Reef

We were visiting from Dallas and a friend recommended that we try Reef. After our dinner I called my friend to say 'thank you' because we had a wonderful time. It wasn't possible to book a reservation so we decided to go and sit at 3rd Bar where the full menu is still offered. Looking into the main dining room, it was beautiful with it's high ceilings, ocean hues, show kitchen and its glass wine cellar. The dinning room was also packed like a great cocktail party and everyone is having a good time. The dining tables in 3rd Bar are separated by a high drink rail which helps separate those mingling from those dinning. We were greated promptly by our waitress. We started with shrimp shooters which had a perfect balance of spice and sweetness in the ""shot"", and the calamari was excellent. The three of us had the roasted grouper with a sweet corn puree (a fantastic compliment to each), grilled shrimp and oysters. All three were excellent. The service was friendly and prompt, which is never that easy to get when sitting in the bar area of any restaurant. The food was excellent from beginning to end, and the restaurants ambiance was comfortable. It's obiviou that Reef is driven by fresh, seasonal ingredients showing off what the local area has to offer. All together Reef gives a wonderful dining experience and great value! Pros: Food, Valet more

Had an incredible crispy red snapper, the sea scallops were even better, and the desserts were really good. For someone looking for a really nice seafood restaurant with a celebrity chef (at least locally), then look no further. Its really good. Pros: Food is to die for, wonderful service Cons: No parking, but they have valet more

It's always hard to call a particular establishment ""The Best"" but Reef certainly qualifies as ""Very Good"" The creative menu offers tasty items from a delicate steamed shrimp salad to the over-the-top beefy deliciousness of the sliders. There is a note of saltiness in the well seasoned dishes, bold flavors predominate, proteins are served perfectly prepared at the requested temperature.\r \r The restaurant is an open plan, in a concrete structure, tables are close together, and there is certainly a ""buzz"" on a busy night. Staff is professional and attentive, hostess are chicly dressed, attractive, and welcoming. \r \r This restaurant is a hip midtown eatery with flash to match the bold menu. If you prefer something more sedate, yet still delicious and creative, Damian's is a few blocks away on Smith. \r \r Reef is an excellent choice for a special occasion, or just an upscale treat. Pros: Creative menu, midtown location, atttentive service. Cons: It can get pretty loud in there at 8:30 on a Saturday night. more

Great place to stop off before a Rockets game or a show, but I wouldn't make it my final destination. This place has a good wine list and a few of their selections are only a few bucks more than in the liquor store. I really dig the appetizers here. They've got this shrimp wrapped up in a won ton paper that is really good and a great crabcake. The sliders are really good too. However I've ALWAYS had bad luck with my entrees. My first time I had a boring Salmon and my second time I think I had a Sea Bass with bacon sauce. Oh my god that was gross. I was burping fish and bacon all night. Go there and order a bunch of appetizers and salads and get all tanked up on wine. You'll have fun. One more thing. The valets don't have uniforms. Don't be afraid to give them your keys. They're very nice. Go there now! Pros: Awesome sliders Cons: Seafood. more

After all the hype and awards, I insisted that we go to the restaurant on a Saturday night, with friends. So we did. It was a great evening, except for the noise level, complained about in previous posts. It's really loud for us 40 somethings. But the food was fabulous. Soft shell crab, tempura style, was fresh from the gulf. The Gumbo is the old style NOLA, where they bring the close to boiling broth to the table, and throw the shrimp and crawfish in on the way. Perfectly cooked, but not overly cooked and rubbery, like you usually find. Redfish on the half shell was a fav, but the show stopper was the $4 french fries. Go figure. They were the best. ever. Double fried, and frozen in between frying, according to Bill Floyd, an owner , who visited our table and explained it to us. I love you, Bill! For your fries, that is. Pros: Service was optimal Cons: loud dining more

I dined at reef with my husband recently. It was our 30th anniversary. I enjoyed the food, not the best but okay. I just wish I could have heard my husband speak! Pros: location, food, atmosphere Cons: Noise level, more

This was not my first time to Reef, but by far my favorite. The hostesses were lovely and adorable as usual. I was seated promptly for my reservation, which unfortunately seems relatively rare these days at other restaurants. \r \r I really enjoyed the salmon I got the first time I came and planned on getting it again. Our waitress described ""a few of her favorite things"". She described them so well, my mouth was watering. I abandoned my original plan, and went with her recommendations. I had the steamed shrimp salad to start. I was suprised when she said this was one of her favorite things on the menu. It sounded kind of boring to me. I could not have been more wrong. It was incredible. Once I had the salad I knew I was in very good hands. My date had the crab cake. Probably one of the best I've ever had. For my entree I had the redfish on the halfshell. I was really excited about the mac n cheese (who wouldn't be!), but was suprised to find I actually enjoyed the fish more. Great dinner. I found the dessert list a little boring, but nothing to complain about. They were solid, just not overly-original.\r \r There are many restaurants out there with very good food. Service is what separates the ""men from the boys"". Ariel did a fantastic job, and her care and special attention is what will keep us coming back. If you go to Reef, ask for her. It will make all the difference, I assure you. We can't wait to go back! Pros: service Cons: loud more

I was really looking forward to my first dining experience at Reef. I've heard all the hype and read all of the glowing reviews. It wasn't a terrible experience by any means, but everything about the food, service, and the dining room left me wondering...how could anyone consider this the best restaurant in Houston? We had a 7:15 reservation, and despite being 10 minutes early, our table was ready. There were two hostesses working. Both were dressed completely inappropriately (far too casual, and on the brink exposing themselves) and neither one of them was friendly (not even a smile). So we sit. The dining room is overcrowded with tables, and the noise level approaching that of a trendy club. We ordered drinks, the waitier brought them out to the wrong people, and the $10 Mojito was mediocre at best. Appetizers. We ordered the Ceviche and Jumbo Lump Lollipop Cocktail, and again, they were brought out to the wrong people. I was surprised by the small portion of the Ceviche, and underwhelmed by the Lump Cocktail. The table rolls were fine, although I thought they were a bit too dense. Dinner. Once again, the dishes were brought out to the wrong people, and the waiters basically slammed the plates down. The food was ok. I had the crab cake which contained a generous amount of crab, but the layer of ""fried"" was too thick and not very flavorful. The Fried Mac and Cheese was bad (and I LOVE Mac and cheese) . It was flavorless and NOT cheesy! The Seafood Hotpot had a good broth to it, but again, good, not great. The highlight of the experience was dessert. The Vietnamese Coffee Tart was delicious. All in all, I was really disappointed. I couldn't even hear people at my table talking due to the loud/crowded dining room, and the service bordered on being flat-out bad. I don't think I will be going back, and can't say that I would recommend this to anyone, unless they were looking for average food in a trendy environment. Pros: Delicious desserts Cons: WAY too loud and crowded, mediocre food, and bad waiters and hostesses. more

This was my second visit to Reef and to say the least it is a cool place to see and be seen at. The food is average at best. The wine list is over priced . Service was first rate. So if your out to impress friends or a date this a great place . If your out for good food skip it. Pros: scene Cons: too expensive more

We had a party of 17. The server didn't talk about the menu items, the drink list, the appetizers. The waiters and bus staff worked very fast as if we were in their way. They plopped down the food & walk away. The waiter was argumentative & combative. Horrible. The only highlight was that the bus boys kept our glasses full. They overcharged us a $40 bottle of wine & an appetizer. Women's restroom, Gross. Automatic flushers not good, manual push button was not very reactive. The hallway was superdark. The fries were not served with sriracha remoulade(all the rage on their website). Had to ask for it. It tasted like MAYO--remoulade it was NOT. I gave a 1/2 star for ""Longfin Yellowtail, cucumber water, mint flower"". It was partially edible. The citrusy flavor of yellowtail was accentuated nicely by the cucumber water. The sweet sauce (mint flower), awful. The ""Cobia, Smoky Oil, Jalapeno Ponzu, Pickled Watermelon Salad"" was AWFUL. AWFUL. There were 5 slices of sashimi with smoky oil (not good). Sashimi should be sushi-grade, melt in your mouth, nicely cut pieces with no flaws. It's not like a giant slab of meat, it's the choice cut. The first piece had a bone in it. Yes, a BONE! The second piece had a FISH SCALE stuck to it. The last piece I could NOT chew. I can't even tell you what or why it was so chewy. Like there was a ligament or some other fish part... I disposed of it in my napkin--unedible. Told the waiter who replied,""What do you want me to do?"" He stood there like it was no big deal. It was on the bill at the end of the night. Scallops were very salty and burned on what was supposed to be grill lines. They tasted charred and salty and were small. Big Pork Chop was very salty, but it was big. Rolls/bread medicore, salty. 1/2 star for ""Molten Chocolate cake, vanilla ice cream"". Valet/parking situation awful. Eat anywhere else in Houston: Capital Grille, Osaka, Khyber, Lupe Tortillas, Goode Co BBQ, anywhere... Not worth your time, patience, or money. Pros: molten chocolate cake Cons: sashimi, scallops, parking, wait staff, bathroom more

My first visit was Friday night; my next visit will be very soon!!! Wonderful fish dishes, very creative and fantastic marriage of flavors with sea food. The chef has definitely stepped outside the conventional box and does wonders with what you might question as accompaniments. We had reservations at 5:30 before the theatre, when we arrived the dining room was almost empty, but within an hour there was a long wait. GO EARLY. Wine is unbelievable and the prices are very reasonable with minimal markups relative to most. I think the ?average? price is a little understated, but a very good value for the money. Sorry I waited so long to try REEF. Bill Floyd is making the rounds to make sure everything is perfect, nice touch!! You must use valet parking as there is no lot and street parking is less than desirable, but it's complementary!! Pros: Food, Service, Wine List Cons: Parking, Crowded more

We tried Reef and found the food to be okay, nothing to complain about, but nothing to rave about, either. The colors are green and blue, which I didn't care for, but that may be a personal preference. My only real complaint is how ungodly loud the place is. Conversation is impossible. If this doesn't matter to you, you might have a good time there. Cons: Too damn loud! more

This place is a complete waste of time for big parties. Fish was mediocre (Pesce and even local fish markets have fresher fillets), service needed to be instructed in proper wine etiquette (who leaves a bottle of white wine open on the table without a cooling agent?), and when the food finally came (1 hour wait), the orders were all completely mixed up. My fiancee received a steak he did not order and my grandfather's steak was cooked properly. So what do they do? \r \r They take both plates back to the kitchen, and promptly deliver my fiancee's rejected stake to my grandfather, and my grandfather's overcooked char to my fiancee. \r \r The dinner speaks for itself. Good luck. more

My boyfriend and I made our third trip to Reef this past weekend. We shared the pumpkin ravioli appetizer (super!), beef sliders (hearty!), and a side flash-fried macaroni and cheese (heaven!). The sliders are topped with a dollop of caramelized onions and served with a spiked remoulade dipping sauce. I'd eat them everyday if I didn't have to exercise so diligently to burn them off! To complement the wonderfully prepared food, we ordered wine that was priced just a few bucks over retail. Reef has one of the most extensive and reasonably priced wine lists in Houston. Many of their selections are literally a few dollars more than Spec's on Smith. Now how many places in town employ a similar pricing structure?\r \r more

My wife and I recently ate at The Reef in thier private dinning room with several other guests. The service was fabulous, the bottled wine prices were very reasonable, the food quality was excellent. The restaurant gets loud with the high celiings, concrete floor, aqua colored wall paint and chrome furniture. Wonderfull wine storage room. Seafood is expensive, but the owner and chef were readily availble to talk about food selections and wine pairings. Very cool.\r \r So go to this restaruant for a casual and loud experreince with friends, but defintely dont go for a cozy and intimate conversation. Pros: Excellent food and service. Reasonable wine prices. Cons: I did not like the concrete and aqua ambience. Like eating inside a aquarium. more

The Reef is a warm welcoming slice of Gulf Coast Heaven! We have been many times now and Reef never fails in overachieving on our expectations. Wine prices are great as is the selection. more

I chose to use 3rd Bar inside Reef Restaurant as the meeting spot for my birthday Cocktail Party. Reef was very accomodating and helpful. We had platters that included the beef sliders (delicious), crab cakes (the best I've ever had), spring roll shrimp (great), and balloon crab (great), along with a fruit and cheese platter. My guests were definitely satisfied and comfortable. Reef allowed me to add simple decor and reserved several tables for us in the bar area. We essentially had the area to ourselves. I have no complaints. The Manager Bret was great...always available for me. I would recommend hosting an event at 3rd Bar, you will have a nice evening. Pros: Food quality is good more

This is a great experience from the minute you approach the door: plenty of valets for the cars; attentive hostesses; a warm greeting from the owner and great food and great wine at a fair price.\r \r My party enjoyed the watermelon gazpacho on a hot summer night; what a triumph! It was refreshing and of a more interesting consistency than any ""authentic"" gazpacho I had ever been served. \r The fish and meats served at our table all generated oohs and aahs.\r \r The bread needs work; both the dinner rolls and ""slider"" appetizer buns were too heavy to enjoy. Pros: Very good food and a very good value Cons: Loud more

After reading several of the reviews regarding the valet parking issues, we heeded the warning and took a little extra time to walk. Once we arrived we were seated in a timely manner, to our surprise. After sitting down we were fortunate enough to have two staff members waiting on us, which was at first confusing but we quickly enjoyed the endulgence. The staffers did a good job describing and explaining the menu. I started out with a half-order of the oysters on the halfshell and then tried out the redfish on the half shell with the mac and cheese ball side, while my friend tried out the obligatory crab cake. I have to say all the dishes were extremely good and I thoroughly enjoyed the new slant on the way the mac and cheese was cooked. In my opionion I would put this place slightly higher than the Oceanaire. If there was a drawback was that the wait staff tried too hard to push the drinks, but in summary I would highly recommend to anyone the food and the service. Pros: Food, Service more

The feel of this place is a great escape on a hot summer night. I had been here about 6 months ago, enjoyed the food and finally made it back last week. A friend had recommended the mussels. It's an appetizer but it's a big portion. They were wonderful!!! We ordered several sides along with it. All were good but surprisingly my least favorite was the friend mac & cheese. I will definately be back as there were many things on the menu that sounded really good. more