Houston’s, a restaurant located on 3rd Avenue and 53rd street, is the restaurant to visit with it’s wonderful ambience and sassy style. As you walk into Houston’s you are greeted with delicious aromas coming out of the kitchen, a large crowd and a live three piece jazz instrumental band playing sounds to the heart to compliment the intimate lighting inside. One thing you can be pretty sure of is that if you go into a restaurant that is crowded, the food and service is probably quality.
Right above Houston’s is a Barnes and Nobles which might come in handy if there is a wait because then you have something to do and won’t have to leave to go too far to have something to do if the wait is long. When the wait for a table is over, you find friendly staff, quick service and the attitude is pretty much consistent with each and every visit. Although the waiters seem pretty busy, they still take the time to stop and treat you with great respect. As a customer, you will be left feeling like you are welcome and you will be willing to leave the standard tip which is 15% of the tax.
As a customer, you are attended to within minutes. They have a variety of drinks and a nice wine list. Often times if you are stuck between one or two wine choices, they might make available to you a wine tasting experience where you can taste and choose which wine suits your need. Houston’s can be a restaurant for a family outing, for you and friends or for a date place because it is a nice and pleasant atmosphere. The dress code is pretty much relaxed. You can walk in wearing jeans, a suit or geared up for a date.
As you open the menu, your eyes meet a variety of different dishes. Their specialty is spinach dip. It has great flavoring and is very tasty and addictive. The spinach dip is served with tortilla chips, salsa sauce and sour cream for the dipping purposes. You could just eat the spinach dip by itself and be satisfied. For an appetizer, the spinach dip is so filling, you might not want anything else. Other appetizers include salads, soups or a grilled salmon dish over stacks of toast which is also pretty tasty.
The menu has a wide selection. They have a variety of different burgers all which are served with fries. Are you in the mood for filet mignon? Come and try the savory taste of the filet mignon that Houston’s serves. Maybe your choice of meal might be roast chicken. They also have a variety of fish dishes, steak or ribs and more. Houston’s even has a couple of dishes to accomodate vegetarians, so don’t stay away if you do not eat meat because there might be something for you. One thing I thought was pretty cool was that if you order non-alcoholic drinks, you get free refills which is a benefit. They also have a dessert menu.
The prices are decent so you won’t be leaving there feeling like you just paid the price of rent for a meal. The setting is intimate and relaxing. You will always be received well being presented with clean tables and staff that keeps you in mind and keeps coming back to check on you to make sure that you are being treated according to your needs. It’s location is close to public transportation being right above the E or 6 train. This location also has good parking around if you decide to drive.
Why not check out Houston’s for yourself and try their superb spinach dip. It’s the best spinach dip you will find in NYC.
