Hearsay Market Square — Restaurant in Houston

As a first time customer, there is not enough kind words that can describe my amazing experience at the Hearsay.

I stumbled across this beautiful bar while looking for something new to try in Houston.

As soon as I walked in the door the atmosphere took my breath away. It was as if I stepped out of the concrete jungle and into a movie where I was the star. This feeling was solidified as soon as the door shut with the outside noise of the busy city being completely hushed and me being welcome by the bar staff.

I went to take a seat at the bar and was immediately greeted by Erika who was at the ready with a glass of water as I sat down.

Erika welcomed me with a cheerful voice and informed me of the historical presence this beautiful building blesses the city with. History being one of my favorite subjects I was taken back by the knowledge of this upscale bar and couldn't believe it was in my own backyard of Houston.

After the meet and greet Erika provided me with some menu options of her recommendations on what she felt was the best food on the menu. Her descriptions if the food were so exceptional that I could practically taste what she was talking about with each menu item she suggested.

I settled for the Jumbo Bacon Wrapped Shrimp & Grits Gf... and my goodness! Not only did my food come out so quickly, it was so elegant looking, as if the chef was not only a amazing cook but a artist as well.

Erika recommend the Whitney cocktail to be paired with this dish, to have a balanced if sweet and savory. Boy was she right!

I watched her as she built the drink and I got to say that I could visibly see the amount of pride she took assembling the drink. Once completed it too was something beautiful to behold. The taste was so angelic that after my first sip Erika ask me if the drink was to my liking and I couldn't help but smile. I had words to say but nothing wouldn't come out, my joyful bless had me tongue tied thus explaining the review.

Givin my time to compose my thoughts, I just feel the need to say that Hearsay was an amazing experience to be apart of. If you are just going to grab a drink and enjoy the music you will be pleased with the track selection from 80s to indy bands and the occasionally sprinkled in pop.

If you are going for food well that too will have you falling in love. I highly recommend coming here, you will not regret it!

If I had one complaint it would be not hearing about this place sooner!

Thank you all for the...

We ended up at Hearsay after hearing good things and wanting to indulge in something a little elevated. When we arrived, we were told a reservation was required to be seated on the weekends, even though the whole downstairs was empty. The hostess, in that same sentence, said she could still get us seated. Our server was very attentive, soft-spoken, respectful, knowledgeable about the menu, and overall, provided the expected type of service for the beautiful atmosphere.

We ordered the Southwest Eggrolls, the Redfish with green beans, and their award-winning gumbo. Let’s start with the gumbo. My partner who’s a proud grandma’s boy and usually eats every bite, whether he likes it or not couldn’t finish his bowl. That told me all I needed to know, so I tried it myself. The roux was solid, but the flavor was overwhelmed by what tasted like liquid smoke. Not the soulful charred edge that makes gumbo sing, but a sharp, borderline burnt taste that felt more chemical than culinary. And the sausage and chicken were chopped so finely, I had to ask: Is it still gumbo if you need my bifocals to find the meat?

The redfish was cooked well but needed salt. It didn’t have a wow factor. The green beans were fresh, but again, there was no standout moment. And the Southwest Eggrolls? Here’s where I’ll be honest: in a place requiring reservations and serving drinks in a chic, moody atmosphere, I shouldn’t be left wondering if my appetizer came from a deep freezer. Class was promised, and class should show up in every bite. These were okay, but they felt out of place.

Now, I'm not writing this to slam the place. I’ve worked with chefs, I own(ed) restaurants, and managed kitchens. I know kitchen staff and recipes change, and not every dish is going to hit the spot every time. I just share what we experienced at that moment, and I try to always leave the door open to come back and be surprised, in the good way. I want them to win. And I’ll gladly update this review if things are better next time we visit that area.

#HayiaSophia...

Go somewhere else— We had reservations and ate here for our anniversary on Tuesday aug 26 around 5pm. We have dined at other hearsay locations before but this was our first time at the market square location.

We ordered the ahi tuna nachos (normally an incredible appetizer choice) to start along with a couple of drinks. When it arrived at the table we both grabbed a chip and immediately upon eating it realized that the tuna was well past its expiration. Informed our server who then told the manager, and I guess they didn’t believe us because he took it in the back and tried it himself before coming back out to profusely apologize for serving us rancid meat and assured us that he instructed the kitchen staff to go through there stock to double check everything.

I said no worries mistakes happen and then we ordered our entres which were fine and a few drinks and left shortly after to go enjoy an astros game.

Fast forward about 6 hours and both my fiancée and I are violently sick from food poisoning. We’ve both had to call out from work today and are planning to go to urgent care within the hour if we can get a break between the violent bathroom sessions.

I normally wouldn’t leave a negative review for anything, but this ruined our anniversary. Our tab at the end of the night was around $140 after tip, & after they took the appetizer off.

After what we’ve been through today, I’m realizing it should have been free.

Serving people expired seafood is dangerous. I would not recommend going to this location. They obviously don’t take food safety seriously.

I attempted several times today to reach out to the restaurant by phone, nobody has picked up the phone or returned my call. It is what it...