I was drawn in by the menu. I used to get "hot sausage" sandwiches in NOLA all the time, so I…read morewanted to try theirs. I got the sausage bun, and my wife got the shrimp bun. Both were well dressed and had plenty of meat! The bun is almost like a King's Hawaiian. We got key lime pie for desert and it was delicious. The first thing I noticed when entering was how clean everything was, and the two ladies at the counter were very pleasant and patient with the questions asked. The food came out fast and fresh, and the vibe while waiting for the order was really laid back. They give you a little buzzer to know when your food is ready. Definitely coming back the next time we are in the area!

Nice little spot near NRG. Very clean with some seating…read more The prices are very reasonable and fair. The workers are kind and happy to help. The po-boys were Huge. I got a size Large. I love a good oyster po-boy, but it is hard finding one that is reasonably prices. And with ACTUAL po-boy bread rather than sandwich bread. A place like this is hard to come-by with a true New Orleans touch and even name (Calliope). This is officially my go-to spot for oyster po-boy. I do like my po-boys drenched so I will have to ask for extra sauce next time. I am excited to try their other cajun options on the menu next time :) I saw others inside eating their seafood boils.

It had been a minute since I last visited Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, but I stuck with an old…read morefaithful. You really can't go wrong with the fried crawfish salad -- a perfectly made Cobb salad topped with crispy fried crawfish. The service was great, and the overall experience reminded me why this Houston staple continues to stand the test of time. It's definitely one of those must-visit, "run it back every now and then" type of restaurants.

Cute decor. Music was very loud…read more Server was friendly & kept glasses filled. Started with an order of calamari that was nicely seasoned. Then for entrees we got the Wild Caught Snapper with Shrimp & Crab. And a fresh lobster. Sadly the Snapper and Shrimp was so salty that it was hard to taste the actual seafood. The fresh lobster was good.

Look no further for authenticity, flavor, and complexity in Chinese cooking near the med center!…read more Though we opted for more "simple" dishes during this experience, you can judge a place by if they can do their simple dishes well. The mapo tofu is one of the best we've had outside of Bellaire with spicy, savory, numbing, and warmth that you expect from a good mapo tofu. Crispy popcorn chicken is a classic that's spicy, lightly fried, and crisp. It has an authenticity that other places around can't replicate and makes you keep craving more. The portions are also appropriate for their price. Service is incredibly quick, and you can order as you go and receive your dish within 10-15 minutes, regardless of how busy they are. As for the ambiance, it's loud, it's hectic, and it's simple... maybe a stretch, but makes me feel like I'm eating at a mom and pop shop in the heart of China. This place is definitely a go to if I'm convincing a friend of Houston's great food scene! Rating: 4.5/5

I've been a happy patron of Hu's Cooking ever since they opened the year before the pandemic, but…read morebecause of their instant success and local renown from their excellent eats, speedy service, busy-but-not-crowded vibes (see: their 1000+ Yelp reviews) I've never felt the need to drop a review of my own - until just this week. On my most recent visit we ordered mapo tofu with pork intestines off the specials menu - a hybrid of two of my favorite Sichuan-style dishes. The blend of bouncy, savory morsels amidst tender, saucy tofu was at once revolutionary and so obvious; why hadn't I yet seen this at any other restaurant? And sure, innards may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's important for you to know that none of my past orders from the 50+ item menu have ever failed me, whether enjoyed in the restaurant or at home. Maybe you'd prefer the aromatic, classic, perfectly balanced three-cup chicken? Or the sweet-skinned duck, glazed so delicately that specks of sugar crystal threaten to jump off onto the plate as you pick up a juicy slice with your chopsticks? And if you're vegetarian, might you consider the punchy garlic eggplant or the wok-kissed string beans? I could go on. Do yourself a favor and come see for yourself, though I'd recommend parallel parking on the neighborhood streets behind the restaurant rather than the rocky parking lot, to save you some trouble. Bring friends and chow down family style - you'll need help covering as much of the menu as you can, but you'll definitely have to come back to try everything.

I came here for the first time on a Saturday afternoon…read more The owner Ericka explained it was there soft opening. As they had just moved from Bourban Sizzler @ 2114 Holly Hall to two doors down to Irie Sizzler @ 2122 Holly Hall. But it's the same owners. Designed with fun Jamaican decor. Service - Ericka the owner/server was great. She chatted with us, was friendly. Provided good service. There was a DJ spinning some great tunes, for there soft opening. Food - I ordered the oxtail combo $29.49, which comes with rice/peas and cabbage and 2 plantains. With the combo you are allowed one additional meat of jerk chicken or stewed chicken, or curry goat (I think). The food was tasty. Plan to visit again. She also offered chicken soup, which was yum, great on the cool day. Drinks - I asked Ericka if they sold adult bevy's, as I had seen on the Bourban Sizzler Yelp page. She said no, but they had some carribean soft drinks and juices. I got the pineapple & Guava, expectedly sweet, but not overbearing. Wishing this black owned business much succes.

So I recently started to order food from this restaurant through door dash. I went there back…read more2013- 2015 I'm not sure how many times management or chefs has changed there but its going down personally. I ordered my favorite oxtail diner combination with stew chicken or sometimes just oxtail. The oxtail are tasty but too small and too much oil left in the gravy. They are cutting the oxtails in half leaving a lot of fragmented bones in the gravy Try to drain off some of your oil before put in those carrots Secondly! The servings are abit small especially with the oxtail combination. The rice and peas are slim. The carrot and cabbage veggie is not bad just drain thd water off . Last! My deliveries have now started coming in a very cheap stryfoam containers. The last order has gravy all over the bag and the cover partially broken. Please! If you are using this brand of containers use some scotch tape to hold the container together and double bag to make secure. I would eat your food again but just asking to make some adjustments to those few areas I mentioned. Thanks

Heading down S. Main to pick up something at Nellis, I spied Sleepy's and made a note to check it…read moreout on my way home. The $10 shrimp po-boy is good. Fully dressed. Hot sauce on the side. Mayonnaise slather. Warm, toasted bread. I'd order it again. Note: I could tell they're having to use Asian import shrimp, necessary to stay competitive. Good batter. Nice crunch.

The did here is always delicious and fresh! The service is always good and the spot is conveniently…read morelocated in a shopping strip near 610. Very homey vibes! I love this place.

This is an old staple. I never went to this location but was in the area and decided to stop in…read more Ordering was fast but no drive thru, you must go in to order and wait. I understand because everything is made to order. I ordered two fried chicken wing dinners, orange chicken and an order of shrimp fried rice. The food was hot and fresh, you must hold on to your paid ticket to get your food, there are signs posted everywhere. Everything was good and we had 4.5 meals out of the two fried dinners and fried rice, which is an amazing value.

Love this place. The chicken is always good and fresh…read more Everytime I go, I experience good customer service. But I've read other reviews that says differently. I never eat in the restaurant because I don't like the way it smells. But I would definitely recommend.

While there's nothing extraordinary about the kind of business Taro specializes in (#1), the…read morelocation alone is worth noting. Situated directly across the street from NRG Stadium along Kirby, it's ideally placed to capture the slice of tourists and locals. Considering the wide selection of Japanese-inspired fare, the potential is there -- but unfortunately, the food is both overpriced and mediocre, much like their predecessor (#2). Things I appreciated: * Interior: I am fairly confident that one could show up with 20 people from a football game across the street and find a seat. There's enough seating in here to house an army and they've done a good job with the ambiance to keep the appearance of a faux-premium vibe. * Service: While they were generally slow on a few things, most of the staff members I've encountered were super pleasant and very transparent about what / what not to order. I appreciated this immensely. * Yakitori: No exaggeration, this is one of the better AYCE yakitori experiences I've had. The chicken and beef yakitori combos (#3) had great presentation, were juicy, and full of flavor. This was the only item where I wanted multiple orders. Things that are not great: * The price: This. My first time coming here it was $31 (Or ... $30.99), but the last time was $50. With that kind of a steep hike, you'd think they'd offer uni, toro, and some kind of premium yakitori, but too hard to justify considering their lineup of food and drink. * The name: Previously, it was simply "Taro Japanese Restaurant." As of earlier this year, it has become "Taro VIP BBQ SEAFOOD HOTPOT & BAR." * The drinks: I'm stoked they have an alcohol license and can serve wine, beer, and cocktails. But the cocktails are on another level bad. The Mexican Mule ($14.50) was too tinge too sour, the Taro Red ($14.50), Blue Hawaii ($13.50) and Tokyo Rose ($13.50) are way too sweet. Even the powdered milk teas and fruit teas felt very generic. * The sushi: I can handle low quality sushi, but there was some level of funk for almost all the salmon, tuna, and yellowtail that I ordered. It was masked a bit better in the rolls, but at some point, I couldn't order anymore. * The ramen: While I think offering any kind of ramen is a plus in the AYCE scenario, the ramen here is understandably mid. All of the tonkotsu choices are the best bet, but this is a hard pass for even folks that love noodle soup. * The spelling: While I'm typically forgiving of most menu mishaps, the fact one is being charged $50 and they can't seem to spell shoyu, fried, tartare, etc. correctly is kind of mind blowing. * Most of their baked sushi items: This includes their tataki, baby octopus, mussels, ankimo, and tartare. This is likely due to the seafood quality issue that I had alluded to earlier. * The crawfish: Skip. Don't bother ordering, even if it's peak crawifsh season since it tastes like something more from a Chinese buffet than anything resembling the kinds of crawdads from Louisiana. For a place that boasts being run by culinary graduates trained under a famous Japanese chef (#5), it's incredibly disappointing to such such variety paired with such flawed execution. One could argue Taro is more style than substance, but I hope they find a way to correct their course. ____________ (#1) All you can eat Japanese restaurant where everyone speaks Mandarin. (#2) Akashi: https://www.yelp.com/biz/akashi-houston-7 (#3) Calling all carnivores: This is your moment. (#4) "Shyoyu" "Fired" "Tartar" (#5) Takeshi Kaneko? Okay then.

This was my first time in. The staff was super nice and friendly. I'm new to the sushi game so I…read morehad a lot of questions. And they had no problem answering any of them. It was pretty slow so the staff were very attentive!