Sharon Yang
lovely warm atmosphere to enjoy some inventive yet unfussy food. the tomato toast was an absolute stand out with perfect summer tomatoes cooked until jammy. other highlights included the snapper - so tender and flaky. service was excellent - the waiters know what they are talking about and attentive without being overbearing. next time would love to sit at the bar and get to see the action in the kitchen. only soft critiques are that the prices on the wine menu can be a little eye watering and some dishes lean sweet (the hearty greens, the onions in the mung bean crepe, the slightly over the top richness of the butter cake) but that’s probably just my palate. was a fantastic first visit and would love to come back and try more, especially as the menu rotates.
David Duez
Celebration dinner at Theodore Rex. Finally able to take a night to ourselves to be thankful for our new house. As we moved in we both were really sick for weeks. We've had T.Rex on our radar before we even moved. It really was good.
Life is pretty great. And I'm thankful for all the great things in my life. Living near downtown is something we've always wanted to do and we've made it happen. Theodore Rex is not the type of place that we'd throw down that much for a dinner very often. It's expensive. Very. But for a celebration, it's worth it.
The place is very small. About 20-some seats and a counter. We got reservations for a Sunday night, but it was early - 5:30 and there were only just a few people there. It quickly filled by the time we were finished with dinner.
Great atmosphere inside Houston's warehouse district. Only a mile from our home. We ordered:
Spring peas with kombo and grapefruit with flounder sashimi. *delicious. The peas were el dented and had a satisfying crunch to them. The flounder was very tasty.
The tomato toast is a MUST HAVE. Incredible.
Tagliolini warmed in cultured butter, seasoned with Gulf oyster liquor, mignonette. Very tasty.
Soured pork sausage with chorizo spices, garden cucumbers, lime leaf. They said rotate bites between both to bring out the flavors and it did. A little spice that was just right.
We got the grouper for our main dish. 2 servings of scamp grouper - this one is zucchini with a sauce seasoned with pernod. And the next dish was the grouper grilled over coals. Cooked perfectly.
Desert - Warm strawberry buttercake, cold cardamon cream
It was a super meal that I'll never forget. Great little place that I'm so glad we were able to visit.
Kimberly Nguyen
Great date night spot. The food was delicious, unique and the service was excellent.
The only dish we didn’t like was SOURED PORK SAUSAGE WITH CHORIZO SPICES, GARDEN CUCUMBERS, LIME LEAF - but honestly that’s on us because we don’t love sour flavors. It’s still a good dish worth trying though.
This dish was our absolute favorite and I wish I could recreate it at home - ROASTED CAP OF BEEF, JUS ROTI, CHESTNUT MUSHROOMS, LEEK ASH
The restaurant is on the smaller side and parking can be kinda tough, but Theodore Rex is worth visiting.
Luis Ayala
Amazing experience. Flavors are so unique.
Tomato toast is delicious. Chicken breast with anchovies and coconut sauce is incredible. The frozen chocolate mousse tops it all out perfectly.
Debbie Harbison
My husband and I were going to The Last Concert Cafe for the 1st time and wanted to get a bite to eat before the show. We parked and walked up a few streets and ran into Theodore Rex. Walked in and was asked if we had reservations. We did not. The gorgeous hostess, Stacey, said 'no problem'. We decided to sit at the bar. Never made us feel bad for not making a reservation. The atmosphere was quaint and relaxing. Every part of this dinner was spectacular. The kitchen is in full view and you can see everything going on. Glad we ran into Theodore Rex.
Jainif Marediya
This place is pretty good. Have been waiting a while to try this spot and finally got a chance to try it. The service is awesome but the food left a bit to be desired. We had essentially the whole menu:
- 3 Oysters: ok at best. Sourced from Alabama which I thought was odd
- 1 crudo: ok, wasn’t that flavorful
- 1 tomato toast: star of the night. Wish we got multiple orders of this
- 1 dumplings: fine but nothing special
- 1 sformato: new addition to the menu that was pretty good. I’d get it again
- 1 tagliolini: this was pretty good pasta. I’d get it again
- 1 chicken breast: nothing special about the chicken itself but the sauce the breast sits in is great
- 1 snapper: good cook on the fish but the entire dish was a bit flat for me
- 1 cap of beef: good flavors here. Not the best cut of wagyu but good nonetheless
- 1 dark chocolate mousse: ok, a bit bitter, and wouldn’t get again
- 1 strawberry buttercake: pretty good flavor wise but not the best buttercake in town
- 1 panna cota: second favorite thing I had
tonight. Wish it was a bit bigger but I’d order this again
Manmohan Singh
We basically ate everything on the menus except 4 items. Service was awesome. We got to eat in the little side room, which was so cozy. It was a little cold but nothing a sweater couldn't fix. The food was really good but a tad overpriced. Overall a great dinner.
Lindsey Larsen
My family and I stumbled upon this place after a wedding and needed a chill place to decompress and chat. It was literally in the same building as the wedding venue. We sat on the patio since we didn't have reservations, which was perfect for us since it was quiet. The inside seating was full. What stood out the most was service. Our sever was very knowledgeable of their menu and recommended delicious wines and appetizers. The ambiance was very relaxing out on the patio. It was great find.
Chase Nelson
My experience at Theodore Rex was perfect. The hospitality I felt in my first five minutes was already better than most restaurants I visit. The food at Theodore is amazing. The only thing that's odd is how unassuming each dish looks when you're first presented it. You might have the best dumplings you've ever had, a solid white chicken breast or a crepe that leaves you wondering what's inside. It's hard to judge at first glance but this was some of the best food I've had in Houston and most likely some of the best I've had recently. I wish I could take better pictures because I don't think I did the dishes justice.
Saul Valentin
Excellent start if the evening. They accommodated us without reservations and suggested a great pairing of appetizers wine.
Gage Holloway
Every dish we ate was amazing. Make sure to get all three desserts, the steak and chicken leg!
Tyler Fuller
We started off in the private room, which was super quaint and fun but we were cut off from the rest of the restaurant. So we opted to sit at the bar, which we loved because we got to watch the chefs prepare everything. The menu changes seasonally and I had forgotten to do this post so non of these items are on the menu anymore, but they were absolutely delicious! Can't say enough about how much flavor and unique tastes we experienced in each bite. The staff is wonderful and with the chefs help explain everything they out into each dish so you understand how it was prepared and what you are eating. One of my top 5 restaurant experiences in Houston. Very small venue so make a reservation ahead of time.
Lori Moreno
We just had an early dinner here. Staff was so friendly. The restaurant is very small but does not feel uncomfortable. Very clean!!! The food was AMAZING! We tried 3 small plates, 1 small(not sharing size) & 2 main dishes. We ordered the tomato toast thinking it would be like tomato toast in Spain but it was way better. We had Italian dumplings, butter bean dish and potato cakes. Finished everything. My husband had the wagyu beef and I had tile fish, WOW. We also had the pastry dessert with coffee. Definitely worth the wait to get in this restaurant.
Matthew Hathaway
My new favorite spot in Houston. Very small and intimate setting but still very cozy and comfortable. The chef personally delivered our appetizers and entrees and explained why he decided that dish was going to be on the menu. Very reasonably priced for the level of service and food you receive. I highly recommend this place if you can get a reservation! *** They only have three group tables so if you want to attend with more then two people you may need to put a reservation in well in advance!
Na Li
Very creative concept fusion restaurant. The way how they want you to dine here has a set of procedure and they follow it strictly. Whatever the assigned time they give you, you need to follow it, because the very next table will be ready to be seated right afterward.
It’s a tiny little place with open kitchen, but very clean, modern, and organized very well, but I do feel very crowded sitting with my friends but we survived.
I do love all the decor and the furnitures along with the silverware. The plates are supper cute
With different color of poodles on them.
Service is excellent! Very on cue! Food was tasty, but expect to walk out of there feeling hungry still. Lol
Definitely worth trying.
Michael
Its reputation is well deserved. Well considered & finely executed dishes with exemplery service. Desserts are not an afterthought, particularly the Panna Cotta.
Laura Roberts
I’ll leave this as a short review and hopefully the suggestions will be taken on board. Food and service were top notch! Dined in the separate record player room. I loooved being able to play a selection of albums on the turntable—a fun and quirky touch. Suggestions: please, please put a couple floor lamps in the far corners. As the evening wore on it felt more dim and grim as the fluorescent light from the outside shined through the green portion of the stained glass and cast a cold, unappealing light into the room and onto the food. Second, get softer, more comfortable table seating. The metal chairs do not feel elevated or aligned with the service. Nor are they comfortable after several hours of dining on multiple dishes and courses.
Lisa Goodrich
It’s a low-key place w high-key food. We loved the tomato toast which had been recommended by a friend, and the “rice and butterbeans” were delicious too. We had the heritage chicken and the wagyu beef main dishes which I do not recommend as a pair for sharing — the beef well out flavors the delicate chicken. Our waiter probably could have told us that. It’s my only criticism, if it is one. The sommelier was enthusiastic and excellent—she steered us to an Italian table wine which fit the challenging pairing well. Chef Justin Yu is obviously kind as well as talented. His staff from Oxblood remained and he seems to run a relaxed kitchen with tight presentation and a pleasant atmosphere.
Ryan Michael
I don’t even know where to begin. I actually feel a little silly saying this... but I just had the best meal of my life. Dinner here was euphoria from beginning to end. When eating the poached cucumbers I literally thought I was going to cry... I didn’t know what was happening to me. Have you ever cried from a meal?!?! I haven’t!! I shook my head in joy throughout the entire wagyu been dish and people at the bar asked if I was ok and laughed... until they tried it too... then we were in the same boat. If you go here do NOT order the Paris Breast without a glass of Mediera. The sommelier poured me a glass half way through because she knew my mind would be blown again if she did. I feel like a bumbling idiot as I talk about and reflect on this meal. The chef who was a The Culinary Institute of America grad and lived in Poughkeepsie was humble but deserving of every possible honor. I was planning on going “out on the town” after but I didn’t because I knew life didn’t get much better then that meal.
Guillaume Joerger
We had a wonderful dinner at T-Rex! Every dishes were very tasteful and well seasoned which I really appreciated! The wine list is full of gems to discover or rediscover. The place is small and intimate, all the staff was totally on point! Will go back and recommend it to everyone!
Drew Price
Alright, let’s get down to business here.....
Theodore Rex worked as an insanely complete team to make sure our time was exceptional and specifically ours.
From wine suggestions, our personable server Tony, to Chef Yu bringing dishes to the table himself, � made sure our evening was as unique as it was accessible.
Unless you have expertise and care to think.... leave the wine to the T-Rex team. We had perfectly timed, paired wines coursed out to precision.
Each dish that we had was something worth dusting off a 8 year old yelp account for, and I personally felt that the Italian Dumplings were of an entirely different planet, one where pillows were common-place inside of cheeks.
Food and wine alone were worth all the stars that are allowed; however, whenever you factor in the team at Theodore Rex and their dedication to deliver an experience worthy of a Netflix special, I must elaborate past the 5th star.
We found T-Rex to be indicative of Houston, and Texas in of itself. Purposefully brilliant, with unprecedented accessibility. Food this good is far too easy to find. Don’t tell my friends, or tell them all.
-Drew
Calvin Crossley
Flavors every bit as good as its predecessor in this space, Oxheart, but with just enough additional menu flexibility to let the veteran staff relax and help you indulge your personal preferences. Will contend for the title of best new restaurant in Houston this year!
LW Kernan
The entire experience at T-Rex was outstanding! From the service to the food, nothing could have been better. Even the background music playlist was excellent! Every dish we tried was exceptionally prepared and flavorful, and proportioned just right. This place is not to be missed if you are in Houston!
Tara Maguire-Harting
Oxheart was amazing, this is the matured and bigger brother of it! Would not have alterered, adapted or modified a single aspect of the menu (and yes we literally had every dish on the menu). Exceptional. I hope yall get the Michelin star that Houston needs and that yall most definitely deserve!
Tiffany Fusilier
Every single dish was amazing, and the quaint space and music choice made for a truly fantastic ambiance. The staff was excellent too, as they were all very hospitable and knowledgeable. Can’t wait to go back!!
Graham Painter
The menu never gets dull and practically anyone on staff can tell you the story behind the food. Justin Yu is to the Houston food scene what Brazil is to soccer.
Aaron Kimble
Quaint little spot. Food was on point. Clean, clear flavors, well balanced and a fun wine list to go along with it. Casual while still fancy. Service was very good too.
Jason Petty
This place was amazing. MAKE A RESERVATION. We did not make a reservation but were able to sit at the bar which is (tiny) intimate. The staff was hilarious, engaging and knowledgeable. The food was beyond good and the booze flowed like wine. We are a totally “eat at the bar” kinda people so this was our ideal experience.
Jessica Salopek
Excellent restaurant and staff! Still one of the best dining experiences in Houston!
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