I love this place for a quieter evening with friends overlooking the lake. Great wines, prices and a chocolate board. Never had any of the actual entrees here.
I've been here many times, but the last couple times, I've left disappointed mainly due to the high price and food that doesn't meet expectations. A friend and I visited here for a girls get-together. We ordered several appetizers - meatballs, hummus and meat/cheese charcuterie. I had a couple glasses of wine, and she had a couple martinis. The wine selection was good as always, but I'd definitely recommend going during happy hour instead because of the price. The appetizers are also overpriced unless you go at happy hour. I love cheese, but the charcuterie board left so much to be desired. I should have taken a photo of it. First, the cheese selection wasn't good. I have no idea what the cheeses were because the waitress didn't explain them as they are supposed to, other than the blue cheese. I really think blue cheese isn't really a charcuterie quality cheese. I feel that the only reason it made it to the board was because the restaurant had it laying around as one of the common cooking cheeses. The other cheeses tasted good, but they were so stingy with the tiny portions. The meats were flattened underneath the pile of fruits and nuts, so I had to dig through all of that to get to them. They were good, though. The bread was thin and flimsy, so it was hard to spread any cheese on it. The hummus was good, but they didn't give us enough bread. We could have asked for more, I suppose. The meatballs were tasty, but I think they were a little well-done. The bill was expensive, even with my $20 Open Table reward check. I don't think the quality matched the price tag. I probably will only be back for happy hour in the future. One good thing - the view and ambiance is great.
Stacy H.
I can't comment on the food or wine except to say that it was very expensive- because we were never served. We came in and there were maybe 4 tables because it was around 9pm. The hubs and I just wanted to try it out. We only wanted a drink or two and maybe an appetizer. We were given water and that's it. Our server never came to the table. We waited 15-20 minutes and then left. It gets 2 stars because the atmosphere was good. That's it! $11 was the most affordable glass of wine and contrary to the name- the only do tastings on Thursdays.
Kelly T.
We came during brunch and the food took forever. It was just ok. Not sure why it took so long because there were only three table. Expected a little more based on what I had heard. I will say that they had a nice patio that would be a nice place in the evening. I feel like it may be more of a drinks spot then someplace to eat.
TXBURRO
Showed for a reservation at 12:15, long after brunch opening. No hostess in sight, and finally the guitarist told us (mid song!) to seat ourselves. Took a while to be greeted and given menus, and forever to receive our first course, despite only four parties in the place. Food is fine, but they need to up their staff to have timely, professional service.
Tiffany V.
Lamest excuse for a fancy, schmancy restaurant. Our party of 4 came on a Wednesday night and ordered off the Houston Restaurant Week menu, which was a 4-course meal (appetizer, salad, main course, dessert) for $35. We waited almost 30-40 minutes for our appetizer to come out. I ordered the stuffed portabella mushrooms and when it came out, I almost laughed. It was literally three small (you know, the small mushrooms you buy in the cartons) stuffed with a small kernel of feta and a sliver of kale. Beef tartare and fried calamari were ordered too and the portions of those were about the size of half of my palm. Now we were hungry and our hopes were slowly sinking. Another 30 or so minutes pass and the salads finally come out. My sister ordered a "grilled" ceasar salad and I have no idea what part of that salad actually touched the grill. The salads came in this small bowl, with a few small pieces of cheese and very very lightly dressed. At this point, we were all just hungry and borderline raging. Another 20 to 30 minutes go by and we realize that our food was going to take hours to come out. People seated around us had finished eating, had some wine, and all left and we were still sitting here like chumps. We waved down the waiter and told him what was going on and the poor guy apologized profusely. Mind you, it wasn't his fault, but the kitchen. He said it was the chicken fried steak that was holding everyone's entrees back. What in the...okay, whatever. When our food FINALLY came, I couldn't tell if I wanted to laugh again or cry. My sister and I ordered the crab stuffed tilapia and I shit you not, it looked just like those vacuum sealed bags of individually portioned tilapia you can get at the market in the frozen section. Did I mention the pile of plain, mostly uncooked white rice it was sitting on? Uncle Ben is currently cringing. We took a bite, thinking "hey, at least the food will be good." NOPE. No flavor, no presentation, nothing. It was bagged tilapia "seasoned" with cayenne and stuffed with a tiny portion of crab sitting on uncooked white rice. The cornish hen was also ordered and this is where I kind of lost it. The portion of that "hen" was about the size of parking lot pigeon, if not smaller and it was just in the HALF size. It was almost comical. The chicken fried steak, which apparently took the longest, was equally as disappointing as the terrible three dishes sitting on the table. The steak wasn't pounded, it was breaded steak thrown in the fryer and the bed of mashed potatoes it was sitting on was even more pathetic than boxed dry mashed potatoes. We were just done with everything so we asked them to bring the dessert when the entrees were brought out and all that can be said about the desserts are that they can be eaten in one to two scoops. Someone ordered the nutella brownie and it looked like they gave him 1/4 of a pan brownie. The experience was just terrible. Why we waited almost 2 hours for food that was served to us like they did, I have no idea. If I could give a lower rating, I would. The only redeeming thing about this place was how our waiter handled the situation when we told him and I can definitely respect that. Other than that, this place has no other redeeming qualities that I can think of that would make me want to even think about coming back.
Michael S.
Didn't know what to expect coming in for their Houston Restaurant Menu. The atmosphere inside is a laid back vibe more like a bar. There was a nice view of the lake out back and they had a patio. We tried a few of their wines that were included in their happy hour and were only $5 each! I had their House Red and was very happy, I had 2 glasses. We had four courses of food with an appetizer, soup/salad, entree and dessert. We got their Fried Calamari and Crawfish Biscuits (more like hush puppies). We both really enjoyed our appetizers and was excited for the next course. The second course was Caesar Salad (Suppose to be grilled Romain Caesar but the server said it wasn't working out and they changed it regular Caesar) and Harvest Grains (quinoa w/ cucumbers, tomatoes & blue cheese crumbles). The salad was bland was very dry, not much dressing. The quinoa was extremely dry as well and I couldn't finish my dish. Third Course we got Salmon w/crab topping w/spinach and rice, and Chicken Fried Steak w/ mashed potatoes and carrots. This is where it really went downhill. The chicken fried steak was pretty good but the mashed potatoes were extremely bland and it came with 3 medium sized carrots. My salmon fish was ok, nothing to write home about. Fourth course we got a Nutella Brownie and Apple/Cinnamon bread pudding. Both came with ice cream but were extremely small. It seemed they were trying to be fancy since they were a wine cafe. I feel this really hurt them. Their full prices were very over priced and if we paid full price they'd be getting 1 star. If you want wine for happy hour this is your place. If you want wine and dinner don't come here. This place wasn't worth the price we paid for what we ended up getting.
ThelmaA
There were 4 people in our party. Three of us ordered from the special menu for restaurant month. We thought the selections offered on that menu would work for each person in our group. Three of us order drinks. I would highly recommend the sangria. Three of us order the calamari as an appetizer. It had a good flavor albeit a bit over cooked. Also the three of us order the chicken fried steak. It was way over cooked. One person in our group sent it back and order something else. The manager did not charge for the substituted meal and gave a substantial discount for what was charged . That was very professional and appreciated. I believe we would go back again.
Woody H.
Worst waiter ever. Got to our table and waited 5 to 10 minutes before h2o showed up. Waiter never came for drink orders. Went up to the bar and ordered drinks. My party finished them and went next door to Puerto's and had a great meal. Go anywhere else but Tasting Room
Linday
The restaurant seemed very short-handed in personnel. I thought the first course was great, the second course ok and needed classing up, the third course (fish) was tasteless, and the final course was good.
We all ordered from the Houston Restaurant Week menu. I had calamari for my appetizer. It was overcooked; very rubbery. We all ordered the white fish over a bed of rice as our main course. The entire dish was very bland. The rice tasted like minute rice. The only thing that was decent was the dessert. To top it all of the service was not great. The experience was a total bummer! I'll never go back!
Gigi
Maybe they were understaffed but the service was poor. We were there an hour before our starter was served and mine was cold. I took one bite and pushed it aside. The waiter never came to check and when our salad was served he saw it sitting on the table and never asked if something was wrong. The entrees were ok but the ice cream cookie was disappointing, very little ice cream and I would say the cookies were not homemade. We order wine which was great but we will not go back. Disappointing!
Abbey A.
This place is perfect for a date night or day to celebrate something. It is pricey, Mike had beer I had the house white and we split a pizza it was nice size to split we got 3 or 4 slice a piece it was a really good pizza. It a great place but pricey.I go when you want to splurge and have good time. We want Saturday for lunch. They do have lunch special we order on regular menu Mike really want meat on the pizza lol.
Brittney C.
Love the ambiance and it honestly isn't that pricy compared to other locations, but it looks it! Went to happy hour and the sweetest waiter recommended the cosmopolitan. SO GOOD! He was super adorable and had the best attitude about everything. He really left an impression on me. The Cosmo was good and my boyfriend ordered one of their sandwiches and really liked it. The only thing I would recommend is to not have your associates sit at the bar on their cell phones. Really brought down the ambiance. Other than that, great place and great location.
Kerri B.
The Tasting Room is the only real Gem of anything available at that location. The food is genuinely solid, and the drinks are a little high on the price range, but for the most part it's a good joint with a decent view of the swamp.
I love this place for a quieter evening with friends overlooking the lake. Great wines, prices and a chocolate board. Never had any of the actual entrees here.
I've been here many times, but the last couple times, I've left disappointed mainly due to the high price and food that doesn't meet expectations. A friend and I visited here for a girls get-together. We ordered several appetizers - meatballs, hummus and meat/cheese charcuterie. I had a couple glasses of wine, and she had a couple martinis. The wine selection was good as always, but I'd definitely recommend going during happy hour instead because of the price. The appetizers are also overpriced unless you go at happy hour. I love cheese, but the charcuterie board left so much to be desired. I should have taken a photo of it. First, the cheese selection wasn't good. I have no idea what the cheeses were because the waitress didn't explain them as they are supposed to, other than the blue cheese. I really think blue cheese isn't really a charcuterie quality cheese. I feel that the only reason it made it to the board was because the restaurant had it laying around as one of the common cooking cheeses. The other cheeses tasted good, but they were so stingy with the tiny portions. The meats were flattened underneath the pile of fruits and nuts, so I had to dig through all of that to get to them. They were good, though. The bread was thin and flimsy, so it was hard to spread any cheese on it. The hummus was good, but they didn't give us enough bread. We could have asked for more, I suppose. The meatballs were tasty, but I think they were a little well-done. The bill was expensive, even with my $20 Open Table reward check. I don't think the quality matched the price tag. I probably will only be back for happy hour in the future. One good thing - the view and ambiance is great.
I can't comment on the food or wine except to say that it was very expensive- because we were never served. We came in and there were maybe 4 tables because it was around 9pm. The hubs and I just wanted to try it out. We only wanted a drink or two and maybe an appetizer. We were given water and that's it. Our server never came to the table. We waited 15-20 minutes and then left. It gets 2 stars because the atmosphere was good. That's it! $11 was the most affordable glass of wine and contrary to the name- the only do tastings on Thursdays.
We came during brunch and the food took forever. It was just ok. Not sure why it took so long because there were only three table. Expected a little more based on what I had heard. I will say that they had a nice patio that would be a nice place in the evening. I feel like it may be more of a drinks spot then someplace to eat.
Showed for a reservation at 12:15, long after brunch opening. No hostess in sight, and finally the guitarist told us (mid song!) to seat ourselves. Took a while to be greeted and given menus, and forever to receive our first course, despite only four parties in the place. Food is fine, but they need to up their staff to have timely, professional service.
Lamest excuse for a fancy, schmancy restaurant. Our party of 4 came on a Wednesday night and ordered off the Houston Restaurant Week menu, which was a 4-course meal (appetizer, salad, main course, dessert) for $35. We waited almost 30-40 minutes for our appetizer to come out. I ordered the stuffed portabella mushrooms and when it came out, I almost laughed. It was literally three small (you know, the small mushrooms you buy in the cartons) stuffed with a small kernel of feta and a sliver of kale. Beef tartare and fried calamari were ordered too and the portions of those were about the size of half of my palm. Now we were hungry and our hopes were slowly sinking. Another 30 or so minutes pass and the salads finally come out. My sister ordered a "grilled" ceasar salad and I have no idea what part of that salad actually touched the grill. The salads came in this small bowl, with a few small pieces of cheese and very very lightly dressed. At this point, we were all just hungry and borderline raging. Another 20 to 30 minutes go by and we realize that our food was going to take hours to come out. People seated around us had finished eating, had some wine, and all left and we were still sitting here like chumps. We waved down the waiter and told him what was going on and the poor guy apologized profusely. Mind you, it wasn't his fault, but the kitchen. He said it was the chicken fried steak that was holding everyone's entrees back. What in the...okay, whatever. When our food FINALLY came, I couldn't tell if I wanted to laugh again or cry. My sister and I ordered the crab stuffed tilapia and I shit you not, it looked just like those vacuum sealed bags of individually portioned tilapia you can get at the market in the frozen section. Did I mention the pile of plain, mostly uncooked white rice it was sitting on? Uncle Ben is currently cringing. We took a bite, thinking "hey, at least the food will be good." NOPE. No flavor, no presentation, nothing. It was bagged tilapia "seasoned" with cayenne and stuffed with a tiny portion of crab sitting on uncooked white rice. The cornish hen was also ordered and this is where I kind of lost it. The portion of that "hen" was about the size of parking lot pigeon, if not smaller and it was just in the HALF size. It was almost comical. The chicken fried steak, which apparently took the longest, was equally as disappointing as the terrible three dishes sitting on the table. The steak wasn't pounded, it was breaded steak thrown in the fryer and the bed of mashed potatoes it was sitting on was even more pathetic than boxed dry mashed potatoes. We were just done with everything so we asked them to bring the dessert when the entrees were brought out and all that can be said about the desserts are that they can be eaten in one to two scoops. Someone ordered the nutella brownie and it looked like they gave him 1/4 of a pan brownie. The experience was just terrible. Why we waited almost 2 hours for food that was served to us like they did, I have no idea. If I could give a lower rating, I would. The only redeeming thing about this place was how our waiter handled the situation when we told him and I can definitely respect that. Other than that, this place has no other redeeming qualities that I can think of that would make me want to even think about coming back.
Didn't know what to expect coming in for their Houston Restaurant Menu. The atmosphere inside is a laid back vibe more like a bar. There was a nice view of the lake out back and they had a patio. We tried a few of their wines that were included in their happy hour and were only $5 each! I had their House Red and was very happy, I had 2 glasses. We had four courses of food with an appetizer, soup/salad, entree and dessert. We got their Fried Calamari and Crawfish Biscuits (more like hush puppies). We both really enjoyed our appetizers and was excited for the next course. The second course was Caesar Salad (Suppose to be grilled Romain Caesar but the server said it wasn't working out and they changed it regular Caesar) and Harvest Grains (quinoa w/ cucumbers, tomatoes & blue cheese crumbles). The salad was bland was very dry, not much dressing. The quinoa was extremely dry as well and I couldn't finish my dish. Third Course we got Salmon w/crab topping w/spinach and rice, and Chicken Fried Steak w/ mashed potatoes and carrots. This is where it really went downhill. The chicken fried steak was pretty good but the mashed potatoes were extremely bland and it came with 3 medium sized carrots. My salmon fish was ok, nothing to write home about. Fourth course we got a Nutella Brownie and Apple/Cinnamon bread pudding. Both came with ice cream but were extremely small. It seemed they were trying to be fancy since they were a wine cafe. I feel this really hurt them. Their full prices were very over priced and if we paid full price they'd be getting 1 star. If you want wine for happy hour this is your place. If you want wine and dinner don't come here. This place wasn't worth the price we paid for what we ended up getting.
There were 4 people in our party. Three of us ordered from the special menu for restaurant month. We thought the selections offered on that menu would work for each person in our group. Three of us order drinks. I would highly recommend the sangria. Three of us order the calamari as an appetizer. It had a good flavor albeit a bit over cooked. Also the three of us order the chicken fried steak. It was way over cooked. One person in our group sent it back and order something else. The manager did not charge for the substituted meal and gave a substantial discount for what was charged . That was very professional and appreciated. I believe we would go back again.
Worst waiter ever. Got to our table and waited 5 to 10 minutes before h2o showed up. Waiter never came for drink orders. Went up to the bar and ordered drinks. My party finished them and went next door to Puerto's and had a great meal. Go anywhere else but Tasting Room
The restaurant seemed very short-handed in personnel. I thought the first course was great, the second course ok and needed classing up, the third course (fish) was tasteless, and the final course was good.
Restaurantji Recommends
We all ordered from the Houston Restaurant Week menu. I had calamari for my appetizer. It was overcooked; very rubbery. We all ordered the white fish over a bed of rice as our main course. The entire dish was very bland. The rice tasted like minute rice. The only thing that was decent was the dessert. To top it all of the service was not great. The experience was a total bummer! I'll never go back!
Maybe they were understaffed but the service was poor. We were there an hour before our starter was served and mine was cold. I took one bite and pushed it aside. The waiter never came to check and when our salad was served he saw it sitting on the table and never asked if something was wrong. The entrees were ok but the ice cream cookie was disappointing, very little ice cream and I would say the cookies were not homemade. We order wine which was great but we will not go back. Disappointing!
This place is perfect for a date night or day to celebrate something. It is pricey, Mike had beer I had the house white and we split a pizza it was nice size to split we got 3 or 4 slice a piece it was a really good pizza. It a great place but pricey.I go when you want to splurge and have good time. We want Saturday for lunch. They do have lunch special we order on regular menu Mike really want meat on the pizza lol.
Love the ambiance and it honestly isn't that pricy compared to other locations, but it looks it! Went to happy hour and the sweetest waiter recommended the cosmopolitan. SO GOOD! He was super adorable and had the best attitude about everything. He really left an impression on me. The Cosmo was good and my boyfriend ordered one of their sandwiches and really liked it. The only thing I would recommend is to not have your associates sit at the bar on their cell phones. Really brought down the ambiance. Other than that, great place and great location.
The Tasting Room is the only real Gem of anything available at that location. The food is genuinely solid, and the drinks are a little high on the price range, but for the most part it's a good joint with a decent view of the swamp.