i asked for a ceasar salad, which they served in the bar, and the server made it seem like it was such an ordeal. He had to ask the chef if he would make it, which he did, but i think he forgot the... More

i asked for a ceasar salad, which they served in the bar, and the server made it seem like it was such an ordeal. He had to ask the chef if he would make it, which he did, but i think he forgot the dressing. i asked for a malbec and the manager brings me 3 other types of wine to choose from, because they have a limited selection. he then choose one for me, which sucked. they serve some sort of paste with bread before the appetizer, it tasted like bean dip. only gives you one roll, which was actually good. salmon looked as though it had been sitting in the heat lamp for a while. oh and don't even try the mac and cheese. OMG it was absolutely disgusting. the only word that comes to mind is clumpy. my dates steak was chuy and bland. the server was bitchy. and to end the evening, the dessert was seriously a ding dong, but more dry. waste of money. Pros: the bar served a limited menu with real food choices Cons: see below
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It's sad when one of your favorite restaurants slips but fortunately there are others to take it's place. On my first vist back to 17 after the change in chefs I was dissapointed with the dinner. It... More

It's sad when one of your favorite restaurants slips but fortunately there are others to take it's place. On my first vist back to 17 after the change in chefs I was dissapointed with the dinner. It was for restaurant week but really it should always be right... there shouldn't be an excuse. From what I heard, most of my dinner companions were also dissapointed. I may have gone back to give it another try had I not heard from other friends who dined with smaller parties on regular nights and had a negative experience as well. Pros: Great Bar, Beautiful Dining Room Cons: Food, just ok service
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My husband and I have been fans of *17 for several years. Unfortunately, we have not been to dinner there since they had gotten their new Chef earlier this year. We had read lots of great reviews... More

My husband and I have been fans of *17 for several years. Unfortunately, we have not been to dinner there since they had gotten their new Chef earlier this year. We had read lots of great reviews so I decided to take my husband there for his birthday prior to going to a concet in downtown. The restaurant looked amazing as they had changed the furniture in the room around. The large white chairs were quite comfy. The waitress knew we were on a time schedule due to the concert and made sure all 3 courses of our dinner were served in a timely manner. From our appetizer to our dessert, everything tasted incredible. I highly reccommend the Butternut Squash Soup and the Banana Creme Brulee. My husband and I both had two seperate fish dishes which were both flavored to perfection. We will definitely not be waiting so long to return.
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We hadn't been to 17 in several years, but had been reading it was getting good reviews, so we booked a table. Disappointing evening. 2 couples went to celebrate an anniversary (17th!). The food,... More

We hadn't been to 17 in several years, but had been reading it was getting good reviews, so we booked a table. Disappointing evening. 2 couples went to celebrate an anniversary (17th!). The food, although very well presented, was nothing special, mainly because the food was not hot (my husband did like his scallop special.) Even the cappucino was lukewarm. Staff seemed inexperienced. Our waiter, a new employee, tried his best but did not know much about the menu. The waitress in the bar did not know about the sparkling wine on the table list I asked about, and the service was lazy. No one acknowledged the fact that we were celebrating an anniversary (they were told when we made the reservation; we also mentioned it to the waiter.) On our way out, we stopped by the front desk to ask if we might see of the hotel's rooms. The young lady there unapologetically said no one was available to show us one. For the prices charged, we wont be returning. Pros: Decor, Food presentation Cons: Service, food temperature
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My first visit we had the chief?s Tasting Menu with wine. Once we decided to have the tasting, the chief came out to our table to ask us what kind of foods we liked, giving us several ?raw... More

My first visit we had the chief?s Tasting Menu with wine. Once we decided to have the tasting, the chief came out to our table to ask us what kind of foods we liked, giving us several ?raw materials? to select from. He then suggested various preparations and offered suggestions. It was a custom meal to our likings, with an excellent wine paring. The food was incredible and was the presentation and service. The second visit was this week during Houston Restaurant Week. We had the same server and the service was excellent; the sommelier came over to offer wine suggestions and a ?mini-paring? for the fixed menu. The wine paring for the three course meal was perfect both in selection and ?volume.? The steaks were prepared to perfection with bordelaise sauce; the halibut was also perfectly prepared with a white corn pudding. The highlight of the evening was desert, homemade ice cream; chocolate, vanilla, and the best caramel I?ve ever eaten. Is seems most of the ?poor? reviews complain about the price or the serving size. Yes, 17 is not a budget establishment and you should expect casual dinning prices; the quality of the food speaks for the price and value. And it?s not a Pappas Restaurant, so don?t look for lumberjack portions. The portions are ?normal? for fine dining and with a three course meal you will leave very satisfied, but you won?t be ripping you clothes off so you can breathe. The ambience is very nice with ?art deco? theme and quiet dining room. Extremely comfortable chairs and table larger enough to accommodate the party seated without needing a sideboard to stage items. If looking for a weak-link, it has to be the wine selections. Wines are a bit on the high end, with limited selections below $75.00. The wine list could use some additional moderate, but good wines and the reds are poured at room temperature. Parking is the only downfall; with dinner, you get a $4 discount off the normal $10 rate for valet parking. Pros: Food, Service, Ambience Cons: Parking, High Priced Wine List
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I'm surprised the last reviewer had such a terrible time, especially considering I was at the same event/same seating for Valentine's day and had a wonderful experience. This was not our first meal... More

I'm surprised the last reviewer had such a terrible time, especially considering I was at the same event/same seating for Valentine's day and had a wonderful experience. This was not our first meal there and definitely not our last. The food was spot on and the wine pairings were practically perfect (I use to work at a top wine bar in Houston and can be quite picky about my pairings). While my boyfriend and I have not quite achieved "foodie" status we definitely have had many meals in restaurants like this. I would not recommend this restaurant to someone that does not understand the meaning and excitement of fine dining. Superb quality is definitely a high priority here and we are always pleasantly surprised amazed each time we return. I've lived in both Paris and London and I'd still say that 17 is one of my top 5 restaurants I've ever been too. If you go to 17 expect a fine dining experience and quality (not quantity) then you will leave quite happy. It can be pricey, but no more so than other restaurants like Marks, Hugo's, etc...We alway start out with a cocktail at the A+ lounge and if you are into that sort of thing I definitely wouldnt miss it. Pros: quality, cocktails, special events Cons: can be expensive
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We went for a very special dinner in Valentines day. We made a reservation to be seated at 9:00 pm. We waited in the hotel lobby for 1.5 hours until we were actually seated, no one offered any drink... More

We went for a very special dinner in Valentines day. We made a reservation to be seated at 9:00 pm. We waited in the hotel lobby for 1.5 hours until we were actually seated, no one offered any drink or appetizer during the wait . Just after this we had to wait 15 minutes more to receive water and menus (which we could not use anyways because there was a fixed menu due to the occassion). Finally the food came and it was good but definitely extremely pricey for the amount of actual food. The third course supposed to be lobster and we were served scallops, but we paid for lobster. No one came to explain why ... I guess hoping we didn't find out?. Finally we wanted to have some wine by the glass, but not the wine offered with the menu...well that was just not possible. The service overall was lousy, the food was good but extermely price. Definitelly not worth it the wait. Never going back. Pros: Good food Cons: service and overall restaurant management
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Here's the scene- Saturday night, just after 8 pm. The light show from the lounge illuminates the empty restaurant in various colors. No worry- we go to the bar to wait for our group of 10. We... More

Here's the scene- Saturday night, just after 8 pm. The light show from the lounge illuminates the empty restaurant in various colors. No worry- we go to the bar to wait for our group of 10. We quickly triple the attendance, which is made up of single depressed men who thought it would be hip to stay at this hotel for their business trip. We collect our group and are seated at a long table in prime location. There are only two other couples there so we anticipate excellent service. It is carried out with stiff formality but fits with the image of the restaurant. That is, until the appetizers arrive. Two of us ordered the soft shell crab and both agreed that it was undercooked and tasted like the salt water it came from. There was barely a bite of meat and we had to scrape the shell in order to find it. When the waitress was called over, she began to debate with us, justifying the taste as a consequence of the salt the chef finishes the dish with. We are familiar with the taste of salt, as well as with what a poorly cooked crab tastes like. She did not offer up any apologies or suggest another appetizer. Worse, she did not remove the dish from the final bill. She took our critique very personally, as if she had cooked it, and perhaps she did, considering that they must be laying people off with the recent lack of customers. My entree- coconut curry shrimp was good, but I would have enjoyed it equally at Mai's Vietnamese restaurant and paid a quarter of the price. The halibut was overcooked, but still smelled of the sea. Perhaps they finished it with the same salt as the crab. The other main courses were all adequate, but that is not what we are paying for. If there is a premium because of the light show coming from the lounge, then I would rather stay home and eat in front of my lava lamp. Pro: You can get a table anytime Con: Why would you want to.
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I have eaten in *17 for dinner on serveral occasions and cannot say enough wonderful things about the cuisine and service. Last night my wife and I decided to have dinner in the bar a+, before an... More

I have eaten in *17 for dinner on serveral occasions and cannot say enough wonderful things about the cuisine and service. Last night my wife and I decided to have dinner in the bar a+, before an Astros game, to enjoy the same great quality of food but in a more casual atmosphere. The bar menu had a great selection of items for someone on a time limit. We ordered tuna tartare as a starter which is probably the best I have ever eaten. The shrimp tacos were "out of this world". Of course, you cannot eat at the hotel and not have a side of their famous "truffle mac and cheese". You will never be disappointed. We were in an out in less than an hour and off to the game with a full belly. Just had to share.....
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what a unique experience: great decor and atmosphere. try chef tasting menu.extended wine selection without forgetting superb service.

what a unique experience: great decor and atmosphere. try chef tasting menu.extended wine selection without forgetting superb service.
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