Vic & Anthony's Steakhouse — Restaurant in Houston

We love trying new places for our anniversary as it occurs during Houston Restaurant Week (month). It gives a chance to try out places at a lower price point before deciding if we want to make it a more regular option, especially if we are going to make a 45 minute trek downtown to do so. To start we arrived about 15 minutes early. Used valet which started fine and walked in and waited about 5 minutes for our table. We ended up being seated in a back corner next to the fire exit, they also do not do rose petals or it was not an option I was given unlike some other places we have been (not a big deal but worth noting as I always will pay extra for that as my wife loves walking up to it). We went back and forth between here and Pappas Bros based off everything we read on forums, Reddit, etc. We ultimately decided on this place due to it mentioning it having a darker more intimate ambiance which was ideal for celebrating an anniversary. This was pretty quickly ruined with table location as well as being seated next to a couple in Astros Jerseys (despite being explicitly mentioned no athletic wear on dress code) who were just rather loud and obnoxious. Fortunately they left about 15 minutes after we got there. Another couple was seated who ended up having condensation from the a/c vent above us drip down on them the whole time. They alerted management who said they will move them if they like but it happens because they keep it cold. Sitting next to people in Astros gear, a fire exit, and a leaking a/c vent is something we can go to our local Roadhouse for and for far cheaper. Waiter was fine not that attentive for not seeming to have a large section but hey maybe it’s because we got the $55 3 course meal for restaurant week vs spending that on just the entree? Had to ask twice to get an old fashion as well. He did mention about the truffle Mac but didn’t mention it was different from the $14 Mac & cheese on the menu and was actually $50 by itself. That was a bit of a shock when the bill came. Filet mignon was great, whipped potatoes were good, everything else from bread, salad, and dessert were average, nothing special. Opened up the app for valet to request our car before finishing up at the table and proceeded to walk out. The app said our car was already being retrieved and got a text at the same time saying to check-in with Valet which we figured was a generic message as the app clearly said our car was already being retrieved now. 15-20 minutes of waiting and one of them walks up and asked if we went to the hidden valet stand behind the flowers to which I replied no but the app said our car is already on the way. This prompted me to open the Tesla app and sure enough our car is still parked 3 blocks away in a parking garage. They finally sent someone to pick it up as the app told me our car was now ready and proceeded to wait another 15-20 minutes. Overall for $250 for 2 people between dinner and valet, not somewhere we will likely return to. Maybe if a few things had gone differently I would say otherwise but for now, 3...

Obviously when you enter an establishment like Vic & Anthony's, you know the service and food is going to be stellar, but I truly believe Vic & Anthony's staff takes it to another level.

Troy, Sonya, and Gregory are all exceptional people and their combined efforts made the experience a true delight.

The kitchen staff, while essentially invisible to us dining, are exceptional at everything they did for us. Here's what we had:

Starters:

Crab cakes - My company HQ is in Baltimore, so I've had multiple crab cakes at multiple establishments there, and none were as good as V&A's. That's a fact.

Tuna Poke - Thick chunks of high quality tuna served with just the right amount of subtle flavor additions. Fantastic.

Quail - Sweet on the outside with a nice crisp and the meat was delicious. My leat favorite of the three, but still fantastic.

Lobster bisque - I've only had bad lobster bisque once in my life, but this wasn't it. Not head and shoulders above other bisques, but just as good.

Wedge salad - Good grief... This is how to do a wedge. I wish I took a picture of it but it was loaded with bleu cheese, bacon, and all the other standard wedge fare, and nothing skimped yet not too much either.

Drinks:

Charles helped us with the wind and the chianti he recommended was delizioso (pic attached). We also got a malbec to end the night that Sonya brought to us and it was excellent. Not sure what it was, but when you trust the staff at a place like this, you won't go wrong.

Main course:

Ribeye medium rare - Amazing cut of meat cooked to perfection

12 Oz filet medium rare - Same as above. Fantastic

Mashed potatoes - Good grief... These should be illegal. Possible genetic engineering to make them even more delicious than mashed potatoes have ever been conceived of? Not out of the question.

Asparagus - Thick but not too thick, cooked just right.

Dessert: I always choose a creme broullet and this one was obscene. Much like lobster bisque, it's hard to find a bad one, but what made theirs stand out was the portion. Between three grown men we just barely finished it... But we did, because there was no way I was letting that go to waste.

So the food was great. Troy was a consummate professional from the time we came in until we left. Sonya was a true delight and deserves all those fat tips she's sure to get for her stellar work. Gregory literally made an art to filling out glasses and was always there to compliment Sonya's work.

If you're in Houston and want to impress a date, a client, or most importantly yourself, go to Vic & Anthony's. Your expectations will be exceeded,...

Response to owner, yes I will respond to the email provided - thanks!

The worst experience for an anniversary. No Balloon Policy! My husband booked dinner reservations a week before our (20+plus year) anniversary. When he called the same day to confirm, they apparently could not find the reservation. The person over the phone was pleasant and accommodating on a special night. Unfortunately, we were met with a "NO BALLONS policy," So my husband had to flag the valet to put our "Happy Anniversary" balloons back in the car. With frustration on our faces, the hosts (who were extremely nice and friendly) offered to put them up somewhere until after dinner. No balloons are the craziest rule; it was my first time hearing such a thing. We were then seated, and the booth had bread crumbs all over the seat. Our waiter came over with no smile or pleasantries. I didn't care about that, but what was concerning was that he just dropped off our menus and asked, "Do we know what we want?" I told him we were celebrating our anniversary, and he said, "That is nice," and then he left again. We had yet to learn about featured dishes; he didn't provide recommendations or ask anything. He came back, and I asked about wines or special drink recommendations. He left again and dropped off the wine menu. I understand that it's prom season and the servers are drained, but this is a steakhouse, and the level of service should be upscale. Back to the server, my husband saw a tiny gnat on his water glass. We reported to the waiter, and he was very nonchalant and said yes, "That happens when they keep opening the doors." At that moment, I said no, this is a terrible experience. It felt like we were at a regular take-out restaurant instead of a steakhouse. I googled the nearest steakhouse and called ahead, and they confirmed that they could seat us and help us celebrate our anniversary. We paid for our valet, and then we went to Morton's Steakhouse on McKinney St. The experience was AMAZING!! They were closing in less than 2 hours but still prepared a special dinner, accepted our balloons, and took our picture with a personalized card and menu that read "Happy anniversary with our names and date." The manager, hosts, and waitpersons shared well wishes and even gave us a dessert with a lighted sparkler! Vic and Anthony need a significant overhaul in service and could learn a great deal from Carlos, the manager, and Morton's' on how to run an upscale restaurant. I am a Landry's member and do not recommend V&A for...