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Branch Water Tavern (CLOSED)

MY REVIEW: I dined there for the first time yesterday. The food that went past our table , looked awesome. I'd been told there Kobe hamburgers were the best anywhere. Guess what I had. I've had Kobe beef before - I question if this was kobe or not. We did get a small suprise when the check arrived, we'd been told the condiments all came on the side, this included mayonnaise. The fries arrived cold, this was quickly taken care of. Service was wonderful. I suppose you're wondering what was the suprise - it was a $2.00 charge for the mayo with the burgers! When I inquired I was told they would never charge for mayo, the computer did it. LOL Enjoy your dinner - just check the bill for those mysterious extra charges.

NAME: Debi
SUBMITTED: 7/17/2011   LAST VISIT WAS: July 2011
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: I dined at Branch Water Tavern on a Saturday night. We made a reservation for 7:00 but didn't need it. The restaurant began to fill up around 8:00. At this point, the noise level increased dramatically. Although, noisy restaurants do not bother me.

Our server was average - not great or terrible. She came to our table immediately to take drink orders. I was a little confused when she came back with our drinks but did not ask if we were ready to order yet. Other than that, the rest of the service was fine.

We started with the duck-fat popcorn and the prosciutto wrapped arugula. Both were really great. For my entree, I chose the crispy snapper. It was absolutely delicious. It was perfectly cooked and came with a red curry sauce, bok choy, and daikon radish. I cleaned the plate except for the daikon radish which just tasted bitter to me. My fiance had the kobe flat iron steak. He enjoyed it, but we agreed the snapper was better.

For dessert, we had the blood orange creamsicle. It was good but not amazing. All in all, we enjoyed our meal and will probably be back in the future.

NAME: Houstonian
SUBMITTED: 10/25/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: October 2010
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: Food was ok, menu seemed limited but covered enough variety to have adequate options.

Service was not good. Server was really spread too thin and apparently not well trained. He answered questions about the menu items but did not do a very good job at attending to our needs as far as clearing the table, taking orders in a timely manner, refilling water & drinks. The food arrived in a reasonable short amount of time so the kitchen was turning out orders quickly. Some items could have been better seasoned but those concerns were minor and the preparation was overall pretty good.

It got loud as the restaurant began to fill and conversation was difficult.

Prices seemed to be a little on the high end for what you got but not unreasonable.

Overall, I'll probably go back but it won't be my first choice with all the options around.

Ok, food. Below average service, slightly high prices.

NAME: HoustonMan
SUBMITTED: 7/5/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 07/10
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: The best service Houston. Went there on a saturday night, we didn't have a reservation, but were seated within 10 minutes after a drink at the bar. At first I was wowed by the gorgeous bar area. It had very comfortable chairs and sofas that made it easy to enjoy a drink and conversation with my companions. There liquor selection was amazing, easily the best I have ever seen, in quality and variety. I tried a scotch style japanese whisky that Alba recommended. It was superlative.

Next we were seated at one of the plush and comfortable booths in the dining room. Our waiter was Micheal, and he did not disappoint. We had shared several appetizers, and items from there "to share menu", as well as a lovely xinomavro (from greece) which Evan reccomended. I had never had greek wine but this reminded me of really great french pinot noir. At 29 a bottle I was a little concerned it was too cheap, but Evan (the GM and Somelier) assured us he would buy it if we didnt like it, and it did not dissappoint.

Our food was solid all delivered promptly and just as we ordered it, but the highlight of our experience was the excellent service, and beverage selections.

NAME: dg
SUBMITTED: 6/30/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 06/2010
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times

MY REVIEW: TERRIBLE SERVICE! We encountered one of the worst dining experiences while grabbing a casual dinner with a friend. I was spotted on numerous occasions ferrying a tea pitcher across the restaurant and the waitstaff must have thought they'd tip me out, we still didn't get any help. The waitress addresses us very dryly and refused to crack a smile, all the while getting our orders wrong. Upon complaint we waited 10 minutes for the manager to remove his but from the stool at the hostess station. He acted like it was a non-issue and delivered the check without even a suggested gratis dessert. I am happy about that or I would have had a harder time defining my horrible experience. We left there wondering HOW we were treated that way? The restaurant was not crowded, the staff was just being lazy and the manager was completely careless in his customer service.....you can find me at B*RC across the street

NAME: Jordan V. Smith
SUBMITTED: 6/28/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 06/2010
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: Was there for my birthday and the food was great BUT the SERVICE stinks. I asked the waiter for a call drink and he asked what's that?? Scary if the waiter doesn't even know the vodkas by brands.The first drink came real fast however the rest were served in slow motion and time.

We tried 6 different items and everyone one was really good .WE will go back but will try the bar area to see if the service improves from the first visit.

Don't get seated at the main row of tables going into the back part of the resturant, The chairs there are positioned so that you are like bumper cars, everyone keeps running into you.

NAME: bumper car
SUBMITTED: 6/3/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 05-29-2010
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: This was our first visit and we will be back! The waitstaff was quite accomodating but also not afraid to tell us they didn't know the answer to a question when we asked. I'd much rather have that response than a false one.

The wine list is quite extensive and has some unusual but very tasty selections. The menu is fresh and very descriptive. I had the roasted beet appetizer which was surprisingly tangy and quite good. I followed that with the shrimp and grits, also an appetizer, and the portion was perfect as an entree, leaving me quite satisfied but to overly stuffed. My husband had the roasted chicken which he said was the best he had ever had. The soft shell crab appetizer looked quite nice, and again, enough for an entree.

We ended the evening by sharing the creme fraishe cheesecake which was light and fluffy, a perfect way to end a lovely evening.

As with a lot of Houston restaurants these days, the only complaint was the noice level. It is clearly not a quiet, intimate setting, and tended to be overly noisey at times. And, as pointed out by another reviewer, the steps out front still need some looking into--one of our guests almost fell as well!

NAME: Diner77055
SUBMITTED: 4/24/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 4/23/2010
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: Strong Points: Great whiskey selections and great bar staff very friendly and attentive.

Weak Points: Loud , and if you are dinning in the main dinning room it feels like you are trapped inside ( no windows). Food was good,but had the jumbo lump crab cake and it was over fried and was not jumbo lump more like Special since there were no lumps or was just over worked when they made it . Venison was flavorless , the Giant braised rib was awesome! also had the oysters and they were great ( chicken wing fried)

Service slow but very strong and attentive.

Still working some issues out but I am glad they are in this area

Please fix the steps leading out of the front door as I saw at least 2 people almost fall ( including myself).

Will be back for great whiskey

NAME: Whiskey man
SUBMITTED: 1/23/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 01/2010
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: Strong Points: Very fresh seafood, great wine prices, friendly staff (ask for Daisy to wait)

Weak Points: Very loud, slow kitchen, $6.00 salad which was 3 bites (all lettuce)

It is very frustrating to wait more than 40 minutes from appetizer to main course in a room where the din is unbearable. I guess the kitchen is still working through their start-up pains. I hope they make it because the food really is good and sorely needed in the area.

NAME: M and M
SUBMITTED: 1/20/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 1/10
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times

MY REVIEW: Took my friend here for her birthday last night. It wasn't too crowded when we got there, however, it filled up pretty quickly at around 6PM. The gentleman serving us had only worked there for three days, so he couldn't answer some of our questions. However he was extremely gracious and got someone who could, immediately. We started at happy hour and I got the daily whiskey drink which was a lemonade type concoction with a sprig of rosemary. It was delicious with subtle flavors, not too sweet which usually is the downfall of a lemony alcoholic beverage, and only $3.00. My friend ordered a $15.00 bottle of wine. Yes, you heard that, $15.00 for a bottle of wine that was pretty damned good.

For Happy Hour, we ordered the Reuben sliders which are actually half a sandwich for $1.00. The pastrami they used was great, and whatever rye bread they use is even better. I normally hate rye bread, but this was good stuff. I also ordered 4 raw oysters at $1.00 each. They brought us 6, which was really cool. My friend had never eaten a raw oyster before, so I figured I would get to eat 5 and she would only try 1. However, she LOVED it, especially with the onion soy sauce they provided, and ate 3 of em. I prefer the cocktail sauce, which had real shaved horseradish in it. We also had the olives with blue cheese that are flash fried. Loved them because of the crispy texture from the frying and the blue cheese was not overwhelming. Finally, we had the cashews which have an "aroma" of curry as the waiter described. They were OK, but I don't really like cashews and they needed more curry flavor.

Onto the dinner. The dining room was almost full when we decided to sit, but we got one of the last tables. I was surprised it was that crowded on a Tuesday night, but this place deserves to stay in business so I am happy to see folks in here on a weekday.

I ordered the Long Island Duck which had an excellent rich flavor, but was served luke warm. I asked the waitress to throw it into the microwave, but I don't think they have a microwave at BWT. Anyways, they must have resauteed it in the pan, because it came out at just the right temperature 2 minutes later. It was even better with the crispy outside and soft fatty interior. It was served on cooked tomatoes and what I think might be Kale.

My friend ordered the crispy skin snapper and she said it was the best snapper she ever ate. I sampled some, and it was right up there with R*eef. The exterior was cooked crispy, and the bottom part of the fish fell apart with a fork. It was very moist and had a great flavor. The radishes underneath went perfectly with the fish.

We closed with the Cheesecake which is obviously freshly made and melts in your mouth. The Blueberry compote on top of the cheesecake does not appear to have much sugar added which is a nice touch.

All in all, this was an excellent meal and I am very happy we have a new place to enjoy near the Washington Corridor.

NAME: Andy
SUBMITTED: 1/20/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 01/10
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: With a nod to G*ravitas (interior ambiance, chef) Branch Water Tavern adds a touch of class to a formerly unremarkable strip of Shepherd just north of the Allen Parkway. Beyond a small bar is a large, rather barn-like area with well-spaced tables and roomy booths. The lighting is flatteringly dim yet generous enough to see what you are eating. The beverage menu has some serious choices among the wines and beers and some interesting-sounding cocktails.

We were given a draft beer "sample" before making our selection. Lovely crunchy-top biscuits and pear butter were brought quickly. The menu was heavy on the meats (venison included) and had an overall wintry feel. An appetizer of roasted beet salad was superb. We ordered the pork chop, a hunka-hunka chop cooked perfectly, though the presentation on the plate with black eyed peas was a little brown. The cheeseburger at $11 was a great buy: bacon, lettuce and tomato topping a crunchy charred burger (to my order). Hand-cut skin-on fries were handsomely served a la Belgian frites— in a glass.

Service was excellent with a lovely hostess, friendly waitperson and various accompanying helpers. Granted we went later on a slow evening, but our total experience was warm, relaxing— and delicious.

NAME: Michellebeth
SUBMITTED: 1/5/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 1/10
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: GOOD: bottle wine reasonable; great bev mgr that will help

Pricing very good; apps and menu were inventive without being cloying

WEAK: noise factor - why the hell cant there be a good restaurant that doesnt make you feel like you're in a barrel - with 100 other people????

Got there early on a Thurs; by time we left - around 8:00p - started getting pretty loud - but the food was really good and prices very reasonable. I'll be back for HH at their neat SMALL bar area; but for later? It'll depend...

NAME: DeeGee
SUBMITTED: 12/28/2009   LAST VISIT WAS: 12/09
FREQUENCY: Visited once