Not bad. A nostalgic place since a cafe 101 was in my University. I typically just drink here for their sake, but sushi isn't too bad. I've only eaten the cooked ones here because I'm a bit paranoid about getting raw fish at restaurants that don't specialize in sushi. The rice plates here are not my favorite. read more

We alway got trouble with the front desk lady . This is the fourth times . Never smile never say hello n never say thank you . Then got in the table. All the food came without dishes or bowl or anything else. We just have the chopsticks . Asked for couple times . The answer : give me a minute and never come back (The restaurant was not busy ).Again . Front desk lady was mean to the kids when we walked out . I alway gave 20% -30% tips . But this time was just 10% n never coming back ! read more

Apparently the new policy here is to have you wait outside in the sun for to go orders. Their policy will not allow you to sit inside and wait for your order to be ready. Also refused a refund when I found out about this policy read more

Nothing crazy, prob won't come back. Food was not good at all, my drink was decent but nothing to aay I would like to have it again. read more

See all

A staple late-night drinking/snack spot in Chinatown. The food isn't amazing, but hits the spot when you're craving Asian snacks/food with friends and playing drinking games! I also appreciate their for their late night sushi happy hour and flavored sakes. Parking is the standard craziness of the Dung Huang Plaza. read more

ive ordered a bunch of korean stuff from this place and it wasnt that great. but everything else is pretty good. ive eaten many of their appetizers and theyre really good. i just need to stick to korean food at solely korean places. read more

See all

Love love love this place. Many vegan options, bubble tea, drinks. I'm addicted :) my favorite is Kung pao chicken dish with tofu instead

Waitress cursed behind us as we left mentioning how her tip was not hefty enough. What a rude waitress! Clearly heard the f* word directed at my friends face. Horrible just horrible. Being a civil person celebrating my friends birthday, we decided to let it go since she clearly was not going to admit it and it was my friends birthday after all. Not to mention, she was texting all night and did not even give us any water. Happen to come here occasionally for lunch and never had any problems. I was shocked after what happened tonight. Never coming back for dinner and would not recommend for this place birthday dinners. I'd definitely recommend the other restaurants down that strip, way better service than this restaurant. Going to think twice before coming back even for lunch after this experience. Hope this establishment fixes their customer service because at the rate that this is going..It's not looking very good. read more

umm funky smell and there were cockroaches climbing up the wall. So do as you please with that info ! It was packed non the less and they had really loud music , almost like you were in a club. Our waitress winne was nice though ! read more

I usually go for the drinks and on occasions to eat. I enjoy the atmosphere its very lively the food is good and it comes with 3 side dishes. I always get the banana milk, Fried Tofu, Pineapple shrimp and Beef Kalbi. read more

Always poppin'. Food is tasty and teas are awesome. My boyfriend and I come here all the time since it's one of the few places open late. We love it. 4 stars just because sometimes service is slow. read more

Cafe 101 - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

A decent place to eat out at! It was alright nothing special but I would come back but out of the many places to eat at I would go here if I wanted something after midnight hours. read more

Why this place deserves three stars: 1. Good food, good prices. 2. Opens late, convenient for those who get off work late and whatnot. 3. Some of the staff. I've had it with the service from the girl with the straight front bangs that I have to write a review and advice everyone to steer clear of her. She's worked for as long as I remember and EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I have her as my server I just want to scream. First of all, she never comes back to check on you after she takes your order. I'm honestly not asking for a lot, just come by and ask how the food is and refill my water (which she never does). I've had her during busy nights and slow nights. Secondly, I've encountered extra items added to my tab which I did not order. Third, she forgets my orders, this too, happened a few times. And lastly, I've never been able to ask her for the check because well, back to the first point, so I have to flag down every other employee or just go to the host stand myself. I mean, have I been doing this wrong? Am I supposed to walk to the front to pay??? I don't like under-tipping my servers! I work in the same industry but she manages to mess something up every single time. Maybe her mistakes stand out now that it's a consistent occurrence, maybe she just doesn't care about certain tables who don't appear beneficial to her nightly tips. Anyway, I'm done with her and I'm literally going to specifically request to NOT HAVE HER SERVE ME. But it's not like she even "serves." On the other hand, the rest of the staff have been great and they deserve good compliments! I see the food runners more than that girl and other servers do well even when they seem weeded. I know cafe 101 doesn't read or care about these reviews but if you're reading this (because you're probably from out of town), you have the right know what to expect. read more

Let me preface this by saying we visited at night, perhaps service is better during the day. This was also our first visit, may just be a bad day but I don't know if we'll return.. The first thing you'll notice when walking in is the music. I don't remember this place being marketed towards a younger crowd but it clearly needs to be. The music is very LOUD and vibrates throughout the restaurant. It reminds me of an early 2000s club, not even EDM, just terrible remixes in wubstep (I believe that's what it's called?). If you were just visiting to pick up an order or stop by for a treat, it's tolerable. However, after an hour... it's incredibly redundant and irritating. I've never looked forward to leaving a restaurant more than I did here. It's unfortunate because we didn't get to try any food dishes, I doubt they're as bad as the atmosphere. I'm not old either, 23 and boyfriend 30 - we both hated the music here. It's hardly appropriate for a restaurant. I suggest they change their playlist to something else, we're not talking elevator music, just something people can actually *listen* to. But, I suppose the workers can't fall asleep on the job with wubs playing all day... maybe that's their intention. Our visit was intended to be short - we ate at Smelly Pot earlier and just stopped by to try some desserts as most ice cream places were closed. We were greeted and seated promptly, that's about the only thing I can say positively about the service. From there on, we had to flag down a waiter to put in our order for 1 House Special Milk Tea & 1 Fruit Sundae. We also weren't asked about drinks the entire time, so no water or anything for our 35 minute wait. There weren't many customers in the restaurant and I wasn't seeing much food coming out, so I honestly have no idea what was causing the backup. Nobody came to check on us, after 30 minutes we had to ask someone to check up on our order and were told it was coming. Ok... cool. A few minutes later, we got our desserts. The milk tea was okay, I do like their boba here but the tea wasn't anything special as some other reviewers claimed. The fruit sundae was pretty good, the ice cream had an interesting flavor to it. However, by the time we got it, it was starting to melt so we had to finish it quickly. After finishing our desserts, we once again had to flag someone down to give us our check. We left a small tip but honestly, the servers didn't deserve one. In the end, I don't recommend this place unless you're between the ages of 14-26. The music alone will drive you out of the restaurant if you're any older. The food, I can't comment on, but the desserts are okay. If you're coming here to just try it out I'd say go for it, but just be aware that if you go more than 15mins without hearing from anyone, you have to do it yourself. They honestly forget about you. read more

I got kind of sick hours after. I had ma Po tofu. The food isn't bad just feeling sick afterwards isn't the greatest feeling

Great place when you don't know what you want to eat! Big menu, very delicious food. Try it's fried tofu and ribs. Big variety of cocktails but unfortunately sake based only. read more

I feel like mentioning the race of my friend is very important. He is a black male. This info is significant to my review. My friend and I were craving boba. It was very late-this was the only place that was opened. After ordering INSIDE the restaurant, I went to the bathroom for several minutes. When I came out, I found him waiting outside because Cafe 101 kicked him out. I don't want to assume anything but that experience left a bad taste in my mouth. read more

Food is decent but the service sucks! You would literally only see your waitress or waiter once to take your order, and that's about it! They don't check up on you, and they literally disappear forever! It's super annoying bc you're having to chase down some other person just to get utensils or sauce! You have better chance coming here during the day for better service than at night. Music gets loud and hard to talk to anyone at the table. read more

They have a large variety of dishes here, but taste is mediocre all around. Nothing was memorable. Service is good. The atmosphere of this cafe seems to tailor to those wanting late night eats. read more

See all

Didn't get to eat I was told the Sushi bar was not open WTF! which is why I went. I just went somewhere else instead, a good door and window wash in front would b a good idea.Boo read more

I'll always have a soft spot for Cafe 101. It's a great place to go for lunch and Reverse Happy Hour (after 10p), especially if you like sake! As per usual in Chinatown, no split checks with a party over 5 and there is a credit card limit. I have yet to order anything bad off of the menu. All boba drinks I've had are very tasty. All entrees were always superb and delicious. I've been told that some appetizers aren't worth it, but I have yet to order one I don't think is worth it. Try the Seafood Trio or the Kimchi Seafood Udon! read more

Great place to eat and hang out for those late nights. Their menu has a huge variety so there's a little something for everyone. I usually get their calamari and sushi. Love the calamari but they are inconsistent at times. Some days, they're too soft and not as crunchy. The rolls I usually get are either Sunset Hollywood or Mt. Fuji. They're both really good, full of flavor and consistent every time. Drinks are also pretty good. I really enjoy their house special milk tea. Theirs is different from other places because they top it with whip cream, chocolate and sprinkles. read more

See all

My last visit to Houston has changed my opinion on this place a bit. I've been going here for a few years now, it was almost to a point where this would be where my friends would meet at least once a month while living in HTX. "Where do you want to eat?" "Cafe 101 is open until 2?" Therefore it was our late night meet up. Although, depending upon the day, it would be crowded and a wait. The waiting area is also very small, so if it's cold prepare to wait outside. Even so, the restaurant has plenty of tables to host many parties. At night, the ambiance is lounge-like with the music and lights. As far as service, there are a few waitresses that are not as tentative as others we have. Request Thuy for the BEST service (if she's there), she's good at recommending new items on the menu and checks in often--even when it's a busy packed Saturday night. Food is pretty good. Fried Squid is probably the best thing on the menu. I also love their extensive drink (non-alcoholic) menu. They have specialty drink combos that are fun to try (treasure island is good if you like fruity flavors). Boba is okay, I normally do without it. There is also 'reverse happy hour' for us late night people for the weekdays. Overall, give this place a try. read more

I come here every once in a while with my husband and have been coming for the past 2 years. Service seems to go down the drain with each visit. The girls rarely come check on you, nor do they care if you're even there for that matter. Food wise, Hubby always gets the general tsao plate and I get the orange chicken. The food is OK, but our last visit gave me horrible indigestion. There's a huge drink selection which is was keeps my hubby coming back. He loves the drinks with the ice cream. All in all, if you want just okay food with a nice drink selection and mediocre service, you're at the right spot. read more

The last few visits has been really sub par. The quality of experience, service, food has been really inconsistent the last few visits. The menus are worn out, wrinkled and dirty. They have really started to drop in their "attention to detail" in everything, including their food. I have been coming here for a long time. It's a good central location for all my friends to meet up. My favorite thing to order was the fried calamari... But the 2007-2015 version. But now it's not the same.. It's just ehhh bland. The breading is different, the texture, taste. Everything. It's just not what it used to be... The whole place is not what it used to be. But maybe it's just me. What are your opinions? read more

We checked out this place since it was the only one opens till 3am (I think), it is located in Belaire BLVD, to our surprised it has large selections from hot pot, Taiwanese popcorn chickens, bubble tea, sushi, etc. you name it all. The place was loud with musics so it was hard to talk to your company. We had to wait for around 10 mins before they can have a table ready for us. They were pretty crowded at midnight on a monday night. The place had two police officers around the doorway, so guess its for safety? The food came out quick and service was great, even though they were super busy that night. We ordered udon noodles along with popcorn chickens and bubble teas. I definitely recommend this place for late night food cravers. read more

Winnie F. You are pretty cute, sweet, and not a bad waitress, but you have to wash your hands after you use the restroom. SORRY WON'T BE BACK. read more

The food quality, the portions, and value are awesome! You won't find a dumpling as good as these are anywhere

Cafe 101 needs to take a Management 101 course. Situation: 2 waitresses collided and spilled water/liquid all over my back. The two waitress giggled with one another, apologized, but giggled like it was some joke. Glasses were scattered but they thought it was funny. 45 mins later, the waitress handed our table the bill and said, "anything else?" I rolled my eyes at her and said, "I'm not planning on paying for the bill." Her response, with an attitude, "Fine - just asking." She walked off and never came back. 15 mins later, we decided to leave after we finished our drinks (total bill ~15.00). Manager Justin (probably a fake name) came chasing us down with his broken English, "Are you guys planning on just walking off and not paying? This is called stealing, I can call the cops on you." I told him how his waitress laughed and didn't seem sympathetic of the situation and he still insisted we need to pay the bill. What a ridiculous manager. I'm the victim of his restaurant's management yet I'm paying for his poor management. Our bill was less than 15 dollars and he wanted to call the cops on us. He refused to give me the store owner's name or schedule so I can report how poorly he handled this matter. Sorry - the food here isn't great already and now the service sucks!!!! read more

I've been here a couple of times and I'm not completely sure how I feel about this place. I like certain things, but the bad outweighs the good. I absolutely adore the atmosphere as you walk in and get seated. As I'm seated, the first thing I noticed were the drinks. The drinks there have creative names, and the flavours are blended well together. I do have to say there was this one time when I waited in the front for a long period before I was seated. And even then, there wasn't a server to get our drinks. The wait time to get the food on the table was bad. Especially for the food that I was getting. My friends and I all tried different dishes, and when I looked at the price of the dishes to the dishes itself, I can't say I was satisfied. The food was nothing too special to be priced so high and to be waited on for so long. I can say that the things holding this place up would be: their drinks, the environment, some dishes on the menu, and the hours. If you're looking for a casual date night, I would recommend this place... Although you should be prepared to wait. (Idk, maybe you'll have time to talk to one another before your food gets to you!) read more

All my Asian friends hate on me for what I'm about to say... Cafe 101 is my favorite place to get boba. Cue Taylor Swift cause haters gonna hate hate hate hate hate. They are shocked that out of the many boba options in Houston, my repeat business and pocket share goes to Cafe 101 and I don't even care care care care care. I've heard some people call Cafe 101 the Asian "hooters". I would not go that far. The girls are dressed like school girls but it's nothing scantily. I come every Sunday like clockwork for the Honey Milk Tea. I alternate with getting tapioca or herbal jelly. They don't advertise this, but they are flexible with you customizing your drink. I usually get it less sweet and with less tapioca. On occasion, I will get a side of food with my drink. Yes. I come for the drink and will occasionally get food. If you come for the food, you will probably be disappointed. With the plethora of options in Chinatown, this isn't a "foodie" paradise but they offer good snacks. I will get their fried tofu, chicken nuggets or salt and pepper corn. The drinks come in the cutest curvaceous cups. I would call em big booty cause they got a big booty! One thing that's always worth a try is their green tea Heineken beer. It tastes exactly how it sounds, like sweet green tea and Heineken. I don't like beer and detest it but the green tea Heineken is tolerable. Their music is sometimes too loud and all over the place. Sometimes, I'm not sure if I'm at a hip cafe or a hip hop night club. read more

Pretty good spot but then again I only order the same two dishes every time. I either get the Chicken Nuggets with Rice or the Japanese Curry Chicken Nuggets. Both are very good! I think one reason why I don't really try anything else is because the menu is massive. Pages and pages of items but I guess that means they have a lot of variety! read more

This place serves Chinese food, but when you walk inside, it has a very chill, almost lounge-like atmosphere. Their menu is massive. Get a gps, or you are gonna get lost. LOL Some of my favorites are the Chicken Nuggets (real chicken, Chinese-fied, not like McDs), and the Fried Tofu (words cannot describe). They also have a cornucopia of drinks. I tend to get the Blue Baby or any milk tea w/ tapioca. They have some creative ones like the Blue Baby but I personally feel like they all taste the same. I'm giving this place 4 stars because it is very lounge-like and I really dig that. Food and drinks are good but could be better. Good luck coming in with a big party; it'll take you about an hour to figure out how to pay separately bc they don't split checks for you. read more

Who would've thunk that Taiwanese restaurants are now trending towards modern Italian decor. Well, 101 proves it - apparently, it represents what chic restaurants in Taipei are doing. From the Italian decor to the Italian dishware... Anyway, the food is OK - we had fried tofu, veggie hotpot, and noodles, and a complimentary green jello dessert. The presentation was more interesting than the food, but now I know what's trendy in Taipei. read more

What I find most special about this place is the inner decor and vibe. It's dark like a lounge, with bright neon lights and upbeat music playing in the background. Cafe 101 gives off a romantic mood (candle table pieces!) and it doesn't gets too rowdy on week nights. It sets a relaxing ambiance, and complimented with the friendly and haste service, this place makes a good location for a simple date. Cafe 101 offers a huge variety of Asian entrees, from Korean, Vietnamese, to Japanese, and are all decently priced ($7-$11 per dish) with large portions. If you're into variety and quantity, this place is the way to go. Also, Cafe 101 stays open until 2am so it's really convenient for late-night bites or finding a hangout place on the fly. read more

I come here often and I honestly don't think that the food is horrendous. It just depends on what you order. I stick to the basics. Things I recommend: Calamari Fried Tofu S&P Soft Shell Crab Country Fried Chicken Seafood Udon (Stir Fry) Crab Wontons 101 Bacon Fries If you're planning on sushi - - get their speciality roles. The regular ones like California and such are too plain and bland. Not worth the money. Drinks: Blue Baby House Special Milk Tea Green Tea Heineken! I go here for ambiance and because it's one of the only restaurants that open until 1 or 2 AM - even on week days. read more

This place is so gross... it says taiwanese. Hell no! You have disgraced Taiwan. I am taiwanese and if I served this to my mom, she would spit it out. Ordered beef noodle soup, and it was so weird tasting. I have had americanized beef noodle soup but this wasn't even that. It was just weird and left an awkward after taste. I barely touched my food.... The service was meh too... I had head about cafe 101 about their attractive waitresses but it doesn't matter how you look if you suck at your job. Would not go back. Waste of a trip. Only reason I went is bc I overslept and this was the only place still open. Honestly, I rather have fast food. read more

Yelpers have only given Cafe 101 3 stars but I have to say I had a good time and definitely think I will be going back.,. Server was really friendly and gave us a good insight to the menu... They have such a selection of non-alcoholics drinks... I had a good time picking something to drink and boy was it good!!! Sushi was fresh and well the prices were just right.. my husband and I ordered a bunch of stuff and only spent $55.00. Happy Eating! read more

Now I know why I haven't eaten at Cafe 101 until now. We decided to try something a little bit different on Bellaire and since my nephew "calls the shots" when it comes to deciding where to eat, we decided to eat at Cafe 101 to oblige him. Apparently, he liked the three spice chicken dish. The decor of the restaurant is decorated in a trendy modern style with wooden like branches decorating the tops of the ceiling. The chairs were pretty comfy and you were not jammed packed like sardines, like most of the typical Asian restaurants on Bellaire. We probably would have been fine if we had only ordered drinks and some Taiwanese appetizers. The fried squid was too hot to eat when it arrived at our table, but the flavor and consistency was quite nice after it cooled off a bit. I ordered a black peppered sauce with pork chop rice...which I could barely eat because the black peppered sauce was loaded with too many onions, which I can't stand! Also, I think the sauce had a lot of MSG because I was so thirsty after wards and I still had a headache 5 hours later. I have eaten much better pork chop with rice at Santong Snacks..... I doubt I would go to Cafe 101 a second time, unless it was just to order a drink. read more

A long, long time ago in Chinatown Houston there existed a place called Cafe 101 that was hip, popular, the drinks were good, the waitresses were pretty, and the food was...well, the food was just okay. Now, in its place is a structure called Cafe 101, so it's a bit deceiving. The place is no longer hip or popular, the drinks are horrible, the waitresses are really awful, and the food is,...well, the food is the same. With the abundance of late night dining options, Cafe 101 is fast becoming the Denny's of Asian eateries. Better off singing your karaoke at one of the many KTV's in the same plaza...and then stumbling to any of the other late night options in the same plaza. Sorry folks, but Cafe 101 is dead. Long live Cafe 101... read more