Mockingbird Bistro Wine Bar   1985 Welch St @ McDuffie Houston TX 77019 713.533.0200 Reservations You might also be interested in these:     Bistros    Fine Dining - Upscale Restaurants    Online Reservations    Outdoor Dining    Romantic Restaurants    ZIP 77019   Add Review       MY REVIEW: Exellent menu, fresh food, great creativity. My only complaint about MB is the wine list, yes it's wonderful and has a great selection of expensive wines. Unfortunately, they don't cater to the "middle of the road" wines, with very very few wines under $50 a bottle, and most of those in the $50 to $125 range are marked up 2-3 times their retail prices. You don't need to be drinking a $200+ bottle of Silver Oak (Napa Valley) to enjoy a $35 braised short rib dish. I know, I know, if you can't handle the price, stay out of the restaurant. But most people have a budget, and the total $ spent will be divided among the food and drink accordingly. So when I go to MB, I just skip the wines and enjoy my meal "wineless." When I prefer to lean towards the wine, there are dozens of other restaurants I visit and still enjoy a top notch entree, maybe not as creative as MB, but excellent nonetheless. NAME: Mr. Bill SUBMITTED: 7/7/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 05/08 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: I was very pleased with the service, my friend Eduardo and I opted to sit at the bar where we were greeted by Mike, who’s a bar tender at the restaurant. Mike was great! I believe that great service defines your business. The food was excellent and the ambiance was very nice. I look forward to my next visit to Mockingbird Bistro Wine Bar. NAME: Tiffany. SUBMITTED: 4/25/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 04-2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Pro: Nice ambiance and great service, you can make reservation online, nice and easy. Best food of the night shrimp bisque and frites with aioli. Con: Diver Scallops lacked flavor and presentation, prime steak frites had a funny meat smell and hard to chew tho it was not over cooked, pork chop and the steak special were just ok, not worth the price overall, the dining experience at mockingbird was a real disappointment, however, when compared to other reviews, i wonder if i just sat at the wrong place and ordered the wrong food that night :( NAME: Food Lover SUBMITTED: 4/21/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 4/08 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: we actually had a reservation, but on the recommendation of a previous reviewer, we chose to sit at the bar instead...we were lucky to also have mike as our bartender/server. we saved quite a bit by ordering some off of the bar menu and some off of the regular menu. all of the food was FANTASTIC and came out very quickly. mike was genuine, friendly, courteous, attentive, and well-informed. we had such a good time that we ended up staying for about 3 hours at the bar! we will definitely be back!!! NAME: the garleys SUBMITTED: 2/16/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 2/08 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Service here is top notch. Ate here twice over the last week and everything was satisfactory. Lunch specials were excellent, burger and fries delicious, soup good and thick, drinks made perfectly, nice desserts although warm berries a tad too sweet. As you can see, this place gets good reviews for good reason. NAME: faceofdowntown SUBMITTED: 1/1/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 12/07 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: What a perfect quiet, romantic spot. Excellent service. Very good food. Love the lighting- not so bright. Mmm... ending with the flourless dark chocolate tart with cinnamon ice cream on the side. I also went recently with a fussy eater. Waiter graciously agered to several modifications. Love it! NAME: Lana SUBMITTED: 10/4/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: Sept 2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: This restaurant was spectacular! My wife and I had dinner at the bar, due to the fact that we could not get a reservation. The young bartender greeted us immediately and had us a drink in less that 2 minutes. We both ordered the Kobe Burger off of the bar menu. This burger weas great! It did not have the seared fois gras, or the truffled frites, as on the regular menu, but the bleu cheese that came on it, the regular frites, and the 20 dollar difference did me well. After this, we had the Chocolate Cake, and per bartender reccomendation, a blueberry cheesecake martini. All in all we had a wonderful evening, and will be back to see our bartender, I believe his name is Mike. NAME: htowndinerman SUBMITTED: 10/3/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 09/28 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: Great place to eat. started with some champagne and apetizers. The Mozzarella lists burrata as the cheese but it wasn't. It was still good but because burrata has a short life span (3 days) it wasn't what we were hoping for. it didn't ooze out like it should. the heirloom tomatoes were good though along with the bread. Also had the onion soup with greyere cheese. It was excellent. For the main course my wife had the special which was 1/2 wing of skate with fried oysters and crawfish. They crawfish were a bit too slaty but otherwise everything was great. I had the seared Ahi tuna. it was huge. 2 large cuts of fresh ahi just barely seared along with wasabi mashed potatoes. For desert we had the molten chocolate with mango and she had the bread pudding. Both were excellent as well. Its not cheap by any means. All of this plus a glass of wine each ran 160.00 It was well worth it in my book and the level of service was what you would expect from a restaurant of this caliber. Other than the few minor complaints everything was spot on. As we were leaving the bartender told us to come back for the best deal around. You can order the kobe hamburger with foie gras wt the bar for 9 dollars. At the table it lists at 29. Not sure if its the same size but there are several options at the bar all of them look good. Will be back to try the burger. NAME: shawn SUBMITTED: 8/9/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 08/07 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Mockingbird Bistro never disappoints. My fiancee and I have been at least 5 times over the past 2 years and have never had a bad meal, or even just an average meal. The last visit was this summer and I had the Kobe beef burger with foie gras like another reviewer had, which was excellent. In general, their meat and fish dishes are outstanding, and we have brought the in-laws to dine with us and on more than one occasion they have declared that their fish was the best they had ever eaten. The food is just impeccable. Their spring mix salad with nuts is delicious and if you see the lump crab appetizer on the menu do not pass it up. Deserts do not disappoint either. The molten lava cake with mango sorbet is unreal!!! The mango sorbet is the perfect complement to the richness of the chocolate. We have had similar cakes at some of the top restaurants in the country and this is right up there and right here in Houston. The apple bread pudding is also a favorite. The wine list is very reasonably priced and I have gotten some wines that are now favorites at home too. In regards to ambience, one reviewer noted that the place was "stuffy." This could not be more wrong. I have never felt out of place in tailored jeans, but the restaurant is definitely elegant enough that I have never felt like I was in the burbs, or that my fellow diners were trying to put on a show for anyone. This is not the place where you go to see and be seen, it is more for eating fantastic food and enjoying a quiet evening with friends and family. We always think of Mockingbird Bistro when we want a delicious meal for a special occasion, and have never been disappointed. NAME: Kelly SUBMITTED: 7/23/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: June 2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: What a perfect evening. After first being shown an unacceptable table, we(4 of us) were promised another table in ten minutes. We ordered mojitos at the bar (fabulous - truly fresh mint) and less than 10 minutes later were given a great table by the windows. It only got better from that point. Perfect wood duck farm salad, crab appetizer, etc. Split the kobe beef & fois gras burger between 2 and it was more than enough of course the truffle fries & garlic aoli were to die for, but the watercress instead of lettuce as garnish was genius. Others at table had sweet breads and fab veggie selections. Service was impeccable. I will be a regular. This will move from a place I dined at infrequently to one I will visit with great regularity. Oh, the root beer float - yum - even though I only had a sip. Many thanks to Mockingbird Bistro for a lovely, delicious, evening - NAME: profpamela SUBMITTED: 6/2/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: June 2, 2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: I have heard a lot about Mockingbird for a long time and was really looking forward dining there. Ultimately, however, I was disappointed. The waiter was a novice and lacked the professional skills one would expect at a high-end eatery. He didn't know anything about their selection of scotch and couldn't produce a list. My wife has a food allergy and at an even marginal restaurant, the waiter will ensure that the chef knows to leave certain ingredients out. After my wife took a few bites of her entrée, our waiter asked her if it contained the offending ingredients. Since she wasn't in the throws of an anaphylactic episode, we all assumed her entrée did not! The décor is that of a half hearted attempt where lots of money is spent on certain things and dollars are clearly scrimped on others. This can work and add character, but not in this case. The menu had some nice offerings but nothing very creative or original. The food was good and portion size was generous. The prices were high, approaching the range of Houston’s finest restaurants, but the rest of the package was not competitive; Mockingbird is at least one rung below. If I’m paying for the best I might as well have it, and would opt for one of the city’s better alternatives. NAME: Rob C. SUBMITTED: 6/2/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 6/2007 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Return visit to our (near) neighbourhood eatery, and it was even better than the first visit some months ago. Excellent food, great friendly service and a very interesting eclectic menu. My wife and I invited 2 old friends to join us. The restaurant was busy -as it always seems to be-but not crushed, service was well paced and attentive but not intrusive. The wine selection is good, and as one other reviewer noted the Sommelier is excellent. Her recommendation of a Spanish red to complement the fish most of us were having as a main course -which was cheaper that the French red I was contemplating note-was excellent. A truly fine dining experience and this is fast becoming a favourite restaurant in my new home town. NAME: Britdiner SUBMITTED: 3/9/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: February 2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: I had heard about this place from other servers and different magazines. I was pleasantly impressed. The greeting was very quick and we went right to our table. The Sommelier (great smile, damn I wished I had gotten her name to mention here) was able to compare and contrast the Pinot Noir I ordered with others I had recently tasted. Our cocktails were great. My girlfriend and I ordered the tasting menu. Chef/owner Sheely's food combos were great and very well balanced. The man seems to be truly genuine when I spoke with him and not an arrogant SOB like many chef's are. Teresa G. was the headwaiter for the waitstaff team serving us. She was friendly and actually excited about the food we were experiencing. Yes, it was pricey, but the VERY attentive service, and wonderful food were worth the price. Only drawbacks: first,the foccacia was so wonderful that I filled up on it to the point I was miserable after dinner; second, the generously sized tables left very little walk way in the dining room. I would have rather been intimately close to my girlfriend than intimately close to the backside of a diner from the big top behind me. NAME: Etype_Lover SUBMITTED: 2/15/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 2/07 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Went last month for dinner and felt like a 44 year-old juvenile delinquent, spring chicken. Lots of flash, valet-parked cars out front; that was a tip off number one. Hairpieces, dinner jackets, rife cosmetic surgery was the second clue. This place should be in the burbs! I thought. Wedge salads and 90's "Mediterranean" menu stylings was the third strike. Granted, there was enough funky/funny stuff to keep us entertained, but as a place to kick back and enjoy original, decent food, Mockingbird was a egregiously stuffy without the chops to justify a highish bill. NAME: fiorucci SUBMITTED: 2/3/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 1/07 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: We took a VIP friend out there and were not disappointed. The menu seemed a little different from our last visit but my wife's sea bass was spectacular and my salmon was very good. Service was very good. Very nice wine list - by the glass, half bottles, full bottles. A little bit of everything. Our only regret was that we had no room for desert. NAME: erioladastra SUBMITTED: 12/12/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 12/2006 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: This place blew me away. Great location, excellent food, superb service, one of the most romantic restaurants in town. The filet mignon was the best I've ever had (not on the menu, so ask for it). If you've never been, you have to try it. NAME: gohabs SUBMITTED: 12/2/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 06/06 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: The lamb and short ribs are superb. My husband's favorite starter is the Charcuterie with the pate and Serano Ham. The waitstaff is attentive without making us feel rushed. The wine list is affordable and varied. Chef John Sheeley has a master's touch with venison, fish, chicken, and well, everything on the menu. We have not had a bad meal there since it opened. If this restaurant has a weak point, we haven't found it yet. NAME: Mike and Mary SUBMITTED: 3/14/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: March/2006 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: I took my wife for her birthday treat after reading the rave reviews. The ambiance was super and the placed looked really good. The comlimentary Fois Gras on crostini was very good. hence, by now, our expectations were high. When the main courses arrived we were very, very dissapointed. They were very mediocre. I had the daily special - which was the lamb shank -- it was overcooked and tasteless. My wife had the horseradish and herb encrusted salmon which was barely okay. Bottom-line: overpriced with very mediocre food. NAME: S. Pseud SUBMITTED: 1/6/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 01/2006 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Oh wowee a film producer was the last reviewer....I guess he expected to be comped and have his whatever kissed as well....although the service is somewhat helter skelter...there seems to be plenty of it...the food is excellent.....my last visit was the scallop special...the tiger shrimp also got rave reviews...drinks are plenty strong and the creme brulee was a perfect finish...maybe they need a people magazine on every table so they know when they are in the presence of the elite.. NAME: Face of Downtown SUBMITTED: 9/12/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 9/05 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: I was asked to scout this restaurant as a possible location for a TV show I'm producing - we didn't tell them in advance. It turned out to be the most pretentious restaurant I have visited anywhere. The food was average but overpriced. Service started out ok, but deteriorated rapidly when our waiter decided to pay more attention to her regulars. This included bringing them gratis appetizers which we were not offered until we asked what they were, then grudgingly given. I've eaten in some of the world's best French restaurants, where good service means a waiter being there when required. This restaurant seems to think the rule only applies to its River Oaks regulars, and assumes 5 stars when 3 would, in my opinion, be more than generous. Needless to say, it won't be featured in our upcoming show. NAME: Martin Denning SUBMITTED: 8/6/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: August 2005 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: I'm hard pressed to eat anywhere else for Sunday brunch...staff is attentive , food is excellent, innovative, but you still know what you are eating...price is not cheap, but not high...and the clientel seem to "fit"...not the flip flops, T-shirt, just got out of bed look that seems in vogue on Sunday....I highly recommend..... NAME: RRM SUBMITTED: 6/27/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 6/05 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: Four of us decided to visit on Sunday evening rather late (745pm). Having not heard anything about the restaurant (as I am fairly new to town), but liking the external appearance and thus willing to give it a try, we were all pleased. It certainly ranks up there as a "great date restaurant." It was not crowded and we were very appropriately seated a table away from other diners. The ambience is dark, but comfortably and suitably so. As someone who always gets cold, I was fine in a short sleeve blouse for most of the dinner. We each sampled each other's meals and I found the veal pasta dish (not the proper names, sorry) delicious as well as the chicken. Mine was a bit creamy for my taste, but that is my own desires and others thought it nice. The trout was also quite nice. The attention from the staff was phenomenal. Our waiter (Anthony) was polite, well-mannered and just added to the experience - he was so good we did not know he was there (I mean not intrusive, arrived at the correct times and etc.). I had a nice glass of wine and rec. a look at the selection - it is well-stocked, obviously. The hostess was also very good and willing to be helpful. We simply dined and had a good time. I do have to mention that the desserts the we had - the flourless cake for my friend and the warm berry ragout for me - were outstanding. We really had taste-bud-pleasure (the men were laughing at the expressions of joy we had on our faces). Worth the night out and a real dining pleasure. NAME: JW SUBMITTED: 5/18/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 05/15/05 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Strong Points: Everything. From the valet parking to the matire'd to the busboy, everyone was very caring and polite. Our waiter was the best. He said they had a limited special of rack of venison. My husband and adult son both ordered and found it to be delicious. As I am dieting, I had the soup of the day (a seafood bisque/gumbo) and the Texas Bibb salad. All was very good. Our waiter brought us completmentary appetizer samples and the bar sent us a featured sample of a new vodka. Although we couldn't afford to eat there daily, it will be on our list of places to return. We shun chains and strive to seek out locally owned places. One of the best we've found. NAME: Mel1023 SUBMITTED: 5/1/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: April 2005 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Beatiful restaurant! My friends and I have been wanting to try this for a while and tonight was the night. There were four of us, we arrived before our reservation time but were seated immediately. My wife is not a huge wine drinker and asked the waiter for a suggestion off the eclectic and mostly reasonable wine list. She wanted something sparkling and slightly sweet. He recommended the Perrier Jouet. She got it, tried it and remarked that it was much drier than she would have liked. He was eager to please and offered to take it back and get her something else. He sent over the wine gal, Janiz, whose attitude was a little weird. She remarked that "we don't usually take back wine by the glass but we'll make an exception here." She went away and came back with something that she thought my wife would love (she did and ordered a glass). Everything was wonderful until the check came and we'd been charged $15 for the glass that had been sent back. As I said, the food, ambience, and service was otherwise excellent so we were disinclined to argue over this relatively small portion of the bill. My problem was more with the mixed message and with the sommelier's attitude. If something is not normally done, don't offer to do it and IF you do offer to do it, don't make a big deal out of it and make sure you follow through e.g. don't charge the customer erroneously. This was the only blemish on an otherwise unblemished, unhurried, and thoroughly enjoyable evening and our waiter, Kirk, was attentive without being overbearing. NAME: CoffeeBoy SUBMITTED: 4/3/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: April 05 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: I was just at this restaurant for an Eight Friend Out event. My only complaint was the lack of non-valet parking. I had the trout, which was delicious. The wine list was very nice, and I had a great time. Definitely a place I'll go back to. NAME: Jessica SUBMITTED: 2/25/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: February 2005 FREQUENCY: Visited once ©Copyright 1991 - 2008 B4-U-EAT.COM. All rights reserved. Design and database by B4-U-BUY