Houseman — Restaurant in New York

My friend and I walked into Houseman at 6:15pm on a Friday with no reservation. There were 5 open seats at the bar and half the tables were free. The hostess offered to sit us either at an outside or inside table but cautioned that we’d only have until 7:30 (because of other reservations) to dine, or said we could sit at the bar which had no time restrictions. So we opted for the bar knowing we usually get dinner and drinks.

My friend got the halibut special and cocktail and I got the steak frites and a beer. We also shared an appetizer. My dish was wonderful; the hangar steak was perfectly cooked and seasoned and the French fries were exceptionally crispy.

We proceeded to have 2 more glasses of wine while having a nice conversation at the bar. I wish this review ended here which would have been a 5 star experience. Around 8pm, in the middle of the 2nd glass of wine, the bartender slides the check in front of us without a word. We were a bit confused and said oh…I guess that’s our cue to leave? The bartender seemed a bit taken aback and said oh sorry, did you want to order more? As we were debating whether to answer, a gentleman who ended up being the manager, Mac, swoops in behind us and exclaims that we’re taking up spots of people waiting outside who want to dine and that this is the only place people can get Houseman’s food but that we can get drinks anywhere.

Still a bit shocked we said ok understood, quickly paid our nearly $300 bill (leaving a 20% tip), and left.

Outside, conversing on the sidewalk about what just happened, we felt odd about how the interaction and opted to go back to share feedback with Mac, hoping it was some misunderstanding. We asked to speak with him outside so it would be quiet and discreet.

Mac was defensive the entire conversation. He went on to reiterate that we were taking up space that their “regulars” were waiting to dine at. I attempted to defuse, telling him I get it and that it’s all business and not personal. He balked and said it wasn’t about business or money at all and he wanted to make as many people happy as possible serving Houseman’s food. I mentioned that in making two people happy sitting them, he made 2 people unhappy unceremoniously kicking them out. He shrugged and shot back that he’s been doing this a long time, he knows what he’s doing, and most guests “have the self-awareness” to know when to leave. Mind you, we weren’t nursing 1 app and 1 drink, we were continuing to order drinks after dinner which at ANY restaurant gives you unspoken permission to keep a walk-in bar seat.

We also mentioned how we were told the bar did not have a time limit. This would have been easy for Mac to say sorry you were told that but that’s not the case, but he kept being defensive and put the blame back on us for not "knowing" that we should have left. Finally, I said that we had a lovely time and we just wanted to provide feedback and it did not seem that he was receiving what we were sharing. He responded that he “did not have to receive what we say and he knows he’s not in the wrong here.” Again completely missing the point that it’s not about right or wrong, but the manner in which we were asked to leave.

I’m glad we spoke with Mac because it just reconfirmed that the poor experience we had was not a miscommunication but a systemic way Mac the manager is running the restaurant.

I’m sad to leave this review, because it was a nice night with good food and drinks up until that moment. I rarely if ever leave 1-star reviews but I felt compelled after this really poor experience with Mac, a manager whose self-anointed experience is not in sync with how he engages guests. Perhaps the talk about accommodating neighborhood “regulars” was coded language and I can read between the lines, but Mac does not have to worry about me returning...

In almost 20 years of living in New York City, I have never had as terrible experience as I did at Houseman last night. The manager, Mac, was beyond rude: he treated my friend and I with contempt and disdain.

My friend and I had a work event around the corner and decided to go here for dinner. I live nearby and it had come highly recommended by my friends and neighbors. We arrived shortly after 6 pm and were given three options: outside table, inside table with a time limit, or the bar (which we were explicitly told by the hostess had no time limit). We chose the bar seats, had a few round of drinks, entrees and a side. They didn’t offer us dessert and we were then abruptly given the check. I said half jokingly, I guess we are leaving? As my friend and I decided if we wanted to order another glass of wine, the manager inserted himself and said that he didn’t have enough seats for people to just order drinks at the bar. Houseman food is only served there and there were people waiting for these seats. (For reference, it was about 8 pm and we had been there less than 2 hours.)

Other restaurants will politely say they need the seats back but you are welcome to continue having a drink by the bar or on the bench outside. When this has happened to me before, I respectfully wrap it up and turn over the table. (Especially since Covid, we know restaurants are hurting and the economics are tough.)

I was so shocked by Mac’s lack of hospitality that we paid and walked out of the restaurant. The way we were treated felt pretty awful so I went back and asked politely if we could chat outside. We didn’t want to make a scene. We reiterated we were told there was no time limit at the bar. We shared with him that we completely understand the seats need to turn over but the way it was handled was rude, inhospitable, and made us feel bad. If this place is about the experience we want to let you know we had a bad experience.

He then disagreed with us and told us we should have been self-aware enough to know that there were people waiting. To that, we said it was clear that he was not receiving our feedback. He then said he didn’t need to receive our feedback. He has so many other clients and regulars (and waved his hand across the crowd) that he didn’t need to accommodate us.

Even if he maintained he had done nothing wrong, there were still many points along the way he could have diffused the situation. He could have said: I’m sorry you were told the wrong information about the time limit, would you like to buy a drink and sit out on the bench now, or even: I hear you, thank you for the feedback.

Instead, he chose to blame the customer for their bad experience (that they paid for). He was argumentative and condescending. His job is to make guests feel welcome and have a good experience. He made it clear we were not...

I’ll give this place 5 stars for the overall experience. Loved the neighborhood vibe—cozy, welcoming, and unpretentious. Service was friendly and attentive, and the space has that ideal mix of energy and calm.

I had a glass of the orange wine, which was lovely. Wines by the glass are mostly in the $18–$20 range—pretty standard for NYC—and the list is small but thoughtful, with some interesting, well-chosen options.

Food-wise, it was more of a 4–4.5 this time around, but I know that often comes down to what you order. For starters, we had the fried cardoons and the bread with ramp butter. The bread was grilled but unfortunately too burnt, and the char ended up overpowering everything. The ramp butter was nicely salty and helped balance the flavor, but overall the dish didn’t quite land. The cardoons were fried well but lacked seasoning or flavor—menu said jalapeño and lemon, but it was just a few slices of jalapeño on the plate.

The mains, though, are where this place really shines. The steak frites was spot-on: perfectly cooked steak and salty, crispy fries. The roasted chicken had beautifully crisp skin and juicy meat. The lemon aioli brought just the right brightness, and the unexpected croutons added a great crunch that tied the whole dish together.

For dessert, I had the Dubai chocolate brownie. It leaned a bit dry and earthy—definitely not your rich, indulgent kind of brownie.

Houseman has been on my list for a while, and I’m glad I finally made it. I’ll be back for sure—next time with different starters, and maybe another glass of that...