Ibiza
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MY REVIEW: This is possibly my favorite restaurant in Houston, and my last visit was probably the best experience yet. The Catalonian meatballs are an excellent addition to the menu, something I will definitely get again. I usually am not a huge salad fan, but the Ceasar salad, with spinach and arugula added in, is excellent.
The owner was there last time we went, and I felt that this stepped the service up a notch. It's never been bad, but this time it was excellent. I am picky about how close tables are, and I've never even thought about it here.
Ibiza is great and, most importantly, consistent. The menu changes enough to be interesting, but still keeps the staples that I love, which is great. I have never had a bad experience here and look forward to returning soon.
NAME: houstongal
SUBMITTED: 4/30/2008 LAST VISIT WAS: 4/24/2008
FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name...
MY REVIEW: Had heard about the wine list in this place, but did not have very high expectations of the food. Boy was I surprised! The food was excellent, the service impeccable, our waiter Khalid (sp) very attentive and pleasant. I even asked to speak to the manager just to tell him about our great experience and next thing you know the chef came over to chat as well, very nice. My wife and I were killing the afternoon/early evening before a show downtown, so we took our time. A great bottle of champagne and a fantastic (and fantastically priced!) bottle of Italian red, along with the best venison dish I've had this side of the Atlantic we could hardly be happier. All that and for just around 300 bucks for 2 is hard to beat, anywhere! We will be back, and often.
Obviously those complaining about tables being too close have never eaten in Europe…
NAME: Nick
SUBMITTED: 4/21/2008 LAST VISIT WAS: March 2008
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: Best wine list in town for the money. Patio is great when the weather permits. Appetizers are the food strong points. Burrata salad (when they have it) is also great. Had a new entree last week- roasted guinea hen. Don't usually get fowl at an upscale restaurant, but this was recommended on the new menu. Wow! One of the best entrees I've ever had.
NAME: rkmmd
SUBMITTED: 4/7/2008 LAST VISIT WAS: 4/08
FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name...
MY REVIEW: One of the best restaurants in Houston.
Be prepared to drop some money for the food but also be prepared to savor every bite. The atmosphere is difficult at peak times but the food is wonderful. I've had a variety there and it's been good all around. Highly reccomend the bread pudding desert, the pastry chef is a real chef so you won't be dissappointed unless you have issues.
NAME: busakisama
SUBMITTED: 3/6/2008 LAST VISIT WAS: Dec 2007
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times
MY REVIEW: This place is a delight. If you enjoy going to fine restaurants and being around other people having a good time than this is the place. Some of the reviews comparing this restaurant to a national chain are amateurish. Great wines, appetizers, tasting sample menu of cheeses and meats ($3.00 per sample/appetizer), main courses and desserts. Plain and simple, if you're going out with friends and like fun and good food, this place is it. The prices here are so fair and in line the other fine establishments in this great Foodie city.
NAME: mtlhab
SUBMITTED: 2/17/2008 LAST VISIT WAS: 2/2007
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: Ibiza is the perfect place to go if you do not want to hear what your other diners have to say ---the noise level is horrible. Also, I would suggest not drinking anything alcoholic or you will not be able to navigate between the sardine packed tables, but the hard chairs will sober you up . The food is o.k., just about 15% over priced. The lamb and the bread pudding are ''top of the line''. I have been there numerous times and do find the staff very friendly and competent. Overall, as another write said : "Try C*hili's."
NAME: JH
SUBMITTED: 1/20/2008 LAST VISIT WAS: 1/19/2008
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times
MY REVIEW: I agree with many of the previous entries in that the restaurant is overpacked with tables, making it difficult to walk as well as carry a conversation. While I did enjoy the lounge, I still don't understand why they didn't connect it with the restaurant. The decor of the lounge is rather bland and definitely would not be a place I would come to just to get a drink.
In the beginning, I had high hopes for the food, based on positive reviews I had read regarding the restaurant. Those hopes were dashed instantly once I received my entree. The skate special that I ordered was undercooked, making it impossible to cut with a fork or knife. The entree lacked all of the ingredients (rock shrimp) and was only told after I finished my meal that the kitchen had run out of the shrimp. Even though I had to return my dish back, no manager spoke with me about my meal. Heck, even my waiter did not even ask if I liked the dish once it was returned back to me. Overall, my entree was overwhelmed with a buttery flavor that took away from the fish. In my opinion, this cooking technique is simply a careless and lazy technique to cook the fish (spices and other sauces could add more to the dish). However, my boyfriend felt that his dish, the "COWBOY RIBEYE" was decent--nothing to rave about though.
The only good thing about the restaurant was the dessert---bread pudding. It's unique in the fact that it tastes more like a chocolate and coffee infused brownie, rather than traditional bread pudding. In the end, I was severly dissapointed with the food at Ibiza. The hype is not worth what you get for your money. I left feeling I had paid way too much and thinking that a dinner at C*hili's would have proved more satisfying. I will NOT come back here and I hope this review spares someone else from going as well.
NAME: jessbond
SUBMITTED: 1/12/2008 LAST VISIT WAS: January 2008
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: Ended up here for a business luncheon. Great Atmosphere. Very good service.
The Caesar Salad I had was fairly good and besides Romaine lettuce has a little spinach which was a nice twist, and while the dressing was good the classic salad lacked croutons. I fully believe a Caesar Salad must have delicious croutons to be good, so I give the salad a C-.
However, my entree of lamb shank accompanied by some nicely roasted vegetables was extremely tasty. It is very easy to mess up lamb shank and I was impressed that it was up there with some of the best I have had over the years, easily an A+.
My co-worker's Salmon looked great and my other co-worker left no evidence of his pizza, so I assume it was good. Another associate ordered the Soup of the Day, a fish soup in tomato fish stock with a bit of saffron and I was a little jealous of her. All in all, this seems like a really great place. I hope to return soon.
NAME: Christopher B.
SUBMITTED: 11/18/2007 LAST VISIT WAS: 11/2007
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: Overall, a positive experience.
Weak Points: I agree with the earlier comments about the noise level and how tightly packed the tables were. It was hard to navigate around without bumping into a table. Also, it was hard to carry a conversation without almost yelling. I think it's odd that there isn't a door connecting the restaurant to the Lounge next door. We were supposed to meet some friends for drinks first and thought we could reach the Lounge through the restaurant. Nope, can't do it.
Strong points: The food was very good, but hit and miss. We ordered the crab cakes (flavor was nice but I tasted more breading than crab), mushroom risotto (delicious - very creamy and light), calamari (good but not special), and spanish olives/jamon serrano/manchego cheese (good, but again, not special). I ordered the tenderloin and it was fantastic. Perfectly cooked and almost fork tender. The accompanying cheese potato was plain and slightly undercooked. My companions had the braised lamb shank and that too was cooked to perfection. Fall-off-the-bone tender and very flavorful. For dessert, I ordered the creme brulee and being a big lover of the dish, I was looking forward to it. I wasn't disappointed. Incredibly smooth tasting and rich. I could have easily eaten another! One of my friends ordered the cookie & chocolate plate but only got cookies. What's up with that? Nice presentation but the taste was so-so.
Overall, I will come back and am looking forward to trying other dishes.
NAME: Splog
SUBMITTED: 11/14/2007 LAST VISIT WAS: Nov/2007
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: Great food, but the rest of the experience left a lot to be desired.
The entrance is confusing to find (it's in the middle of the patio)... I first walked in to the lounge next door, which has no passageway to the restaurant. Decor was tasteful, if not terribly exciting, but the tables were WAY too close together on a jam-packed Friday night. I could not navigate my way to our table without bumping into other tables or people.
Our server struck that balance between friendliness and quiet professionalism you expect in a place like this, but boy was she SLOW. I'm sure the crowd was a factor but it took forever to get everything.
I was underwhelmed by my starter, a $9 frisee salad with strawberry slices, candied walnuts and some kind of (goat?) cheese; the salad was short on all three of those things. I wished I had ordered the wedge salad everyone else at our table had, tasty with creamy green goddess dressing.
But entrees were superb. I had the trout with salsa verde; a little more buttery than the menu description suggested, but it and the accompanying veggies and risotto were very good. Ditto for the lamb chops; they were succulent and tender, if a little over-adorned with mint sauce.
We loved their dessert sorbets; the strawberry shortcake a little less so, but it was good. By the time dessert came, however, I had been sitting in the most uncomfortable chair in Houston for 2.5 hours and wanted nothing more than to get up and get out. I may return on a less crowded night for the food, but not for a while.
NAME: Jim A.
SUBMITTED: 8/18/2007 LAST VISIT WAS: August 2007
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: Solid food, well executed. Waitstaff very knowledgable about the menu, somewhat about the wine list (reco turned out to be out of stock). Had the lamb shank, and rest of table enjoyed their food as well (filet, lamb chops, shrimp). Appetizers built for sharing, although presentation was pedestrian (see below comments on entree). Wine list extensive and extremely reasonable, many choices well under $50.
Food was great, but seemed about 10-15% overpriced. Why? Presentation was rough around the edges - appropriate for rustic Spanish-style cuisine I guess but at ~25/plate and ~15/starter I expect a bit more then a rough assemblage of ingredients on oddly shaped plates. The sides are included with the entree - and are excellent. With a better presentation to help the components of the dish stand out from one another a little better I would feel much more justified at paying such premium prices, and I likely would have enjoyed the great food even more.
As we were headed to the theater, we skipped dessert.
In any event - I'll probably go back, likely for the wine list, the good service and well executed food. Perhaps I'll try lunch to add 'value' to the equation.
NAME: YTee
SUBMITTED: 6/17/2007 LAST VISIT WAS: 06/2007
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: One of our favorite restaurants. Always have had a great experience until this last visit. I ordered the skate special and it had not been soaked prior to cooking. It was inedible and I had to send back. The waiter and chef were very apologetic and prepared me something else. My dinner was ruined anyway. However, I am returning tonight as I think this was a one time problem. I will not order the skate.
NAME:
SUBMITTED: 8/24/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: 6/06
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times
MY REVIEW: OHMIGOSH! This is my new favorite haunt. Charles has created an incredible menu that makes me want to freak out. You also can't beat the wine list's selection or prices. I think they must sell some of their bottles below cost.
We had a shrimp appetizer and I had the baseball cut tenderloin as my entree. They were both a gift from God. THEN, the oh-so-fabulous waitstaff thrills me to death with an oversized martini glass filled with cotton candy and a sparkler!! NO JOKE!! It was absolutely the finest meal I have ever had.
KUDOS to Grant and Charles!
NAME: TiannaHall
SUBMITTED: 7/17/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: June 2006
FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name...
MY REVIEW: We had a group of 16, handled very professionally by Robert.
This was a most special occasion, and we were pleased by the crisp linens, welcoming ambiance, and overall quality of service and cuisine. Food was enjoyed by all, meats were done to perfection. An extensive wine list, and our glasses were never empty. Overall, a perfect evening to remember.
NAME: cecelia
SUBMITTED: 6/26/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: 06/06
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: This is one of my favorite places to eat. The food is excellent and they have a very good wine list. The dining room can get crowded and a little noisy at peak hours. I have always had good service here. I'll be back soon.
NAME: David
SUBMITTED: 6/19/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: 5/2006
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times
MY REVIEW: i wasn't impressed when i walked in, the decor and atmosphere was lacking in my opinion. ordered a caesar salad to start, and was getting disappointed overall. it just wasn't all that good. the main course, however, was outstanding!!! i had the venison chop over risotto with sauted veggies. i almost ordered another to go and desert was quite good too. our waiter, robert, was good and quite personable.
NAME: o4
SUBMITTED: 6/5/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: 06.2006
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: I went for lunch and thought it was incredible. I work in the restaurant industry and I enjoy being taken care of. Unlike some of the new "trendy" restaurants this restaurant has it all!! From the salad to the dessert (bread pudding) were phenomenal! The prices are moderate and the service and food were comprible to a fine dining restaurant. I absolutely recommend this restaurant to all food and wine lovers!
NAME: jenni242
SUBMITTED: 5/24/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: 5/23
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: Strong points : wine list, desserts
Food was good, but not all of our group liked their entrees.. about 70% of us liked their food.
BAD: SNOBBISH, SNOTTY, and many times arrogant. I agree with one of the earlier reviewers that Restaurants should be priviledged to have us not the other way around.
Being very sensitive to being treated well, I was ready to walk out of this place half way through the meal.
I will never walk into this place again.
NAME: tpuvathoor
SUBMITTED: 5/17/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: April 06
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: I've been wanting to visit Ibiza after seeing all the buzz it has gotten since opening. Why did I wait so long? I was impressed with the amount of dinner business they had on a Tuesday evening. Cool, uncomplicated interior -- I didn't even feel like I was in Houston.
Great service and the waiters did an excellent job of recommending items from the wine all the way to dessert.
We started with the grilled shrimp/cornbread appetizer -- FANTASTIC
I enjoyed the veal chop and my husband had the pork chop -- FANTASTIC
The finale was dessert. If you go order the mocha espresso bread pudding...OH MY!!
The only negative is the valet parking service. They take up all the spots in the shopping strip and charge you to pull your car up... I could have just as easily walked 5 steps to my car.
NAME: A. Smith
SUBMITTED: 4/6/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: 4/06
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: Wherever you dine, always remember that it is the restaurant's privilege to serve YOU. It is not YOUR privilege to be allowed to eat their food and pay your hard earned money wihout getting some appreciation for your business.
If more people felt this way, trendy places like Ibiza would not keep customers waiting outside on a cold patio 40 minutes past your reservation time. Once inside, they would not try to seat you at a makeshift table set up in the foyer. The management would not be dumbfounded when you complained that this arrangement was unacceptable.
Their sliced white bread is served cold in a small tin pail. Things got better with the arrival of our waitress. The wine list is extensive and not very overpriced. Most tables were ordering more than one bottle. The food is quite good. Well prepared seafood in ample portions and not alot of overpowering seasonings made the small dishes almost enough for a full meal. Vegetables on the plate were crisp. The goat cheese polenta, however, was glue-like and added nothing to my dish.
Desserts and coffee came promptly and are large enough to share.
Ibiza is a place to be seen-it's so loud inside that you certainly can't be heard.
Our waitress was kind and attentive. I have no complaints about the service (one we were seated).
There is an arrogance-beyond-snobbery about this place that completely turned me off as far as future visits.
NAME: Zuckerbaby
SUBMITTED: 1/22/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: 1/21/06
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: We were a party of six. Reservations were at 7pm and we were seated on time. Then the waiting started. Our waiter came by asked us for our drink order. We wanted wine so he brought the wine list. After about 15-20 minutes of not seeing our waiter we had to stop another waiter to order our wine. The second waiter brought the wine. Finally our first waiter brought menus. Then when it was time to order our food we had to flag down the second waiter as the first one has disappeared (again). Our starters arrived and all were good. Baby crab, crab cakes and a couple salads. After about 30 minutes our main course arrived. Everyone loved their food, red trout, rib eye, mixed grill and shrimp. We finished our meal, desert menus were dropped by and then the waiter disappeared. Again we had to flag down the second waiter (by this time he was pretty embarrased by the service we were getting,or rather not getting, from our first waiter). Desert and coffee was ordered and delivered in a timely manner. When we were ready to leave we had to flag down a third waiter to take our money. We love this place and while the food was great (as usual) the service was terrible.
I will return but if we get waiter number 1, I will request another waiter.
NAME: spec chaser
SUBMITTED: 1/21/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: 1/06
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times
MY REVIEW: Wow! I read all the reviews below and this place still exceeded my expectations! The green pepper & crab bisque was delicious, very well seasoned, and full of crab. We could have made a meal on the soup and the wonderful bread. Fortunately we left room for our entrees. My moroccan grilled shrimp consisted of 6 huge seasoned shrimp on a skewer served over polenta with grilled veggies. My husband's grilled pork chop was easily 2 inches thick. Even with that thickness it was perfectly cooked and still juicy. His entree came with the same grilled veggies, but with mashed potatoes instead of polenta. The special that night was a family-style seafood paella that looked wonderful based on the table next to ours. (We overheard them talking about how good it was. Even their young son was tucking into his plate with gusto.)
Service was excellent. Our waitress was friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. She did not rush us, nor did we feel like she was hovering over us. Timing of dishes was very good, and our water glasses never got below 1/2 full.
Wish we had left room for dessert, but we will have to sample those on our next visit!
NAME: JJ
SUBMITTED: 1/17/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: 1/15/2006
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: To the gentleman that was refused seating due to refusal to remove his cowboy hat; kudos to Ibiza. Gentlemen remove their hats indoors and any real Cowboy would know that.
NAME: Fred
SUBMITTED: 1/9/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: 10/05
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: The food here is outstanding. My husband and I first shared the out-of-this-world fried calamari, crunchy on the outside yet tender and flavorful. For the lunch entree, Ihad the Buttermilk Fried Catfish on Crawfish Mashed Potatoes. I was hooked after the first bite. It was like a taste bud explosion. The mashed potatoes with crawfish was also excellent. I would highly recommend this dish. My husband had the chicken stuffed with bacon and Swiss chard and he thought that it was good. I had a taste of it and didn't quite like the spice used on it.
The service was so-so. The waitress seemed to be much more attentive to the other tables that ordered wine. We had to return to work, so wine was not an option. She did the minimum in getting us our drinks, bringing out our food, then did a disappearing act.
I would come back here again for the food. It's very, very good.
NAME: Gigi
SUBMITTED: 12/22/2005 LAST VISIT WAS: 12/2005
FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: Want a GOOD but cheap meal? Order the fried calamari and the creme brulee dessert. The calamari used to be served upright in a colored aluminum cup ... but nevermind, it's still perfectly done with a fantastic dipping sauce. The creme brulee is served COLD, the way it's supposed to be served. Ten dollars plus tip and you've had excellent food without a co-signer!
NAME: Glitterik
SUBMITTED: 11/28/2005 LAST VISIT WAS: 10/2005
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times
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