We started with the Deviled Eggs which were perfect to start off a great meal. The Kale salad was so unique and delicious with the peanut dressing. The burger here is very good. Although the bread was a bit too much next time I'd order it with a lettuce wrap. The mashed potatoes Colecannon are velvety goodness. Overall it was a great time and the food was delicious. read more

I came here for a team dinner and had a great time. The service was great and everyone was truly so kind. It a little dark inside depending on where you sit but great for group dinners. We started off with the spinach artichoke dip which also came with sour cream and salsa. The spinach dip was yummy, chips were warm and I love that they include the salsa and sour cream to give it more flavor. For my entree I ordered the rotisserie chicken. Didn't realize it was about 1/4 a chicken but definitely plenty to eat. It was juicy and moist! The salad that came with it was also good. For dessert we got the chocolate Sunday and cheesecake. Both were good, not too sweet and just the perfect ending to the night. I have also had the salmon which is good and the key lime pie. Corkage is $25 if you bring your own wine. read more

Houston's Restaurant - Rotisserie Chicken - New American Near Me - Irvine, California

Been a Houston's patron for 30 years. The bar is uninviting now w a waitlist. I Sat at a table the other day. The servers hound you to eat quickly and leave so they can turn over their tables. This was at 330 pm. Not even a busy time. Rarely do I ever want to go to Houston's anymore....... Bummer. read more

Made a reservation for 2 on Friday at 7:45pm. I had another place I had to get to at 9pm and came around 7 pm to do an early check in and ask if I could get seated early. The host said she will try to but not guarantee I was a bit worried but we waiting for around 15 mins the host decided to seat us which we really appreciate it since we had somewhere to go to right after! I've been here before so I know food is amazing here and the ambience is so nice and romantic ! Took here for my bf bday and he enjoyed it we ordered the prime steak with loaded baked potato and the ribs with coleslaw and Brussels sprouts. (You can switch your sides) We didn't order any appetizers because I knew servings portions are huge! Food came out not too long and everything was so delicious! The brussel sprouts really wowed me ! We also ordered the key lime pie for his bday and he love it! It wasn't too sweet it was more on the tart side so well balance since I'm not a fan of very sweet dessert. Overall we enjoyed this place and definitely will be back the service was very good and was very grateful that they accommodate us to get seated earlier. read more

Houston's Restaurant - New American Near Me - Irvine, California

Food: Thai tuna roll (simple, best with no jalapeno) Osaka Style Pressed (nice and cold; amazing flavor Coconut Shrimp Roll (solid flavs) Deviled Eggs (small, fell apart, nice crunch) Rainbow roll (solid, BAU) Service: The entire team, from the phone call, hostess greeting, seating, service field, water, napkins, every detail was a distinctive experience The evening was highlighted and choreographed by our server "Anastasia" she is a asset to Houtsons and the genuine gold standard to the Hillstone promise. Bar: Newport Beach standard wine and whisky pours Thank you. read more

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My girlfriend and I have been going to Houston's for years. We grew up going to the South Pasadena location, so you can imagine how excited we were when we moved to Orange County and found out there was a location in Irvine. Long story short, Houston's is our spot. We love it. It 100% prevents us from trying new places as often, but if it is not broken, why fix it? People always ask us, "Why do you guys always go to Houston's?" My answer is simple. It reminds me of In-N-Out Burger. Has anyone ever had a bad experience there? Because I have not. Both places have a strong culture, consistently great food, top notch service, and fair pricing. It delivers every time. What finally pushed me to write this review was this past weekend. We went out with another couple who consider themselves foodies and even worked in the industry, so we were a little nervous. What if they did not like it? Houston's Irvine absolutely delivered. We had a party of four with a 7:00 PM reservation and were seated right on time. We started with drinks, then ordered the Thai tuna roll, artichoke dip, two Hawaiian ribeyes, a pan seared ahi tuna salad, and my personal favorite, the ribs. We finished with the apple walnut cobbler. Everything was excellent, but what really stood out was the service. Our server Jenna was outstanding. The moment that sealed it for our friends was when she transferred their martinis into freshly chilled glasses. That level of attention to detail is rare. Safe to say our friends are now believers. Houston's Irvine, thank you. We will be back, like always. read more

10/10 food was delicious, fresh, steaming hot. Service went above and beyond. I now understand why this is such a highly loved franchise. read more

Houston's Restaurant - Osaka Style Pressed Sushi - New American Near Me - Irvine, California

I probably haven't been to Houston's in 10 years when they used to be in El Segundo. Was in Newport Beach for an event so had to come to Houston's! Their spinach & artichoke dip is still delicious! The Hawaiian ribeye was good but not as good as I remembered. Service was amazing as always. Ambiance is nice and cozy/warm. read more

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There's a reason why I prefer Houston's and Bandera, their sister restaurant, over any other restaurant in South OC. The consistency with quality in food, the service is Michelin star and I always feel welcome, even when I'm late for a reservation. read more

Houston's Restaurant - Rare steak Center-cut Filet and dungs spicy Dings Crispy Chicken Sandwich - New American Near Me - Irvine, California

This is my go to date night spot. I've never had a bad meal. Amazing ambience and delicious well priced perfectly cooked meals every single time! read more

Everything was delicious. You have to try the ciabatta bread so yummy. The service was great. I was well tended to. It is dark. I love how there is a light right above the center of the table. It's like a spotlight for your food lol. read more

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I used to go to the Pasadena location when I lived in LA, and this was my first time trying the Irvine one. I had a reservation and still waited a bit, which honestly felt pretty normal compared to Pasadena. What I didn't expect was the server and manager apologizing for the wait and taking care of the starter. That's never happened to me at the other locations, and it definitely made the wait feel less annoying. Food was good as always, but the service really made the difference. Even on the way out, every staff member I passed smiled and said hi. Overall, the Irvine location gave me a better experience, and I'd definitely come back. read more

Houston's Restaurant - Club Salad - New American Near Me - Irvine, California

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This review is for the disappointing service that we received from server Tatiana T. when we dined here last night, 7/31 at 6pm. Houston's is one of our favorite restaurants to dine at because the food is always on point. But last night's service left a bad taste in our mouths instead. After we were done with our meal, we were left to sit waiting for a long time. By the time the server came back around, instead of apologizing for taking a long time, she instead made an excuse saying "I wanted to make sure you guys were done with your meal". Really girl? Also, our water glasses were not refilled even after I set my glass right at the table's edge. The server did not stop by to check on our table. Very disappointing night. read more

anytime me and my bestfriend come into houston's we have the best experience lunch , dinner love houston's ". PS add the baked potato for lunch pleaseeeeee read more

Took a break from this place for a few years but good to see that quality has not diminished! Had a reservation at 7:30 on a Saturday and parking was a breeze. Waited about 5-10 minutes to be seated but hosts offered us beverages while we waited. Ryan was our server and he was very friendly and attentive! We ordered the chips with spinach and artichoke dip which also came with a side of salsa and sour cream. Fresh chips and hot dip, can't go wrong with that! The Hawaiian rib-eye was just as delicious as I remember, with the price point at $57- totally worth! The cut was thick and it was very juicy and tender. We ordered it medium rare but it came out more on the rare side. Wish the baked potato had more butter in it but it could've been a simple ask on my end. Fries were comparable to In n Out. Overall very delicious. If I were to be super nitpicky about one detail that would elevate them to the same level as Ruth's Chris which exists in the same plaza space, I'd hope for Houston's to start paying attention to special events like birthdays, anniversaries, etc. with a sweet treat on the house. I know it's silly, but with the dining at this level of excellence, it's honestly the only touch that's missing in my eyes and what kept me from coming back consistently. read more

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December 2024 update: After like 8 or 9 years of coming to this place regularly, consistently and perhaps even a bit feverishly I can confirm still a very chill establishment. it's always a go to and old reliable when we can't decide what we're in the mood for. Easily One of the best local eateries. --Shout out to Diego for always being spot on with service and attention to detail. Top notch at what he does! read more

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Five Stars We had an amazing experience at Houston's in Irvine, and a big reason why was our server, Grayson. From the moment we sat down, she was so joyful, welcoming, and full of great energy. She truly made us feel comfortable and taken care of. She honestly brought my friend out of her shell and made the whole night fun and memorable. Her personality lit up our table, and she made our night. Grayson also gave us excellent food recommendations -- everything she suggested was on point and absolutely delicious. You can tell she really knows the menu and cares about the guest experience. Because of Grayson, we didn't just have dinner... we had a great time. We'll definitely be back and hope to have her again! read more

I love the spinach dip! One of my favorites, as well as the key lime pie, and the hill stone hickory burger. Would recommend! read more

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Five stars for the best French-dip sandwich in town. The ambiance is cool. The crowd is cool. Service excellent. The staff is professional, friendly and well trained. Dress code not always enforced. Good manners expected. Cash not accepted. . read more

Houston's Restaurant - Mike's on the road again! - New American Near Me - Irvine, California

We really enjoyed our evening at Houstons. Upscale American food with some light Asian options. The service was outstanding as the waitress was constantly checking in on our party. They served up some large portions and even came by to refresh our cocktail glasses with cold ones, which was a pleasant surprise. The sushi rolls were a great way to start off the night, garnished with fun toppings such as red caviar that tasted delightful. The French dip sandwich was my favorite as it paired well with the aju and what tasted like house made horse radish sauce. I also had the savory chicken sandwich which was lightly breaded, stacked with greens and veggies. The bread roll they used was on point. Cocktails were made well and had a nice presentation as they came out. read more

This place is amazing!!! Great food great ambiance great staff and oval great experience. I had the salmon which was cooked to perfection and also had the spicy tuna roll and the rainbow roll. Bother were amazing. Funny thing happed tho, Lindsay (one of the managers) came to our table with one of the sushi rolls telling us she was sorry for the wait we had at the door and comped the spicy tuna roll. Weird thing is, we only waited like 15-20 min from the time of our reservation. Obviously I brushing this off because 15-20 min wait from the reservation time is no big deal to me Especially on a Saturday I kinda expected to wait. Guess these rich people who come here complain about that kinda stuff and the restaurant has to give them what they want since they're "powerful" lol. Great experience!!! read more

Houston's Restaurant - Salmon - New American Near Me - Irvine, California

We had an amazing experience tonight at Houston's! The food was incredible, the sushi rolls, spinach artichoke dip, and French dip were all absolutely delicious. What made our evening extra special was our server, Sara. She was so attentive, and topping off our martinis with extra cold glasses was the perfect finishing touch. Thank you, Houston's, and thank you, Sara, for such a wonderful night! read more

It was our first time to Houston's. My wife had the Ahi Tun Tartare and I had the Rotisserie Chicken. Both were excellent as was our service. We will be back! read more

Review for drinks and snacks only! Always a good place to stop in for a drink or two! This restaurant in Irvine features a long bar to curl up to. If you seek a professional cocktail done right then this is the place for you! The cocktails, in particular martinis are done right! And they keep it cool for you as you sip through your cocktail: if warm they will replace your glass with a cool martini glass. You don't a warm drink! We appreciate the great service! To accompany our drinks, we ordered some light snacks. We ordered a side of fries and deviled eggs eggs. The fries are ok, McDonald style with less grease and salt . The mayo sauce with the fries make the dish. As for the devil eggs, I never understand why serve three halves. What happened to the other half. The eggs were ok: I don't like celery in my eggs. Other things to note: make sure you uphold the dress code. Dress code online: no baseball hats. The restaurant gets quite busy on weekends. If seeking a table, make reservations. The parking lot is large but shared with other restaurants so gets busy as well. There is a cover parking lot across the street if you don't mind the short walk. Due to the great drinks and service we provide the bar five stars! read more

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Celebrated my birthday here tonight, and had a blast! The atmosphere was a dark romantic feel, but also comfortable. The food all came out cooked properly, and at the right temp. Knife and fork ribs were amazing, and the sundae finisher was just the right amount sweets to finish off the experience. Our server Jill was attentive and very knowledgeable about the menu. All around great vibes, I'll be back!!! read more

Houston's Restaurant - Captain and Diet!! - New American Near Me - Irvine, California

I grew up eating at Houston's in Texas so I was excited when I saw one was in Irvine. My husband had never eaten at one so he was looking forward to checking it out. The place was packed so we waited for an opening at the bar. The hostess was outstanding in putting us down on the list and updating us while we waited. We sat at the bar and ordered. My husband had the French Dip, I ordered the Thai Noodle Salad. Both were outstanding. Growing up, I always ordered the Grilled Chicken Salad but I'm into Thai noodles lately. It used to have an option of steak, but now they only had BBQ pork or chicken. I ordered the pork, it was ok, a bit salty but I did enjoy the rest of the salad. My husband liked his French Dip. The bartender that waited on us was outstanding with service. The atmosphere is great too. The consistency of everything was perfect. Great overall place! read more

Had dinner here tonight and it was wonderful! The entire staff was so friendly and the service was exceptional. The manager Charlie stopped by to ensure we enjoyed our meal and was very friendly. We ordered the smoked salmon dip, Dings crispy chicken sandwich, and ahi tuna salad - all were 10/10. We love Hillstone restaurants and the food was, as always, delicious! read more

From start to finish it just wasn't a good experience unfortunately we were excited to try this place, but we're quickly disappointed from Service to food just seemed very mediocre. I would suggest not coming on a Friday evening as service is very delayed and food was lukewarm.. read more

What can I say about Houston's except that it exudes class, sophistication and deliciousness. I come here occasionally for lunch. I've had a few different items, but I can't seem to try anything new because the few items that I've tried are so delicious that I just keep going back to them. You probably wouldn't think that this is the type of place that you would order sushi at, but I have to tell you they have some of the best sushi. A couple of their rolls have some unusual (non-standard typical sushi roll) items that go into them that you'd think wouldn't make sense, but once you put it in your mouth it all makes sense! The THAI TUNA ROLL has macadamia nuts, jalapeño, tuna, and avocado wrapped in white soy paper which comes with a mayo based sauce on the side that is wonderful. The COCONUT SHRIMP ROLL is another delicious one that has toasted coconut, shrimp, and avocado wrapped in white soy paper. The toasted coconut really pairs well with the other ingredients in this roll. I'm also a huge fan of their PAN-ASIAN NOODLE SALAD that I usually get with chicken. The mango, mint, chicken, avocado, basil, tomatoes, peanuts, lettuce and noodles work in harmony together to create a symphony of flavors on my tongue that just hits right. I have recommended this salad to dozens of people and every one of them has loved it. Vegetarian friends can omit meat and have it with extra avocado which tastes great. When in season I always love getting their GRILLED ARTICHOKE which comes with an amazing remoulade dipping sauce. Do yourself a favor and get extra remoulade! The service is ALWAYS top notch; seriously the best and most professional around. All of the servers work as a TEAM. read more

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We have been coming to Houston's for over 20 years. Food and service are always excellent. Unfortunately, they separated us from our children last night as we had a party of 6. Not just separate tables, but had our daughters at a table across the restaurant from each other. Despite asking the manager- he said that it was policy. I would only recommend for parties under 6, and don't go here unless you want your family separated like ICE. read more

MY VERY FAVORITE PLACE in CA. (Irvine area) The artichokes are amazing, the French dip is amazing, the ribs are the best in the country (slow cooked, fall off the bone amazing). read more

I wasn't expecting much from this place as I do not usually go for older looking chains but I was genuinely surprised with how good it was. Ordered: Brussel sprouts Artichoke dip Ribs Steak Everything was very good but I would hold off on the sprouts as it was steamed rather than typical baked or fried The MEATS OMG. Quite honestly the best ribs and steak I have had in years. The flavoring was perfect. Even good the next day as leftovers! The baked potato was alright, I would suggest the fries. Parking is in a shopping center with security walking around. No valet available read more

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Uptight management for no reason. Maybe because I just ran a 5k me and my party got turned away read more

Me and my family have tried to eat here multiple times . Over the phone the host was so rude and completely dismissive when trying to make a reservation. recently me and my father went to have a meal there and the hostess was so rude straight away commenting on our clothing in a very dismissive demeanor . We used to love going to Houston's but we will no longer be returning based on how horrible and disrespectful the service we've received has been. I do not recommend this restaurant to anyone planning on dining there. read more

Extremely rude front of house staff. Good sandwiches, but you sell sandwiches and are a national CHAIN. Don't try to act like you're Atelier Crenn. Hillstone restaurants were cool 25 years ago, but now they're clearly delusional. read more

Nothing but praise for Houston's. We started with the Nigiri plate and had the salmon and spare ribs as entrees. They were all delicious. Our server Madison was fantastic. It's rare these days that you can count on great food, service and atmosphere. read more

So as an avid foodie and wine drinker I've got some very sad news happening with The Hillside Restaurant Group, including Houston's. Myself and a group Of friends dined there recently and enjoyed the food and the service. Some major disappointments including not being allowed to use our own stemware. This is the first I've ever heard of a restaurant not allowing a patron to bring and use their own stemware. I brought two very nice wines and their lobby glasses with a thick lip just didn't cut it. On top of this they are now charging $25 per bottle corkage. IMO, if a restaurant is going to charge $25 corkage they need to supply decent stemware. Not some crappy Libby glasses that do the wine no justice. I'm not sure what the line of thinking was here, but clearly someone made this decision that doesn't enjoy a fine glass of wine. The message is very clear here and I'll be dining at home with my wine instead of visiting Houston's. Pricing has gotten way out of control. Again, the food was excellent, but we won't be back any time soon. Also, Just a note, that we did purchase a cocktail before dining as well. They clearly don't need my business, as they seem to be doing just fine. On to the next.... read more

Houston's Restaurant is one of the BEST places to dine in OC. The menu and service is consistently outstanding and I've been coming here for more than 15 years. Special shout out to the GM Charlie who makes sure every guest is greeted and enjoying the best dining experience. read more

My favorite Restaurant by far, service and food are always on point...! my usual is typically two sushi rolls and the chicken sando. What I love so much about this place are the employees they just make you feel like you're somewhere special ! read more

Great ribs and a beautifully designed space -- the restaurant itself really makes an impression. The experience, though, can feel a bit hit-or-miss. The atmosphere leans a little snobby at times, especially if you're not a regular, and the staff can come across as rude and rigid while enforcing some quite stodgy house rules. I stopped in for a business lunch with my boss and ran into an odd moment when they tried to take away my water bottle I carry with me everywhere and told me I would have to drink theirs. Then tried to take my water. Invasive and rude overreach. Just wish the hospitality matched the quality of the ribs. read more