Eugene's Gulf Coast Cuisine — Restaurant in Houston

Today we went for Houston Restaurant Week (HRW) . It was a very disappointing experience. My friends and I wanted to try a new place during HRW and this turned out to be the least exciting and least quality filled experience. We all ordered the 2 items from the HRW menu, $25 each, plus additional drinks and items from happy hour. I got the crab stuffed jalapenos, $1.25 oysters, and Croquilles Saint-Jacques. The crabcaked served with the saint-jacques were more bread than crab, the scallop was tough and out of the food items ordered, the only decent tasting (flavor and quality) was the crab stuffed Jalapeños. The oysters were gulf, sub-par and tasted old. The shrimp from the shrimp cocktail tasted as though it was not fresh or had been sitting out because it tasted dry and hard. Our server, though very nice was very un-attentive. I'm not sure if it may have been a lack of experience or lack of management. It looked as though the service staff were chicken with their heads cut off because there were no active managers on the floor or "table - tapping" to ensure quality and service. Additionally during our time there we saw that the other table next to us that he was in charge of had to consistently get his attention for service, even though he had taken our order then turned to leave without checking on them as well. At the end of the meal I asked for food To-Go, I always get my father food from new places so he can try. He got the catfish pieces and a side of red beans and rice, the total amount of his food came to $20. Pictures are attached but for this price this is not worth it. The icing on the cake was, I tried the catfish pieces and they were unseasoned, breading falling off, and TASTED EXTREMELY FISHY. If you are a fish lover you know this means the fish is old and possibly against health violations.

Overall it is sad that this place is so close to me but I have decided never to be a patron of this establishment again. I do not want to give this place a chance if the owners and managers do not take...

I finally tried this place after hearing about it constantly since they opened. Eugene’s happy hour menu is one of the better ones in the River Oaks area. Fresh Gulf Oysters on the half shell are $1.25 a piece. Half a dozen is only $7.50 and a dozen is $15. The oysters were very fresh and plump.

Priced at $12.95 the Calamari Dillon appears to be expensive for Happy Hour but the bartender informed me that it is a full order which normally goes for $16.45. I found the Calamari fried to perfection and was not chewy at all. The portion was quite large and is perfect for sharing.

The Catfish Pieces were decent and the Boudin Balls were okay. The Mini Crab Cakes were tasty. The 4 ounce Happy Hour Angus Beef Burger is the perfect size for Happy Hour. The $7 house wine is reasonable considering that my bartender was quite generous with each pour.

I had the Surf and Turf (Gulf Coast Style) for dinner. My 8 ounce Filet Mignon was cooked to my specified medium rare plus. It was one of the better steaks that I have had recently. It was very tender. There were four fried shrimps on top of the filet mignon which added to the enjoyment of my meal. My two sides were sautéed spinach and French fries. Simple. But both made my entrée very hearty.

For dessert we ordered the Crème Brûlée and Hazelnut Ice Cream Affogato. The Crème Brulee was pretty standard but I really liked the Affogato. It is one of my favorite dessert items. I will order it if it’s on the menu.

Eugene’s is a very pleasant and comfortable local restaurant. It is upscale but not fussy. Service is good. I will be back to try many of the other items on...

Beautiful setting, great menu options and nice variance of pricing between apps and entrees. My concern is with the flavor and lack of seasoning. Definitely not a salt and pepper friendly chef. The breading on the calamari was crispy and light and the fry was perfection but it had literally no taste only texture. The oysters were great but it seemed settled when it came to the table perhaps it was delayed on its delivery to the table but none the less it was still flavorful even at room temperature. I had scallops with grilled pineapple and lump crab with a side of broccoli and red beans and rice. Please note there was not a lot of flavor and I added salt in the beans to bring it up and enhance it. The scallops were hidden under a pineapple plank and the crab was mixed with a heavy amount of non flavorful char and oil, no lumps just trace amounts of broken crab meat. The sear on the scallops was just too much and the flavor of the scallops were lost. This dish should have been served on a larger plate with some organic greens and lump crab tossed in tarragon and green onion with an avocado oil and lemon. Three entrees later and 2 apps and I just felt like I was not satisfied at $216. This place needs to be better because it has amazing potential but not the right chef. I know this is small but don’t garnish with a lemon slice, it would have been a major help to have been able to squeeze it over the seafood and broccoli to add some flavor. Every chef knows...