Houston’s Restaurant

Always a good spot for good food and drinks.
Pro– Courteous and friendly staff. Start with a dirty martini here, it’s very good. My favorites are Hawaiian ribeye and prime rib! Brownie for dessert is a must!
Con– tiny parking and long waits!

We had plans to eat at Old Town Pasadena but parking on a Sunday was disastrous. Instead, we decided to stop by Houstons. So glad we did! Parking was easy to find in the dedicated lot, and the service and food was fantastic!
I ordered the soup of the day which was the Mexico City Soup. So flavorful! The rice was cooked perfectly. However, the soup itself was a bit salty in my opinion.
I was saving room for dessert so I shared a french dip with my sister. The french dip was delicious! The bread had a nice crunch, and the beef was tender. It also came with fries on the side — ask for ketchup and spicy mayo on the side.
My mouth is watering thinking about the delicious walnut apple cobbler we had. It pairs so nicely with the generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yum!

We sat in the bar area & were greeted quickly. The building is beautifully designed with a very warm, yet clean feel. Our adorable server Andrea was patient & helpful with my indecisiveness about my cocktails. We ordered skinny jalapeño margaritas (they don’t have «skinny» on their menu, but the bartender kindly replaced the sweet & sour with lime juice & agave– so good!). We started with the chips & guacamole which we were hesitant about at a steakhouse, but it was insanely good & clean.
We ordered the tuna mango roll & the hiramasa roll, both were exceptional! The rolls were cold & very fresh. I’m already dreaming about going back for the tuna mango roll!

HOUSTON, «We Have No Problems»!
What could possibly be said, that hasn’t already been said about this steakhouse. Consistency and indulgence reigns supreme when there are many other choices for steakhouses they’ve yet to disappoint.
So there, enough said, if you’re looking for an intimate, elegant, yet casual dining experience served by hopeful Hollywood starlets then you’ve come to the right place to see and be seen.

I love this place but I recently had a bad experience. While lunching w mom, I decided to order the filet. I ordered medium but received medium rare, if not rare. I sent it back. When the waiter delivered my corrected steak, he informed me that «in the future, this is more medium well.» Seriously! I ordered medium! I was fine w the corrected steak, it’s the bitchy scolding I received from the waiter I could do without. Sheesh!
See steak pics !!!

Pros/​Cons:
–I came here for my sister’s birthday dinner and was very impressed with the décor. It definitely sets the mood for special events of dates
–Very nice staff, great food. They serve American food as well S sushi as appetizers, which is an interesting combo
–The food is great, but a little pricy for my taste
Recommendations: The artichoke dip is a great appetizer to share with your party. When I went, we had 4 people in our group. We all ordered something different and then tried each other’s food. I’d say most of the meals you’d order is a safe bet.

Old school cocktails, creative appetizer sushi prepared by onsite chefs, a hearty main course and decadent desserts = Pure heaven. To start off, the ambiance is wonderful and relaxing. It was something like mid-​century meets craftsman is a nice low light with music playing somewhere softly in the background. The light isn’t so low that you cannot read the menu. We started off with martinis and sidecars followed by the Thai tuna roll that had raw tuna, basic, coconut, avocado and macadamia nuts. I’ve learned that I love texture in sushi rolls and this roll was wonderful.
I got the Hawaiian ribeye and a loaded baked potato. This is one huge piece of meat. I shared it with two others, ate a portion and still have some for lunch today. The Hawaiian glaze is more subtle than I expected — just gives it a slight teriyaki sweetness, but does not overpower. Others had the prime rib sandwich stuffed high with medium rare to medium prime rib. The ribs looked fall off the bone heavenly. The Caesar salad was excellent and the potato was perfect.
Don’t come here with a nut allergy. We got something called a Five nut brownie. It was as much nuts as brownie. YUM! We also ordered an apple cobbler to share. There were walnuts and something other than cinnamon. Cardamom, clove or allspice perhaps? Both were served warm with vanilla ice cream. Despite being full, our table laid waste to the desserts within a few minutes.
All in all, a wonderful evening. Thanks Brian!

Spinach artichoke dip :)
Salmon dish
Prime rib
^^ pretty good. The sides on the menu entrees were a bit salty today, but all in all great experience.

Came here for a roommate celebration! Reservations were easy for the holiday and were seated quickly (helps to call ahead, because those without reservations had a decent wait). In front on Arroyo is a free parking lot for their restaurant.
The cheesy bread was an amazing way to start. We devoured it, and joked with the waiter about it being gone so fast that maybe it never came. Cheesy lines for more cheesy bread did not work!
We also got the Thai tuna roll, which had very nice textural elements to it. Mac nut outside and spicy tuna/​Avacado mix with cucumber. Overall good and interesting.
Lastly the steaks– the part we came for! I enjoyed their prime rib which I heard good things about. The meat was very tender and flavorful and cut easily. The mashed potatoes it came with was also very good. We also got the ribeye special with coffee ground rub, which was also good! I do prefer my prime rib though.
Overall very good place. I like that they had good service, good food, and a nice mix of Sushi and Steak.

4.5 Stars if I could for this location!
My husband took me here for my birthday. I’ve been to Houston’s in Santa Monica in the past and I absolutely enjoyed it. However, I have never gone with a big party before.
Our past visit in Pasadena involved a party of 7 (including my sister in a wheel chair). The wait was about 45-​mins long and they were great with accommodating my sister who is in a pretty bulky wheelchair that comes with it’s on desk.
SPACE: The chairs had wheels! Howe awesome is that! It made it so much easier to maneuver considering the tables are set up pretty tight. A downside that contributes to my deduction of a star is their inability to accommodate big parties. They told my family that they can not accommodate big parties over 10 – 12. I would love to visit this restaurant with a big group sometime. I might be wrong so If I am, please let me know.
AMBIANCE: Very intimate and romantic. Their table setting is nice and the lighting is very nice. At a random time of 4:58 pm the lights dimmed… lol! We noticed it during our meal which I felt was a bit too dim for my taste. But it’s not a big deal.
SERVICE: Service was great! Our server was extremely helpful! I especially like how he interacted with my sister as she has cerebral palsy with a silly sense of humor. He had a genuine smile and his interactions with us felt very genuine.
FOOD: We were there for lunch. Most of my party ordered the Burger which they were very happy with. I ordered the French Dip Sandwich which was delicious! The portion sizes were GREAT! Their ranch is BOMB!
DESSERT: Portions were again, big! They presented me with a brownie a la mode with a candle on top ;) The rest of the fam ordered an ice cream caramel. All were yummy!
Bathroom: Clean!
Parking: Private lot. We had no problem with parking.
Overall, I enjoyed it here! It is of course on the pricey side but the serving sizes are proportion to the price. Great ambiance but limited seating. I will be back for dinner!

This is our little splurge of a place. It’s pricy but the food is always exceptionally fantastic.
Walking to the door you start your journey into fine dining as you walk by an indoor/​outdoor koi pond. Smiling hosts and hostesses will greet you and take your name. If there’s a spot at the vast, belly up and grab a well mixed cocktail or glad of wine while waiting for your table. They’ll gladly transfer your bar tab to your table. Drinks are spendy, so don’t plan on catching a hardcore buzz here.
Not into cocktails… watch the chefs in the open concept kitchen preparing top of the line cuts of meat. Or settle down next to the small pond and watch the fish swim in and out of the dual joined pond.
This place has a great ambience with low lighting and candles upon every table. I prefer sitting on the upper section as it seems a little quieter. Staff is dressed in all black and are very conscious of your every need.
Our favorites would have to be the ribeye steak, burgers and my favorite is the French dip. Yum! It literally melts in your mouth. Need a starter… share an order of California rolls or their delicious spinach artichoke dip.
Save room for dessert because their 5 nut brownie is to die for! Finish off with a cappuccino or Bailey’s coffee and you’re set!
Bathrooms are always clean and ladies… if your man happens to disappear for a short bit while using the restrooms, just be warned they have tv’s in the mens room. Seems the place to conjugate when the game is in a pivotal point. ;)
My one complaint is that the servers, although extremely efficient and friendly, they do find a way to rush you through your stay. So be firm if you want to enjoy your night out. After all, You are paying for it. Our last visit they took my plate when I got up to use the restroom. (No my husband is of no help on things like that :/​) I was close to done so I didn’t make a think of it, but they do kind of act like vultures when you’re nearing the end of your meal.
All in all, we really do enjoy this place. Hope you find it as enjoyable as we do.
Private parking and limited time street parking available.

Celebrated my VIP’s birthday here before we caught a Christmas show nearby. We originally wanted to dine at one of the nearby neighbors (the Smith Bros.), but were disappointed that they were not open for lunch on Sundays. So we made reservations here and definitely were not disappointed! The décor comes across as a bit retro, but classy. Lots of comfortable booths, and dimly lit to make not only your food look good, but you too! We started with drinks and the ciabatta cheese toast. My drink of choice, white vino, and his, a Manhattan. Drinks were good, and I must say that I was very impressed that staff frequently came by with a freshly chilled glass to replace the glass that my husband was leisurely enjoying his Manhattan from. As my drink envy grew, I was beginning to look more and more like Elphaba, but thank goodness the dim light kept people from staring. Next time, I’m having what he’s having! And then there was the toast, simply fabulous! A cheese lover and bread lover’s delight with generous layers of melted Parmesan, Gruyère, and cheddar on this wonderfully fresh ciabatta bread. Truly worth the artery clogging.
For entrees, I had Scottish salmon, and my husband had prime filet. My salmon was supposed to come with whipped potatoes and seasonal vegetables, but our sever misunderstood that I wanted to add an Emerald Kale Salad in addition to my entrée and its sides (or maybe she thought I was lookin chunky monkey and did me a favor by vetoing the sides.) So what I received was the salmon with a side of Emerald Kale Salad and none of the other sides. This turned out to be a good thing because it was a huge portion of salmon, and my husband found his filet to be deceiving in size yet immensely filling. As a result, I was able to share his sides – whipped potatoes and red cabbage with feta. All extremely delicious. Especially the kale salad. I am always surprised how much I enjoy vegetables prepared by professionals. So kids, I AM going to try this at home! Our meal was completed with a birthday candle lit dessert, sans the obnoxious group singing. It was a warm apple tart type dessert with vanilla ice cream — details here are a little fuzzy as the euphoric feelings of too much food/​drink took over. We WILL be back!

Let me start by saying that I’m a huge fan of this restaurant chain. I’m doing an updated review based upon the wonderful meal my party of four had today.
I’ve never been here to lunch before, just dinner, but I was pleased to see most of the main items offered on the menu at a slightly discounted price. I let out a slight sigh when I found out you can’t have a baked potato for lunch, but the fries were good (love those with a bit of the potato skin still on them).
I was raving to everyone about the Hawaiian Ribeye. So we ordered not one, not two, but four Hawaiian Ribeyes (I didn’t want to be left out)! The flavor was great, but they were overcooked. Medium or medium rare shouldn’t be medium well with little to no pink. That being said, the steaks were still excellent and had wonderful flavor and our server made sure the mistake was taken care of promptly. You can’t ask for better service like that!
In addition to the ribeye, the filet mignon, melt-​in-​your-​mouth baby back ribs, or the prime rib French dip sandwich shouldn’t disappoint! Get the kale and yellowtail carpaccio salad! Yummy!
Another item that will make your meal special is to ask for warm towel service when you sit down. It’s like flying first-​class on an airline.
John, did a phenomenal job today. He was pleasant and attentive and went out of his way to make sure we had an exceptional experience. John, you didn’t have to do what you did, but we truly appreciated your attentiveness to the meal. Thank you to you and your manager!
How about some smexy pics:

HOUSTON’s was one of my favorite restaurants back in the day. This location & the one in Southbay are the last ones standing in the LA area I believe. Since closing the Century City location, I can honestly say I havent been in years. Wait, I take that back –Ive had dinner at the Southbay location –where they ran out of ribs. Anyway, we chose this fancy, ‘spensive steakhouse as our little date night dinner spot because A, we havent been in years & B, because we were meeting someone half way so we could give them their Christmas gift.
930 reservation was the only spot available so we took it even though our plans were to arrive & have dinner at 830. We show up. Hostess kindly greets us & asks if we have reservations. I responded with a, «yes.» Gave her my name. And she tells us that we are way early BUT it looks like she’ll be able to seat us in 10 minutes or so. The or-​so ended up to be 15 minute wait for us to be seated –which was GREAT! We were accommodated and was eating our appetizer (spinach artichoke) dip by 830pm. I recommend starting with that by the way. Comes nice and hot with salsa and sour cream to dip in for some extra jazz.
Our server John was attentive, informative & friendly. I noticed he and the other severs in our half of the restaurant were all helping each other out to ensure guests were happy. Didn’t miss a water refill nor fail to ask if we wanted more chips for the delicious artichoke dip. They were on top of it all. The space between appetizer and entrée was perfect. And the meal itself has never disappointed me. Its been at least 4 years since Ive had any kind of dining at Houston’s and the food is still as good as I remember. Bomb dot com.
Ambiance — I love that you can come casual or dressed up.
Parking — on the lot. Maybe valet on weekends but Im not sure. I went on a Tuesday. Goin up! On a Tuesday!
Easy $ 100 plus dollars — fyi.
Worth it tho!

Great service and great food. This is a solid place to check out if you’re looking for steaks or prime rib. I’ll even go as far as to say that their prime rib is better than Arroyo’s or Lawry’s. It’s tender and comes in a large portion for $ 33. So worth it. A lot of Unilocalers praise the Hawaiian rib eye but I find that the marinade is too sweet. I couldn’t even finish it because of that.
For their appetizers, they use to make this killer smoked salmon dip. Why they took that off the menu is beyond me. Their spinach artichoke dip is a good choice as well. As for the dessert, you HAVE to get the chocolate sundae to share. Their chocolate sauce made me love chocolate. It’s so balanced and not cloyingly sweet. It’s like luscious satin in your mouth.
Grab your other half and make a reservation. If you don’t, you’ll be looking at an hour plus wait.

I’ve been to Houston’s quite a few time before, but 6+ years ago and at their SF location on Embarcadero. This was my first time visiting the Pasadena location and my first time there as a non-​meat eater. I will say, when I was a meat eater the ribs and French dip are pretty damn good. As well as the thai noodle salad.
This location, for me, is extremely convenient as its walking distance from my office (saving $$ on parking).
We went with co-​workers for our holiday luncheon. Apparently, this is the popular spot for the working crowd, since it was definitely a full house at lunch hour. We arrived around 11:45am and were seated within 5 minutes. We had a party of 4 people.
The service there is great, but I could tell them were busy and overwhelmed. I heard the hostess mention the phone wouldn’t stop ringing all morning. Tis’ the season for holiday luncheons!
Once we were seated, we ordered the spinach artichoke dip to start and bread (I believe complimentary). I’m usually picky about spinach artichoke dip, but decided to give it a try. It was AMAZING! They also included a side of salsa (really good) and sour cream. The bread was a focaccia and also beautifully presented with olive oil, olives, pepper and a tab of butter.
I knew immediately I was going to order the veggie patty. I do eat fish, so there were other options for me there, but I’ve heard nothing but great things from other Unilocalers about the veggie burger and thought this is my chance to give it a go. I ordered it with a side of fries, because they are so good, crispy and thin, with grilled onions instead of regular and no mayo/​mustard sauce. My co-​workers ordered a regular cheeseburger, the coconut shrimp roll with kale salad side, and the fried sole with a side of fries. everything came out hot and delicious. The kale salad actually looked really good, and I’m typically not a kale person.
Review on the veggie burger: ⁹⁄₁₀. Definietly on of the best tasting veggie burgers. The flavor was amazing and the toppings were delicious. The ONLY reason I’m not giving it a ¹⁰⁄₁₀ is due to the binding factor. The patty was very flimsy and fell apart after the first bite. I ended up using a fork & knive to cut it to avoid getting it all over myself. That’s really the only negative comment about the meal. If I do come back (and have the occasion to do so or come for a special event) I will order it again!
The restaurant is nice, the food is great and service is superb. I do feel like this place is for an older crowd, for a special occasion or business meeting. I’m not sure I would choose to come here after work with friends, but maybe in a few years :)

Houston’s is always a solid choice. Great service and great food, and everything housemade, including the buns on the burgers.
On my most recent visit, we were able to make a reservation for a group of 5 for Sunday lunch and didn’t have to wait too long before being seated. I’m not sure if they accept reservations for smaller parties, but it’s worth calling to ask.
My favorites:
Spinach and Artichoke Dip: Creamy and cheesy! Comes with tortilla chips, salsa, and sour cream
Ribs: Very tender, and the accompanying fries and coleslaw are really good.
Hawaiian Ribeye: I’m not sure what makes it Hawaiian, but it’s delicious!
There is a dedicated parking lot, but it will most likely be crowded.

This is one of my favorite places to grab lunch in Pasadena.
The staff is always courteous and professional, the food is great, the décor is dark, moody and awesome, and I love everything about it here.
During lunch time and peak dinner, there can (and will) be a wait. However, there are a lot of tables and booths here, and we’ve never had to wait more than 15 minutes. You can either watch the koi or the grill while you wait.
I love the chicken sandwich here, but my personal favorite is to grab a sushi roll and to add their kale salad on the side. It’s seriously one phenomenal salad, I could eat it every day!
We’ve come here for a casual lunch as well as brought visiting guests here for a «nice» restaurant option.
There is a huge private lot behind the restaurant for parking, so no worries on driving around looking for street parking!
Definitely one of our favorite spots.

This place is a gem in Pasadena. We came here today to catch early supper, and we were starving! We didn’t have reservations, so we had a 15 minute wait to be seated. This was reasonable, as was the parking situation.
Once seated, the waiter took our orders and quickly brought us our drinks. We had an option between ciabatta bread or Parmesan bread, from which we chose the latter. We should have chosen the ciabatta bread, as the Parmesan bread didn’t really sit well with us.
The main course, however, was splendid. I ordered a rib eye, which had a nice mix of spices cooked into it. I had my potato dry, and it was a perfect complement to my steak.
There was no room for dessert, but next time we may try something for the sake of a more thorough Unilocal review.
Come check this place out.

As far as steak houses go, Houston’s is a’ight, though technically it isn’t a true steakhouse. Never the less there are two things that I think set this place apart and make it special:
1) Not all steak houses have Prime Rib as a standing item daily on the menu (Prime Rib Specialty Houses excluded of course) and PR is near and dear to me as a childhood staple, most steak houses offer PR as a special or just on certain weekend nights.
2) BUT more importantly they make French Dip with rare Prime Rib??? I just died and went to heaven! This $ 20 sandwich is every bit worth the price. I am a connoisseur of sorts of ‘the French dip’ and I maintain that this is the gold standard to which all others will be judged. It’s all about the meat! And that meat my friend will keep this girl coming back for more!