Alicia's Mexican Grille — Restaurant in Houston

We love the food here, the food is always amazing. Wife and I get separate plates rather than sharing a meal, because even the leftovers are fantastic. And they always higher the friendliest staff, we’ve never had a bad staff experience.

The gentleman that refills drinks and chips is always friendly and accepting of my broken Spanish. My wife and I think he’s secretly the owner and doing refills is his way of keeping an eye on things.

We’ve been eating here since after covid and left a glowing review in another platform. But after eating here a few dozen or more times, things have changed and we probably won’t not be going back as often.

They have a serious noise issue. They need to train staff how to encourage customers to stop screaming-talking. Or install some sound baffling on the ceiling, walls, and/or partitions in the restaurant.

One night there was a group of about 6 men and one woman, they were scream-talking over each other about how impressive their cars were and their financial conquests. Their food had already been cleared, and we were on the other side of the restaurant. I offered the server $100 tip if he would encourage them to lower the volume or encourage them to wrap up and leave. He said “uh, no”.

We kinda stopped going, and I totally forgot how loud it has gotten. So when my family was in town to take me out for my birthday (last Friday, 6pm), this is where I picked. There was a family of 4 or 5 at one table, and a group of ladies at a table next to them. It got to be a competition between them to see which table could be loudest talkers. They were literally screaming. We were on the other side of the restaurant and could hear both conversations in full, except it was outdoor yelling so impossible to understand.

We were at the round table on the other side of the room, and it was impossible to have any type of conversation. I spent my birthday with the family reading my lips saying “I’m so sorry” over and over.

It was really embarrassing because the family said pick somewhere nice and we ended up eating without speaking, listening to two tables try to out-shout each other and the staff choosing to allow it.

The location presents itself as a really nice, upscale location with amazing food. But the reduction in traffic may be resolved if they take an active role in returning it to a sub-175 decibels eating environment.

If my ears ring after leaving, it’s not a “dining” experience. Offer people an option to lower the volume or they can move to...

Horrible experience: The customer service at this is location is very discriminatory and well below average. Basically, we were seated and eventually orders were taken. The server only returns to the table to drop off the food and doesn't check back until we ask for the checks. He combined them, although we asked for separate checks....no problem. At this point it started to pour down raining and when he came back to the table, we decided to order another drink (would start a new tab) until it slacked up. The server returns to the table after processing the first ticket and questions the amount of his tip. When she confirmed it was correct, he got upset and felt that it wasn't enough. He began to argue with us at the table in front of other customers about his tip amount. We tried explaining to him how disrespectful it was and you can't come and demand a certain amount for a tip. He was raising his voice and throwing his hands all in the air and stormed away from the table all the while the manager on duty was just standing there watching him be disrespectful and never addressed him. He proceeded to the bar area and was yelling and complaining to the bar tender and the manager once again about how much he should've been tipped. When I asked for the mgr to come over and I explained to her how offended we were and how disrespectful that was she just said she didn't want to talk to him in front of customers and would talk to him later. I told her but you allowed him to become irate, rude, and raise his voice at us and be okay with that??? I expressed how that was wrong and should not be how she allows her employees to talk to customers. Basically we went back and forth and she did not seem to care or be too concerned. When my party mentioned to another seated party that the server was disrespectful, she told us to leave and never come back. We made her aware of how quickly she came to address us for that but did not say one word to her employee. We will never return to this location anyway....this is not the first time I heard of something similar at this location about them being racist acting towards a certain ethnicity, but we gave them another chance anyway. Guess the saying is true...when they show you who they are the first time,...

Title: A Cinco de Mayo Disappointment at Alicia's: A Review

On the vibrant occasion of Cinco de Mayo, my wife and I embarked on a culinary adventure to Alicia, a Mexican restaurant nestled in Houston, Texas. With high hopes of experiencing the true essence of Mexican cuisine, our anticipation was palpable. However, what transpired was far from the celebratory feast we had envisioned.

From the outset, it was evident that Alicia's failed to deliver on its promise of authenticity and quality. As the plates arrived, adorned with lackluster presentations, our enthusiasm waned with each disappointing bite. The rice, a cornerstone of Mexican cuisine, was a disheartening revelation - mere Zatarain's rice masquerading as the real deal. The guacamole, purportedly homemade, betrayed its store-bought origins, while the lobster, promised as a delicacy, revealed itself to be a mere imitation.

Even the taco shells, a symbol of Mexican street food culture, lacked the crispness and flavor one would expect, betraying their stale and inauthentic nature. To compound our disappointment, the condiments on offer - from the expired hot sauce bottle to the jarred salsa - further emphasized the lack of care and attention to detail.

However, the most disheartening moment came when our waitress, in a rare display of candor, admitted to abstaining from the very food she served. Her confession served as a stark reminder of the culinary letdown we were experiencing on this festive occasion.

Reluctant to cause a scene, we quietly noted our grievances and left the majority of our meals untouched. Even the frozen margaritas, a beacon of hope in an otherwise lackluster spread, failed to impress, leaving us yearning for the vibrant flavors and authenticity that should have defined this Cinco de Mayo celebration.

While it pains me to recount this experience, the truth must be told. Alicia's, on this auspicious day of celebration, fell short of delivering the culinary experience we had hoped for. As we bid farewell to this establishment, I can only hope that they take heed of this feedback and strive for excellence in their future endeavors, especially on occasions as significant as...