to those hypothetical microwaves) and food was well-​prepared. Try the hot fudge sundae. That seals the deal.

I always forgot how good Houston’s is until I go there again to eat the food. This location is in Manhattan Beach and it’s nestled in a small corner in the shopping center. I came here on a Tuesday night and it was pretty packed. I would definitely recommend making reservations. Since it is located in a shopping center, there is plenty of parking. I got seated right away since we had reservations. I got a few items to share with the table:
1. Yellowtail sashimi salad — This came with a kale salad. I know that kale is the new trendy health food item lately and I haven’t really been into it. But, I have to admit, I liked the kale here. I am not sure if it is the way that it was cooked or the dressing, but it was delicious. The sashimi was a also really fresh.
2. New York strip — Delicious! The meat was juicy and tender. I also ordered French fries as a side and the fries were tasty and crunchy.
3. Hawaiian ribeye — I normally like ribeye more than the NY strip, but I thought the NY strip was more tender and flavorful. Also, I thought the dressing on the meat was a little too sweet for me.
4. Apple pie — I thought the pie was interesting. It was WAY too sweet, but it was good to share with the table. I also liked the ice cream that came with the dessert.
Overall, a pleasant experience for dinner. I would definitely come here again. I just need to remember that it is here.

My family and I had a HORRIBLE experience at this location on New Year’s eve. I made a reservation and when we arrived we had to wait about 45mins; no problem. So ten of us (half are from the east coast) walked over to the bar area to have some cocktails and relax. We ran into a friend that had been dining there for quite some time unbenounst to us. He proceeded to spend $ 100 buying everyone a drink. I have been dining at Houston’s since I was a child at different locations throughout D.C. (back in the day Georgetown) and N.J. We were invited to sit with this friend who purchased our round of drinks. We obliged and sat down. About ten mins later a manager came over and rudely said you must vacate this table. We didn’t understand why so since he was being rude, so I requested that the General Manager; JEREMY ZINK come over so I could inquire about what was going on. Well, here is where it all went down hill and part of me feels like he was so rude because we are all professional African-​Americans. JEREMY came over to the table very aggressively and said you must get up now. I asked him if we could talk as I just wanted to ask some questions and explain the story. He completely humiliated us and said I am not speaking to you and if we don’t leave he is calling the police. (Everyone in my family is completely professional and we were blown away by his rude, aggressive attitude.) We proceeded to ask if we could explain the situation, but instead he walked away briskly and called the police. A police officer took me outside very nicely so I could explain what happened. He proceeded to ask JEREMY to come outside; which he did. JEREMY came outside like a mad man yelling and said «I want them out.» The police office was perplexed and apologized for him. The police officer said that I can tell you are good people and don’t deserve this treatment. The officer suggested that I call the cooperate office and complain after leaving the restaurant. In short, we were all thrown out and it was the most humiliating experience ever!!! JEREMY ZINK should not be managing a restaurant with his bad nasty, disrespectful attitude.
Yesterday, I called cooperate at Hillstone and the woman I spoke with had a very dismissive attitude as well. I guess they stick together. Years ago Houston’s had an excellent reputation, but looks like its deteriorated with low level; rude people. After explaining the issue she apologized but never asked for my phone number to follow up with me. I’m done with dining at Houston’s; especially after the issue was not handle with grace and sophistication on the part of management. It doesn’t appear that people of other races are welcome and appreciated.
Good Luck if you ever have to deal with this HORRIBLE manager JEREMY ZINK!
Due to the severity of this issue a complaint was filed with the CA BBB. Houston’s corporate entity was given every opportunity to address the issue, but refused and blew it off therefore it has been escalated to the BBB!

The steaks and prime rib are good, but this restaurant does not offer what is should considering the price. It’s just as or nearly as expensive as steak houses/​continental restaurants in the city and Beverly Hills, but it does not offer nearly as an extensive or sophisticated menu.
1) Sides: Houston’s offers, among other things, dirty rice and coleslaw as sides. Seriously, coleslaw? MMM, you know, I was going to drive into the city to have truffle mac&cheese and sauteed mushrooms, but the coleslaw is just too resisting. I hope you can pick up on the the sarcasm, because I’m laying it on like butter, real thick… which leads me to my second point.
2) An upscale restaurant that does not offer complimentary bread and butter. This comes off as a blatant attempt to save money at the expensive of customer satisfaction. Do me a favor, serve the bread and just hide the cost in the menu… like every other upscale restaurant does.
3) Deserts: Frankly pathetic. Here’s a tip: outsource some deserts. It’s really quite simple.

I’m usually a big fan of Houston’s but I didn’t have a great experience tonight. I got the filet and my husband had the prime rib. His prime rib was outstanding! My filet had a strange sauce on it that was not edible. The sauce made both my husband and I not feel great. I ate the parts of the filet that did not have the sauce but could not eat the other part. All of the veggies were outstanding as well as the cocktails. We informed the waiter that the sauce was not edible. We likely won’t return which is unfortunate.

Ugh, the size of the $ 13 salad has seriously been compromised. If there was a cup of lettuce, I’d be surprised. Three times now I’ve notice the size of the salad has been less than adequate… almost embarrassing as it sits atop the plate. Delicious, but certainly not abundant.
Thai steak salad was decent, as were the iced teas and service. But I sure hope the salad size improves… it’s a bit unsettling to enjoy lunch when you’ve been a regular for many, many years only to see the size of the servings become so small that it almost isn’t worth ordering… and absolutely not worth the price. Come on Hillstone, get with it.

I’ve been here often for lunch with clients and will continue coming here because there aren’t too many business lunch spots in the area.
The main dishes and salads are good but the 3-​star review is for mediocre appetizers and similarly mediocre service.
First, the positives, I usually stick to the ahi tuna salad. It’s pretty awesome– filling but light and doesn’t put you in a food coma. And importantly, it’s easy to have a conversation while eating this dish. No using your hands, cutting up pieces of food, etc. Just poke and eat. How simple is that?
The rosemary foccocia is also awesome. It’s $ 3 but easily worth double the price. You get four large pieces and the bread is wonderful. I get this for the table every time. Yes, every time, no exceptions.
The appetizers are a bust. I’ve had every single appetizer our there and every time I wonder if they got inspiration from Applebee’s. For example the artichoke spinach date is child’s play– yes, it would be great for little Johnny. They call it «Chicago style» but honestly it looks like a pile of turd, something you’d find left over at someone’s apartment a week after the Super Bowl. The smoked salmon is too tough. The presentation is unappetizing because they hot smoke it– it breaks off in an ugly manner. And because it’s hot smoked, the meat is too tough. I could go on about the other appetizers but I think that’s enough =D
The service ranges from satisfactory/​acceptable to amateur. In a business lunch meeting with clients, patrons may not be ready to order because, heaven forbid, they are conducting business. But many times, they interrupt mid-​conversation (this would likely never happen at Capital Grille, one of the best chain restaurants to do business at). Or the servers get annoyed and frustrated and ignore you altogether until you have wave, or shout, them down. And because they’re so busy during lunch time, this is difficult to do.
The seating arrangements are cramped. They fit four to a booth when it should only be three max. A good way to get cozy with your dining mates? Don’t count it.
Ample parking in the shopping center. No complaints there.

Not overly expensive but still a classy place with a good reputation. First, cocktails are made well. Never had a bad drink here. Wine section is also nice and price per bottle doesn’t seem to have a high markup which is rare for restaurants. The food … terrific. Favorites are the prime rib and Hawaiian Rib Eye. Even the basic green salad with cheese, bacon bits and crunchy croutons is tasty. All sides are good but of course my favorite is the loaded baked potato. Sandwiches are also offered (french dip is incredible!). If you’re not into steak, chicken, salmon and even sushi are other good options. Houston’s is one of our favorite places in Manhattan Beach and works great for a romantic date night, casual get together with friends or a nice choice when celebrating anything special.

Amazing food and service! I would highly recommend this place! Food is great and the price is very reasonable! I can’t wait to go back! Waiting for someone’s birthday to come back!
Had the rotisserie chicken! The mashed potatoes are amazing as well! Again, I would highly recommend it!
I would suggest to make a reservation. Went on a Tuesday and it was pretty busy. To me it means this place is great! And it was!

One of favorite restaurant chains. The service is always great from the minute you arrive to the minute you leave. I love the fact you have plenty of private lot parking to make easy to park. Let’s start off with the hostess who greeted with a smile and hello. After arriving we where seated right away.
After being seated no more then three minutes they came over to take are drink order and explain the daily specials. We started with the spinish deep that is always excellent. I love the fact they have a great vegetarian menu as my guest is a vegetarian. I would highly recommend the ribs if you are a person who loves ribs.
I love their Cesar salad that is outstanding. They have numerous salads that you will enjoy. Also check on the fish special as the salmon was outstanding. If you are coming here from a drink or dinner you will enjoy your time. No questions you will get great customer service from A to Z.

I used to go to Houston’s a lot to celebrate special occasions when I lived in Pasadena. It’s been a long long time since I’ve been to one.
After reading a review about a $ 20 sandwich at Houston, I was curious. I knew I would be in the area and I made sure I stop by to find out for myself.
The place was packed when I got there. It’s a busy business lunch spot, but I scored the last chair at the bar. Yes!
French Dip Au Jus sandwich ($ 20) — thinly sliced roasted Prime Rib pilled high on a toasted French Roll. It came w/​fries, au jus and horseradish sauce. The beef was tender and cooked perfectly (Medium rare) so delicious! The French roll was the perfect vessel for this dish. It did not break apart when dipped in the au jus. The fries were super good specially dipped in their siracha mayo. Yum yum yum! It’s expensive, but well worth every penny.
Service was friendly and fast.
Looking for a good sandwich, you’ve got to try the French Dip here. It’s fantastic!!!
2015 Review #116

Craving a good, I mean GOOD steak… like a boss steak… Godfather steak… last meal on Earth steak-​Houstons it is!!! Ribeye is served sweet — its Hawaiian style. NY steak is melted buttery, crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside heavenly goodness. Accompanied with a red wine or Martini filled to the rim garnished with green olives! I feel like a badass now! Great place for a special occasion — its on the pricy side– but once in a while its a nice treat! Perfect Romantic Date night place!

My fiancé and I received a gift card last year and finally used it! Lol and I’m so glad we did! The location is in a nice area, but it’s in the corner, a little bit hidden. We made reservations so the wait wasn’t long at all. Our waitress’ Melissa, I forgot the other waitress’ name, blonde hair super friendly, but they were amazing! Greeted us with smiles, giving us their favorites from the menus, and providing awesome service!
So as far as the food goes… Delicious! We started with sushi rolls off their appetizer list. Pretty awesome! I also ordered a dirty martini with the prime rib sandwich with the au jus. Everything about that sandwich was on point! I also ordered a side of the stringy broccoli, which was extremely tasty! My fiancé ordered the prime rib with baked potato… On point again! I highly highly recommend Houston’s to any one!
The prices are reasonable and staff is friendly and professional! Lighting is a little dark for me, but the ambiance had a great feel to it!

Houston’s Restaurant in Manhattan Beach continues the strong legacy of what is becoming a gigantic chain.
I have always enjoyed the interiors that The Hillstone Group seem to put together. They are classy, modern and chic, yet accessible and warm. Houston’s is no exception and adds a wide open kitchen to their condensed floor plan and their service persons maybe the best collection that Hillstone has had to date. Everything from the menu to the service to the vibe in the air just flows together effortlessly.
Houston’s offers an augmented menu to its sister locations but the kitchen appears to remain focused and all of the usual suspects appear including their mouthwatering Cheeseburger, Asian Chicken and Noodle Salad and Center Cut Filet. They also added a Crispy Chicken Sandwich worthy enough for a mention.
The star of the menu however is the French Dip Au Jus. Less is more in this devilishly simple creation of thinly sliced roasted Prime Rib on a French roll with Mayonnaise. The beef is incredibly delicate and turns to butter when immersed in the piping hot Au Jus. At $ 20.00 cheap it is not but if you are going to go, go big. Pair with the shoestring Fries and dip said Fries in their Sriracha Aioli for instant divinity. A frosty IPA closes the deal nicely.
The only complaint I can possibly muster outside of the considerable price tag is that Douchebag culture can be found in mass aggregation within the restaurants walls, but this is the case for the majority of the restaurants in the area at this price point and obviously not the fault of the establishment.

Went here for a colleague’s going away party. We had the two tables immediately as you enter in the bar area. We were a boisterous bunch once we were high, and stayed here from 5:00 PM till 9:45 PM.
I had the following
Long Island (3)
Martini
BBQ Pork Ribs.
Pecan Apple Cobbler with Vanilla Icecream
Pros:
1) Our waitress Melissa was very efficient. Kept the drinks flowing, and lots of water the last hour to sober us all up. She did an amazing job. *Applause*
2) Alcohol was strong. Long Islands packed a punch.
3) Portions of food was very generous.
4) Dessert was excellent.
Cons:
1) There was nothing special about the Ribs.
I would definitely come back here if I was in this area. It was a very memorable dinner according to all our colleagues.

Good all around American food. Almost a formal feel to it but you can go casual as I saw a lot of other people dressed in shorts and some with ties. Houston’s is good. The menu is limited which is a downer for me since I personally like to have a lot to choose from. The food is good though. The prices should be a bit more customer friendly though as salads were easily over $ 15 and the freshly made sushi was $ 13+ as well.
There were 3 – 4 steak dishes and I went with the Hawaiian ribeye with the loaded baked potato. The soy sauce was a bit overpowering but My ribeye was cooked to perfection, tasty and juicy!
Service was awesome as well and there’s FREE parking. I recommend you make a reservation as it does get packed. We wait an extra 5 – 7 mins past our reservation time.