Asa Youngblood

Review of Brennan's of Houston

I recently visited Brennan's of Houston for the fi...

I recently visited Brennan's of Houston for the first time. I had heard it was something of an institution, and had relatively high hopes. The evening began in the bar area where service and selection were exemplary. I especially appreciated the variety of single malt options. Once dinner began, the experience waned significantly. The first course was not allowed to rest, and I wound up scalding my tongue. Granted, it was partly my fault. The main came and I had the privilege of picking shell fragments and various legs out of the bouillabaisse, and of beheading my seafood in the bowl. While I'm no stranger to the southern joy of the crawfish boil, I have no love for inedible items on my plate in a supposed fine dining establishment. I certainly don't want to clean crustaceans at the table. Full marks to the waitstaff, though. They performed very well.
So, to sum up, bar was exceptional, waitstaff were exceptional, and dinner gets a hearty... Meh. I don't foresee a second visit in the near future. Sorry, Brennan's.