Brenner's on the Bayou — Restaurant in Houston

Booked here for Houston Restaurant Weeks. Booked online directly through their website with the note of HRW included on the reservation. On HRW website and on their personal website, nowhere does it state what time brunch is served on Sunday and that their HRW menu is only available after a certain time of day. At no point did a host or staff contact me to let me know that the time I booked for was not compliant with the HRW menu. They had my phone number, and email. When my sister and I showed up for our reservation, the hostess was very rude. She said I see under your reservation you are booked for Houston Restaurant Week but we are only serving brunch right now. I’ve worked in hospitality before and for an establishment this prestigious she was very unprofessional. She could have said, “ I apologize, but I’m just seeing you booked for restaurant weeks. Unfortunately we are not serving that menu at this time, but you are welcome to join us for brunch. Or if you like, I can reschedule your reservation for a later time this evening.” She just said it to us like we were stupid and did not offer any solution. I’ve had restaurants call and confirm reservations with me the day prior to make sure it was correct. They should have contact me because I’ve had the reservation for over a week. We were coming from church on the other side of town, and I did not have a backup plan. I asked the hostess could I at least use the facilities because I had a long drive there. She pointed us to the restroom upstairs. We were upstairs for all of five minutes. While we were washing our hands, she busted into the bathroom looked around and walked out. As if to make sure we weren’t making a mess or whatever it is she thought we were doing. My sister and I looked at each other in shock and just felt really uncomfortable not welcome and discriminated against. It’s sad because I was really excited to try this place, but after how I was treated there I don’t ever want to spend a dime with them. Even if I was to overlook the fact that they didn’t contact me, the discrimination was so obvious. I’ve been to many, many high end restaurants. Not only in the US but all over the world, and I have never even been treated that way before. The hostess need to be trained to be kinder and also more professional. She was looking down on us like she was better than us. We were the ones there to spend our money, and she works there. It just makes me so angry. She just made us feel like we were below her, and I guarantee we have more class than she ever could. Anyways, the gentlemen at the valet were really kind and professional. We paid and tipped them even though we were there all of 10 minutes. Please call and confirm your reservations with them before you decide to dine in with them. Just really disappointed with how the whole situation was handled. Poor...

We celebrated a belated 4th Wedding Anniversary here recently and enjoyed the food, service, and ambiance. We were only able to get a 545PM reservation, but we stretched our time to be able to be there at dark to see all the lights. We were originally seated inside with an obstructed view by 2 beams, so we asked to move and decided to go outside to the patio. Our server, Grace, was awesome. It was our first time, so we had a lot of questions which she patiently and thoroughly answered. We weren't offered any bread and we didn't ask for any either, so I'm not sure if there is any complimentary offered. We started with the bacon wrapped quail with a maple chipotle glaze and thought it was a good choice; it had just enough kick while not being overwhelming. Hubby opted for the Akaushi steak a la carte while I decided to go with a roasted lemon chicken dish that came with mashed potatoes. I had stepped away and the food arrived and my husband thought his steak was more rare than medium, so he asked for it to be cooked a little bit more. Our server asked for it to be brought to medium well, but it came out well done. I told them I wanted it cooked medium and offered to pay for it because I didn't see it to begin with and perhaps it was medium and not rare as my husband panicked a bit because I wasn't there to approve. They said we wouldn't be charged and a manager visited our table and mentioned it being overcooked the 2nd time. Regardless, a new steak arrived shortly cooked to medium perfection and it was very tasty! It had a nice sear and was a nice cut of beef. Plus, it was a great value for a 14oz at $52. My chicken was cooked perfectly and was very flavorful. I think the mashed potatoes were the best I've ever had. Hubby ordered sauteed spinach and we shared a smoked mac and cheese. They were both very good and more than enough for the both of us. We ordered a souffle with a Chambord sauce and it was good and very nicely presented; we really liked that they took it upon themselves to put "Happy 4th Anniversary " on it. It was not complimentary as at other Landry's restaurants for special occasions, but we had gift cards, so weren't too concerned with price. If it were coming out of our pocket, I don't think we'd pay the $14 for it. We had a better souffle at Chez Nous in Humble and it I'd actually less, but it was not bad at all. We'd probably try a different dessert next time. There is a lot of nice photo ops here and the place is classy and very clean. We really enjoyed this place and we'll...

The service, setting, and surroundings were outstanding. It's like we were transported to another dimension. And the prices reflected that wonderful environment. However, my food didn't meet my expectations. I believe because I was so amazed with the Service and the setting, that my Wagyu steak landed on my plate with a thud. The steak was supposed to be with little pink inside and it was rare. The second attempt made it less pink but more chewy. I'm a steak connoisseur, and I can cook any piece of beef to perfection. So I was at least expecting my quality or better. This steak $76 for 16oz was the equivalent of a $20 to $25 steak at a hamburger joint. There was no seasoning at all in/on the steak so they bring out some au jus. They will add a butter sauce if you request it. The owner of this restaurant has about 60 different restaurants around Houston and I have eaten at a few of them. I have had much better steaks at the lower end restaurants they own. The baked potato was so small, I suggested they re-plant it to complete the growing cycle. The size of this potato should be included with the meal. If I'm to pay $15 ala carte, for a plain potato, I should be proud of it. The potato was the size of my fist. Really? This is Texas. The texture of the potato was very firm such that you needed a spoon to scrape and shovel the potato out of the skin. I wouldn't complain if I didn't know better and I can do better myself at home. But on my XX wedding anniversary, I wanted something special. My wife's stuffed quail wrapped in bacon was exquisite, she said. Along with her wedge salad and the ice cream fudge sundae. The Matre-D was great in that he was able to seat us 1.5 hours ahead of our reservation (7 instead of 8:30), however, that table for 2 should be off limits to the public. The table is adjacent to the main stairway down into the dining room. There is no wall between the handrail and the steps. If someone with dirty shoes walks along the handrail, you can get dust and dirt in your food. Now I did signup for the VIP dining club card because I intend to visit other restaurants under their umbrella and I want all of the benefits that come with frequent dining. Hopefully, my steak and potato were just a...