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Liberty Kitchen
Categories: Restaurants Canadian (New) Restaurants Seafood Canadian (New), Seafood [Edit]
1050 Studewood StHouston, TX 77008
Neighborhood: The Heights
(713) 802-0533
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
Michelle L. said: "Excellent food! Had the spicy fish [grilled tilapia] tacos, and it came topped with a mouthwatering array of veggies and this yummy spicy habanero sauce! I also split the Texas Caesar Salad, which, rather than being your normal plain…" read more »
43 reviews for Liberty Kitchen
Review Highlights
43 reviews in English
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Review from Rania Z.
Houston, TX
2/20/2012
This place was soooo good.
We went for brunch this past Sunday, not really sure what to expect, but we had heard good things from a couple of friends, especially about the oysters, and we LOVE oysters!
Needless to say we started with a half dozen of bluepoint oysters. They were perfect, not too small or big, and came with what I would call a roasted tomato jam or chutney...it was amazing! I put that on the oyster with a touch of horseradish and it was great.
We also had the shimp campechana which came with homemade tortilla chips. The campechana was delicious with chunks of avacado, shrimp, cucumber, tomatoes. I would definately come back for this!
I ordered the brisket and cheddar omelet. Yummy! It came with potatoes seasoned with what I think was allspice, and a side of homemade sourdough toast with butter. I loved it!
My husband ordered the crab louis breakfast sandwich. He really liked it but we were both almost full by that point.
BTW, good coffee.
Anyway, I will be back for sure. -
Review from Brian E.
Houston, TX
Updated - 2/15/2012
Went back again on a Friday night and had 100% better time. The wait for a table is long (45min) but I enjoy the time to have a few drinks and hang out on the patio.
The service has improved tremendously. We had waiters come ask us while we were waiting on a table if they could get us anything while we waited and the servers were very knowledgeable of the menu. The beers are no longer the most expensive in town because they upgraded their glass size from 16oz to 20oz.!!! Everyone at the table enjoyed their food and had no issues.
We will be back for sure.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/9/2011
We had a group of four try this place out on a Friday night. I think they have been open for a few… Read more »
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Review from Vyacheslav f.
Houston, TX
2/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
Everything, from the time we came in to the time we left was great ! My wife and i dont get out much and being in the business, its difficult to overlook some of the key elements in the restaurant. These guys know what they are doing. i like it i am a fan! i dont go for the stories about salvaged wood on the walls and flown stuff over night ( few sushi joints in town) and we have recovered these doors from old houses ( fox hollow) etc.... I go for some good food, a joke with a server, who gets it, and a manager touching a tabel once or twice. Nice veiw of the open kitchen and a little area for a large table. Food,. Tuna mignion hit me in the face of spice and salt! Good bold flavor and a HUGE chunk of grilled yellowfin. Grilled chicken sliders. Idea is old but it was a good meal. Deviled eggs and fried oysters? Ok i will have some. Now the gewy mess with chunks of shrimp and lumpcrab? Must have before i die. After eating so much food last night i came home and guess what?
I am coming back for more of that gewy mess.
Special thanks to Sharon and Roy -
Review from Jennifer H.
Houston, TX
2/18/2012
My husband and I have eaten at Liberty Kitchen several times and its consistently delicious. The staff is very friendly, great in recommending dishes and drinks, and awesome to loyal customers. The owners are the best managers I've ever seen. They really appreciate your business and take the time to greet and chat with every table.
The prices are reasonable for the quality of food. We've had several of the menu items and our favorites are the skirt steak sandwich, the wood grilled ribeye, the asparagus with bacon jam and the wood grilled chicken with sour cream mashed potatoes. Save room for dessert because the bread pudding is a must have! It's unbelievable. I hear the chocolate cake is amazing too.
Great food, great staff, great atmosphere, reasonable prices. The wait can be long but it's well worth it. -
Review from Moiz B.
Houston, TX
1/19/2012
I went with a friend here on a random night and was pleasantly surprised. It's in the restaurantish area of the Heights and I'd never noticed it before. Walked in and found a slightly trendy place with a unique decor. They seated us in the awkward two man booth facing the kitchen, but for some reason, the seating actually worked somehow. We had a view of the bustle of the kitchen and I got to watch the football game which was on TV. Win win.
As for the food, we had an appetizer of the fried oysters sans the pork. My friend had the salad and I had an off the menu order of chicken fried chicken with mashed potatoes. Her salad was unique with plenty of chicken and my chicken fried chicken was cooked perfectly. The food plus the ambiance of the place really felt appropriate for the area and I plan to come back sometime in the future just to see if this was a fluke.
Update: I went back for lunch today and although the food was still great, I was a bit turned off by the upcharges for different minor things. I generally don't have any issues with this, but a quick heads up from the waiter would have been nice. Nonetheless definitely have to lose a star for that. -
Review from Keith A.
Houston, TX
1/15/2012
Went with 4 people to Liberty Kitchen Saturday night All around had a great experience. Started off with an ice cold Liberty Ale which was nice and hoppy and went with the crab balls very well. Had the Santa Monica fish special and the bread pudding desert. Both excellent.
The best part of the night was the service. The hostess was great seating us and our waiter Matthew was on his game.
I will be back. -
Review from Andrea R.
Houston, TX
1/8/2012
I've been following/stalker/fan sice his days at Zula (anyone remember that restaurant????) this restaurant is another hit.
Decore is what I call Heights Shek. Waiter was very knowledgable and gave us great recommendations. Being a huge oyster fan we started off with a dozen oysters. Four from the Gulf, eight from two different areas of PEI. They were so good and salty that I wanted to order more. I got the grilled salmon with garlicky spinach. I really like that you can pick your sides with the meals, as I may want to have the salmon again, but I can try a different side depending on my mood. My husband had the lobster with maple butter. You had to dip the lobster in the butter or otherwise it tasted like it was boiled in dirty water. YUCK!!! But the last time we have ordered lobster in other restaurants here in Houston, it was not good. I'm not sure why Houston can't get good lobster, but I am not going to blame Liberty, I'm blaming the vendors that sell lo.bster to Houston restaurants.
This place does get extremely busy, and the parking is very limited. Other than that, I can't wait to go back for the oysters!!!! -
Review from Tony F.
Houston, TX
1/22/2012
Up until yesterday I had been pretty pleased with my previous visits to Liberty Kitchen. Like most reviews on here, the food is good, but not great and service has been ok.
However, yesterday my experience was not so good. We decided to try the breakfast menu - DEFINITELY NOT WORTH THE PRICE! Liberty Kitchen is obviously very proud of their cuisine. There are other restaurants with better food that are considerably less expensive! The topper was when I got my check and found they had actually charged me another $3 for a lemonade refill, which was 80% ice and 20% lemonade!
As much as I like to support local businesses, I don't think I will be visiting LK again any time soon... -
Review from Brian L.
Houston, TX
1/3/2012
Some of the bad reviews are going to spur me into commenting. I don't know why they are but- Here I am.
This place is exactly what I want around the corner from my house. I hate to sound like a Heights fanboy- I just moved in against my will. But this area is having a renaissance of quality, interesting food. Liberty Kitchen is right there with the pack.
I will list the problems after the Wins.
Wins:
Interesting mix of menu options.
-seriously, some of you people are so jaded on this point its astounding. There is such a collection on this menu that I would say it's almost dizzying. The interesting Badass deviled eggs to the Cedar Plank Smoked Salmon apps. The trout was great (I ate the skin) the burgers are crazy good (get the slaw and heap it on), the drinks are tasty and interesting, the breakfast muffin thing is a hangover slayer.
Awesome atmosphere.
You can't deny that. Don't try. What is that like 40 JBL speakers that somehow aren't loud and seem to noise cancel a room that would otherwise be offensively acoustic.
Solid, well edited Beer and Wine options.
Fails:
The water glasses... I hate things that sacrifice function for style. I can't fill my mouth 3 times with one of these. And why did you serve my morning orange juice in one? That was comical, and off-putting.
Service... Always decent, but other than the time I sat at the bar, it wasn't superb. I am going to continue giving the benefit of the doubt. But there seems to be the edge of a systemic "We're so cool and thats why you like us" vibe that needs to be kept in check.
Price... I can dig economics, so I don't mind keeping the prices high enough to keep the place full but not crowded. The prices definitely make us hesitate to just run in for just any old weekday dinner. Removing $2-3 from entrees would eliminate that trepidation.
Last comments:
Yelpers have changed and I think there is a unrealistic use of the 2 Star. This place is not Meh. It's at least A-OK with fits of glory. Things will smooth out as time goes on.
I am delighted to have the place open. I am also happy that there is a constant give and take with this place. Honestly- it would be worthless to me if it was packed to the rafters with a wait every night. So this works out. -
Review from Carmen M.
Houston, TX
1/9/2012
I'm not sure what the big fuss about Liberty Kitchen is, but I'm 110% positive I've had better food and service in Houston.
Three friends and I went for Sunday brunch. Our service was terrible and it took *forever* (by which I mean 35 minutes) to get two breakfast sandwiches and one of their plain American-style breakfasts (eggs, toast, potatoes). My friend asked for his fried egg over-easy and it came out over-hard. I found the food extremely bland. It literally had no flavor. We also ordered a piece of german chocolate cake and it also had no flavor. It was very odd -- I've never had a piece of german chocolate cake that didn't taste, well, chocolatey.
Liberty Kitchen is certainly proud of their food and the prices show. I spend a lot of money on food, but spending $16 for an omelet just ain't kosher.
I'm supportive of local Houston businesses succeeding, and want to see that early and often. But LK may need to take a look at some of the comments here (you know, from people who like to eat out) and make a few adjustments. I'm pretty sure I won't return to Liberty Kitchen anytime soon. -
Review from Terah K.
12/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
Please read the full review to understand my experience...
I had heard through the grape vine that Liberty Kitchen had great food and a great atmosphere. I told my family that I would like to go to Liberty Kitchen for my birthday dinner. My family came in from outside the loop to join me in the Heights.
I called ahead to see if they would take a reservation, but they said they did not. We arrived a little past 7 and were told that there was a 90 minute wait for a party of 6. I was willing to wait for great food and great service. Some time passed and we were told that we would only be able to sit outside due to other people having tables "booked" inside. We agreed that that would be okay.
Time passes and we were seated outside. Our waitress came out and passed out menus. I am dying of thirst and asked for water. We waited and waited, but no water... I walked up to the bar and asked for one. The Bartender was very nice and asked where I was sitting. I told him right out side.
My family is still waiting and waiting to be served. Nothing happens for another 10 minutes. I asked my family if they wanted to go down the street and we all agreed, we where tired of waiting.
As we left, I told the hostess that we were leaving because we were tired of waiting, for water, to place our order, for everything... She was very apologetic and asked if I could please let the manager know. I agreed that I would voice my thoughts.
I spoke with Chico and told him that we were tired of waiting... and that I brought my family to this restaurant for my birthday. This is not the experience that I was hoping for. Chico said that if we stay he would make our experience terrific. I decided to give Liberty Kitchen a second chance.
Now once you ruffle one feather in my family, all feathers are ruffled from every person. My mother wanted to be sat inside if she was going to stay. Chico immediately sat us at a table inside. And once, seated we were greeted with Champagne, chips and queso, and yummy ceviche.
The Champagne made the table much bubblier. We received a new waiter who was excellent and brought me all the water a girl could ever want.
The food at Liberty Kitchen was delicious and a good value for the price. I fully enjoyed everyones dishes.
I know that Liberty Kitchen and I got off to a rocky start, but I am very impressed with how much they value every customer. I felt that everyone was working hard to make a great experience out of one that got off to a rocky start. -
Review from John M.
Houston, TX
1/5/2012
Just can't understand why a place with a great big sign that says "EAT" ends up being a pricey restaurant. Meanwhile across the street is Ruggles 11th Street diner (Ruggles name removed now?) and their prices are more in line with a place that has an "eat" sign (or "Eat Here").
I guess I'm saying it's a weird kind of false advertising. Kind of like a food truck that serves pricey cupcakes or gourmet hotdogs.... oh wait. -
Review from Sarah K.
Houston, TX
1/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
The decor/design inside I loved.
The food is OK, not mind blowing and for what they are charging I feel it should be.
I felt it was very very OVERPRICED for what it is. I think I paid more than $15 for a salad. I want to love it because it's in the 'hood but I just can't. -
Review from Jim L.
1/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
I can't say that this restaurant impressed me all that much. We called ahead to book a table for 7 of us, and no one answered the phone. We figured they were busy, so we would just show up and take out chances. They were not busy at all. In fact, I anticipated parking on the street, and when I did, I realized I should have gone into the parking lot as there were only about 7 cars there.
The hostess (on her 3rd day) asked us if we preferred their large table close to the front door or in the main dining area. We chose the front as it felt more like a private room. While it was adjacent to the rest room, this facility has an ante room prior to the toilets, so it is not offensive to sit there. Also, their restroom has pink wallpaper with toilet paper rolls on it. That was cute, and a good value add.
Our waiter was nice, and it occurred to one of us that he was dining at another restaurant not too long ago, and this waiter was the same guy. While it did not involve his table, this waiter got really screamed at by the chef. We wondered if he left that location and got a job at Liberty Kitchen. Hmmm. Mysterious!
The waiter informed us that we could order off the breakfast menu or wait about 10 minutes and order off the full menu, so we ordered coffees and waited the extra time. This way, some of us could order lunch.
I really wanted breakfast, but nothing really appealed to me. Their meals seem overly trendy with respect to the comfort food side, so chicken fried anything is not my speed. I don't really care for griddle cakes - too heavy and caloric - and the omelets were priced at $12 a pop. So, I ordered a spinach salad.
The salad had a pretty good Italian vinaigrette, which felt more like a tapenade with oil vinegar added. That was a nice addition for the greens, but the salad was only so-so as it did not have the sour quality of a feta or something like that I was pretty bored half way through it. Luck lily someone ordered a side of onion rings, so I ate one of those.
Others were very happy with their egg dishes, once all the orders arrived (one had not been ordered), and once one order came out wrong and was fixed.
The worst part about the experience was the service. It literally took an hour to get our food. While the owner/manger was mildly apologetic, he was more relaxed than cared for citing the fact that he had two or three large tables order at the same time. All that says to me is, don't come when we are busy.
I don't think I would go back. There are 78 new restaurants that opened in Houston this year, so I will try all of them before circling back to Liberty Kitchen. -
Review from Tracey L.
12/12/2011
Oh Liberty. Why? What is wrong with you?
I came here on a Saturday for lunch and since their menu/hours/daily specials/etc. are nowhere to found online (not even on their Facebook page), I was surprised and glad that they were open.
That is where my happiness ends. Folks, I hate--LOATHE--despise breakfast foods and dishes. So when I learned that I could not have lunch items for another 40 minutes (it was 11:20am) as they were only serving breakfast until noon, I just wish that I would have known so that I could have come later!!!! *Sigh*
I ordered the least breakfasty thing I could find - San Fran Louis Muffin (??) which had crab, avocado, lettuce, tomato, bacon and fried eggs on an english muffin.
As I waited for my food to arrive I noticed that the wait staff were doing everything from seating people to making cocktails, as well as taking orders and running out food. Everything and everyone just seemed very hurried and disorganized.
I didn't even bother taking a picture of my dish because I started thinking: You know Liberty, if you don't care enough to even post the hours that you are open and when you are serving what type of food, then I don't care to help you out by letting other people know what types of dishes you have!
2 stars because the food was fine, o.k., whatever BUT it was definitely not worth the price (for the muffin thing and iced tea my bill was almost $20).
It isn't their fault that I hate breakfast foods, but it is their fault that I didn't know that was all they were offering before walking in. -
Review from Michael W.
Houston, TX
1/2/2012
Went to Liberty Kitchen last night and I was absolutely blown away.
Let me start by saying that the staff is EXTREMELY nice. After I managed to make a goof out of myself to our waiter by asking if they had wine and beer while staring at the drink menu, I feel I owe them a little shout-out for being pretty great. The manager visited our table multiple times throughout the meal to check and make sure that everything was satisfactory. He then chatted us up about the chef's other restaurant (BRC) and talked to us about the menu and specific items we had ordered. Very cool guy, and he treated every table like he treated us -- a rare occurrence in any type of dining these days. While this was awesome, it was not the most amazing aspect of our visit to Liberty Kitchen .
The atmosphere in the place is almost like the interior of an old wooden ship, but more industrial/modern. I'm not saying there's fishermen's nets and stupid stuffed crap on the walls or anything like that -- but the walls and furniture reminded me of what I imagine a wooden ship would look like if David Lynch had included one in "Eraserhead." I'm probably making it sound horrible, but it's pretty chic, and I really liked it. Again, very cool, but not the most amazing thing about the place.
Let me take this moment to introduce you to a little guy called "The Hogg." You can get it served a few different ways, but what I had was basically a shot of Tito's Vodka with a little bloody mary mix added along with an oyster and a salt/lime combo. It's a shot, and it's delicious. I have never been a fan of Clamato or Caesars, but if they taste anything like The Hogg, I can see where the allure is. I saw it on the menu and just couldn't pass it up -- and I do not regret this decision at all. The manager asked me "How was it," and my response was "I'd do it again." It was weird yet awesomely tasty.
Liberty Kitchen has a nice selection of market fish and oysters as well. It's an oyster bar, which I wouldn't have known except our waiter told us right when we sat down. We got half a dozen gulf oysters and half a dozen market oysters from Canada, all on the half shell, of course. Hard to mess up raw oysters, but I will say it was nice to have a choice besides gulf oysters, and the imported oysters had a different, exotic flavor to them which I had never before experienced.
My fiance ordered the spaghetti with meat balls (which includes a short rib, YUM!) This recipe has apparently been passed down from the chef's grandfather, and I can see why it's still around. Very delicious. Let me also add that the garlic bread is UNBELIEVABLE! My fiance and I both agreed it was the best garlic bread we could remember having.
I ordered the market halibut. It was perfectly seasoned... in fact I would go so far as to say it was mind-blowingly well-seasoned. It came with a side -- I ordered the garlic-sauteed spinach (I love spinach). It was great, but it's hard to screw up spinach.
For dessert they offer a selection of freshly baked pies and cakes. Now let me get to the most amazing thing of the evening. We ordered the bread pudding. When our waiter told us about it he said "I don't know if you've had cotton candy, but it's sort of like that. Not sweet, but I mean just melts in your mouth." This was a pretty bold statement, but he was right! I don't know if you've ever had Decapo's bread pudding, which up until yesterday I would have told you was the best bread pudding in Houston, but Liberty Kitchen just took the crown in a BIG, BIG way. If you go to Liberty Kitchen , do not leave without trying the bread pudding. It is the most fantastic dessert I've had in years!
We will be visiting BRC to sample some more or Chef Lance's fantastic food, and sight unseen, just knowing that it's the same creative mind that created Liberty Kitchen , I'd probably recommend BRC as well. That's how good this place was. -
Review from Meredith M.
Houston, TX
12/9/2011
We visited on a Thursday night for dinner. We came fairly early and the place was crowded, but we were seated at a table for four right away.
The boys wanted smoked salmon, so we ordered the appetizer. They said it was delicious and they loved the smoked butter that came with it. It is pretty cool that you can see the salmon being smoked in the kitchen.
For dinner, the boys got the fried chicken fingers and slider kids' meals. They came on school trays with fries and fruit. Pretty cool, if you ask me.
Sam had the suckling pig special with a Karbach beer. I had the Rodeo Ruben. Both were delicious. His side of Asparagus with bacon jam is the best thing that I've had in a while. My Rodeo Ruben was delicious, but the brisket was too thickly cut and a little dry. I would like it better chopped or sliced with less meat and a little au jus or bbq sauce on it. We also felt that the food was under seasoned with salt and pepper, but better that than too much.
The staff was excellent and attentive. They really care about this place and were clearly excited about being open.
This place is close to five stars for me. We'll be back a lot. -
Review from Dustin R.
Houston, TX
1/8/2012
This is a great addition to neighborhood eating options.
The modern, rustic atmosphere fits in perfectly in the Heights and seems to attract a stylish but casual crowd. It's a perfect nice, but pretentious dinner spot.
Beer and wine selection was strong, but cocktails were not that exciting.
Everyone in our party enjoyed the oysters as an appetizer, a variety of fish main courses, a mac and cheese side, and delicious Dee Dee's pies for dessert. In fact, one of my friends enjoyed our meal so much she reserved the large table in the front room (with gorgeous chandelier) for a birthday party the next weekend. Management gladly accommodated her request, despite a no reservation policy. -
Review from Karen T.
Houston, TX
1/1/2012
The dishes at our table were hit and miss, the service was probably among the worst I have ever experienced.
My husband had the tile fish special and despite being marketed by the waiter as "amazing" it was completely lackluster. It was his birthday, so I was sad he ended up with a not-so-great dish.
I had the shrimp remoulade with the bacon jam and it was absolutely phenomenal. The fries were heavenly, the bacon jam salty, sweet, and spicy all at the same time... I feel bad that I enjoyed my dish so much when everyone else wasn't impressed.
Dessert we got to go - apple and cherry pie. I could have made better myself, it was disappointing.
Service was horrendous. We waited, waited, waited... most of the time our waiter was nowhere to be seen, and the restaurant isn't even that big! Tables around us were sat, served, paid, and gone by the time we even got our main course. Best part was our waiter bid us farewell but forgot he still had our credit card... so we had to wait to flag him down again. We were there for-ev-er. -
Review from Kristin W.
Houston, TX
2/9/2012
For me, one of the cons of anywhere I go is the parking, and the parking at Liberty Kitchen is very limited, but I was very fortunate to get a spot.
I stopped in last Thursday to get something to go. I had never tried LK and decided to give it a shot. I ordered the mac and cheese. For what they charge, I was expecting more than what I got and I must say, it was good, but just okay. Usually when I pay close to 13 bucks for mac and cheese and it is so-so, I won't go back to the place, but not so here. The staff from the hostess to the bartender who took my order were really, really friendly and not in a fake way, they were genuine and my food was ready pretty quickly. A man came to the bar to order a Shirley Temple for his little girl and the bartender put a ton of cherries in it to make the little girl happy. She wasn't asked for extra cherries, she just went the extra mile to make someone happy. The bartender who took my order was very patient with me as I was making my mind up on what to order and never made me feel rushed, even with the chaos going on around him. The food was average, the staff was above average and that is why I will go back. I hope the owners or managers read this and give their staff members a big pat on the back. They deserve it. -
Review from John F.
Houston, TX
12/31/2011
They had me at Deviled Eggs....delicious deviled eggs topped with bacon and a fried oyster!
Been 3 times since opening....Everything I've tasted here is outstanding....seafood..steaks...burgers....etc... even a Reuben Sandwich with a twist...Brisket instead of Corned Beef.....was quite yummy!
Good wine list and very imaginative/tasty cocktails with neighborhood names ! -
Review from Christopher K.
Houston, TX
11/19/2011
Enjoyed a very nice meal at Liberty Kitchen tonight. The food was very good; the grilled chicken was most, flavorful and delicious; mashed potatoes rich and had the perfect texture and the bacon jam with the asparagus: zing with delicious. The Blackberry Sweet Tea vodka cocktail was strong and very good as well. They've got a large menu with lots of options for everyone, from burgers to lobster. I'll be trying some of the seafood options next time.
It was very comfortable and tidy. I liked the "repurposed" wood on the walls and overall simplicity. Definitely a good place for a date with someone new or your beloved old lady.
The service was prompt, friendly and nice. I'd definitely recommend Liberty Kitchen.
BUT:
They Just Opened. Reviewers:
If you go and have a gripe please don't be the "I got first world problems" jerk who picks the place apart or damns it with faint praise. If you don't like it, wait until they've got the kinks worked out and give it another shot. Honestly, I didn't see any kinks to work out while I was there but I'm sure some will turn up. -
Review from Naveen S.
11/27/2011
Finally went over to Liberty Kitchen with some friends last night and had a great time! The interior is different and I enjoyed the lively atmosphere. A word to the wise, they've only been open a week and so we weren't surprised that there were a few items that they had run out of by the time we came for dinner (9pm).
Lowdown on the food:
Porterhouse steak: Ordered it medium rare, was cooked and seasoned perfectly - would order again and again!
Chargrilled steak sandwich: Again, meat was cooked perfectly but it was heavy on the balsamic dressing - was too overwhelming. Great sandwich otherwise.
Friends ordered the sliders and shrimp po'boy and both enjoyed their meals. Their specialty cocktails were deeee-lish however the glass sizes varied greatly. They open for breakfast next week... will be back! -
Review from c n.
Houston, TX
1/30/2012
We live in the neighborhood and have been back 3 times!
PROS: Fantastic food and wonderfully creative menu -- the gumbo has to be the best in town with fried okra, shrimp, andouille sausage and fried oysters. Wine and beer list is nice. Great atmosphere and decor. Friendly service. Oysters on the half shell are fresh and delicious, but PRICEY! Last night, we ordered a dozen Massachusetts' oysters -- didn't think to ask about price, got the bill - $26! Guess that's comparable to other high-end restaurants that serve oysters from Canada, New England, etc. Gulf Oysters prob. wouldn't be as much. We would order again - maybe just on special occasions. Although they call it an Oyster Bar, I might describe the menu as southern comfort with a twist of "Fegen fanciness" -- and delicious! We have been impressed every time and cannot wait to go back for the daily specials.
CONS: Parking is tough, expect long wait on Thurs-Sat evenings, breakfast menu IS somewhat pricey for what you are getting - it's fun and good, but not THAT great. -
Review from Kim N.
We have been meaning to try out Liberty Kitchen since they opened, and finally got to try them out last night. The wait wasn't too long for just the two of us- got something from the bar and sat in a comfy couch outside on the patio until we got a table. Service was good and we had people come by to make sure things were ok, and welcome us since it was our first time dining with them. I also enjoyed being able to watch the open kitchen and being able to look at the various dishes coming through the window. For a new restaurant they have a LOT on their menu- anyone can find something to eat here.... seafood, steak, burgers, sandwiches, salads, etc etc. Didn't think they'd have so much on there which made it hard to decide what to order.
Food:
Ceviche - served with lots of avocado- I always like ceviche and we didn't leave anything behind on this plate
Oyster stew- creamy soup with good flavor and was just the something warm I wanted for that night. I was surprised there were so many oysters in it as well (I think we had about 7). This is something I will be ordering again!
Catfish- good, but a bit too smokey. If you don't like smoked foods then you might not like some of the grilled items because this catfish was only cooked for a bit on the grill, I can't imagine just how smokey the salmon must be which has been smoking above the grill for some time. Oh, my husband really enjoyed the bacon jam served with the asparagus as a side dish.
Tuna sandwich- I do wish it was more of a tuna steak sandwich but it was still good. Lots of tuna meat.
Too full for dessert but they have a lot of options for that as well. We had a great dinner and plan on coming back sometime soon to try out more! -
Review from Christine S.
Houston, TX
11/30/2011
I decided to check out Liberty with a friend after seeing a few updates about the grand opening on Facebook. The hostess wasn't the most friendly and told us the wait would be at least 45 minutes; subsequent patrons walking up were told 20-30. I'm not sure what her problem was... but that's A-OK! We went on to experience great service from our waitress and were seated in a big booth. The queso with crabmeat and shrimp was delicious, as was the gumbo. The "light" Karbach beer was decent, kinda like a hefeweizen.
I'll definitely be back to try more. This is a great addition to the Heights community. -
Review from Ted W.
Houston, TX
1/18/2012
The service was on the slow side and not remarkable. At one point a manager came over to our table, asked what I ordered, then jokingly poked fun at my order.
The space seems "trendy" at first, but the music was quite loud for a conversation-oriented dining experience, and it was terrible 90s pop-rock to boot. Then I noticed the odd two-person table with both people facing in one direction while seated at a narrow bench at table height, and felt as awkward as I did at the much-maligned joint mens-and-womens bathrooms.
The mac and cheese was dry and caked to the side of the dish it was served in, the Hawaiian burger was so massive and strangely constructed that it fell apart in my hands before it got to my mouth. The fries were soggy and bland and served by the barrelfull beside my woeful burger.
A dinner companion had the gumbo, which she said was alright. -
Review from Clark S.
Houston, TX
11/23/2011
Liberty Kitchen finally opened and does not disappoint. The layout is cozy without being crowded. Even on the first week of business, the staff seemed on their game. We sat at the bar right next to the open kitchen, which was a treat.
The peachwood smoked salmon starter is one of the best apps I have had in ages. Ask them to toast the bread for texture. We split the ribeye and fries -- a delicious cut, but go medium unless you want a red center. Big enough for two, and drowned in butter. Karbach's Liberty brews made special for this place are both good; the dark is a very solid amber, the light is more of a dunkelweizen.
Can't wait to go back. -
Review from Katie T.
The Heights, Houston, TX
12/23/2011
Oh My Lord. That was literally one of the best meals I have ever had. There were oysters 5 million ways and deviled eggs with bacon and fried oysters and the roux??!!! Holy hell it was subtle and balanced. Top it off with a bread pudding that includes raspberry layers and creme?! Ya'll just get on out of town if that is not heaven!
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Review from jessica s.
Houston, TX
12/11/2011
No wait on a Saturday night at 7:30pm? Might have been a sign. This has been on my radar for a while, and I was anxious to go after reading about the ban on Allison Cook. Thought this place sounded like it had a fun personality. Besides the kitchen being open I didn't see much else personality (that includes our waitress). They serve water (not cold water, luke warm) in a large bottle with 1 ounce glasses. The entire thing didn't make sense to me. I ordered the ribeye, and my dinner dates had the mac and cheese and the steak sandwich. Now I'm not one to care too much about "presentation" but they just threw these things on the plate with no thought at all. The steak was completely raw, uncooked, and completely non-edible. What a disappointing dinner overall.
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Review from Michael H.
Austin, TX
12/12/2011
Food was good. Service was awful.
The good first. The food and drinks were good. Our table of four had the ribs, a buffalo burger, and the gumbo. We also split the mac and cheese. Ribs (actually pork chops, which the waitress didn't know how to describe) were good, as was the burger. The gumbo tasted more like beef stew. I wouldn't get it again. The mac and cheese (which the waitress forgot to put in until we asked about it after our food arrived), was undercooked and not that tasty.
The bad. The service was just plain awful. The four of us arrived for a late lunch at about 1:30 or 2 on a Saturday afternoon. The place was full and we were told it would be about 20 minutes for a table. No big deal. So we went to the bar, at which we waited nearly 15 minutes for any sort of attention. Only one of the three people behind the bar made eye contact with us, and he promised to serve us in "just a second." Yeah, that took 15 minutes. By that point, we were seated and had moved on to an apathetic and hating-her-life server. She never once smiled, nor did she know much about the menu. She also forgot to put in our mac and cheese and delivered it late and undercooked without apology. I understand that servers have their off days, but she was just miserable. She also disappeared altogether about three times during our meal--during which we just went up to the bar to order more drinks and helped ourselves to ketchup and Tabasco after our food arrived. Awesome.
The place is cute and nicely-designed, but I have no interest in returning due to the service. -
Review from David W.
Houston, TX
Updated - 12/31/2011
Went back the other night for dinner... we sat at the bar... and the service was good.
I had the sliders... they were the best I ever had. Better than the sliders at Reef. (which I really love!!!)
My only complaint... the fries were a bit too salty.
My wife had the salad with grilled shrimp. She said the salad was good and the shrimp were perfectly cooked.
PS... they fixed the menu... before it was hard to read.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/17/2011
We went on a Tues night... the place was packed. We sat at the bar.
My wife and I have never like… Read more »
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Review from Joel L.
Houston, TX
11/20/2011
This place offers awesome food and the service is outstanding...even on opening night with a bit of chaos they rocked it. The wood fired burgers are delicious and the combinations will leave you asking for more time to make a decision. The drink selections were creative, the staff was wonderfully friendly. Another great addition to the relaxed and hometown Heights feel. And, for parents the kids menu has something for everyone's picky eater.
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Review from Candace M.
Houston, TX
12/8/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Short and sweet:
*Specialty drinks: Gold star!!! I love the one with the berries (norhill??). Can barely taste the alcohol. smooth and delicious.
*Wine prices: gold star!!
*food: awesome!
*price: good
The fact that it is within walking distance is also a big plus.
My bf and I left after 3 drinks, Boom Boom syrah, mussels, and a full meal for each of us with less than $100 taken from the pocketbook.
An added bonus is the cooking of the salmon, which was neat to see. I'm not going to give it away on here, though.
There are two TV's (if I remember correctly) but they can only be seen while sitting at part of the bar, and the benches across the bar. This is nice so that people/guys are not distracted by football games when they are to be on a date. -
Review from Christine H.
Houston, TX
12/23/2011
The new restaurant/bar/gastropub from the people who brought you the BRC. I'm not sure how much things cost because my bro-in-law took care of the bill tonight so I can't really speak to if the food was worth the price. Everything I had, however, was fairly good if not downright delicious. For starters, we had the mac-'n-cheese American which came with cheddar and breadcrumbs. It would've been a perfect side to some savory dish but it was a mistake to order it as an appetizer because it was too bland when eaten by itself. Next we had the Beavertail oysters from Rhode Island: smaller and sweeter than our usual Gulf Coast variety. They were fresh and delicious. Thursday's special was the suckling pig which came with plenty of fatty skin (yum!). I preferred the meat which at certain parts were dry but other parts still retained the delicious rare taste I love of pork. It came with some grilled onions, a pineapple sauce, and my favorite: sweetened corn. The sweetness of the corn and the tarteness of the pineapples complemented the pork very, very well. For dessert, we all split the raspberry and white chocolate bread pudding served hot and, uh, delicious! It was the perfect end to the meal, and I'm not even a dessert lover. I went in with low expectations due to the Yelp ratings (3 stars) but left happy. As for drinks, they serve a lot of Carbach and even have a cocktail list (unlike the BRC which only serves wine and beer) but I left the alcohol for next time. The food menu is extensive so there's lots to choose from. Looking forward to coming back.
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Review from JR E.
Houston, TX
11/26/2011
Food needs some work but not as much as the service. Our guy was clueless and slowwwwww. The liberty beer was pretty nasty as well they need to tighten things up
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Review from Sundancer S.
Houston, TX
1/10/2012
When we went into Liberty Kitchen for Sunday Brunch I liked the ambiance and the wood paneling. However, the real reason you go to a restaurant is for the food, and this place has terrible food. First of all we had to wait a long time for our food. Then when we got the food it was pretty bad. Had the skirt steak which was very rare, yet it had a burnt taste to it which was very weird. The only thing we could think was that the flame was way too hot. My friend had the Hawaiian dish the flavors were at best okay, but again there was a problem with the beef. The hamburger patty was completely burnt...it was inedible. The only reason I gave it two stars instead of one is that when we complained they gave us half off the meal.
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Review from Joel D.
Houston, TX
12/10/2011
Our first visit was for lunch yesterday. It has been so busy since it opened we haven't tried until lunch on a Friday, before the crowd came. I'm thrilled to have another great destination in the Heights, and for good seafood no less. Service was friendly and excellent, while the kitchen was a bit slow to get food out. I'm guessing they are still working things out. We had a few appetizers, all were delicious. Louisiana raw oysters were super fresh. Another starter was deviled eggs garnished with candied bacon and fried oysters. The eggs were perfectly seasoned while the oysters were a tad cold but still crisp. Crab balls were wonderful, packed with fresh crab and served with a tangy tartar sauce. One of us had the Hawaiian burger. It was delicious, however the patty was cooked well-done. (Waitress didn't ask and we didn't specify so that usually implies medium.) It was still delicious given the perfectly fried eggs on top. A macaroni and cheese skillet contained tasty bits of smoked sausage and very fresh gulf shrimp. Topped with buttered bread crumbs, such a dish could easily taste like a big grease bomb, yet this one doesn't. The cheeses were whisked into a satisfying sauce and the macaroni was perfectly chewy. A side of garlicky sauteed spinach was enjoyed by all three of us.
I was skeptical before going into the space that Liberty Kitchen would look like another low budget get-it-running-cheaply Heights space. Luckily, that isn't the case. Liberty Kitchen is both modern and rustic - a hip but warm space. I'm so pleased of this entry in our neighborhood.
HITS ARE:
- Huge menu with meat, seafood, soups, burgers. All have an interesting twist to avoid the boredom that a menu like this could easily have.
- Ingredients were fresh, preparation was thoughtful and mostly well executed
- Appealing space
- Very friendly staff who clearly seem concerned for guests. We recognized our server from having been our favorite at another restaurant. Nice to know Liberty is attracting great staff.
- 2-top side by side banquette across from the bar is a thoughtful use of space.
- Prices are decent for what Liberty is offers
NEEDS SOME HELP:
- Dining room was quite noisy given all the concrete and exposed beams. This problem plagues Zelko badly where I won't eat anymore for many reasons including not wanting to scream with my friends sitting 8 inches away. This was so at lunch here, even with most drinking iced tea. I suspect at dinner Liberty Kitchen complete with grown-up drinks becomes a truly "festive" spot. PLEASE find a way to add some fabric, rugs, or suspended noise absorbing tiles.
- The menu itself is very difficult to read. It needs editing. Some dishes start with descriptive words and you don't realize what the dish is until you read it several times. Other dishes names begin with the "what it is." This may seem petty, but given how text heavy this menu is, it took us all 4x as long to figure out what we wanted because the menu is so jumbled. A good editor and graphic design will help Liberty turn tables more quickly as guests get to eating sooner and less time deciphering the options. (We had to turn our server way twice because we were still making sense of it all.) -
Review from Lesley N.
Houston, TX
12/14/2011
I went for dinner this past Friday night and really enjoyed it. We got there at around 7:45 and were told that they were on an hour wait. I expected as much for a Friday night at a new place. So, we made ourselves comfortable at the bar and had an appetizer and drinks. I don't think we waited a full hour- probably 40 minutes. We had gumbo and oysters on the halfshell to start, and both were really really good. Gumbo was some of the best I've ever had, and the oysters were huge and well priced. Good selection of craft beers, too. For our main dish, we split a seafood entree and ordered extra sides. The sides were great! Mashed potatoes and asparagus are must haves. The catfish was decent, but nothing to write home about. All in all, really good food. The place was busy, and at times it was hard to get attention from the servers, but I think those things will be worked out over time. We were also visited by the manager a couple of times just to make sure things were ok.
The breakfast menu looked so good, we ended up going back a couple of days later. Breakfast was excellent!! We went for a late brunch, and really enjoyed the meal. I'll definitely be back! -
Review from Nancy A.
Houston, TX
12/13/2011
What a great menu. This place served up one of the best meals ever. The onion rings are beyond fabulous. Oysters from new england here in the heights wowwwww. I will return often and must get in before 7pm to grab a seat. Welcome to the HeightsLiberty Kitchen.
