Mark's American Cuisine

09/29/09

Excellent!

by QTPY at Citysearch

My husband and I wanted something special for our 9 yr anniversary. We have been to many restaurants in Houston and this was the best dining experience we have had. All the food was delicious; everything from the appetizer to the soup, salad, main course and dessert. The server was very knowledgeable, attentive and friendly. We were there for almost 3 hours and never felt rushed. We even received a complimentary dessert for our anniversary. If you want a good dining experience where not a single detail is missed, I highly recommend this restaurant!!!

• Pros: Everything
• Cons: None

08/05/09

Best Restaurant I have been to

by KingTumnus at Citysearch

Best restaurant I have been to in Houston. Two of my favorite meals of all time have both been at this restaurant. (and I have only been twice) Soft shell crab and kobe steak (8 oz of deliciousness) Also I had a blueberry tart here which was the best most simple dessert I have ever had. I don't understand how it was so good since it was just blueberrys (with blueberry muffin ice cream) in a tart but it was amazing!

• Pros: Best food I have ever had
• Cons: Food would cancel out any, but I don't know of any

07/03/09

A Unique Restaurant with Ambiance

by desjardine at Citysearch

My husband and I have been going to Marks for years. Some times we rave about it and sometimes we really enjoy it but we are never dissappointed. It's an impressive place to take foks visiting since its an Old Church building converted to a restaurant and its not a chain plus you can count on great specials. Can't go wrong if you are looking for a special restaurant. The service is great too!

• Pros: Fine Dining in a unique building
• Cons: None

02/28/09

I agree with 92% of reviewers who loved Mark's

by drtrumble at Citysearch

My wife and I just returned from our 17th anniversary at Mark's. It was everything I had expected and wanted for a quiet and romantic night with outstanding service and food. A few of the reviews had had poor service or food but Mark's ws at it's best for us. We were seated promptly in the 2nd floor as I had requested and the service was flawless. I appreciated the short delay time between when we were seated and when we received our menus: it made me feel that we were not being rushed. Two waiters seated us and served our water and bread. The specials were made known and gave 3 choices for appetizers and 5 entrees which where unique and intriguing. We chose the seafood trio and the lobster bisque (which had perfectly tender pieces of lobster). My wife had an excellent and spicey tuna and I had Kobe beef ribeye medium rare. The desserts were numerous and interesting; I had the coconut bread pudding and she had the warm chocolate cake. Both were al a mode. I now know why people pay high prices for Kobe beef. It was like no beef I have ever had. The setting on the second floor was quiet and intimate and the renovated church is beautiful. Our Desserts came with a candle and chocolate coins imprinted with"Happy Anniversary" on them. Who cares if they do this for all anniversaries...they did it for mine.

Overall, excellent in all categories. The perfect place for those who can afford it. Don't worry about the few negative reviews. I'm glad I went.

• Pros: Ambiance, service, food, style points
• Cons: None

02/19/09

Great Service with Excellent Food

by Badger5678 at Citysearch

Words can't begin to describe my experience at Mark's American. I took my girlfriend here for our first Valentine's Day. We got there a little early and the hostess politely informed us that we could wait at the bar if we liked. When we got to the bar, we received prompt service. I've been to places where you would have to wait 10 minutes for a bar tender to ask what you need. Not here. We ordered a couple of drinks and enjoying them immensely when the hostess informed us that our table was being set. She politely took our drinks from us and carried them to our table for us. When we sat down we were introduced to our very friendly waiter for the evening. He was very descriptive and informative in explaining the menu. I highly recommend the lobster bisque if they have it as an appetizer. I regret not ordering it (my girlfriend was smart enough to do so). That is not to say my appetizer wasn't good. It was delicious. Our main entree came and it was art on a plate with a colorful display. As we tasted the entree's our mouths watered for more. Dessert was absolutely to die for. The Creme Brulee was delicious as was the chocolate cake. Between our waiter tending to our every need to the Chef coming out and taking time out to talk with us, service was as good as the food. I definitely will be coming back here to see what else Chef Mark Cox has for our tantalizing taste buds. I'm sure he won't disappoint. He truly is an artist. With his plate as his canvas and his imaginative mind, the flavors that he creates are endless.

• Pros: Great Service, Great Food
• Cons: It is a bit pricey, but it's definitely worth it

02/11/09

Awesome

by Meg2586 at Citysearch

I went on a blind date here last year. I had never heard of it before as I am not a regular downtown gal. I had never been to a nicer place. I had an appetizer, the special of the night (VEAL), and dessert. All of it was exceptional. I would recommend vallet parking. Also, for me it was a little too noisey. But, the fabulous food makes up for this. Although I did not pay, this place is on the higher end. Be prepared to spend some money. It is an ideal place for a special occasion or anniversary.

• Pros: fabulous food and desserts
• Cons: loud

12/25/08

Best Anniversary spot

by jwinata at Citysearch

I went for a nice 27th Anniversary with my wife. Both of us enjoy the food, the place, the service. It is pricey, but well worth it. My wife ordered the veal in the menu, and I ordered fish from the winter special. Both are very delicious. The presentation, the taste, we felt like we were judges in Iron Chef competition, savoring the different flavors each entree provided. For the desserts, I ordered chocolate cake douzed in hazelnut and coconut mousse and my wife ordered chocolate mousse. They are sinfully rich and delicious.

• Pros: good food and excellent service
• Cons: pricey especially the desserts

09/26/08

One of the BEST in fine dining

by ShivaniS at Citysearch

This is one of my most favorite restaurants, and I have been to many highly rated restaurants all over the US and other countries. Ambiance is wonderful - old church building as many of you know, soft lighting, not too loud, not too quiet. Menu is always changing, so everytime you go there is something new to try. I always love the halibut (when available), but everything that I have tried is delicious. The service is always excellent and they even did a special dessert for my first wedding anniversary. Chef Mark really knows how to run a restaurant.

• Pros: Service, Food, Ambience
• Cons: Nothing

06/30/08

Great food and excellent service

by mamesim at Citysearch

My husband and I had our anniversary dinner at Mark's and really enjoyed the experience. We were promptly seated upstairs in a romantic corner, then had great cocktails (fab Bloody Mary!). We started with the 4 crab appetizer - softshell, dungeness, etc. - quite tasty. My husband had the prime rib and I had the duck, both cooked the way we wanted them, and presented beautifully. We had a very nice (and pricey!!) bottle of Pinot Noir, then ended the meal with the profiteroles, wild cherry tart, and decaf espresso. A memorable meal that certainly wasn't cheap, but great for a special occasion. The service was attentive, but not overly solicitous. We will definitely go back. (It was also the night of the Gay Pride Parade, so we were glad we could just walk over from our place and not worry about parking!)

• Pros: Attentive service, great food, excellent wine list, romantic
• Cons: None

06/11/08

Best Nice Dinner in town.

by angel814 at Citysearch

I am a very picky eater and have had the opportunity to eat a lot of nice places, and Mark's in consistently one of my favorites. It is expensive, but for a special occasion or a nice dinner out it is worth it. I had the soft shell crab the last time (it was a special) and it was crazy good, everyone at my table thought the food was excellent - which is unusual for the group I dine with (we pick everything apart and talk about how well it was prepared). I've never had food here that I didn't think was excellent and I will go back as often as I can!

• Pros: GOOD FOOD
• Cons: expensive