(713) 526-8282

2600 Travis St (McGowen Street)
Houston, TX 77006 29.745921 -95.37497

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Neighborhoods: South Central, Midtown

Hours:

Mon-Thu 11am-10pm

Fri 11am-11pm

Sat 5pm-11pm

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Price:

$$$

Parking:

Reef

Reef

What People Are Saying About Reef

The Editor

Contributor

Citysearch

In Short – Opting to steer clear of cliché ocean decor, the surroundings at REEF are appropriately matched with its trendy address. The large bar, dubbed 3rd BAR, offers generous space for enjoying tasty and innovative cocktails like the kumquat mojito. In the dining room, an open kitchen provides a peek into the mystery of Jean-Georges Vongerichten-trained chef/owner Bryan Caswell and staff hard at work. Entrees are prepared simply with a focus on freshness, with Gulf Coast, Mediterranean and Asian influences. Sablefish, grouper, triggerfish, cobia, tilefish and wahoo are among the…

1 Star Rating: Poor

11/17/09

Reef is NOT So All That

by Veronica Blake at Citysearch

After reading accolades about this restaurant, we chose Reef for a special celebration. The meals at our table were just plain bad all the way around. Around the whole table. Yes, really. The whole table. Bland, tasteless, undercooked, overcooked. You name it and it went wrong. Not one decent meal at the whole table. To add bad to worse, service was lacking. The staff was green, unenthusiastic and not knowledgeable at all. We were dumbfounded....How did this place ever get written up at all? Complaints to management were brushed off with what appeared a very practiced and detached response. "Sorry. We'll try better next time. Come try us again. Thanks." At this price point, we were jaw-droppingly amazed all the way around. Despite all the rah-rah and previous write-ups out there, Reef is NOT so all that in our book. Gee. Sorry. Thanks. We'll pass.

4 Star Rating: Recommended

11/13/09

among the best in houston

by cmk1126 at Citysearch

The food varies somewhat from visit to visit, but it's always pretty good. The restaurant is among the best in Houston, whatever that means. But man is this place loud. And for some reason it seems to attract lots and lots of obnoxious people (not sure how it lured me, though). The men talk loudly and look like they butter their heads. The women cackle and wear dresses two sizes too small. The crowd has all of the alleged vices of Dallasites but none of the virtues. I could do without about 90% of them.

  • Pros: food is usually good
  • Cons: LOUD; most patrons
2 Star Rating: Below Average

11/13/09

Reef has lost its' lustre - Once a diamond now a Rhinestone

by Restaurant Ray at Citysearch

My first few visits there were very good, that is why I went back. On a recent trip in early October with a few friends to celebrate our birthdays we were all very disappointed with the food and the service.

When I contacted the management to give them details of all that went wrong they offered many excuses, but did nothing to convince me that I should return to Reef or any of the restauants they are now building. They simply said sorry you and your guest were very disappointed with our food and service, perhaps if you come back we can hopefully do better. This kind of response can not be excused and l will never return to Reef, not even if they offered a free meal.

I do not recommend this place to anyone wanting a good meal and a pleasant experience. We are very fortunate to have so many great restaurants in Houston and do not have to put up with the poor food and service at Reef and most importantly the porr attitude of the management.

  • Pros: Cool bar
  • Cons: Mediocre food and poor service

The Details on Reef

Fun Fact:

The 3rd BAR is named for the third sandbar from the beach, where sharks are known to work the coastline.

The Extras:

For special occasions or working executive dinners, private spaces accommodate up to 32 diners.

When to Go:

The restaurant's bar serves food until 2am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Parking:

Street-side parking is limited, though valet parking is complimentary.

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Late Night Dining, Romantic Dining, Special Occasion Dining, Fine Dining, Outdoor Dining, Private Rooms, Business Dining, Date Spot, Group Dining, Happy Hour, Bar Scene

Cuisine:

Seafood

Notable Chef:

Chef Bryan Caswell

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