Tamieka B.

Finally found a place that does live music. It's small and inside of a strip, so you wouldn't pay much attention. Oddly enough, it's next door to a daycare . We stopped in for Sunday Brunch and were pleasantly surprised. We both ordered entrees, but didn't get drinks this time. I had the chicken and waffles and my husband ordered catfish w/ greens and mac. The Mac & cheese was very flavorful. I loved my waffle, as it was fluffy on the inside with crispy edges. I'm pretty sure it had cinnamon in the batter as well and that's my jam. We will definitely come back whenever we are in the mood for live music. Make sure to make a reservation before you show up.

Ruthie P.

It is a hidden gem for jazz music. A friend recommended this place when I was visiting Houston and glad I stopped by. Amazing babyface saxophone with Steven Richard. When you can feel the music, you know it is a good jazz place. Service was amazing with drinks. Vic was great and provided great service. If you are looking for a date night or friend's night to chill and drink and listen to music, this is the place to try. It sells out quick, so you will have to book in advance. Great jazz place in Houston.

Rick M.

Stumbled in to a local gem and embraced the music and cuisine.....Great time! Ordered a Cajun Ribeye, it came with asparagus and mashed potatoes...absolutely delicious. The music was really alive and the saxophone was driving the music when we arrived.

Shakoy B.

Ugh, I am so disappointed with 3/4 of this place. Before I review my disappointments, I would like to rave about the amazing band Ronnie Coleman and Merlot. They were excellent and the only reason why we stayed. The venue & Food: we attended the feel Good Friday . The tickets were $25 each. When arrived it was clear that it was a very small venue. I received the food and drink menus and skimmed over the options and prices . The mixed drinks listed ranged from $15-20 dollars and the champagne flute $20. The domestic beers are $6. Immediately, I confirmed that the drinks were extremely overpriced. Man, the food was even more of a disappointment. I ordered the $40.00 jerk lamb chops (medium) which came with mash potatoes and asparagus. Honestly, this plate should not have been served. The lamb chops taste like a frozen tv dinner reheated in the microwave, no jerk flavor with a heavy splash of lime. Very much overcooked. The pictures do not lie *. The mash potatoes were just that . No flavor or butter. The asparagus was laughable. Very tasteless, no season, salt or butter . What a complete disappointment. I honestly felt like I was eating dog food . My husband, sister and mother ordered the chicken with mash potatoes and asparagus. As of mine, their food was also very dry and distasteful. The band : Ronny Coleman and Merlot was phenomenal. They played so unbelievably beautiful. If you have a chance, check them out because they were awesome . Take backs: I would not attend this venue again . There is a 18% automatic gratuity, no split checks and the service was mediocre at best .If you do come, I would skip the food, especially if it was the same food choices that we were provided. Just enjoy the music and dj. Seriously ...

Pamela H.

Great atmosphere wonderful food great entertainment Wonderful time. The saxophone player was magnificent

Mahwish S.

We bought tickets for their Valentine's Day dinner and jazz show. A pre-fixed three course menu was included with the ticket. I was really excited for date night and just found out about this jazz club on eventbrite. Doors opened at 7, and we arrived around 7:30pm. It is located in a plaza and had plenty of parking. We checked in with the hostess at the door and she escorted us to the table. The ambience was nice, dim table lights and lights on stage made a romantic setting. So far so good.... We waited at least a solid 45 min after we sat down to be greeted by a waiter. We had to flag someone down to say we haven't been asked if we wanted to order drinks. A guy finally stopped by and said he was unaware we were his table and asked for our drink and appetizer order. We asked if he wanted our entree orders as well and he said he would come back for it. Drinks took another 20-30 min to come out and the appetizer (gumbo) came out 40/45 minutes later. We thought that was unusually slow for something that is premade. We soon realized that service here is extremely slow. All the tables were sold out, but it wasn't a big place and they had 3 waiters. Yet two plates were coming out of the kitchen every 20 minutes. Once again we had to flag down our waiter to take the rest of our meal order. I asked for a lemonade three times before he finally brought it. He kept forgetting and it's already bottled. All he had to do was get it and a cup of ice, but that took him 45 min. The band (Sounds of A&R) started right on time at 8pm. They played a few sets with a couple intermissions. They sounded good and had a different style. Instead of singing regular covers, they put a jazzy rendition to it. Some were hit or miss, but overall enjoyed them! But if only I could have enjoyed my food while watching them. After we finally got our appetizers, it took another hour to get our entree! It was 10pm when our steaks came out. I cannot blame this on the waiter, it was the kitchen that was moving extremely slow. So many people were upset at the end of the evening because of the dinner service. The couple across our table didn't even get to eat. The band had packed up and left around 10:30pm and they had to wait for their food to go. We also had to ask for our desserts to go. We could not sit and enjoy them when the whole event was over. It really is a shame that we got our dinner plate 2.5 hours after being seated. And the food was actually pretty good (like 4/5 rating). Hubby had seafood gumbo which was right on point with flavor! I had the chicken and sausage gumbo. It was just a teeny tad salty but still flavorful and very meaty which I liked. My steak could have been hotter (not sure how long it sat before I got it) but it wasn't cold. It was made to order just as we asked, which we were surprised they got the temp of the meat right. They didn't have steak sauce but it was seasoned well where you really didn't need it. Mashed potatoes were good. I took a couple bites of the chocolate cake while it was still hot before we left. It was yummy. Disappointed it did not come with ice cream because it was advertised as a La mode, but we couldn't take the ice cream with us anyway. I really would have given this place 4 stars if it wasn't for the terribly slow service. Maybe it was an off-night. I'm not sure since this is my first impression.

Porsche N.

I've been wanting to come here for some time after following via IG for a while. I'm so glad I decided to come out. Located in a strip mall, there is ample parking. So if parking gives you anxiety/worries, be relieved. The spot is a cozy intimate space. Dimly lit tables create a nice ambiance. Feels like the BlueNote in NY. Just not as tight! The sign says "Live Music, Great Food. They ain't lying either. Them Jerk Lamb Chops were so tasty. Cleared my plate I was blessed to partake in musical delight from RedLoc Music (Check them out!) Customer service was top tier, immaculate! Everyone that I came In contact with was so very helpful and attentive. I didn't get many pictures/video, too busy watching the show! I really enjoyed myself. Oh and did I mention, they are Black owned Thank you Empire State Jazz Cafe for setting off the birthday festivities!

Jason B.

Mandatory 18% gratuity- No split checks. I really don't like when businesses do this. I typically tip 20%+ but that's based on the actual service I receive. No split checks is just lazy. So someone has to Boss up and cover the bill for everyone or be prepared to cashapp each other. Food a little more expensive than expected based on the environment. $40 lamb chops with paper napkins is an interesting choice. Food was terrible and under seasoned. They said it was a Cajun butter chicken but it had no sauce or any butter flavor whatsoever. Strangely, even though we ordered first, somehow the food came out barely room temperature. The chicken tasted reheated and not freshly cooked. We asked for more Cajun butter but when the server returned she said they don't have any and that the chicken was marinated in it. Marinated? In butter? You BASTE with butter but marinating with butter is a wild concept. And if they did, it sure didn't work. The chicken was very dry. My wife and sister in law both got the jerk lamb chops. They ordered them medium but both came well done. They both seriously disliked the food. Everyone at our table was upset with the food they received. The asparagus by the way was cooked and then added to the plate with no seasoning whatsoever. Don't let my photography skills fool you- the food was really bad. The venue opens at 7 but live music doesn't start til 9. People started coming in around eight. There was a DJ while you wait for the live music on Fridays. TheDJ was really good. Cocktails were $16-$20 and I just went with beer. The beer was served barely cooler than room temp. The server was nice but she didn't know about the drinks nor the menu items. The live music was great though and the best part of the night. It was the ONLY reason I didn't leave upset about the $25 cover charge. We saw Ronnie Coleman Jr and Merlot Music. Mannnn these guys got down! Great music, great energy, great show. I would definitely recommend checking them out wherever they are performing.

Incredible jazz brunch. Music by Roy L Jackson was outstanding and the food was amazing! A must visit when in Houston!!

Almeria L.

If you're looking for great music, food, drinks and smooth atmosphere, Empire State Jazz is the place to be. This is great for date night or a girls night out. The menu was not busy, but a bit pricy for what you were getting. I've been twice and plan on returning.