Grand Lux Cafe — Restaurant in Houston

Of all of the businesses that I enjoy giving a high rating to, restaurants are my favorite... Not because I love to eat, but because it seems so easy for some of them to have bad food and bad service but, stay open for years in good locations. I also like to be really rigid with my criteria for review. For instance, I would almost never give 5 stars if any major issue limited my experience, or just because the "Owner was so cool", and offered me free stuff. That being said, the Luxe Cafe is easily a 5 star meal. It's probably more like 6 stars if the price point is considered. THE PREMESIS-are gorgeous and spacious, and obviously constructed with respect for the clients. One MAJOR issue though, is I don't remember being able to see behind me while sitting at the bar. It's the equivalent of there being no bathroom mirror in poor people restaurants. THE STAFF- was courteous and professional. Thier management is obviously committed to performance. You can tell that it's the"culture" there. One thing that I've never NOT subtracted a star for is slow service. Well, after canceling my coffee that didn't arrive for an hour(it was like 7:30pm by then), and constantly searching for our waitress, we were literally there for twice a long as we had to be....Buuuuttt... It was Saturday dinner, the place started filling up folks started drinking, and our party was chilling anyway. So, despite the fact that it literally began to be torturous to be there, only a fraction of the wait was the cafe. The other issue was being with a bunch of cackling hens. THE FOOD- was the best value I've seen in Houston for like 10 years, when you factor in quality. It seems obviously like an ex Cheesecake Factory manager got fired via sword fight and vowed to seek his revenge by building a slightly better establishment. I don't eat after 5, but tried a very small small sample of about 10 different things. Every one was perfect. Not ok. Perfect.-Even the few things that I didn't like the taste or consistancy of, it was a personal choice. But a recipe or preparation issue.... except maybe the "pot roast fries" why tf does that dish not have disc shaped, sliced potatoes with the gravy on the side in a little boat? Never- the - less, most appetizers were about $12, and included enough for 4-5 good samples. 2 of any appetizers would make a good meal. 3 would make a feast. If they Could put 7 or 10 into some kind of mega sampler, I imagine it would be worth $100 and be frequently ordered. Main courses looked great. I didn't try any but they all looked and were reported to be great. Kids menue items are a scam though. There was no side item included with my kids' main course. He'll likely not ask to go there again- which would honestly be one of the few reasons I would drive that far to eat. I feel like your money couldn't be spent at too many better places in Houston. I also feel like, if you're close by, you should like to reward a group that has their stuff together.

As if this wasn't long enough, i can't finish without mentioning THE LOCATION- It's easy to access from all directions and parking lot is great with big enough spaces. And a few traffic lights aiding egress. The drivers though.... that area has to be the most concentrated area of psychotropic prescription narcotic use in history. I literally didn't wait for, or pass, or drive by a single person in that giant parking lot that could go thier turn, or wait for the right time, or maneuver smoothly, or accelerate properly or turn within a lane, or otherwise do anything that looked like proper driving. It was amazing. Studies...

What should have been a joyful birthday celebration for my daughter turned into an exercise in frustration, thanks largely to the manager, Mike, and a series of avoidable mishaps. While the food was passable at best, the hostile atmosphere between staff and management, coupled with outright rude service, left a sour taste. From the moment we were seated, discomfort set in—literally. Our table for two was positioned directly next to a window facing the parking lot, where a flashing emergency light box blinked an irritating white and blue light into our eyes. I politely asked Mike if we could move just one table over to a spot against a solid wall, away from the flashing lights. The dining room was only about 40% full, with plenty of open tables. Instead of accommodating us, Mike brushed off the request and immediately seated the next party at that exact table I'd suggested. It felt deliberate and petty, especially given the empty options elsewhere. Our server, who was otherwise attentive and apologetic, shook her head in disbelief at Mike's behavior. She confided that he's widely disliked by the staff for his rudeness toward both employees and guests, and his "cavalier attitude" came as no surprise to her. It's telling when the team openly vents about their boss mid-service—it creates an uncomfortable vibe that permeates the entire experience. Mike's interactions with customers were equally dismissive; he seemed more interested in asserting control than ensuring anyone had a pleasant meal.

The Food: Okay, But Overpriced and Underwhelming Burger with Side Salad ($20): Solid but unremarkable. The patty was juicy enough, and the salad was fresh, but nothing stood out to justify the cost. Chicken Alfredo Pasta ($30): A major letdown. The sauce was bland and lacking in creaminess or seasoning—think watered-down milk with a hint of cheese. The chicken (added as an extra, since it doesn't come standard) was dry and overcooked. For $30, this felt like a rip-off; we'd have been better off across the street at Cheesecake Factory, where portions are generous, flavors pop, and service shines.

Issues stem from the top down. Mike's rude, anti-customer approach alienated us and clearly demoralizes the staff, turning what could be a cozy spot into a tense one. The food is edible but forgettable, and the pricing doesn't match the quality or experience. Save your money and celebrations for somewhere that values its guests—we certainly...

UPDATE: The charge never fell off. Now we have to dispute the duplicate charge. We got charged the 400 bill TWICE! It just goes to show you that this restaurant lacks competence more so on Michael Mangafas part because we showed that man that the money was taken out of our account so regardless if it isn’t shown on your end we did OUR job plus had a receipt showing proof of payment. Astronomical! Imagine paying 800 dollars for a visit to this place. Hopefully the man (Michael) went home and googled the purpose and intention of a receipt because no way you’re 60+ not knowing basic concept of everyday items.*

The atmosphere here was amazing! The food was decent needed salt but was fresh and presentable.

However I am rating this experience 1 star because me and my group were met with a very prejudice manager. The manager Michael Mangafas was a poor excuse for customer service, displaying rude and discriminatory behavior. The experience was going well until the payment process. We paid using the QR code on the check receipt, and the payment went through on our end, with the amount taken out of our account and receipt confirmation received. Despite showing the manager our proof of payment, he claimed they hadn't received it on their end. Instead of handling the situation professionally, Michael Mangafas threatened to call the cops (always a white man ready to call 911 on black people) and accused us of trying to run out without paying. This was completely unnecessary and embarrassing! He dismissed our receipt, saying it didn’t matter because the cops wouldn’t care, which was absurd. Receipts serve as proof of payment, and it's shocking that Mike, as a manager, didn't understand such basic knowledge. Thankfully, the other manager, a polite and understanding Black man (unfortunately, I didn’t get his name), stepped in and explained the situation clearly. He told us that the original payment should fall off in a few days but that they needed us to make another payment in the meantime. He even promised (on video) that we would get the money from the original payment back. It was disheartening to experience yet another instance where a situation escalated unnecessarily, reflecting a troubling pattern of individuals (particularly white) being quick to involve law enforcement, particularly in interactions with...