Liberty Kitchen & Oysterette - Memorial City — Restaurant in Houston

It’s an understatement to say that Liberty Kitchen-Treehouse provided the worst Houston dining experience I’ve had in years and the most appalling management response ever. I placed it on my 2018 Outsmart Top 100 Restaurants List—should I compose an opposite of that list, LK-T would contend for the bottom rung. I’d prefer to dine at a TDC Unit than again endure what they put my family through on Father’s Day. My father-in-law asked to go to LK-T based on a decent meal last year at their now-closed branch in Garden Oaks. We had a 2 pm reservation, and it seemed to be emptying after what was assumedly a busy brunch. I had asked for a high chair in our Open Table reservation and when the restaurant called to confirm, but it took 3 more requests over our first 15 minutes at the table before one finally arrived. Our table of 11 included 3 small children, so we placed a full food order for the entire table soon after we arrived, and as an appetizer for the 8 adults, we asked for a large order of chicken wings. After a comically long wait, what was plopped onto the center of the table was a half order of lukewarm, abysmally dry wings that constituted a crime against poultry. 3 of the 5 went uneaten. Beers and cocktails took even longer to arrive—2 French 75’s were flat and tepid (my sister-in-law described them as “sweaty looking”), as were the beers. Waters and soft drinks sat empty. Even though the restaurant was only about 50% full, it took over 20 minutes for a pricy bottle of red wine to arrive, and it was warm. Another 20 minutes passed, and we still had not been served entrees—the kids were falling asleep out of boredom, and that ominous pall like when a plane hits severe turbulence had settled over what had started out as a festive family table. We then started noticing that the server was returning to the table over and over to confirm what each person had ordered 45 minutes earlier—he’d ask one person, then beeline to the register, apparently re-placing that single order, and then he’d repeat that same step again and again! When he came to “reconfirm” my order, he mumbled something nonsensical about the kitchen getting our table mixed up. After significant more time passed and full distress having set in, we summoned the manager, who confirmed that the order had been placed only 10 minutes earlier though we had given the full order nearly an hour earlier. He assured us they’d correct the problem, but 20 more minutes of starvation passed, at which point finally a few plates (none of the kids’ orders) started arriving, and nearly all of them were completely incorrect or missing sides. None of us wanted to start eating before the others were served, but I snuck a french fry so cold, flavorless, and dry that I thought it might have been made from the horrific chicken wings served earlier. The server finally sat a dish before one of my nieces, but it was not even close to what she had ordered. So, nearly 90 minutes after we’d arrived, well over an hour after we first placed our order, and 15 minutes after the first entree had been served and with more than half the table, including all the children, still without food, our Job-like patience ended. We courteously asked for the bill and requested that the rest of the meal be canceled, to which the server responded with an incredible and indignant “If you’d just be patient, the rest of the food is on its way!” I nearly hacked up the crappy fry I’d just consumed! There were no apologies from anyone, no effort to right the wrong. Far more unsettling than the horrendous service was the near-complete lack of effort on the part of management to rectify the fiasco. Even if they had been packed, which they weren’t, what we endured would have been inexcusable. So we’re happy to have broken free from...

My husband and I were so excited to eat here, but unfortunately the meal was overall disappointing - the quality of the food did not match the steep price tag. In a nutshell, for the price you're paying you would expect higher quality food. My husband went for deviled eggs and the HRW menu: Chargrilled oyster sampler, "Manhattan" clam chowder, Texas redfish on the half shell, and chocolate mousse martini. I opted for the 14 oz ribeye with truffle butter and Borsin mashed potatoes.

Deviled Eggs: 8/10 - Not as flavorful as the River Oaks location. My husband says that this dish normally makes his soul come ALIVE, but this one was just a meh in comparison. Still good, but not the same.

Chargrilled Oyster Sampler: Bacon jam oyster (9/10) and parmesan oyster (6/10). Definitely recommend the bacon jam oyster!

"Manhattan" Clam Chowder: 4/10 - Flavor was good, but not what you expect from a clam chowder.

Texas Redfish on the Half Shell: 6/10. Note, the skin is not edible.

Chocolate mousse martini: 2/10 - This tasted like whipped cream that had been barely touched by chocolate. Really the only thing chocolatey about this was the chocolate chips. I know it's a mousse, but there should still be flavor. That being said, for the consistency it was light and fluffy.

14 oz Ribeye w/ Borsin Mashed Potatoes: 2/10 - Flavor was this was great; however, the quality of the steak was WAAAY below that of it's price tag of $58. The only reason this get a 2 instead of a zero is because of the truffle butter on the steak and Borsin mashed potatoes. I ordered my steak medium rare. My steak came out medium. The second time it came out, my steak was cooked perfectly, but it was also the toughest ribeye I've ever eaten. You'd get a SIGNIFICANTLY better quality steak for a cheaper price at Taste of Texas (16 oz for $48) with the included price of the salad bar; OR you could go with an even more cost effective route and go to Texas Roadhouse and get their 10 oz ribeye with two sides for under $20. I know, I know....I'm getting a steak at a seafood place, but for the price and reputation of this restaurant, I thought I'd give them the benefit of the doubt.

The food aside, the atmosphere was nice and our server was very kind. I'm VERY happy to report that it wasn't too loud inside to where I'm having to yell to have a conversation.

TL;DR - Food flavor was mostly good, but still not worth the extra price you pay. Save your money and go...

(this is a little long) Went for lunch. Staff was friendly and attentive, food was pretty great overall, but the atmosphere was a little strange for me (keep reading, as I break it down).. Had no interaction with the greeter as they were seeing to another guest, and we were meeting someone who found us on our way in. The waiter was polite, friendly, and along with the support staff, quite attentive. The food had was: lobster bisque, the surf and turf, maccoroni and cheese with shrimp and lump crab, and the chicken fried ribeye. The lobster bisque was excellent and the "table side" prep was great and reassuring: the lobster was brought out already in the bowl, and the bisque itself was poured over it from a gravy boat. The surf and turf was also great: the burger was prepared appropriately, (I'm told) the grilled lobster was quite tasty, and the truffled fries were a nice complimenting side. The maccoroni and cheese itself was VERY tasty, the added shrimp and lump crab were definitely above par, but the combination of the two fell a little flat; the strong flavors of the mac and cheese definitely overpowered the more subdued flavors of the add-ons. Next time it will just be the mac and cheese (maybe 2 of 'em). The chicken fried ribeye is where the meal fell on its face (which is why I list it last). The steak itself was limp and lifeless while being surprisingly fatty, and breading was light and bland; the green beans were covered in garlic, but surprisingly light on flavor, and the truffled fries (identical to the surf and turf's) were just a strange contrast to the steak itself. Chicken fried steak is one of my favorite meals, but I definitely won't be ordering it here again. Finally, we arrive at the atmosphere: a strange juxtaposition of a trendy hipstery vibe and styling while being located in a modern glass business center and catering to the business center crowd that appeared to mostly be in their 60s. It felt a bit like a father and son opened a restaurant together, where the father picked the location, the food (from a typical 90s health club), and the prices while the son picked the decor and the style of the food preparation (not in shoes or shovels or any of that silly stuff, but still more modern). Overall, looking forward to a revisit, but the chicken fried ribeye will not be making an appearance...