Xochi Review - Downtown - Houston - The Infatuation
"Upscale without ever trying too hard, Xochi is a Oaxacan restaurant on the ground floor of the Mariott Marquis downtown from the team behind . It’s still a hotel restaurant, but maybe a little bit more chic and modern, with a breezy, sophisticated interior reminiscent of a fancy beach home. It’s all very promising, but what you end up with is often underwhelming, with inconsistencies that overshadow the memorable parts of the meal. There are glimmers of brilliance at Xochi, but the peaks are few and far in between. The food looks lovely—dishes are all dotted and swirled with mole and sauces. But sometimes, the beef cheeks aren’t as tender as they could be, or the mussels that accompany the scallops don't taste all that fresh. Even in dishes where the mole is the star, there’s rarely enough on the plate. It’s like the exciting meal you were promised stood you up. These inconsistencies bleed into the service, too. With any luck you’ll get a veteran server who makes dining a breeze, but you could just as likely get a server who’ll send all of the courses out at the same time. If you find yourself downtown and craving Oaxacan food on a cellular level, head to Xochi, sit at the bar, and have one, maybe two dishes and a margarita. But if you’re looking for Mexican food that will make you excited to go back, give , , or a shot. And for a more interesting, bougie dinner downtown, we suggest . Or, if you really want to keep it in the same restaurant family, there’s always the classic Mexican restaurant Hugo’s in Montrose. " - Gianni Greene
