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What's Cookin' at the Bistro

Temporarily closed due to health issues

MY REVIEW: I was crushed when I found out What's Cookin was temporaly closed due to Kristine's health,since the phone was forwarded I found out that she is trying to reopen in May and hopefully before Mother's Day.So everybody let's encourage her to open and make reservations at least for Mother's Day.

I will be there

NAME: ssbinkys
SUBMITTED: 4/29/2013   LAST VISIT WAS: 12/15/2012
FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name...

MY REVIEW: First time to visit. We heard about the place thru an event scheduled thru work. Thought we would check it out ahead of the event. We got there about 6:30 on Saturday. First one's there. There were only about three groups there all night. We did not leave until about 9:30, so stayed quite a whille. It seems to be a little understaffed, but with the number of people that came, maybe not. We could not tell if our server was the server, chef, and bus boy. He could have been. Thank goodness they served adult beverages as the meal took a while. We will say that the food was very good. Somehow, the salads never arrived, even though our server raved on the house dressing. So, food good, but don't get in a hurry.

NAME: Ray
SUBMITTED: 8/4/2012   LAST VISIT WAS: 08/2012
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: This is my first visit to the new What's Cookin' At The Bistro. I was a huge fan of the original What's Cookin, and was heart broken when it burned down. German food in the Houston Metro area is a tough thing to find, Good German food means you almost have to drive to New Braunfels. Not a bad idea, but a bit tough to do for just a friday night date with the wife you know?

We took a chance on What's Cookin At The Bistro and found the new place to be wonderful. The food was fantastic, reminds me of old family dishes from generations passed on. The Jaegerschnitzel was to die for. Absolutely perfect! Service can be a bit slow as this is a very small operation, and the staff can become easily overwhelmed. But if you are ready to settle in, and just have a good time, and a great meal, just at a slower pace than most of the metro area, then this place is well worth the effort...

NAME: BigDave-F150
SUBMITTED: 6/4/2012   LAST VISIT WAS: 6/2012
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: At lunch the reuben sandwich with German potato salad hits the mark. It was suggested by the server/manager that Zoe spoke of in the previous review. I think he was also the cook the day I visited--good thing they weren't at all busy, so wearing 3 hats was doable.

The reuben was excellent on toasted bread with their homemade sauerkraut. The German potato salad, also made on the premises, has no vinegary bite--very smooth.

NAME: Sandy from League City
SUBMITTED: 5/3/2012   LAST VISIT WAS: 5/12
FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name...

MY REVIEW: In the search to find ANY good German food in the Clear Lake area, I came across What's Cookin' at the Bistro. I enjoyed frequenting What's Cookin', the old place, before it burned to the ground. Like the original, it is tucked back on a long driveway just south of Anders on FM518. A large white sign with red hand painted letters on FM518 is the only clue you're going to get on the restaurant's location. Dining out with a co-worker, we were the only ones in the place. We received undivided attention from our server who just so happened to be the manager. He was delightful and engaged us with interesting conversation while we waited for our meals.

The menu has changed quite a bit to include many bistro favorites. You can get just about any type of fare you happen to be in the mood for. We were there for the German food. Our meals started with a salad or cup of soup. I opted for the tomato basil soup. Fresh tomato puree' with basil and other herbs. Delicious! My friend ordered the Beef Rouladen. Done right! Steak pounded thin rolled up with dijon musturd,bacon, onions and pickle in the traditional style with a brown gravy. I had the Jaeger Schnitzel, veil pounded thin, served with mushroom sauce. Both meals were accompanied by red cabbage and spatzle. Wonderful! I suggest a glass of merlot with these meals. For dessert I ordeded the bread pudding. Light, warm and spongy with a nice vanilla sauce. The perfect end to a perfect German meal! I've located a rare find in this place.

If you are looking for authentic German food in the Clear Lake area, this is it! Next time I plan on trying the Schlachtplatte, sausage plate served with german potatos. Notice I said "next time", I will be back!

NAME: Zoe
SUBMITTED: 2/1/2012   LAST VISIT WAS: 01/31/2011
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: What's Cookin' was one of my favorite places to eat and I was crushed when they burned down and didn't immediately rebuild! Now they have and the food is wonderful once again! We had our "old regulars" the first time we visited - sausage sampler platter with sauerkraut (my husband's family is German and we make our own sauerkraut - What's Cookin's sauerkraut is just as good as our homemade!), he had the pork roast and I had the Tilapia Vera Cruz (used to be Snapper but this was just as good!). We enjoyed it immensely!

Last night, we ventured out and had something different; he had the Schlactplatte (assorted sausages and I had the Chicken Phoenix (grilled chicken with prosciutto ham, spinach, gorganzola cheese, and pine nuts over pasta) and it was great! So glad they are back!

NAME: Kathy
SUBMITTED: 5/19/2011   LAST VISIT WAS: May/2011
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times

MY REVIEW: I was delighted when I learned that What's Cookin' was back in business after a fire sadly burned the original restaurant down several years ago. This European inspired eatery has been resurrected with the same staff and same excellent tasting food. If you like wholesome, fresh and delicious, then you'll love this place.

Whether you're looking for a mouthwatering steak, like their Steak Diane, an exotic chicken dish or a hearty bowl of home- made soup or chili, What's Cookin' has something to tempt your taste buds. This review would not be complete if I failed to mention that they also have a great selection (which is still growing) of both domestic and imported beers and wines. Make sure you save room for dessert - the bread pudding is delicious!

NAME: Sue
SUBMITTED: 4/12/2011   LAST VISIT WAS: April 2011
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times

MY REVIEW: I had the chicken scnitzel sandwich with german potato salad. The chicken was not greasy at all, the bun was more of a gourmet bun and toasted. I left thinking, I will definitly be back because I will crave that sandwich. Staff was very warm and friendly. It was nice several tables started joining in on each other's conversations. We will definitley go back again and again. Menu is large and there is something for everyone. From steaks, seafood, chicken, traditional German fare to hamburgers.

They do not know my name there yet, but I have a feeling we will be fast friends. LOL!

NAME: Sherry Fisher
SUBMITTED: 4/9/2011   LAST VISIT WAS: 04/11
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: This place has 5 star food in a casual atmosphere..... I love this fact! The staff is always very welcoming and makes you feel right at home with the great service and upbeat atmosphere. I started with the baked Brie which was absolute perfection and was also very pleasing to the eye. For my entree... Talapia Ponchatrain and it was melt in your mouth delicous (cleaned my plate)!!! For dessert it was the Cherry Strudel with ice cream... again positively delicious! Took my Dad this trip and he had the Shrimp, Crab and Scallop Mornay.... he said it was the best he ever had.

Although it was a friday and they were busy the service was great and the staff really do go out of their way to please. Really, go check them out, it is well worth it!

Welcome back Kristine.... we really missed YOU and your wonderful food!!!

NAME: Elisa from Santa Fe
SUBMITTED: 4/4/2011   LAST VISIT WAS: 4/1/11
FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name...

MY REVIEW: Nine of us went on a Friday nite to celebrate my granddaughter's 15th birthday. We were rewarded with wonderful food and service. Many thanks to the staff for a nice evening.

For appetisers we had potato pancakes, sausage sampler and warmed brie. All very good, but the brie was the favorite.

Everyone was pleased with their choices of entrees: fried shrimp; seafood mornay; roulatin; jagerschnitzel; mufalatta; sausage plate. And the sides: German fries; sauerkraut and red cabbage were all fantastic.

The only critical comments were some wished bread would have served with their meals and 3 said the spatzle was lacking flavor and was off-texture.

But these are minor complaints considering 9 people left satisfied that they had experienced a good meal in a pleasant atmosphere with good service.

NAME: Sandy from League City
SUBMITTED: 3/5/2011   LAST VISIT WAS: 3/11
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times

MY REVIEW: The food was good with a home cooked taste. The bread pudding dessert is to die for! We actually had to take home 2 orders. The place was cozy, decent but out of the way. You have to live around the area to know where it's at. Service was decent and the people were friendly.

NAME: Always hungry
SUBMITTED: 3/1/2011   LAST VISIT WAS: Feb 2011
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times

MY REVIEW: It is so awesome to have What's Cookin' back in business. We were semi-regulars before the restaurant burned in 2004 - in fact it was the only restaurant (besides M*cDonald's) that my then 5 year old son asked to go to by name! In fact, over the years, he has often commented that he would sure like to eat there again. When my husband and I saw (on 2/21) that What's Cookin' had re-opened, we had to try it immediately.

We stopped for lunch that same day. Hubby had the Muffalata and I had the Reuben. Both were as delicious we remembered. I appreciate that the restaurant serves the sauces on the side, so the sandwiches don't get soggy and you can control the amount of dressing on the sandwiches.

We decided that we wouldn't tell our son, now 11, that they were open, but would surprise him on the weekend. We couldn't resist testing his memory about the restaurant. We told him we were going out for dinner on Saturday, and asked where he would like to go. He named a couple of local eateries. I asked where he would like to go "in a perfect world". His response - What's Cookin'!!!

The three of us went back tonight (2/25). As we turned into the drive, there was a curious silence from the back seat. He couldn't believe his wish had come true. We placed our orders for Wienerschnitzel, Rouladen, and Steak Gorgonzola. The first course - two cups of French Onion Soup and a salad with bleu cheese dressing - arrived in reasonable time and were delicious. The soup had excellent flavor, but I would have preferred the onions to be a bit softer. The salad was fresh and crisp, with large chunks of bleu cheese.

Then our entrees arrived. WONDERFUL!!!. The schnitzel was was beautifully crisped and served with German fries and sauerkraut. We had asked to substitute spaetzel for the fries, but the order was confused. We got both the fries and the spaetzel at no extra charge. The rouladen was absolutely delicious and the steak was to die for. Portions are definitely generous. Much as we would have liked to have tried one of the fabulous deserts we remembered from before, we just couldn't do it.

We will definitely be returning. Please do try What's Cookin' at the Bistro - you won't be disappointed! We will be back - regularly!!!!

NAME: joybuzzer
SUBMITTED: 2/26/2011   LAST VISIT WAS: 02/2011
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times

MY REVIEW: I had the pleasure of knowing the original Whats cookin' before it burned, a true loss felt by many, Kristine is a rare gem in the culinary world and this is evident in her dishes. She has a fantastic and dedicated staff that is evident even when she is not on premises.

I was there with some friends and waited on by the manager, whose positive upbeat attitude is like a breath of fresh air, the place had a few tables and she never missed a beat, she had us laughing in no time and is a remarkable employee. The food is definitely 5 stars, so is the service, and the atmosphere is 5 star as well BUT without all the stuffed shirt and commercialized mumbo jumbo in many places today...here it is obvious customers are MORE than a face with a credit card.

Welcome back Kristine and staff, we have missed you more than words can express, Galvestons loss is certainly our gain!

NAME: Donna
SUBMITTED: 2/26/2011   LAST VISIT WAS: 2-25-11
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times

MY REVIEW: Glad to have Kristine and her European-inspired cuisine back. The original What's Cookin' in Kemah burned down 7-8 years ago, then resurfaced as Seaside Bistro on Galveston's west end only to be destroyed by Hurricane Ike. Let's hope her luck is better on this 3rd attempt.

The restaurant currently occupies a small, nondescript frame building that sits next to the one that burned down. Like the previous restaurant, this one sits off the road and behind another structure. So it's kind of hidden, which is why it's mostly only locals who know it's there. It's a hidden gem, serving delicious food from old-world recipes (specializing in German food). In addition, there's seafood inspired by New Orleans, Mexico and our own Gulf Coast. There's 7 chicken dishes, 6 steaks and 5 veal dishes. Even Hungarian Goulash! I didn't have any of these dishes today at lunch, but I know they are good because I tried many in the past---and the same chef is back. And Kristine is there making sure that the food is executed to her standards.

Today I had a delicious 3/4 lb. burger cooked medium-well as requested. Sided by Kristine's homemade German potato salad. They make their own buns and this one tasted similar to a Mexican bolillo. It really set this massive burger apart. Couldn't resist ordering Kristine's potato pancakes. They (2 per order) were exactly the same as I remember. Same for the homemade apple sauce.

This place is very informal, even with fresh roses on every table and linen napkins. Most everything is prepared on the premises. The menu is varied and the prices are reasonable for the quality of food. Welcome back!

NAME: Sandy from League City
SUBMITTED: 2/21/2011   LAST VISIT WAS: 2/11
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: Theyre back!!!! This cute bistro opened back up on Friday february 11th. We went today february 13th. The food is as good as It used to be with the same menu as before. Had the reuben sandwich and german potato salad for lunch. It was so tasty! The boyfriend had the italian sausage sandwich and german potato fries and he was happy with his choice. Fast and super friendly service. Very happy and will return again soon for dinner. Love this place and so glad theyre back.

NAME: virginia
SUBMITTED: 2/13/2011   LAST VISIT WAS: 02/11
FREQUENCY: Visited once

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