The Rice Box — Restaurant in Houston

I took a friend here today cause I wanted to take her somewhere special since it’s been a while since we hung out. I picked this place because of all the tiktoks and videos I’ve seen. Watching reviews made me excited to come here thinking it’d be a new hot spot for me and friends to hang out at. Also the retro cyber city vibes are insane and feel like you’re in a cool world with robots and futuristic tech.

The staff that took our order was kind and cooperative with us as well as the person who gave us our food. So no complaints there.

Unfortunately I was honestly disappointed with the quality of the food. The Gen Tso Chicken was honestly pretty good, so was the eggroll but I couldn’t say the same with the white rice and orange chicken. The rice had a strange soapy taste. I don’t know it was because of the type of rice or how they make it, it was dry as well which didn’t help the experience. As my friend described the orange chicken, we both thought it had a weird texture. The meat was fully cooked but the crispyness of the meat was off putting. I asked for Chili Oil but it’s not the Chili Oil you’d mainly find at the grocery store or Chinese restaurants that’s dark red with peppercorns. It was an orange tangy oil, I added it onto my eggroll, it wasn’t bad but wasn’t good either. The drinks we ordered was a Thai Nitro and a simple Dr.Pepper. That Thai Nitro was amazing, looks like a soda but felt like a milk tea. I thought the spouts they pour the drinks from were a cool feature. Also the broccoli on my Gen Tso was bland, like they just boiled it and placed it on top as a garnish.(What???)

Cleanliness was ok, I had to use the bathroom and I found toilet paper in a small puddle of liquid which I’m not going to question. I was wearing oversized joggers so I had to pull them up while I used the toilet so it didn’t soak up whatever was on the floor.

I can’t really blame the staff since there were only 3 at the front and I guess started eating during rush hour cause I watched them work while orders spewed out the printer.

It saddens me to see such a cool looking place have mediocre dishes. I honestly don’t see myself coming back here even though I wanted this place...

4.5 Stars – A Futuristic Dining Experience (Best at Night!)

If you’re looking for a place that feels more like a scene than just dinner—Rice Box is it. We visited at night and the whole vibe was absolutely electric. It felt like stepping into a video game or a high-energy movie scene, with vibrant neon lighting, bold design, and that sleek cyberpunk kind of edge. The aesthetic alone is worth the trip, but heads up—it’s a lot. If you’re someone who’s sensitive to bright or flashing lights, has sensory sensitivities, or gets migraines easily, this might not be your spot. Otherwise, it’s a total visual treat.

The inside was clean and fun, with decent customer service and a family-friendly vibe. The bathrooms, however, weren’t the cleanest, so that was a bit of a letdown. Still, I’d say the overall environment makes up for it, especially if you’re sitting outdoors in the shared patio area—it’s beautiful out there at night, and there are plenty of other great restaurants nearby too. We were actually meeting friends from different places and all grabbed food from our favorite spots, then met up in the middle. Such a great setup!

As for the food—I didn’t love the orange chicken. It wasn’t bad, just not a standout. But the rice was phenomenal. I also got the cream cheese rangoons and egg rolls, and they were definitely the highlight of the meal. There was this one dipping sauce that was so good, I used it on everything—rice, rolls, you name it. That sauce made the whole meal for me.

I didn’t get a drink because we were restaurant-hopping that night, but for just one meal, I spent around $25, which I thought was totally fair for the portion and quality. The area itself felt very safe, even at night—people walking around, eating outside, dogs lounging near tables… it was a great atmosphere. Just a note: most places around there do charge for parking, so be ready for that.

Would I go back? Absolutely. I’m definitely going to recommend this place to friends, family, and even my business partners visiting the city as a really cool nighttime spot. It’s an experience more than just a meal—and I can’t wait for others to enjoy it...

I paid $18.39 total for just a box and a eggroll.

If you look at previous reviews that have photos, you'll see that most dishes that are easily recognized as "Chinatown Classics" come with the main dish in its own container, a side of rice in a box and a chicken egg roll. For some reason, I keep having issues with the entire staff, for which I have no clue why. Before it would be small, having my side of rice be the wrong type of rice I ordered. Today I got swindled by them, literally scammed because as you can see from the photos I have uploaded, they packed my curry chicken dish into the side box of fried rice I ordered, with no main dish included at all. You can even see the chicken and lime packed into the rice that would normally be in its own bigger container for the main dish. I've ordered the Chinatown Classics Curry before and it's always the main dish, side of rice and the eggroll, so I know how it's supposed to come. When I placed my order I didn't alter anything about it, never told the cashier to pack it in all into the one tiny box or do anything special. The normal curry fried rice menu option doesn't even come close to the price I paid, even when you size it up and add everything to it. There is no way they made a mistake, they did this on purpose and will try feign ignorance. They keep targeting me and I don't know why, I'm simply a paying customer who likes the food and just wants to eat like anyone else. I have never spoken negatively to them before or looked at them the wrong way. I just order my food and sit down and wait. The worst part of it all is that I paid the full price for the Curry Chinatown Classic. So anyone coming here, be wary of these people when you...