Provaré Houston — Restaurant in Houston

I don’t know why the majority of reviews seem to be so impressed with this spot. We dined here and experienced long wait times, inattentive service and easily forgettable dishes.

We had the egg rolls and spinach dip for appetizers. The egg rolls came out in like 2 minutes while the dip unexplainably took close to a half hour. Egg rolls were nothing special. The bread I was served was not the kind pictured with the dish, and simply doesn’t make sense or compliment a spinach and artichoke dip. They should return to the flatbread style shown on their Instagram. A nearly $25 appetizer that comes with a singular (yes ONE!) shrimp and 6 tiny crawfish tails is absolutely diabolical behavior. And before they say I’m lying, I’ve attached a photo taken in the restaurant. Zoom in and count 🫠

For the entree I had the trio pasta which honestly had SO much potential as the portion size was generous, seafood plentiful and the spice and flavor level was perfect but unfortunately the rotini was grossly overcooked and took away from the overall enjoyment of the dish. You can see in the photo how floppy they are. The pasta is so overdone it isn’t even retaining its shape. The amount of oil used in all of the cream based dishes should be illegal. See photo of takeaway container AFTER I attempted to drain the dish. Just let it sit for maybe 5 minutes and you’ll see it all settle. For there to be a single dessert option, I’d expect it to be outstanding but the butter cake was again, forgettable. I found it to be lacking moisture (the icecream helped) and flavor. Tasted more like those little shortcake dessert shells you get from the market than butter cake. I don’t know how to explain this, but no dish was completely awful, but certainly none tasted like it was prepared by a professional or seasoned chef. Which for me isn’t acceptable at this level of dining.

For such a beautiful space, the dress code is DEFINITELY not enforced. I would like for “us” to hold each other to a higher standard. Some guests and their attire (or lack thereof) was unbecoming of such an upscale environment. Allowing this will eventually attract the wrong crowds and energy.

On a positive note, the interior is absolutely stunning. All kudos should be given to the architect/designer. If you’re looking to LOOK vibey, you at least have that. The drinks were delicious and strong, and helped with passing the extended wait times. The music/ambiance is also a 10/10. Both saved me from leaving a completely scathing review to be honest.

In addition to all of this , there is a very problematic parking situation with us seeing multiple cars booted in their adjacent lot with one couple mentioning they paid through the advertised QR code and were still booted with no accountability or assistance from the restaurant. We had to spend 20 minutes looking for street parking to avoid this issue. Overall for the price point as well as the competitive scene in Houston, I’d recommend for drinks/hookah only. I hope Provare really addresses some of the repetitive concerns that have been raised...

Ohhhh baby, let me tell you something about Provare Restaurant in Houston, this is not a drill. This is not hype. This is not me just being dramatic. This is the truth straight from a Chicago girl’s soul. Provare is HITTIN’! And when I say this is the best food I’ve had since I moved to Houston, I mean that with my whole chest. Let me walk y’all through this experience because baaaaby, it was a full-on culinary love story.

📍 From Chicago to Houston: Provare Pulled Up With Pressure

First of all: Chicago, stand up. If you already know Provaré from back home, then you already know how they get down. But Houston? Let me be the one to break it to you: Provare is here now, and they are not playing. They are currently in their soft opening phase, and they’re already acting like it’s the grand finale.

🦀 The Food? Let Me Testify!

Let’s talk about the food because I need to relive it real quick:

Crab Eggrolls: Baaaaby, the crunch, the flavor, the crab?! You can taste the quality. No imitation vibes over here.

Crab and Crawfish Spinach Dip with Garlic Bread: This right here had us ready to slap somebody with joy. It was creamy, cheesy, seafood heaven, and that garlic bread was built to scoop, okay?!

Seafood Pasta: Rich, flavorful, perfectly cooked pasta with a generous amount of seafood. You can tell they respect the ingredients.

Lamb Chops: Now THESE?! Tender, juicy, seasoned to absolute perfection. And they didn’t cheat me on portion size either. They were thicc, just like I like 'em.

Smash Burger with Lobster and Fries: Don’t even get me started. It was giving upscale soul food with a gourmet twist. The lobster was a whole moment.

Some Kind of Fish and Asparagus: My friend ordered this and couldn’t even talk. Just kept nodding, chewing, and pointing at the plate like it was a work of art.

Butter cake and Ice Cream Dessert: First of all, it was pretty, second of all, it was delicious, and third of all, it wrapped the whole night up like a bow on a gift.

💁🏽‍♀️ The Service? 10s Across the Board!

Shoutout to our server, Candy, who was the absolute sweetest. Patient, kind, knew the menu, and made us feel seen. That’s rare these days. We also met the manager, super cool energy. You can tell they’re building a vibe that’s professional and warm.

🖤 Final Thoughts

I can’t even front, I LOVED everything. And I do not say that often. It’s rare for me to hit a spot and not have one single complaint. But Pravari? They understood the assignment, studied for the test, and came in with extra credit.

I will absolutely be back, and let me be clear: Juneteenth? Oh, we’re celebrating right here. This is the kind of place you bring friends, family, everybody, and watch their eyes widen after that first bite.

Rating: 10/10. No notes. Just GO.

Houston—you’ve been blessed. Chicago—you already knew. Me—I’m full...

My recent visit to Provare in Houston was a masterclass in how not to run a restaurant. While the food managed to be "decent" – a low bar, I assure you – every other aspect of the evening was a frustrating, baffling descent into chaos.

Let's start with the drinks, or rather, the phantom drinks. We're talking a 20-25 minute wait per order. Yes, you read that right. Our actual meals arrived faster than a simple beverage. It's truly impressive how you've managed to invert the typical dining experience. And don't even get me started on the initial server delay; we sat there for nearly 15 minutes after being seated before anyone bothered to acknowledge our existence. We then had to specifically request a different bartender because, apparently, one of yours is incapable of mixing a drink. Utterly mind-boggling.

Then there's the delightful staff. The security guard, clearly a beacon of hospitality, needs a crash course in basic human interaction. His rudeness was palpable. But the true star of the show was the "manager/owner" who found it perfectly acceptable to bellow "WE'RE CLOSED!" across the dining room while paying customers, myself included, hadn't even received their bills. And as for locking us in because the kitchen was shut down? That's not just unprofessional; I'm fairly certain that's a fire hazard.

The evening continued its downward spiral with the incredibly tacky decision to start sweeping and stacking chairs while people were still eating. It's hard to feel valued as a customer when you're being actively ushered out by a broom. And the final insult? Offering to box up my food only to attempt it at the table, in front of me, with what I can only assume were dirty hands. Seriously?

Oh, and water? Forget about it. No waters were offered. When I finally managed to order bottled water, it required multiple reminders and still took longer to arrive than for me to eat my entire meal.

And finally, the ambiance. While the music itself wasn't "bad," the DJ, or whoever was in charge, seemed to be operating on a whim. The constantly fluctuating volume and erratic song choices, jumping from one mood to another, created an auditory assault rather than a pleasant background. It's clear there's no thought put into creating a cohesive atmosphere.

In short, Provare, you have a lot to learn about customer service and basic operational efficiency. My experience was a masterclass in how to turn a potentially enjoyable meal into an...