Handies Douzo — Restaurant in Houston

Editing Review Update:

Hey this is my millionth time here but tonight was quite different. We were celebrating a birthday with a group of 5 girls. The moment we sat down our server told us we only have 1 hour because they had another party reserve after us. I have never felt so rushed in my life trying to eat a set of five handrolls, drinking, 5 orders of crudos. I didn't even have any time to enjoy myself. The food itself was amazing I just wished this evening experience didn't happen. Our poor birthday girls didn't even get to enjoy themselves. 1 hour is definitely not enough time. They could have said 75 minutes or even 90 minutes as most restaurants. We even chose any early dinner at 5pm. I was a bit disappointed with my experience tonight. If I knew this was just going to be 1 hour, I would have gone elsewhere with more time n good food as well.

Old Review- This place is "hands" down lol, my favorite Handroll place. So first off, reservations can be made via Resy. Very easy to reserve a spot. Seatings are limited and you are seated on barstool so it's not too fancy. We were dressed pretty casual in our workout clothes. Thursday night, not too busy but enough to keep the mood going for the restaurant. We sat immediately and was greeted with water and waitress ready to take our drink orders. We ordered all the crudos which are so fresh and delicious. We each had a set of 5 hand rolls and Otoro sashimi and Blufin sashimi. Sooo soo freaking good. The staff was so engaged and so much fun to talk to. They are so nice and definitely inviting. I love it so much here. Y'all, run don't walk! Make that reservation now, I cannot wait...

If you're reading through the reviews to determine which temaki sushi (hand-roll) restaurant to eat in the Heights, Handies Douzo is the best one by far. The concept was put together by ex-Uchi chefs, Patrick Pham and Daniel Lee, and real estate mogul, Andrew Lin. These are the same guys that put together private omakase pop-up dinners (Secret Taste) across Houston's biggest and most luxurious mansions throughout 2019.

Handies Douzo is located in a home-turned-restaurant with plenty of street parking nearby. It seats about 20+ people at a time which is nice since they're able to provide their customers with the utmost quality food and service. They are currently BYOB (bring your own booze), but they stated they'll be getting their liquor license in February 2020.

We typically order the 5 Hand-Roll Set for $29 which includes a BGB Sake (King Salmon), Negitoro, Kani, Spicy Tuna, and an Avocado hand-roll. The nori (seaweed) they use is crispy and very easy to bite through. I've had experiences at other hand-roll places where their seaweed is too chewy, so I'm happy this is not the case here. They also season each roll and add all sorts of crunchy textures to boost the dining experience even further. Personally, my favorite roll is the Spicy Tuna, but they are all great in their own ways.

I love Handies Douzo for the food, the service, the atmosphere, and the overall experience. I've been to other hand-roll places across the United States, and none have come close to what Handies Douzo has put together. They took the best-of-the-best ideas and combined them into an incredible dining...

We made reservations and I highly recommend you do as this place has very limited seating just like other hand roll bars. After being seated at an awkward location of their bar we were greeted almost immediately. We ordered a few crudo plates to start and I ordered the 4 hand roll set. The Maguro crudo was the best, the sake was probably the second favorite, the scallop one was the least favorite and needs the most help with its balance of flavors.

After visiting their competition I can say the prices here are a tad bit too high for what you get out of your experience. The four handroll set at the competitor is not only cheaper but includes only non-vegetarian options, while Handies Douzo has an avocado roll that is bland. My suggestion for them is to make a vegetarian roll set and remove this from the regular handroll sets. As far as the quality of fish I'd say it's just as good as its competition. Unfortunately most of it is mashed into a puree so I couldn't speak on texture or tell you anything more. My favorite roll is their spicy tuna. So much so I ordered additional rolls. They put crispy shallots or garlic in the roll and it gives it an amazing crunch. Their flavors for all their rolls except the avocado were delicious.

Overall I'm sure I'll be back. I always am. They do lack a few things such as a proper cocktail menu. They also don't have the little touches of their competition. All for a higher price tag. Total for 3 people with only food and no drinks was $130. So pick your poison. I usually decide between the two handroll spots based on if I want...