Pappas Seafood House — Restaurant in Houston

Timing is Everything

I had the chance to try out this Pappa's location while in the Houston area. I was tasked to entertain a group of fellow foodies from Korea and they were looking to try some Cajun Style Seafood and fish. I had heard great things about Pappa's and this location was close to the airport, where we were all staying that night. Pappa's is an experience, and we were all impressed by the interior and the design as it has a very homey feel to it. We were seated and I helped my group choose some local craft beers.

As I helped them with the menu as we were all catching up, we ordered some apps and a tray of assorted oysters. We got our apps which were calamari, crab cakes and a round of gumbos for my guests as it was their first gumbo. The apps were all prepared very well and the gumbos were delicious, everyone enjoyed them. We then ordered our mains most of my guests ordered fish, Red Fish, Branzino and Mahi as it was their first time trying these species of fish. We talked some more and nearly finished our apps and then out mains came out. We had just started to dig in when one of our guests noticed we didn't get our oysters. We waved our server over and we told them that we didn't get our oysters. Our server looked a little confused and left us for a few minutes when they came back to the table they said, they'll be right out. So we ate we talked and just we were starting to finish our mains, a food runner plopped the tray of oysters on the table and took off.

Picture this, 4 people just experiencing their first cajun meal in America, and having a course missed and now having eaten on an extremely cluttered table. I mentioned we were on our mains, which as you can imagine are bigger plates. The oysters were big, juicy and fresh (I'm from the East Coast) so I know a thing or two about oysters, but there was little interest in them since the group was almost finished their meals. I tried 3 oysters but had no room for more. The group out of respect reluctantly had one or two just as not to waste them.

So the moral of this review. Timing is everything, I know because it was drilled into me over my years as a server in fine dining in my younger years. The service should have gone like this 1. Oysters or apps first 2. Oysters or apps second 3. Pause 4. Mains served after the apps were cleared. What we got was apps served, oysters missed, and mains served while apps were still on the table. One of the key lessons I learned as a server, is that when you have a group, and they are not in any rush, fire the mains when the apps are roughly 3/4 done to give the diners a pause. You may be able to get another round of drinks in and that way they are not stuffed halfway through the main course. I observed that the restaurant and section weren't that busy.

Now to my main course. I had the fried crawfish and crawfish etouffee on white rice. Now, this was a tasty meal, the crawfish were abundant and the coating on them was very flavourful. Even though they were fried the crawfish were surprisingly not greasy at all. The Etouffee was a hit as well, those juicy crawfish simmering in that tangy sauce were a joy to eat. We did order one dessert and shared it, and it was a hit as well as it was a warm chocolatey pecan cake of some kind and a nice finish to the meal. To conclude, we had no issues with the food and I will try Pappas again since I have to believe this situation was a one-off. The food here rocks but a star was lost due to improper timing of the...

I chose Pappas to celebrate my partner’s birthday and a belated New Year, meeting halfway since my family lives up north. Given the restaurant’s reputation, I anticipated a memorable experience. Instead, our evening was overshadowed by a series of unacceptable missteps, beginning with our first server, Andy. His lack of professionalism and disregard for basic service protocols left me questioning the standards of a once-respected establishment.

From the start, the service was appalling. When I ordered sparkling and still water, Andy brought two wine glasses visibly stained with lipstick and fingerprints. Such blatant oversight in cleanliness is not just disappointing—it’s unsanitary. I then ordered two bottles of champagne, nearly $400 in total. Rather than presenting them with care, Andy placed them on the table and walked away. No glasses, no offer to open the bottles—just a display of sheer indifference. While I’m perfectly capable of opening champagne myself, doing so at a restaurant of this caliber would feel more like counter service than a full service restaurant. Meanwhile, the champagne was just sitting there, warming up, with no sense of urgency from the server. When I requested a wine chiller, the request was ignored. After waiting 20 minutes, I had to ask again for both the chiller and appropriate glassware.

To make matters worse, the appetizers arrived before any wine or water glasses were brought to the table. Even after the glasses finally arrived, they were still dirty. The same stained glasses sat there while we continued to wait, compounding the embarrassment in front of my guests.

This wasn’t a simple oversight—it was a clear indication of neglect. Each replacement glass Andy brought was just as dirty as the last. Frustrated and humiliated, I escalated the issue to the manager, Garrett, whose response was shockingly dismissive: “Oh, he’s new, just out of training.” What do I expect? Competence, professionalism, and a basic level of service that reflects the Pappas brand.

Thankfully, Griselda stepped in and completely turned the night around. She was everything Andy was not: professional, attentive, and considerate. Her excellent service salvaged what could have been a disastrous evening, and I cannot thank her enough. Griselda is a true asset to your team, and it’s a shame she wasn’t our server from the beginning.

Pappas, this experience was nothing short of humiliating. If you value your reputation, I strongly urge you to address these glaring service deficiencies. Your team’s lack of attention to detail and failure to uphold even basic hospitality standards was shocking. While Griselda’s exceptional service softened the blow, the overall experience was deeply disappointing. I hope this feedback serves as a wake-up call for necessary...

Dear Pappas Seafood Management,

I wanted to take a moment to share feedback regarding my husband’s and my recent visit to your restaurant on October 11th around 6:00 p.m. This letter is intended as an opportunity for improvement, as we have always enjoyed dining at your Humble location and expected a similar level of service and quality.

Unfortunately, our experience at this location fell short in several ways. We were initially assigned one server who was later replaced by another, and we regret to say the service we received was disappointing and concerning. The server appeared to be under the influence of something—moving slowly, slurring words, and frequently forgetting our requests. She also responded with a snarky attitude at times, which made the experience uncomfortable.

We ordered waters and bar drinks (a beer and a Blood Orange Mule), along with two Rainbow Trout dinners. Bread, which is usually served promptly, had to be requested. When I asked for a straw, the server left and did not return with one. Our meals were brought out by a different server, and when I requested mignonette, she seemed unfamiliar with it despite my explanation that it is typically available at your oyster bar. She never returned with it.

At that point, we still had not received our bar drinks or straws. When our original server finally returned, she again seemed confused, looked down at her apron, and walked away. She eventually returned with a straw but informed me that they “didn’t have mignonette.” My Blood Orange Mule also arrived with black specks in it and without the signature dried blood orange garnish I’m accustomed to receiving at other Pappas locations. When I inquired, the server said she would check but never came back. I ultimately had to go to the bar myself, where another staff member later brought the garnish—after my drink was nearly finished.

This visit was meant to be a special date night for us, and the entire experience—though we tried to remain patient—fell short of the standards we’ve come to expect from Pappas Restaurants. We only chose this location because of traffic delays near Humble, but unfortunately, we left feeling disappointed and frustrated.

We wanted to share this feedback so that management can be aware and address the issues with training, service quality, and staff attentiveness at this location. We truly appreciate the consistent excellence we’ve experienced at your Humble restaurant and hope this feedback will help ensure that the same level of quality is maintained across all locations.

Thank you for your time...