Service was far beyond what I've come to expect in any place, our server was friendly and always there to refill water/ take our order/ and give the check. The food was perfect, first time I've had a steak I felt I couldn't make as good at home. It's a bit pricey but for the quality I didn't think twice about it. read more

Why is there a strict attire policy but guests can sit at the bar on their laptops like it's Starbucks???????? Also your guac sucks

We went for a late New Year's celebratory dinner with my wife, her sister, and her father. I had prepared for this for weeks--studying the menu and reading reviews. And if you're reading this, please do the community a service and leave a review of your own. First things first: make a reservation. When we arrived at 3:50 p.m. for our 4:00 p.m. reservation on a Saturday, the quoted wait was 1.5 hours--yikes. Fortunately, we didn't actually wait that long, and watching the orchestration at the host stand was fascinating. It's clearly a well-run operation. Once seated, we were promptly greeted by Patrick, our initial server--pleasant and knowledgeable. After we ordered drinks and appetizers (cheese toast, Osaka-style pressed sushi, Thai tuna roll, and the traditional salad), Patrick's shift ended and we were handed off to Niko, who was equally pleasant and knowledgeable. I knew going in that I wanted the filet. My wife and her sister ordered the French dip and the crispy chicken sandwich so they could share. My wife said it was the best French dip she's ever had, and the crispy chicken was excellent as well. My father-in-law ordered the ribs and shared a few with me--outstanding. But let's be honest--this is a steakhouse. The filet was perfectly cooked, lightly seasoned, and exceptional, easily one of the best I've had. It was served with mashed potatoes and broccoli, both done very well. Dessert sealed the deal: hot fudge sundae and walnuts over ice cream--my favorite. So why not five stars? If Yelp allowed for 4.5 stars, that would absolutely be my rating. The only reason for the deduction was the temperature in the dining room. It felt uncomfortably cold--we all kept our jackets on, and I was still trying to keep warm. We mentioned it to Patrick, then to Niko, and eventually to the manager. It took about 30-45 minutes before the temperature was adjusted. To their credit, the managers were kind and attentive, and one came by after dinner to apologize. My recommendation: if you're dining with an older family member or are sensitive to colder temperatures, mention it when making your reservation. And if you notice it once seated, speak up. The staff is responsive, though in our case it took a bit longer than ideal. Fantastic food, excellent service, and a memorable experience--just bring a sweater. read more

To start I don't like to put labels on people, but the people who frequent this place is pure good vibes. From the moment you walk in, you get a great welcoming by the people who is already there waiting. I'm not sure if it was just to my family and me, but even before we entered, the people already waiting outside said hello to us and wished us to enjoy our dinner, l found that very nice. Once inside, the staff is incredibly attentive; I absolutely love it--I really appreciate being treated with such care, just like they do at Houston's. The atmosphere is phenomenal; while you wait, you can order a glass of wine or whatever you like, and right from that moment on, the whole place feels like a cocktail party, you don't even notice the wait. And the food is excellent, everything is of top-notch quality. I love ordering "THE HAWAIIAN RIBEYE--USDA PRIME," and since I'm a sushi lover, naturally, I also go for their YELLOWTAIL SASHIMI. Thank you for your excellent service Madison S. You are a wonderful Server. read more

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My go to place for business lunches in Pasadena. I typically will make a 11.30 and 1pm rsvp for work client meetings. The staff are attentive and they recognize me as I do this often. Food is tasty. My go to are: Thai Noodle salad Roast Chicken: I order this the most for high protein low carb Beef dip sandwich Fried chicken sandwich w fries: this is my favorite but I can't order often because it's not the healthiest. Especially if I'm doing double lunches. read more

Houston's, its all in how you make a customer feel. I recently came to dine for lunch with my 86 year old mother. She was asked to remove her small crochet cap that matched her outfit. Your policy is focused on the wrong things. California is a relaxed/layed back state. There are formal environments that require very upscale attire but lunch at Houston's is not that arena. My finances allow me to treat my mother to any restaurant's fine dining and I enjoy a cocktail that is hard to find and your place offers it. Unfortunately the way my mother felt as a lady being asked to remove her hat to have lunch did not go over well. We will be dining elsewhere. read more

I've been going to Houston's for many years and I never get disappointed there food is amazing everything I eat is delicious. And they have excellent service and ambiance. read more

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I love me a Hillstone restaurant!! I love that at each restaurant you will see the staples offered alongside their regular menu. However, my staple will always be Ding's chicken sandwich. It is soooo good and I crave it all the time. Shoutout to Jack at this location, fantastic server with excellent customer service !! read more

Had a great experience at this steakhouse. The ribeye was juicy and full of flavor, and the coleslaw was AMAZING honestly one of the best parts of the meal. Would definitely come back. read more

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You can't go wrong with Houston's. Love their ribs, get it pretty much every time I go there. Service is always professional, and the ambiance is perfect for date nights. The only thing I don't like is the wait time... but that's expected given how great the restaurant is! read more

We are such loyal patrons of Houston's . It's our go to! We love attending during our birthdays . And special days . We always bump into clients and friends. read more

Houston's Restaurant - Celebrating our Birthday with Houston's beautiful atmosphere and service. - Steakhouses Near Me - Pasadena, California

I'm here often with family and sometimes friends, and it's always a great experience. The food is consistently excellent and perfectly prepared, the service is attentive and professional, and the ambiance is warm, classic, and comfortable. It's a place that works just as well for a relaxed family meal as it does for a night out with friends. Reliable, high quality, and always worth the visit. read more

Was a bit worried because we had children with us and this seems like more of a "date night" place. However, the staff was super sweet and made it a great night for our whole party. The food was absolutely delicious (to the point where we kept ordering more), and they worked to accommodate our dietary needs. It was an overall wonderful experience and we can't wait to return soon! read more

My friend has been raging about Hillstone located in Santa Monica, so she took me to their sister company Houston's. She always talks about how the fried chicken sandwich is the best fried chicken sandwich that exists. I had to try for myself, so we went to dinner on a Wednesday night. I thought it was going to be slow because it is during the week, but the wait time was long and busy. I recommend making reservations in advanced. Upon entry, you'll notice the the koi fish swimming around the water they have surrounding the restaurant. It's pretty dim inside and loud. You can see many people enjoying themselves at the bar. ALL the employees were so friendly and attentive. While waiting, someone came up to us asking if we would like any drinks while we wait to be seated. Let's talk about the fried chicken sandwich now... It was AMAZING. I think it truly is one of the best chicken sandwich's I've ever had. The bread is buttery, the chicken is nice and crispy, and it was packed with coleslaw. I do not like mustard, and that flavor is definitely present in the sandwich. I, myself, do not like mustard either, but I enjoyed the sandwich. It is cut into 3 pieces and comes with fries. The fry seasoning here is to die for!!! Before the chicken sandwich was devoured, we had the spinach and artichoke dip. It came with a side of sour cream and salsa as well. It was a warm dip served with some fresh tortilla chips. The fries were so delicious we added an extra side as well. Such an awesome experience and really made a great first impression on me! I will returning to this restaurant since it is super close to me! This restaurant made it to the top of my favorite's as well. read more

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Delicious food hard to get in. Every time I go here is only by reservation. I'm not even sure if they take walk ins. Even with a reservation you have to wait a little to get in. Food is delicious, everything we tried is always on point. My favorite is the cheese burger, yes, it is a good: the spritz is the bomb!!! The ambiance It's a little too dark for me but that's not a problem. I recommend trying it for yourself. read more

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After a long unexpected wait, 2x the quoted amount, we were seated and had the lovely pleasure of having Eiko be our server. She took excellent care of us despite all of our particular needs. Thank you Eiko! read more

I don't know anyone who's ever complained about Houston's.. You really can't go wrong here. It's known as a steakhouse, but their fish and sushi are surprisingly amazing. I especially love the trout. I usually end up ordering a few sushi rolls, and the artichoke is a must every time. read more

Houston's Restaurant - Trout - Steakhouses Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I have to tell you this is an excellent excellent did I mention excellent? Restaurant I had fish a salad and for dessert was apple cobbler oh my lord. It was awesome top notch five star 10 star it was so good. Parking wasn't easy but the bathrooms are stalls separate males and females. Little pricey but everything on that menu was worth it yeehaw read more

Kicked off celebrating Father's Day lunch at Houston's, a Pasadena Steakhouse institution. Reservations were impossible, so instead we opted for bar seating for 4, which was the best choice ever. Our servers were Honesty and Victoria. Chef's kiss for the food and the amazing service was bar none! Honesty really gave us the five star treatment, checking in on us and making sure my parents had a lovely lunch. Hot water with lemon was always brought. Ice water was always filled without having to be asked. Plates were changed out with such efficiency that I thought we were spoiled to the max!!! Honestly, I had to rave about the service because it was that amazing! Houston really brought it to another level! We ordered the following: Appetizers, we always order the Spinach Artichoke :) Extra Salsa and Chips were provided upon request. 1. Fall off the bone BBQ Ribs ***** 2. USDA Prime Filet **** 3. Seasonal Vegetables 4. Cheeseburger What a fabulous lunch! This day is one for the books read more

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From the moment I walked in to the moment I left every worker, waitress, host, hostess were nothing but fantastic. They are pleasant and seem to really care about their guests. Our waiter was Nico. Super great!! Professional and pleasant! Food= AAA!! We had a sushi appetizer and some tasty guacamole. For lunch I had the French Dip which was yummy and my friends each had steaks that were cooked perfectly. I can't wait to go back! read more

Good food Great ribeye steak & ceaser salad Great service Well mannered waitress Pleasant ambience read more

I have loved Houston's for almost 20 years. I grew up here. Birthdays, celebrations, family dinners.. this place genuinely meant something to me. Which is exactly why what happened to us was so upsetting and honestly disturbing. My group of 5 put our names down for a table on a Saturday afternoon and were quoted a 1 hour wait. Fine. No problem. After the hour passed, we checked in and were told we were "next," so we continued waiting nearby in the lobby area. One issue, the bench that used to be in the waiting area has now been removed, leaving minimal areas to sit when the koi pond area is filled up. One person in our group is 8.5 months pregnant and had already been standing for over an hour. Another 30 minutes passed. Then we watched the NEW MANAGER JOURDAN MOR seat a party of 2 at the ONLY remaining larger table in the restaurant while we were still standing there after being told we were next. There were multiple smaller tables open throughout the restaurants that are used to accommodate parties of 2. At that point, we calmly asked for an update because obviously we were confused. That simple question somehow triggered one of the most bizarre and hostile restaurant interactions I have ever witnessed. JOURDAN MOR stormed over to our group with immediate aggression and attitude, got directly in my friend's face, puffed up her chest, and demanded, "DO YOU WANT TO DINE HERE???" in an incredibly confrontational tone. My friend, who had not even been speaking to her and was literally watching the Dodgers game, calmly answered, "Yes of course." Her response? "WELL YOU'RE NOT DINING HERE ANYMORE." Just like that. The "co manager" ALBERT LUNA (guy wearing the white chefs coat who does not actually cook the food) then came over and backed her up without even once asking something as simple as "What seems to be the problem here?", while we all stood there completely shocked and confused about what was even happening. Nobody in our group yelled. Nobody cursed. Nobody threatened anyone. We asked about our table TWICE after waiting 90 minutes. He did not even know what was going on but backed his wrong co-manager completely and immediately deemed the customer as wrong. Did not even ask for any context. That was enough to get thrown out somehow. Asking for a status update on our table... Meanwhile our visibly pregnant friend had been standing hungry in a crowded lobby for over an hour and a half, and instead of showing even an ounce of empathy or professionalism, ALBERT LUNA shoved a manager card into our hands and dismissed us like we were the problem when we informed and showed him our very visibly pregnant and uncomfortable friend. I have genuinely never felt so humiliated at a restaurant in my life. The saddest part is that this didn't feel like Houston's. Houston's used to feel warm, polished, hospitable, and professional. This felt hostile, power-trippy, and deeply uncomfortable from management the second a customer dared ask a reasonable question. If JOURDAN MOR and ALBERT LUNA are representative of the new management culture at this location, then Houston's has seriously lost its way. read more

The ambiance is great for an adult outing. The service is impeccable and the food and cocktails are always good. I have never had a bad dish here. read more

Had an amazing dinner. Jack was absolutely the best! Refilled our drinks, took care of our kids and was so attentive throughout the evening. Very personable and responsive. Coursed the meals out perfectly throughout the night. Chicken sandwich is legendary!!!! The nigiri is fresh and savory! Can't go wrong here with this ambiance. Daniel the manager... you know what you did sir, and i wholeheartedly appreciate you! read more

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We came in to celebrate our 8 year anniversary. We arrived a bit earlier than our reservation and were accommodated very quickly. Ambiance is upscale with a chill dim lit vibe. Our servers name was Reyna, she was really friendly, extremely attentive, by far the best service to date. I ordered the Hawaiian Ribeye and a side of broccoli. My steak was cooked beautifully and my crisp martini was so refreshing. Thank you Reyna and Houston's for making our anniversary truly special. read more

Houston's Restaurant - Hawaiian Ribeye!!! - Steakhouses Near Me - Pasadena, California

Just called them with a very simple request. A friend who just got out of surgery requested a Houston's burger from his Huntington hospital bed as it is his favorite meal on earth. Seeing as how dining in would be impossible, I called them to see if they would make an exception this one time. I asked Albert the manager if he could make this happen and told him my order to which he replied "that's all you want?" Which I thought meant we were good - but then proceeded to give me some "against our company policy" crap and was very dismissive. Lame. Quite surprised Houston's Pasadena would turn down a regular patron who was ill and just wanted something better than hospital slop post-surgery. Corporate Trash. read more

I am writing to express my deep disappointment and concern regarding an incident that occurred during my recent visit to Houston's. As a long-time patron and loyal supporter of Hillstone restaurants, I have always chosen your establishments to celebrate milestones--both big and small--and regularly dine at your locations on a biweekly basis. However, the experience I had today was nothing short of humiliating and completely unacceptable. Upon arrival with a small group of friends, we were approached and attacked by one of your managers, Albert Luna. Without any courtesy or explanation, Mr. Luna informed us that our party of five could not remain at the table we had been seated at. Despite the fact that our appetizer had already been served, he insisted we relocate, but could not guarantee another table would be available and told us we might need to wait over an hour. Before we could even respond or ask for clarification, he instructed a server to remove our food from the table--mid-meal--which left us all completely baffled. What followed was even more distressing. Mr. Luna's tone was sarcastic, intimidating and dismissive as he continued to pressure us away from the table. As we prepared to leave, his behavior escalated--he raised his voice at us in a highly disrespectful and aggressive manner, in front of other guests, including a professional client of mine who happened to be dining nearby. My client reached out later in the day asking if I was okay and how awful I was treated. As a woman, I was especially alarmed by how physically confrontational his demeanor became. He stood extremely close to me and began yelling and raising his voice that we needed to be escorted to the front, which felt unnecessarily intimidating and wholly inappropriate. Throughout the interaction, I remained calm and composed. I did not raise my voice or act disrespectful. When I politely asked for his business card to escalate the matter, he repeatedly shouted, "This conversation is over," further disturbing nearby patrons. I walked to the front, approached him again by the kitchen area and calmly repeated my request, at which point he became visibly flustered and pushed his water bottle making it almost in his frustration. This incident has left me deeply unsettled. As someone who frequently chooses your restaurant for both personal and professional gatherings, I expect a standard of service that reflects the quality and reputation your brand represents. No guest--especially a regular, courteous patron--should ever be treated in the manner I was today. Mr. Luna is sexist, discriminatory and extremely out of line. His lack of temperament makes him unfit as a manager. Our group would happily comply with Mr. Luna's request and relocate; however, there was absolutely no need to be disciplined and attacked by Mr. Luna. To my concern, this does not appear to be an isolated incident. A quick search of public reviews reveals similar complaints from others about Mr. Luna's unprofessional and abrasive behavior. I am sincerely surprised that such conduct continues to be tolerated at an establishment of your caliber. read more

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My ex co-workers and I have been talking about going to Houston's after work for quite some time now. Finally made it. Ultimately good service. Even during shift change, the service was seamless. I got the veggie burger and my friends got the chicken sandwich and blue crab cakes. All were good! My friends ordered dessert - key lime pie and apple cobbler. They devoured it! They said the best cobbler they've had in a while. My veggie burger was so tasty! Try it sometime! read more

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Birthday dinner review from a while back & last night's dining: Raya our server was beyond attentive: she made sure our drinks & appetizer arrived on time & when they didn't she comp'd it. Just a sweetheart overall, thank you for your 5 star service!! You can never go wrong with filet mingon while trying new favorites such as the warm bread plate with olives. It just melts in your mouth, so tender!! Baked potato is a must, & hubby usually gets a pomegranate martini while I go for cosmopolitan. Drinks are always spectacular, strong, & on point. The servers are well informed about the menu & make great recommendations about the food/drinks. The vibe is classy but chill at the same time. I like that you can see dinner being cooked in an open kitchen while waiting for the table. Wish they had better dessert options that didn't involve ice cream but still always a great experience here!! read more

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Popped in for lunch at the bar and had a great experience. The bartender Kaitlin & I'm not sure the other ones names were so amazing and truly went above and beyond--super attentive, friendly, and on top of everything. read more

2.5 stars but going to round down given the occasion. Decided to make reservations here for my son's birthday as his favorite meal is a juicy ribeye. This used to be my go to place for a nice steak dinner although it's been a couple years since I've last been here. We arrived a couple minutes early and were seated immediately. I put in a drink order with the hostess and also told her that we were here celebrating a birthday. She stated she would make sure to communicate this to our server. Our server brings out the menus and returns shortly to see if we are ready to order. I had to remind her about my drink order which hadn't come out yet. She got my drink and we put in our meal order. We started the meal with the artichoke dip which we all enjoyed. I ordered the nigiri plate for my youngest son who loves sushi and sashimi. Unfortunately the detail that wasabi was included under the fish was not in the menu or communicated to us when we ordered so we had them remake the plate for him. We had two of the Hawaiian ribeyes and one of the wood fired version. We ordered them all medium rare. The Hawaiian ribeyes were delicious and came out perfectly medium rare. The wood fired one was definitely rare which my son did his best with but we decided to have them cook it a bit more for him which they were glad to do. At this point we were done eating our steaks and finally the remade nigiri plate comes out. Once he was done I asked for the check. There was no mention of my son's birthday and at this point I was tired of paying attention to the details of our dining experience which clearly the staff was too busy to do on their own. Houston's has the capability of providing a wonderful dining experience but when the restaurant is operating at the upper end of their bandwidth, details unfortunately get lost in the hustle and bustle and the patron experience suffers. read more

What in the world is going on at this restaurant? It feels like this place has seriously gone downhill. I believe there may be a new GM, and if that's the case, the change is showing in the worst way. Jourdan was incredibly unpleasant to deal with and came across as extremely rude. This kind of behavior reflects poorly on the entire restaurant and should absolutely be looked into by corporate. read more

Amazing service and food! Our server was very attentive and always made sure we were satisfied and had everything we needed. The sushi rolls were impressively delicious considering this is not a Japanese cuisine-focused restaurant. My favorite dish overall was the Famous French Dip Au Jus. read more

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I came to Houston's from the airport and they were able to keep my bags for me while I dined. The staff were all kind and helpful. I ordered steak and it was cooked perfectly. It came with a loaded baked potato and was plenty of food. My friends ordered a salad and ribs and they both also enjoyed their meals read more

Now Houston's will only seat parties of 4 (maybe 5) or less. We were turned away with 6 in our party which was a birthday celebration.

The restaurant is immaculate. The service is ALWAYS great. Friendly, professional and on point. The food is consistently great. Restaurants think customers don't notice when they make small changes, especially when trying to save money. But we notice. Houston's and all its sister restaurants, never downgrades. That's why it is and always will be a 5 star restaurant. Keep it up! read more

Took wife for birthday dinner and was as good as ever! Had crab cakes and prime rib sandwich! Perfect meal for the 2 of us to share! read more

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One of my favorite restaurants. Quality is always consistent and the staff is very friendly. Reservations are recommended because it is always busy. Love the California rolls, rib eye, and yellowtail salad. Convenient parking. Highly recommend! read more

Power-hungry freaks!!! How is this restaurant able to operate under the hands of such discriminatory, rude, unprofessional, ego-centric, manic managers? Every manager at this restaurant (ESPECIALLY Jourdan and Albert) should be ashamed of how they conduct themselves. How can you work in hospitality and customer service when you are neither hospitable NOR able to service your customers? Honestly, I almost feel bad for them if this is what they need to feel a sense of power. BEWARE - even after waiting hours to be seated, you might never get to eat! I was kicked out for asking why other parties were getting seated before mine. I wouldn't be surprised if the people getting seated before us tipped the hostesses and managers - a commonly known practice here - which is why the manager could not give us an explanation as to why they were refusing service. Oh, and you think corproate cares? Think again! They avoid all emails like the plague. I will take that as a sign that they approve of such behavior! YIKES!!! read more

IF YOU HAVE A BABY/TODDLER, DO NOT COME AT THIS LOCATION! I've never been disrespected like this, the manager here in a black suit was so disrespectful to me, my husband and my 19 month old. We checked in and was told its gonna be 15-20 mins so i said alright, we waited at the designated are where the little koi pond is at and my baby whine for just ONE SECOND while pointing to her bottle, so my husband gave her the bottle and she immediately stop. Few seconds later, this manager in a black suit approached my husband while i was in the bathroom and told him to wait outside because my baby is being loud and they don't want that. So my husband and baby waited outside and i waited inside. After 15 mins we got seated and immediately after the drinks were serve, the guy in the black suit approached us again and told me that my baby needs to sit down and not stand on the couch, this is MY first interaction with him so I told him okay and then he left. I tried my best to keep her seated on my lap but as an 18 month old, she has her free will to stand or sit or talk or laugh or cry whenever she wants too and i cannot control that especially if she's not strapped into a booster or highchair, which they don't have. So here I am, eating while keeping my baby behave and seated. But ofcourse she keep standing and i keep having her to sit down, but I don't wanna force her or else she'll cry or yell right? So i offered her my phone so she can watch and get herself busy. Everything was great. Food was served and were in the middle of eating when.... Then this gentleman APPROACHED US again for the 3rd time and said "i know i already been here blah blah" then i cut him off before he even say more and I basically lashed out and said i do not like how he's approaching us, my baby was very quiet and behave watching on my phone, when he approached us and he said that he can hear and see her from afar because she was standing on the couch again, then he saw the phone and said the volume was too loud when it's not so i lower it down to shut him up and then my husband said "we'll finish our meal and never come back" then he left basically speechless. I basically lost my appetite, we got the bill and paid and on our way out when this lady approached me and asked me what was said to me by the guy in a black suit. Then i find out that this lady got a baby too and was treated the same freakin way, i can't even hear her baby from where I am seating and this manager can hear everything like what the hell? THIS IS BASICALLY AN ANTI BABY/TODDLER/KID LOCATION. I've been to different Houston's and they welcome my baby open arms and never get treated this way. The manager here is very disrespectful and rude. Never coming to this location again. read more