I’ve wanted to try this place since seeing the fabulous write up in Food & Wine Magazine as an up and coming chef. I had such high hope of putting Houston on the map as a culinary center and higher expectations about the cuisine since many of my friends raved about the place and food. So what went well… I like the décor, the wait staff and wine selections. The crab & shrimp shooters were unique and surprisingly very good. The milkshake was fantastic. The sweet potato & bacon ravioli was tastefully interesting. I wish I had ordered the brandy sauce on the side because it overpowered the main flavors of the dish. The not so well… The main entrees left me with a sour taste for this place. The grouper was overcooked to a point of rubbery, not good. The seafood pot contained bad tasting shrimp (strong ammonia flavor & aroma) and penny size mussels not worth the trouble to eat much less not being cleaned well enough to be served because the bottom of the bowl was sandy making the tasty broth gritty at best. When I explained all this to our waitress, she politely apologized; which is what she was trained to do. She even commented on the strong smell of the shrimp, that I set aside on the bread plate to validate my point by not eating. I’m into service recovery when experiences are below standards. My experience was clearly below quality standards. I don’t look for a free meal, just something to get me to come back and try it again. Even great chefs have bad days. Let’s just say I won’t be back to the Reef restaurant any time soon and I won’t recommend it to any of my friends, family and colleagues. Which is a shame because I had such high hopes…
Pros: Shooters and milkshake
Cons: entrees and service recovery
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