Reef

HOT COCKTAIL WAITRESS!\r \r the cocktail waitress was sexier than any cocktail girl ive seen in a while.. its a shame most girls dress like sluts to get tips, this one was very classy and extremely informative! she has great presence! the bartenders are excellent- best drinks in town! i usually go in after work- its nice to have a place thats still open that sells food. the crab cakes and sliders are great! be sure to visit reef- its the new hot spot in town!! Pros: HOT COCKTAIL GIRL! Cons: none this place is OFF THE CHAIN! more

I dine out constantly, and I am convinced that REEF is the best dining experience in Houston for the following reasons: 1) Outstanding food ? I have dined here at least ten nights and you will not find another Houston restaurant that consistently exceeds expectations. From the unique seafood dishes (try the roasted grouper or grilled scallops) to the rib eye and sliders, REEF has an answer to any craving. 2) Wine List ? well thought out wine selections at amazing prices. 3) Energetic atmosphere ? the restaurant is filled each evening with great conversation and laughter. Whether joining business colleagues for dinner or meeting friends for a birthday celebration, I have been impressed with the fun atmosphere. 4) Service ? professional staff that provides five-star service in a comfortable manner.\r \r The only negative has been resolved. REEF could be very loud the first few weeks, but those issues have been resolved. Pros: Food, Wine, Atmosphere, Service Cons: None - the noise issue has been resolved more

This a refreshing addition to the boring seafood scene in Houston. We were there around 8:00PM on a week night and even though it was about 3/4ths full the noise level was very acceptable. The wine list was great and very affordable. The Amberjack in orange sauce and the crunchy snapper on chard were thrilling and provided exceptional new flavor combinations. The portions were smaller than usual but their richness over came this. Altogether a very sophisticated and interesting place to dine. Pros: Exciting new falvor combinations for seafood lovers Cons: Parking is difficult unless you use the valet service more

Great meal, atmosphere, and service. The Scallops, Grouper, and Salmon were all excellent. Great prices on wine and it's kept at the proper temperature. The owner was very personable, he greeted us when we arrived and was very helpful with the wine selection. One of the best seafood restaurants in Houston. Pros: Great Restaurant more

WOW...I cannot believe some of the other reviews on this website. Obviously agents for competing restaurants.\r \r \r I have been to REEF over a dozen times since it opened and have had nothing but amazing food with fantabulous ambiance. No one has mentioned the carnitas, the heirloom tomato salad with fresh mozarella, or the onion pizza. Original, fresh dishes.\r \r \r Houston should be proud to have creative chefs (and managers like Bill Floyd) here to serve us. If there is a problem with a customer's food or service, believe me, both Caswell and Floyd want to know. This town has dozens of the same, strip-mall restaurants with mediocre menus, white walls and cheap art (one of the reasons why living here can be such a bore). The owners of REEF, I think, are to be congratulated on a brilliant start to a long career in creative dining. Pros: wine list (and prices); ambiance; bartenders are great; Imperial Martinis rock Cons: closed sunday more

took my girl out for the first time since the baby. we chose to go to reef having heard so much about it. we both liked our waiter David, very sharp. the food was excellent, my wife loved the wahoo with plantains. i think the bread they bring out might be the best in town, comes with jalapeno jelly instead of butter, i am addicted. overall a great night out, we will return. Pros: the bread rules more

Went to reef last night, was a bit concerned because we had such a large group but my doubts were soon addressed. The place was packed but we were sat within minutes. Our waiter was very knowledgable and attentive. We sat in one of the large booths that was perfect for a our group, the table was wide enough for us to share and place extra appetizers in the middle. The food was amazing, i had the carnitas and grouper-perfect! I think my wife might have out ordered me with the snapper, the greens underneath the fish were awesome.Everyone else at the table enjoyed thier food as well. Probably the most welcomed delight was the wine list, WOW! First thing that grabs your attention are the prices then you start to realize that the variety is pretty well thought as well. Loved the decor and it wasnt nearly as loud as we have heard, the waiter let us know that the owners have recently sound proofed. Pros: Wine prices Cons: Leaving more

I can see what there goining for, only theres a long way to go, like most trendy restaurants. Lets take the chef out of the magazines and put him back in the kitchen where he belongs, the hard work is only just begining. Food needs a lot of work service is drab, I know its Texas but do we really need another restaurant with servers in jeans and a chef in a dishwasher shirt.\r Cute space, very loud, try adding some texture. more

There was nobody at the door and the door was heavy. After fighting to enter the facility, we walked around. Downstairs it was a ghost town, we heard people somewhere but couldn't find the crowd. Then I decided I had to go to the bathroom. When I couldn't find the bathroom... I said ""forget it."" And we left. We actually spent more time parallel parking than in this lame place. It looks cool from the front but don't let it fool you. more

I have read alot of negative reviews about REEF, about noise, service, etc. Dining there, I can only imagine previous comments have been made by elderly people. Yes, its loud, if you want a quiet dinner in a hot spot, eat at 5pm. Sitting at 7:30, and enjoying the people watching, I noticed a drastic difference in the ages of the other diners change. From older to younger. Truly the only thing that was loud and distracting to me was an obnoxious and flamboyant waiter that was near us.\r The food was perfect, we each ordered something different, and shared. \r I recommend the milkshake no minors, our waitress, split it up for us, and we will be asking to sit in her section again, very soon. Pros: quick, attentive and friendly service Cons: not fine dining, like bank, but clever and casual.....still not a con :( more

I signed up for city-search tonight purposely so I could save all Houstonians from wasting their time and money on this place. Reservations were for 8:30 and we weren't seated 'til 9:20. Our waiter then disappeared for 20 minutes while we parused the menu, unsure of what exactly we were reading. 30 minutes later, we were given our appetizers. The shrimp spring rolls were lukewarm, and consisted solely of a lonely outstretched shrimp wrapped in a not-so-crisp wonton. Then ensued the wait for the entree. An hour later, the food arrived: the ""crispy"" snapper was more soggy than crispy, and my ""truffled"" polenta (if there were truffles in there I'll be darned!) was ice cold. My snapper was re-done in 5 minutes which made me wonder why it'd taken so long in the first place. We had to ASK for Chef Caswell to come over, and he looked annoyed that we are disturb him. He told us that it had been the rain's fault (seriously?!) He left without even uttering an ""I apologize"". So, at this point we were insulted. I ate my dry fish nonetheless, as at this point I was about to start gnawing on the tablecloth. The ONLY redemption was the managing partner who came out and offered us dessert. We finally left at 11:30 PM. STAY AWAY or dine at your own risk! Pros: leaving Cons: not seated on time for reservation, horrible service, horrible food more

We are self confessed foodies and were looking forward to trying out Reef after driving by several times. We knew it would be loud, we expected it from past reviews. But really, it is, just really really loud and difficult to carry on a conversation. Our waiter was beyond rude to us. He looked angry and irritated the enitre night. He never gave us the specials (and we heard the waiter going over the menu in detail at the table next to us) and always had a frown on his face and a total attitude. Our food was actually inedible. I had the scallops. The were so rubbery my knife wouldn't cut into them and all I could taste was the charring from the grill on the outside. My polenta was drenched in some tasteless liquid and was all runny and gritty. My husband had the triple tail and I almost gagged at the taste. It was very fishy and again dreanched in a liquid that was so heavily salted I could not swollow it. The chef arrived immediately and was very kind. But I was very disappointed overall and I really would not recommend this place to anyone. Pros: The chef was really nice and attentive to our problems Cons: Minimal seafood selection, heavily drenched in sauce, and cooked poorly. BAD service. more

To say I was not pleased with Reef would be an understatement. Two friends and I went there to eat and have some drinks on a Friday night. We got there 20 minutes before our reservation time and decided to have some drinks at the bar. The bar was decent, but the ice they used in the drinks was horrible. I am a scotch on the rocks drinker, and the ice used at the Reef was crushed, snow cone type ice! WTH! The ice melted so fast my drink turned out to be scotch (Macallan 18) with water in 5 minutes! Not a good thing for a very expensive drink.\r \r After drinks, we waited for out table for 20 minutes in their waiting area which had a distinct seafood smell. Granted it IS a seafood restaurant, but having an open kitchen is probably not such a good idea when seafood smells like.....SEAFOOD!\r \r We ordered the soft shell crab as an appetizer which was very tasty. I go the surf and turf cooked medium for dinner. My steak was RARE. Not medium rare, but completely RARE! The waitress took my meal back and the chef came to my table soon after to apologize. I have no idea how a steak could be cooked this rare. It looked like it came right off the grocery store shelf.\r \r All in all, I will not go back to the reef. There are much better places to eat in the Midtown area. $30 for a horrible surf and turf! The ambiance of the Reef is not much better. Like others have mentioned, the place is loud....very loud!\r \r I live 1 block away from this place, but I will not be a repeat customer. I would rather go to Ibiza any day of the week then Reef. Maybe they are still working out the kinks of being a new diner, but at the prices they charge, I can get a much better meal and have a much better time elsewhere. Cons: Pretty much everything, although it may hve been just my experience more

The tempura soft shell crab was great, wines were excellent and the molten chocolate cake was very good. Service was ok, but to their credit it is very hard to serve at an 8 person booth. I enojoyed Reef until the waiter chastised us for ""shorting"" him on the tip. We left a little more than a 15% tip on our bill; the 15% was on the total bill including tax and several bottles of wine. The waiter returned after closing out all of our credits cards reminding us what 20% would be on the ENTIRE balance including tax and wine. It was embarrassing and a little insulting. If 20% of the total bill including wine and liquor has become the norm for average/mediocre service, then I apologize. I suggest Reef start adding gratuity on large parties if this is what they expect. FYI to everyone else, ask them to include what they expect up front. Pros: Wine Cons: Service more

I went to Reef with high expectations as the chef, Brian Caswell, once was the chef at Bank in Hotel Icon. The decor is amongst the best I have seen in Houston. It has an ethereal, underwater feel to it that I really enjoyed. It is also quite casual for a hip midtown eatery. This is where my praise ends. The food itself was extremely bland in flavor and lacking imagination. I understand simplicity, but this was something different. Both my girlfriend and I were thoroughly dissapointed in our dishes. On top of that, our waiter was nothing short of annoying. I enjoy an engaging server with a good sense of humor, but I despise one who lingers when not needed, always ready with an annoying quip, and manages to ogle my girlfriend repeatedly. I ended up with tax and tip paying almost $140 for a meal that was completely lackluster. If Reef is to survive, they have a long way to go... Pros: Beautiful asthetics Cons: everything else more

Food was very good, Bryan Caswell is a great chef, and Bill Floyd his partner is enjoyable and walks the floor to be sure things are going well. But all is not going well...... Although the food was very good, even after a few months to shake out the service, the service is not attentive, nor good. I poured wine for my table, had to repeatedly request water service. Cute waitress, but appears to have been poorly trained as she was not spread thinly over many tables. The concept here is not gourmet, but moderately upscale, they've surpassed this goal in the food, but not the ambiance. I found the former car dealership show room to be too bright, too open, and much too loud!\r \r Some great positives, the wine selection is well thought out, having wines for the afficianados, and for the Cakebread crowd. Wine prices were exceptional, much like Ibiza, about retail. The first bottle of white wine that we ordered was far too cold, too cold to taste the wonderful fruit, and we had to wait to enjoy the wine until it warmed. The red wine we ordered arrived at an appropriate temperature, and went well with our meal. Our meal of soft shell crab (about to be out of season) was delicious followed by a delicious scallop plate.\r \r Ambiance again, is a problem, upscale cafeteria, is how my guest described it, they need something to baffle the loud noise. The cement floors and no-table cloth 4-top tables don't abate the noise, but it needs help. This is a restaurant designed for the mid town crowd, but the crowd that ate here was mostly 40 to 60, and some inappropriately dressed (shorts!). This has great potential, as the food has to carry the place, but unless they make some quick changes to the service expectations of their waitstaff, it will not be here next year. I'll try again, but it won't be for months. If there had been good service, I'd be back this week.\r \r Contrary to other reviews, the food prices are extremely reasonable and are at their price point. Pros: wine list, food Cons: ambiance, service, noise more

We stopped in for a quick bite to eat before hitting a couple midtown clubs on thursday night. The ambience was modern and trendy. Beautiful, huge, glass enclosed wine cellar. The service was below average. Our waitress was nice, but the service was too slow for the restaurant being 3/4 full. We had the Snapper Carpaccio as an appetizer and it was outstanding (refreshingly unique). My fiance had the Pecan Grouper and I had the slider burgers off the bar menu. Grouper was bland and the burgers were great. Overall, I would give our experience a 6/10. The Reef could improve on the food and service. We'll be back in couple months. Pros: Creative Drink Menu, Good Snapper Appetizer Cons: 2 star service, Bland Entrees more

I have visited Reef twice in the past two weeks. First was for a happy hour at 3rd Bar. The bar's decor is quite sparse and tries for the industrial look but looks more like Cafe Express. There was no background lounge music playing or booths to sit in as a group. The waitress and bartender both took 10 minutes to notice our group of 5 in a pretty empty bar. \r After drinks I ate at in the restaurant on both visits. Once again, the industrial look is done wrong. The space is too bright and noisy because of the open kitchen and concrete tables. Booths should be added around the perimeter to make for a cozier atmosphere. The service was decent the first time I went and terrible the second time. We weren't brought water until we asked for it, we were given bread but no plates, when we ordered wine we had to ask for it twice. The waitress acted as though she should have been working in a diner not an upscale restaurant. The food is good but not worth the price when taken into account the lack of service and atmosphere. Hopefully they'll get there act together and it will live up to its prices. I recommend waiting until they get their act together. Pros: Good seafood dishes Cons: Don't get money's worth, lack of service, lack of atmosphere more