The Domain Houston — Restaurant in Houston

This place is a disappointment. I would give it a 000 for my recent dining experience!

While our server was both attentive and courteous (I would rate her a 3), the overall service was substantially below expectations.

Our party of five experienced excessive delays, with a wait time exceeding one hour and fifteen minutes for our food and forty-five minutes for our beverages. Although the server was apologetic and communicative during these delays, when we requested to speak with the management, the owner initially did not respond, choosing to assist with bringing out our orders instead of addressing our concerns.

I had ordered lamb chops, chicken, chicken/shrimp tacos, and asparagus from the happy hour menu. Initially, I received an incorrect wing order, followed by the lamb chops ten minutes later. Only after I insisted that I would return the lamb chops if I did not promptly receive my asparagus was it finally brought to me in another 5-10 minutes by which time the lamb chops were nearly cold. The food service was piecemeal, with our entire table experiencing staggered delivery of orders and some items never arriving, despite repeated reminders. Some of my friends felt their items were much too salty, and one did not enjoy the crawfish at all.

Upon directly approaching the owner, his response was dismissive and conveyed poor leadership skills. He began our conversation by falsely claiming that the server had not informed him of our request, then suggested that the delay was inconsequential since we had started eating, and asked if the food was satisfactory (to which I responded, "No!"). I explained that no one wants food brought out piece by piece. Throughout our discussion, the owner attributed the delays to the server, disregarding the kitchen and bar staff. He also cited the restaurant's crowded conditions, even though patrons who arrived after us were served promptly, implying preferential treatment. Despite our repeated requests, the owner continued to blame the server, even as we defended her efforts and expressed our appreciation for her service. Furthermore, he volunteered to reprimand her for the negative experience, which we strongly opposed.

When we asked him to acknowledge his mistakes, apologize, and rectify the situation, he claimed he was unable to offer any compensation or remove any items from the bill, despite the incomplete orders. My friends had to request the removal of the unserved items after an hour and forty-five minutes, as they no longer desired them. The owner then sent the server back to apologize and take the blame, causing her distress about her job security(she was nervous and appeared crying) . The owner also insinuated that we were merely seeking a discount, which was not the case; we primarily sought proper customer service and acknowledgment of our concerns. To further complicate matters, our final bills included incorrect charges for items that were not ordered or received, prolonging our unsatisfactory evening🙄. After my friend stated that she would write a review and asked that he leave us, the owner returned fifteen minutes later(while we are still waiting for the corrected bill) to offer us a round of shots, which we declined. Then, attempted to offer a discount which we declined. The only thing we asked him to do was to remove that 18% gratuity that he would charge us for the piss poor experience since he blamed the waiter for everything and claimed it was all her fault. Once doing so- we gave it back to our waiter in cash for her to avoid sharing with someone who made her literally cry due to him telling her it was all her fault we were upset, all her fault that orders came out incorrectly although they were on the final receipts and attempting to be charged for it even though, he claimed it was never put in by the server!

Based on this experience,- do NOT support!! The poor management and lack of accountability overshadowed the efforts of our hardworking server. I doubt this owner will address these issues to improve the dining experience for...

HORRIBLE experience!!! from the time I walked in yesterday, Saturday at 6pm. Wasted $30.00 and hours of my time. I get there just in time for a nice happy hour. Or so I thought. 1- As soon as I arrived, went to the restroom and no soap to wash my hands. Now I’m wondering, is everyone using this bathroom because if they are, no one is washing their hands. That was the first red flag. 2- I sat in the booth for 30 minutes and although a waitress was sitting in a booth next to me, going to tables next to me, she never once acknowledged me. She didn’t even look at me. It was almost 7:30, once my friend arrived, that she spoke to me. Anyway, I finally went to the bar to order a drink and was told, just a minute. I waited 15 - 20 minutes, standing at the bar, no one, not even the manager, tried to help me. I had to practically flag the manager down to get a drink. 3- Back at my table, realized no waitress is going to get my order. I flag the manager again, who can clearly see no one is attending to me for some time now. I was completely ignored by all. I ordered oxtail sliders and empanadas. He said they had no oxtails ready, was cooking more and it would be 20-30 minutes. Mind you it was 6 and they literally just opened at 5. How are you out? Ok. So I ordered a taco to hold me over. Y’all, I’d been craving oxtails and really liked the vibe at Domain previously. I really wanted to make it my regular spot. Listen, I tried it. 4- I waited about 20 minutes for one taco after signaling to the manager, hey, where’s my taco? He brings it and it’s yummy. 5- My friend arrives a little after 7. Still no oxtail sliders or empanadas. I’ve been there for an hour and eaten 1 taco. FINALLY. Someone brings the sliders. The bread is burned y’all. Clearly burned. And also, $6 for these little ass buns? They were very different when I’d gotten them before. AND, there was 3 sliders before and now only 2. Wow. I the sliders back. 6- After 30-45 minutes, after reminding them of my oxtail sliders that’s supposed to be re-cooked, I finally get it. I start eating it and it tasted funny. I lift up the bread and it’s, guess what?! Yep. Burned. Again. 2nd time. I’m thinking, am I being punked? I guess he thought he could hide it. Both buns were burned. See pics. 7- After over 2 hours, I finally got the oxtail empanada. NO SURPRISES. It was hard and crispy. A few more servings and it would’ve been burned as well. WTF!!! The vid wouldn’t upload but see pics. HORRIBLE SERVICE. HORRIBLE MANAGEMENT. HORRIBLE FOOD. Music so loud you can’t hear the person next to you. The place wasn’t even packed and they could not do their job. $30.30 for what?? The waitress we finally got at 7:30 was super nice but why am I paying for a slider that was cooked 2x and burned both times. It sat in the plate. Ok. That’s your tip luv. How this place is in business is shocking. That was enough for me. Lounges are popping up weekly. Y’all are on your way out if you don’t get it together. I don’t want to see that fake ‘I’m sorry’ response either. No excuses. That was a horrible experience and on a scale of...

Disappointing Experience at The Domain in Houston

I visited The Domain in Houston, Texas with high hopes, but my experience was extremely disappointing. Despite arriving right when the restaurant opened, when it was nearly empty with only three other people in the entire restaurant, we still ended up waiting over two hours for our food. This unacceptably long wait set a negative tone for the visit and left me frustrated before I even took a bite. Unfortunately, the issues didn’t end there.

Long Wait for a Simple Order

One of the most baffling parts of my visit was how long it took to receive a very simple order. We only ordered chicken and waffles, a straightforward dish that normally shouldn’t take long to prepare. Yet, despite the restaurant being practically empty, it still took over two hours to arrive at our table. There was no reasonable explanation for this—no rush, no crowd, just extremely slow service.

Slow Drink Service and Poor Communication

Even getting our drinks took an excessive amount of time, adding to the frustration. The customer service was poor throughout the experience—staff were slow to check on us and gave no real updates on why everything was taking so long. No apology, no reassurance, just silence. A little communication goes a long way in customer service, but we felt ignored and unimportant as customers.

Promotion Not Honored (Broken Promises)

One of the main reasons we chose to dine at The Domain was their advertised free crawfish promotion with the purchase of a regular drink. We ordered drinks specifically to take advantage of the deal, yet we never received the crawfish. When we asked about it, we were either ignored or brushed off, which felt misleading and dishonest. If a restaurant is going to promote a deal, they need to honor it.

No Acknowledgment or Compensation

What made the experience even more upsetting was the complete lack of accountability from the restaurant. No one apologized for the outrageous wait time, the lack of communication, or the broken promotion. There was no attempt to compensate for our negative experience—not a discount, not a complimentary item, not even a simple “we’re sorry for the inconvenience.” The lack of concern for their customers was truly disappointing.

Final Thoughts

Overall, The Domain demonstrated a serious lack of efficiency, poor service, and failure to honor promotions, all of which made my visit extremely frustrating. With only three other customers in the restaurant, there was absolutely no excuse for such slow and inattentive service. I rarely write such critical reviews, but this experience was unacceptable.

I hope management takes steps to improve service, train staff to communicate with customers, and ensure advertised promotions are honored. Until then, I cannot recommend The Domain in Houston and will not...