American

Houston's is an upscale restaurant chain that has, through careful selection of ingredients and meticulous attention to detail, carved out a niche in this competitive market. Since the first restaurant was opened in Austin, Texas in 1979, they have grown to more than forty restaurants throughout the United States. The restaurant we frequent is in Hackensack, New Jersey. We are always pleasantly surprised by the ambiance, service, and even more importantly, the flavors we encounter. While the menu is somewhat limited, what they do, they do very well.

The interior is rather dark, giving the restaurant a somewhat intimate atmosphere. Even in the relative darkness however, there are discretely placed lights making menu reading quite easy even for those of us who's eyesight is not what it used to be. The attractive hardwood tables are set with substantial flatware and real cloth napkins (which with tongue in cheek, someone once said is a genuine sign of a gourmet restaurant!). Service is always pleasant, courteous, and timely.

While the wine list is relatively limited, there are several excellent wines by the glass in the range of $5 - 8. Appetizers and meals alike are served in ample portions. Most appetizers are in the range of $6 - 10. Main dishes are as little as $10, although some are in the $25 range.

Iona loves the appetizer of smoked trout dip served with saltines. She intentionally leaves a sizeable quantity to be taken home and spread on a bagel for breakfast the next morning. Yum!! The country salad with crumbled bacon and sweet croutons is served with a wonderful dressing containing large chunks of real bleu cheese. One especially good entree, fried chicken club salad with avocados and bacon, is only about $10. It is reminiscent of traditional cobb salad, but without hard boiled egg.

The plank grilled red snapper, is sometimes available as a special. At $25 it is one of the most expensive items on the menu. For a seafood lover who craves the natural flavor of good fish, it is a bit bland. However, with the addition of lemon, along with the very flavorful tarter sauce, it becomes quite tasty. Also, it is served with an excellent cous cous salad containing pine nuts, raisons, and chopped vegetables. Other side dishes of maple flavored beets, as well as fresh asparagus, are also very good.

Because Houston's is a chain, we first entered with some trepidation, and frankly did not expect it to even be worthy of review. However, we've been so pleasantly surprised that now we recommend that anyone looking for good, moderately priced cuisine check the internet to find the Houston's nearest you.

Last reviewed 11/02
Grumpy Gourmet