Killen's Steakhouse — Restaurant in Pearland

By far the best experience of dining i have had anywhere. We are traveling across the country and wanted to try the best steakhouse in the US, and Killen's lives up to it. Our server and guide on our dining journey Randy was by far the most informative and courteous server I have ever met. He helped us with selecting a wine that we had set a price range for as well as a general taste that we asked for, which was a Paul Hobbs. I would say be was a sommelier honestly. The most popular item he recommended for appetizers was the crab cake and it was phenomenal. It led up to what I would say was the best steak I had ever consumed, if I could even call it that. Before even choosing our steaks, Randy showed us a selection of three steaks that we had a general idea we wanted to try and it was better than I expected. Its rare to see food at restaurant before its cooked, but its so worth it here. I had selected the Japanese A-5 wagyu beef the Kagoshima prefecture and the marbel pattern on it was something I've ever only seen on the internet. We also got to see something else which I don't particularly want to mention as it would disrupt the service if everybody asked for it, but by chance if you have Randy as your waiter then who knows. When the steaks came out and were placed in front of us, I felt compelled to take a photo of it. For clarification I do not general take photos of my food and post it to Instagram and I make it a point to not be that person. This is the only exception that I have made because nothing else looked as perfect as the food that sitting in front of us. Our sides were cream spinach and the mushrooms and both were the best of foods I have ever had. The cream spinach lived up to the name and you could barely tell you're eating spinach anymore. As for the mushrooms it was cooked with a gravy thick like sauce that was great, though I preferred the cream spinach. Finally for steak. I had mentioned earlier that I'm not sure I could call it steak anymore. The reason for this is because steak has texture which makes it known as steak and a meat. And then there's usually a little fat attached that some people eat and some do. Well for the A-5 Wagyu, that first bite was just pure bliss. Imagine the whole steak was just fat of any steak you've eaten. Now modify that with the taste, not texture of a steak. I got 10 oz and it was worth it. It melted in my mouth with the tiniest bite and yet I could keep chewing it for so long. I've never had meat anything like this it was extraordinary. I teared up actually eating it. For dessert we had a carrot cake which was the most popular desert and a Creme Brule cheesecake. I love cheesecake a lot more so I tried it first the different texture of creaminess in one downward fork bit was amazing. I'd say the best cheesecake I've ever had. The carrot cake was amazing, it had this coconut shredding cooked inside and topped off with a cinnamon roll sauce. The dessert was almost as good as the main course. The overall experience was amazing and I implore everybody to please come try this place at least once in your lifetime. We took a more expensive route but they have many other options when it comes to food and drinks. It was a pleasure letting Randy serve us and I hope he can do the same for anybody reading this. Also as a side note for COVID - 19, they were great with following guidelines and it didn't affect the...

My son and I have been excited to use a GC for this restaurant with all of the talk of the 'best steaks in Houston'. We finally got our schedules lined up for this past Saturday and nothing caused us to cancel. I do not usually write reviews on restaurants but feel this needs a review given all of the hype. None of the issues we experienced were a big deal in isolation (other than the last one) but in combination, they equated to a 3/5 experience. We arrived on time for our reservation but had to wait about 15 minutes for our table. Not a big deal but this is not common in well run establishments. We ordered martinis that were made exactly as we asked for. The hostess came to notify us that our table was ready but said we had to pay for our drinks before we could be seated. This would be the case at Papasitos but never experienced it at an advertised fine dining restaurant . We ordered two appetizers and the pork belly was EXCELLENT but the oysters mediocre. We each ordered dry aged steaks with one NY strip and one ribeye. Both cuts of meat VERY good and both cooked exactly as we ordered. The rub was very salty, though, with the ribeye to the point of not enjoyable. The strip was better because it was a thicker cut of meat but good steaks do not need to be over seasoned like that. Onion rings good but not great, skillet potatoes good and the asparagus cold and dry. We ordered another round of martinis and they did not make them as we asked. The biggest disappointment outside of the over salted steaks was the service. Our waiter was very friendly and reasonably knowledgeable about the menu but he interrupted us no less than 10 times while we were clearly having more than a casual conversation. Not to bring us our food or drinks but to ask a question or 'check on us'. The quality of service should be higher in a restaurant advertised as this one is. Lastly and most embarrassing for them was the member of the staff who walked by our table as closing time approached (not past), looked at us, made a big gesture of looking at his watch, and back at us. So it was a $300 evening, which is totally fine, but it was not worth that much money or my 1.2 hour drive down there. I shared our experience with a few people and one made a comment about it being a suburb and the other specifically that is 'Pearland and not Houston'. I did not know that lowered the standard but save your $300 dinner for a better experience. Capital Grille is cheaper and MUCH higher quality food and the level of service is on another planet. The list could go on but the service at Houston's is far, far better in a 'non fine...

Killen’s Steakhouse: A Disappointing Return Visit

After several years, my husband and I decided to revisit Killen’s Steakhouse, expecting the same high-quality experience that once defined this establishment. Unfortunately, our evening fell far below expectations, beginning with the seating arrangements.

We arrived at 5:40 PM and were asked whether we had a reservation. Since we did not, the hostess informed us that the restaurant was fully booked. However, she offered us the bar area, which we accepted. Once seated, we noticed multiple unoccupied two-seater tables throughout the evening—except for one. This lack of transparency in seating policies was both confusing and frustrating.

The Main Course: A Serious Quality Issue

We ordered the dry-aged steak, anticipating the rich, concentrated flavors that come from proper aging. However, once we took our first bites, we immediately noticed something was off. The steak had a sour taste, and as we continued eating, a distinctly unpleasant aftertaste lingered. My husband, a gourmet chef with extensive experience in fine dining, had never encountered anything like it before. The sourness seemed to have penetrated the meat, making it inedible. The most plausible explanation is that the steak was either aged improperly or had gone bad.

Side Dishes: The Only Redeeming Element

The potatoes au gratin and creamed corn remained true to the restaurant’s reputation—both were excellent and deserved a 10/10. This highlights the inconsistency in kitchen execution, as the steak quality was unacceptable while the sides retained their usual standard.

Service: Room for Improvement

Our waitress did return to check on our meal, and we shared our concerns about the steak. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do to resolve the issue. She did, however, offer us a dessert, which we politely declined.

Final Verdict

Killen’s Steakhouse was once a benchmark for quality dining, but this visit left us with serious doubts about its current standards. Aged beef should never have a sour taste or aftertaste, and a high-end steakhouse should prioritize both transparency in seating and attentive service. While the side dishes still excelled, the steak—the very essence of a steakhouse—was a significant failure.

Given the price point and reputation of this establishment, we expected much better. Regrettably, this experience has made us reconsider whether it is worth returning in the future.

We sincerely hope management addresses these critical quality control issues, as the restaurant still has the potential to reclaim its...