Clarkwood — Restaurant in Houston

Fraudulent business practices on charges and advertised good and services, dont recommend.

Alternative recommendations with better cocktails and service: woosters, 13 Celcius, bayou heights, Johnnys gold brick, standard, holman draft hall, and many others.

Made a reservation in advance to celebrate a special date, at $100+ a head.

Arrived after dinner sober, designer dressed, presentable and excited for this place.

On arrival had to stand waiting outside in the cold as the manager was talking to a group immediately inside the door they clearly knew, blocking any entry.

Was waiting quite a while to be seated.

We were placed at a tiny cramped table at the far back corner squeezed next to the staff till and cutlery service area with very loud speak blasting directly at us. Behaviour of the staff indicated something was up and it was known this was undesirable and not normal.

Asked to be moved to one of the vacant regular table locations. I was informed they were for people paying more money.

This seemed like a mix up as it was not what was advertised. We had already paid $216 before even walking in, and were intending to spend well. How could it be about the spend if we hadnt started ordering yet?

I showed the receipt and staff looked surprised then went to talk to the manager.

We were told the same thing again. To which i asked what exactly did that booking fee get me? At this point i was told the difference between what we spent and that fee would be refunded to us.

We decided to have a single drink and see how it went. Service took a very long time, we were left sitting there without anything.

During this period other guests who staff were showing preferential treatment to and chatting with were given the available tables. They did not however order much of anything, so the spend reason at that point strongly seemed like a lie.

After the one drink, we had no service again for a long time.

We decided to ask to leave and asked for refund of the difference of booking fee vs drinks, this was refused. In addition booking fee did NOT contribute to the drink spend.

End result $260 for 2x mid cocktails, terrible service and an okish vibe.

The venue itself is cramped but would give decor a 6/10. Cocktails presentation 7/10. Cocktails taste a bit better than average but nothing amazing. Service awful. Cost value is terrible.

I will be speaking to my bank on Monday about the fraudulent charges of services not as described.

My very strong recommendation is to not give these people any time or money. I wont be returning and will be active in recommending...

I came into this establishment last night a little after 10pm. It was my first time there and initially I’m thinking it was a nice ambience. I was recommended by a server at Eddie V’s after enjoying dinner with my date.

Music was good, and it seemed like a great spot for drinks. But the service I experienced was no where near what I expected. The bartenders at one point were intentionally ignoring me and my date.

I ordered an old fashion, it was made with too much bitters, not my preference, so I asked if it could be remade with less bitters. The bartender didn’t want to make me another one for whatever reason, so he asked another bartender to make it. It was better but it was a very small pour for a typical old fashion. I usually go to The Capital Grille, Eddie V’s, or a spot with good craft cocktails for old fashions which may be why I have a specific taste for them. But after I finished, the bartenders kept walking past, not acknowledging that we both were sitting with empty cocktail glasses. Two bartenders started having a conversation right in front of us with no attentiveness toward us.

I patiently waited to see if they would acknowledge us, but then I had to flag a bartender down. Instead of him making our drink he asks one of the bartenders that was talking and standing behind the bar to make it. That bartender casually finishes his conversation with the woman, then takes an order from a guest sitting right next to me, then proceeds to make my drink. At this point I’m just watching him pour my drink and I noticed he didn’t even fill a 1.5 ounce jigger to make my old fashion. Then pours it into a mixing glass that is typically used for Manhattans, waters down the drink in order to make it look like more liquor in the glass. Then pours it over rocks, not a big rock. I finished that drink so fast it was literally 3 gulps of watered down old fashion.

A woman comes and sits next to us to my left. A bartender walks right past, takes her order, ignores our empty glasses, doesn’t offer another drink, pours her Prosecco, and just walks away without acknowledging us at all. Then I sit there and watch to see if anyone was going to offer a check, or another drink. We had to flag another bartender down to get the check because at this point we’re ready to leave. Then has the audacity to charge 20% gratuity, for terrible service.

I hope this email reaches a manager, or owner maybe so these type of issues get corrected for future guests. Just wasn’t a good look. 1 out of 5 type of...

*edit: Look at their response, is that someone you want to support? Mean girl activities 🤡 tell me what reputable establishment responds like that? Those who avoid the truth and pride themselves on prejudice and racism.

I recently visited Clarkwood, and I must say, the experience was profoundly disappointing. Despite its upscale facade, there are multiple troubling reports about this establishment that should give any potential customer caution.

First and foremost, there have been numerous accusations of racism. Even one accusation is bad, but to have many reviews, Reddit posts and complaints of racism shows there’s a serious problem here. This is utterly unacceptable in any setting, let alone a place that prides itself on being high-class. In an era where inclusivity should be the norm, it's disheartening to know this is truly their norm.

Adding to this is the troubling issue of fraudulent charges. Many customers have found unexplained charges on their bills or charged multiple times, leading to the impression that the bar is attempting to get over on their customers. It's one thing to charge premium prices for premium service, but it's another to engage in deceptive practices to bolster profits.

This brings me to a critical point: truly successful and wealthy businesses do not need to resort to underhanded tactics to thrive. If Clarkwood were genuinely prosperous and well-managed, it would not need to milk its customers for every possible cent. (Fee to drink, fee to reserve, auto grat.. etc.) Successful businesses build their reputations on trust, quality, and customer satisfaction, not on exploiting their clientele.

I invite you to read how Clarkwood responds to reviews, avoiding accountability and telling multiple people “that sounds like it didn’t happen here, maybe another venue..” yea, surely people just keep searching Clarkwood on google to leave it a completely false (but ironic) review.

Do not give these...