Barbed Rose won 10 Best of City Search Houston Awards
Best Restaurant
Best Fine Dining
Best American
Best Burger
Best Seafood
Best Dessert
Best Lunch Spot
Best Business Lunch and Dinner
Best Group Dining
Best Outdoor Dining
The Houston Chronicle
Cook's Tour
Food Critic Alison Cook
I think nothing of driving down Highway 35 to Pearland for dinner at Killen's Steakhouse, so it wasn't much of a leap to continue 10 minutes down the road to Alvin and the new Barbed Rose.
The restaurant holds promise, there is some soulful cooking going on in this very young kitchen. I was wowed by a crawfish-and-andouille-stuffed Texas quail moored in an etouffee-like pool of peppers and light, bold roux. The last bite seemed even better than the first, a rare quality in a dish. The quail was an appetizer (and a steal at 11 bucks), but it could easily serve as an entree with a salad or a side. And it's easily one of the best Louisiana-style dishes in the Greater Houston Metropolitan Statistical Area.
So's the slick, dark sausage gumbo with a crisp chicken-skin cracklin' on top, a genius touch that makes it worth a special trip by gumbo connoisseurs.
b4-u-eat Houston
We would love to keep this wonderful place a secret and let it be our special place, but am quite sure that won't happen, it is really fantastic. We stopped in on a Friday night on the way back to Katy, with no reservations, and the wonderful hostess studied her book and said "It's Ok, we'll make it work", we were hooked! Very shortly the place was full, but everyone from the owner, the wine guy, our waiter and the bus boy, made us feel like we were the only ones there. The food was great, they have some standard items, but most of the menu items have something unexpected added to them for a little suprise. The service was outstanding and the wine list a plesant surprise with a good variety with prices that everyone can afford. I am afraid this restaurant is going to be too small very soon, wish we lived closer.
Finally! Alvin has a "fine" dining steakhouse. The Barbed Rose was the perfect blend of atmosphere and food. The owners were on site and came around the room making sure people were happy and well served. The wait staff was attentive without being intrusive and we never had an empty glass or plate on the table. The food was superb! Fresh, flavorful, and well presented. The Country Fried Oysters were "a party in your mouth", as promised. The gumbo has such a fresh taste and is the best I have every tried. The filet was cooked to "melt in your mouth" perfection and the portions were just the right amount. My husband and I will be retuning as soon as possible. Thank you!
29-95 Restaurants
Please click on the 29-95 Restaurants Logo to read Review.