Grand Lux Cafe

Last night, I ate at Grand Lux. I typically have a good experience there as it is one of my favorite restaurants. Last night was the exception. We sat there and waited 15 minutes for a glass of water which was brought by the busboy. The waiter walked by several times helping the other tables and never acknowledged us. I was finally able to flag him down and place an order. He didn’t mention the specials or offer to bring any bread. The food arrives but we didn’t have any flatware. I had to ask the server for flatware. She walks over to the bar and attempts to bring some when the waiter intercepts her and brings it to us. After he disappears for another 20 minutes. He checks on us. I mention, I need a to go box and he packages my leftovers. He doesn’t offer dessert. My date and I placed an order. He brings it out and disappears for 20 minutes. We flag him down for the check. Overall, I would say I’m very disappointed with the service I received. It wasn’t very busy so I’m not sure what the waiter moved at a snail pace. By the way, the waiter’s name was Chukwuneny.

Setup: large bday dinner
The good: plenty of parking, plenty of seating, lots of menu options, decent food, our server Jack, separate bills
The bad: our party of 27 was supposed to have 25 ppl arrive before seating us — a little extreme. After waiting quite a while and assuring them that we were going to order without the latecomers we were seated. Group was too large to sit together I suppose, bc we were given several adjoining booths instead of a long group seating arrangement.
Observations: Just the kind of place to go with a bunch of people for a casual get together with safe food options. Nothing outstanding, nothing terrible.

It reminded me of the cheesecake factory except for the fact that the food and service is like 100x better (or as good as it gets lmao). The cheesecake itself though, the cheesecake factory can get it 100% lol. Anyways I had the Moscow mule without the Moscow mule cup lol… it was alright — not bad. Also had the miso salmon… I liked it alot! It was yummy. Anyways this is one of those places that you’d come because someone else suggests it or its like a birthday gathering (which is exactly what this was)… so might be coming back but not on my own terms. Like it’s good just not… good enough to come back if that makes ANY sense lol

I ordered take out and I guess when you order take out the quality goes down. I got the Santa Barbara Chicken Sandwich with fries and also ordered a salad. The bun was super sweet. It was overpowering the other flavors and was hard to enjoy the sandwich. When I dine in and take out, the bun is always soggy. The fries were basic fries, nothing special. The salad was okay, definitely average and not worth the price of $ 8. All in all, way too overpriced for food that just doesn’t have superb standings.

Went here yesterday for an early dinner date with my husband. Was seated within 3 minutes of arriving. This was our first time here and our waiter was accommodating in giving us time to review there extensive menu. We ordered the chicken Quesadilla, and it was delicious. It could have been a meal on its own. My strawberry Bellini was awesome, and our main course of enchiladas and carmalized ginger chicken was equally as delicious as everything else. The drinks were refilled promptly and I was happy with our waiter. Was to full for desserts but they looked very tasty. Great spot for a date, or a family, or dinner with friends. Definitely coming back here!

One drawback: the buzzers don’t always work, so check back after a while.
When my friend Sarah worked in a galleria office building, we had lunch or dinner here several times. So often I got tired if the perfectly cooked, juicy chicken Madeira that Sarah ordered almost every time.
Since moving to EaDo, I rarely travel even a few feet outside my 610 sanctuary (yes, it’s a thing for many of us inner loopers). For my mother, I’d travel far, and she wanted to shop the mall. Passing all the restaurants inside, we walked across busy Westheimer (at the light, safety for my old mom!) and went into Grand Lux.
Their prices have risen, as with costs of most everything in the USA, but the food has remained superb, and incredible, still worth the wait and cost. Including a heavy tip, it was nearly a (digital) Benjamin. For my mother to enjoy Cajun, and my tummy to be full, I’d do it again.
Tricia was friendly, responsive, and usually available. Ask for her, very young but a veteran, if you want service that deserves over 20% tip. She laughed, joked, and was very menu knowledgeable. I even trusted her to surprise me, after telling her my likes/​dislikes. Her choice was delicious, savory, and tender.
Worth it.

I went here for breakfast. I decided on the Strawberry Bellini and an Omelet. It took them a while to bring out my food. I just knew the omelet was gonna taste as good as other foods I had gotten from there. I was wrong. So they cooked they eggs separately and put the veggies and meat inside. I cook omelet and they are delicious. I usually use ham and I cook it with the eggs and veggies. If I use other meats that have to be precooked. I cook them and put them with the raw contents and cook together. I asked them for Picante sauce but all they had was this salsa that wasn’t to good. I’ve had a variety of meals here before but I will never get an Omelet again.

This place has a HUGE menu — it’s practically a novel. The food was pretty good, service was excellent, the wait took some time, but it was a Sunday morning.
Best tip about this place: look all around — the décor and atmosphere is wonderful!

Although packed because of the after-​church crowd, lunch was very enjoyable. I ordered the cedar plank BBQ salmon and it was a good choice. The portion of fish was just right. The only thing I wasn’t so keen on were the onion rings. They were bland and added absolutely nothing to the dish. The succotash on the other hand was excellent. I recommend ordering a double portion of the veggies to replace those pitiful onion rings.

I’ve eaten here a few times and had no complaints but today was quite different.
To make a very long story short, if you have a large party, say 12 or more, do not plan to eat here. This is an extremely busy restaurant that has people lined up outside their does before they even open. This makes it difficult for them to accommodate big groups.
Our party arrived at 10:30 with a reservation for 20. They told us it would be a 2 hour wait. Why we didn’t just go elsewhere is beyond me but that wasn’t my call. When I left at noon, we were guaranteed seating at 1pm. Hope they got in.
Prior visits were better. Food and service were always good. This is a beautifully decorated restaurant with comfortable seating. Will return.

I am in Houston for a work conference. My team and I ate at Cheesecake Factory at The Galleria the night we arrived. Then during our lunch break, we frantically tried to find something close. We saw The Grand Lux Café and gave it a shot. We noticed, immediately, that it resembled where we ate the night before. I am pretty sure this restaurant is The Cheesecake Factory’s twin. The menu is large and overwhelming. The choices are high calorie, but sound tasty. Even the to-​go bags are the same as Cheesecake.
I had the Ahi Tuna Ceviche. It was delicous. My teammates had salads and a club. All looked good. The bread we had as an appetizer was warm and devine, but I still can’t go above 3 stars. It’s too big, too loud, and too overwhelming. If too much is what you’re into, just go across the street to Cheesecake Factory.

It was a quiet night at Grand Lux as it seemed rather empty. People were seated all across the restaurant.
We walked in with a sense of hope that the food was up to the standards of this restaurant’s Vegas counterpart. We weren’t necessarily disappointed, but we weren’t blown awa either.
Let me start off with the service. We got to restaurant around 8pm and it was not very busy. We were seated quickly at a table, but for peivacy we asked for a booth. The hostess told us that there weren’t any booths available, but we saw a bunch of them clean and open for the taking. «Whatever», we thought and proceeded to sit. 10 minutes goes by and we finally see our waiter. Get our menus and order some drinks.
15 minutes later our SODAS arrive and we proceed to order. Ordered the brisket laden fries (I don’t remember the name of the dish) chicken pot pie and pot roast.
Fries came out afrer 10 minutes and the were fantastic. The amount of meat to fries ratio was great and it is enough to share. Could be a meal on its own. Flavor was on point, but I wish they would add some sour cream because that would add a nice cool/​creamy flavor.
The chicken pot pie came out pretty quickly, but it was luke warm and the puff pastry on top was soggy. I assume somebody ordered it and it was sitting under a heat lamp for sometime.
The pot roast came out 10 minutes later and it was warm, but now my pot pie was cool.
We didn’t complain to to the waitress and just proceeded to eat.
Honestly, the flavor was good for both dishes, but the pot pie was cold and the puff pastry was no longer flaky. The pot roast was tender and the gravy was decent (a little too salty… maybe we got the bottom of the barrel).
I am probably not going to visit this place again unless I order only the Brisket Fries, but if you do, hopefully you have better experience.

One liner: a higher-​end, better quality version of Cheesecake Factory, without cheesecake.
There was a massive crowd of diners waiting for their Sunday brunch to begin, and our group of 6 ended up waiting ~40 minutes. Our waitress was prompt in asking for drink orders, but at that point we had been waiting for so long, so we were ready to order everything – drinks, food, dessert, all at one. With the huge portion sizes, the prices are more than reasonable, as everyone from our group ended up taking their dish home.

It’s a chain so take that into consideration. This is nice to bring someone visiting Houston to just because it looks cool. But I doubt I’ll be back just based on the food.
Service is very slow! Even though there weren’t many other tables our server kept going missing and it took like 30 mins after we finished eating just to pay. That irritated me more than eating the mediocre salad.

One of my must-​stop in places while shopping in The Galleria area. The Grand Lux has not disappointed in its food & beverage selections, nor its social connections. More on that later.
I usually sit at the bar area while visiting friends from college. The bartenders here are quite attentive, and are easy going in upselling to a larger glass or import. The Grand Lux has everything from burgers, seafood and higher-​priced entrees, yet I came here to eat light & drink. For this visit, it was time to try the shrimp scampi, which was served in lemon, garlic, basil, tomato, pasta & with a touch of parsley. There was a touch of wine that I could taste within the scampi (possibly a slight white wine), yet the entrée tasted phenomenal and light on the stomach.
There are plenty of televisions here to watch the Texans/​Rockets games, as well as other sporting events. The social scene here is actually pretty good. For the single individual, this may be your place to meet some of Houston’s best eye candy. Parking outside can be challenging (depending on the time that you arrive), yet remember that this is The Galleria. Parking will be challenging at any venue that you are spending your time in.

Unsurprisingly this is the epitome of a 3 for me. I’ve been to the one before in NY, and you can expect the food to be solid but certainly not mind blowing.
This place and the Cheesecake Factory are always packed around lunch, so my team was lucky to get a table with not too long of a wait during prime time on a weekday. They also have a nice waiting area to accommodate all of the people, and I thought the décor was pleasant, although not my style.
Once we sat down, our waitress was always readily available but not intrusive. I would certainly give her a 5 for this experience, as I can’t think of a single thing she could’ve done better.
We placed our orders and my supervisor got the lunch salmon special and I got a salad, and my co-​worker got a dish that I cannot recall. I ordered the southwestern salad. What I really appreciated about the server was that she asked if I wanted everything on the salad, which gave me the opportunity to check to see that I did in fact want it all.
I had to indulge in a piece of sourdough from the bread basket, which was well worth the splurge, as you don’t tend to find fluffy warm sourdough bread at many restaurants around here.
When my salad came, I definitely noticed how large it was. The dressing and the salad itself were solid and enjoyable, but I don’t need to run back here for it. It is worth noting though that you can split this easily into two meals, giving you 2 salads for around $ 10 – 11.
My supervisor seemed to enjoy her salmon, and it looked fine, but certainly not anything I would need to run here for either. Their lunch specials, which included this salmon, are well-​priced though.
Definitely a solid place for lunch, especially a business one, but be mindful of the time you arrive.

Grand lux is the Cheesecake Factory’s annoying little sister that one has to love because you’re related but would rather have them go away. The food is good but I would just prefer Cheesecake Factory. Menu is expansive and because we were hungry the both of us had a small plate (ahi tuna ceviche)-I would pass on this one– and three entrées. Shrimp Scampi, Salisbury steak, and a chicken dish. I can’t remember the name of it but it was good-​it had a tangy glaze over the chicken with rice on the side. I would definitely come back for the shrimp scampi.
We sat at the bar on a weekday nite and we got pretty good service. I heard they have great brunch. It’s not a bad restaurant, I just personally wouldn’t make it my go to place. A restaurant to go to every now and then for me. Maybe one day I will come to love grand lux like the rest of you but for now I will prefer their sister across the street.

We were seated quickly & the service was great. They also offer a few gluten free items! I had the Santa Barbara chicken sandwich, it was grilled & came with a side of fries or a mixed green salad. The food came out pretty fast. I also tried the fresh lemonade, it was perfectly tart & the rim of the glass was were the sugar was!
It was just what I wanted!
My friends had the grand club sandwich & the bacon cheese burger with a GF hamburger bun & were equally satisfied.
The décor is a smidge gawdy, it reminds me of Atlantic City/​Las Vegas but somehow it works. Prices are reasonnable especially for the Galleria area. They have a mix of options for everyone & they were very child friendly.
I would love to go for brunch on a weekend!

Grand Lux is one of the few chain restaurants that offers a wide variety of quality food. I’ve dined at this particular location on numerous and the service is always delightful.
Honestly, I’ve never had a bad meal from here. Doesn’t matter if it’s brunch, lunch or dinner. The shrimp scampi and Parmesan crusted pork chop are two of my personal favorites.
This particular location is always clean, parking can be a pain depending on the day and the wait varies, but it’s expected considering the area. No matter the occasion, Grand Lux is always a great choice.

Less than impressed with the service, atmosphere, food, prices and cleanliness of this restaurant. Basically everything that’s important in a decent dining experience this restaurant failed at.
Where shall we begin? When I first walked in I was hardly greeted by the hostesses and they seated me and my friend at a half-​circle booth which seemed to fit 4 instead of 5 people (how many was in our total party). While waiting for the other girls to show up I noticed the silverware and almost every small bread plate had specs of food on it. We ended up moving to a different table which was a bigger booth near the window. I examined the dinnerware when we sat down and 2 out of the 5 plates had food on them.
For my meal I ordered the plain spaghetti pasta with pasta sauce but with gluten-​free pasta instead of regular pasta. When I received my food (after about 10 – 15 minutes) it came out looking unlike gluten-​free pasta. I asked the server and he immediately said no, he forgot to put gluten free pasta in the system. I’m not super intolerant to gluten but someone who may be should ALWAYS verify and the server should ALWAYS reassure the guest that it is BEFORE it is eaten. Our server rushed us with asking if we needed to-​go boxes when we had only been eating for 10 minutes.
When I finally received the correct dish I had ordered it wasn’t worth the $ 14 I was about to shuck over. Not even close to being worth it. Had it had meat or some more substance then I would have understood why I would pay more but it was literally pasta sauce, gluten free pasta and wilted basil leaves.
I will say that the birthday pastry «sheet» that they give on celebrations is very cute well-​decorated and has a birthday candle on top. It is also FREE, which is nice :)
Overall, I won’t be coming back here by choice. I believe a restaurant isn’t just about food but all aspects of a dining experience and cleanliness is a HUGE one with which this restaurant just did not pass on my «inspection.»