06/25/09

Liked it Well Enough

by gipsone

I chose this place for my birthday celebration with a very close group of friends. Service was a little slow, but we got our table just fine (best to make reservations if over 4 people). Our waitress was extremely pleasant. My mojito was spot on, everyone loved their drink orders. The portions were definitely impressive. Most of the food was very good. Grand Lux really should work on the Weinersnitzel. My veal was a little tough, the red cabbage was too sweet with the mashed sweet potatoes (maybe I should have kept the regular mashed potatoes). But all in all, we would come back. A little pricey for the fare.

• Pros: Good portions
• Cons: All dishes not equal

03/30/09

Food makes up for service

by GrtCustomerSvc

Went here for lunch on Valentine's Day. Upon leaving, our server provided us with coupons (4 actually) for a free dessert with our next $30 purchase. We returned this past weekend for those free beignets...On our first visit I had to flag down a MANAGER to request drinks. Our server showed up just as her manager was bringing our sodas to the table. The food is excellent - gigantic selection and portions just like Cheesecake Factory - I think it is the same company? Our recent return had the same result - took forever for a server to address us, we were never provided a bread basket, and then once our order was submitted, it took forever (30 minutes at least) to get our food, which had mistakes (hash browns instead of fries). Our server was nice enough, but left us with an overall feeling of "service definitely needs improvement". But this is a big chain, with good food, so I am sure their business is fine. Beignets are EXCELLENT.

• Pros: Beignets, Happy Hour specials
• Cons: Service is slow every time

01/24/09

Eh, Not My Style

by wadester

We sampled a late night dinner here with good friends of ours. However, we waited a very, very, VERY long time for a table. After finally being seated, the service was slow and lethargic; almost dreadfully unattentive. While the salads, drinks and desserts were good, they were far from memorable. It's a shame really, because the restaurant is quite nice-looking inside. But it was overshadowed and horribly dulled by the almost non-existent service. Maybe we showed up on an "off" night, but it would be hard to justify trying it again.

• Pros: NIce ambiance, varied menu
• Cons: Very slow service

12/28/08

Huge portions and great manager

by Lizzie01

Me and my fiance are extremely impressed with this place. We ate there yesterday and we are still talking about how great the food was and we even ate left overs today from yesterday. Huge portions. Next time we are splitting an meal. Staff is very pleasant and nice. We had ordered our meal and we were informed that the burger was going to have to be redone since it was overcooked and the manager offered complementary salad or soup while we waited. We didn't even end up waiting long for the order to be brought out. After we ate and about to ask for our check, manager comes back to say it was on him for having to wait on my fiance's order. We really didn't think it was necessary and not a big deal but he really insisted that we didn't to pay. What a lucky day for us! That was too generous of him. We had a waitress named Jackie, super friendly and despite their busy crowd, she was very attentive. We are definitely going back and checking out their desserts. Highly recommended. Yummy food.

• Pros: A lot of food for one person!
• Cons: None

12/23/08

Great for Dessert; Skip the Entree

by HoustonGirl004

My friend and I went here for dinner the other night. My friend had the margherita pizza and I had the chopped salad. I do not recommend either. I am sure the pizza comes frozen and is then heated. The crust was thick, when margherita pizza should be on thin crust. The chopped salad was downright horrible. It consisted of HUGE chunks of lettuce, chicken, and tomato, ALL of which were WARM (even the vegetables). I would never order either entree again. HOWEVER, the desserts were amazing. I had the Creme Brulee Duo and my friend had the Fudge Cake Collision. We both loved our HUGE desserts and took the leftovers home. The Creme Brulee Duo really was perfection. The service was terrible (we had about 5 different servers that all kept disappearing) and I was a little irritated that iced tea or soda is $3 a piece. This is a great place to go for dessert (and the cocktails at other tables looked fabulous), but the main courses are a dissapointment. Honestly, The Cheesecake Factory is cheaper AND better.

12/22/08

What a great place!

by alexmarc

What a great place! How could you not have a good time here? Right in the bustling Uptown area, the atmosphere is incredible and hard to describe. It is a huge place with crazy decor, a cross between a luxury hotel lobby, a train station, and an eclectic lounge. You feel very good being in here. The food is really good tasting with large portions and quality ingredients. The menu is one of those varied mixes of different styles and fusions; American classics to Asian dishes and French desserts. The menu is deceptively modest, if you order a french dip you are going to be delighted with a deliscious meal. I love the sandwhiches, miso salmon, duck potstickers, steaks, great coffees. They have really great drinks too. The food delivers beyond the expectations set forth by the menu, but matches the expectations set by the ambience. Yes it is similar to Cheescake Factory and P.F. Changs, way better service than any CF though. Besides they have CF and PF everywhere, the Lux is more unique.

• Pros: ambience, food

09/20/08

Mediocre is right!

by zisa

To echo the previous reviewer: mediocre is the word! And to all who compare this place to the Cheesecake Factory...you are right! Grand Lux is actually owned by the same people. Because they wanted another restaurant in the same area, but too close to the Cheesecake Factory, they started Grand Lux (actually this started in Las Vegas, with the opening of Grand Lux in the Venetian). Anyway, I've tried this place about 6 times. Each time, I find the food and service to be extremely....mediocre. I know, I've run out of vocabulary words, but that's the best way to describe it. Desserts are delicious though, and although I'm not a cheesecake lover, they do have some awesome chocolate cakes. I do love the decor, and the fast-paced feel of the place. But I've never had anything there that I'd want to order the next time. So I've tried different food each time, and each time has disappointed. By the way, I love the Cheesecake Factory and go there often. I found this same discrepancy in Las Vegas: The CF was great, but GL was always....mediocre. Too bad.

• Pros: parking, ambience, location, desserts
• Cons: Bland food, slow service

07/13/08

Mediocre Dine

by teachersays

Grand Lux boasts a cavernous interior and Asian fusion dishes, but lacks in both service and taste. Though their portions are large, the food tastes as if it has been drenched in salt and soy sauce. In addition, the service is painfully slow. The food is edible, but with so many other delectable eateries in Houston, there really is no reason to waste time here except to glance at the decor and grab a bite of dessert.

• Pros: Ambience, dessert
• Cons: Over-salted food, slow service

05/09/08

almost fancy

by htowncoog

I've been here several times and each time been impressed. It's hard to describe this place because on one hand it's very upscale with fancy decorations and lighting, very nice dishes, high-level service, etc. but each time I've been there, I did not have a reservation and was seated within 15 minutes. The prices are also very reasonable considering the type of place this is.

It's not a $100 a plate type of place where they shine your shoes and come sing for you so if you really are having a big night - ie. getting ready to propose to someone, meeting up with a supermodel etc. you might want to find a fancier place. On the other hand if you're out for a nice evening and want a break from the Chili's, TGI-Fridays of the world, this is your place and will make both you and your guest(s) happy.

• Pros: plenty of parking, great atmospehere
• Cons: not the cheapest place but then this isn't an everyday place

07/24/07

Pretty Good.

by Silly_Mongoose

I have been to Grand Lux about 3 times now. Whether it's lunch, desert, or breakfast service is fairly good. Waitstaff was attentive. Ambiance seems to impress guests although I am not a big fan of the art-deco interior. The look of the restaurant reminds me alot of the Cheesecake Factory. The food is good and the drinks are better - my wife loved her mojito cosmo (I think that's what is was). Good for slightly larger groups, like 4-7. Oh, and we went on off-peak hours. I am not sure about the wait during rush hour - I would bet it's packed though :)

• Pros: Satisfying portions
• Cons: Gigantic restaurant - not intimate