City Cellars

Brunch at City Cellars was absolutely amazing! Every dish we ordered was delicious—from the short rib omelet to the bacon jam sliders and the chilaquiles. The portions were generous, and everything was beautifully presented. The food could have been seasoned a tad bit more, but otherwise it was delicious. The drinks were also a highlight. The pineapple ginger mimosa and the cactus pear pomegranate mimosa were both incredible—refreshing, unique, and perfectly balanced. Try the wine flight if you can! What really elevated the experience was the service. Our waitress Karen was amazing—attentive, friendly, and made sure everything was perfect from start to finish. Great service always makes a difference, and she truly delivered. Oh and I almost forgot the MOST IMPORTANT PART. THE VIBE!! Mr. Houston created the perfect live music brunch atmosphere. He entertained guest and wowed the crowd. Great food, great drinks, great music, and wonderful service… City Cellars is definitely a spot to add to the rotation. We’ll absolutely be back!

Pros: The food and drinks were excellent! Our server was very nice and attentive. Cons: The wait time for our food and drinks was way too long! It was about 30 minutes for our drinks, and an hour for our food. Plus the food was overpriced for the amount of food we got in my opinion. Despite the cons, I would be willing to come back and experience their brunch in hopes that I have a better experience next time!

If you're looking for a spot in Houston that blends comfort food with elevated flavors, City Cellar is definitely worth a visit. I started with the macaroni cheese ball, which was the perfect appetizer. Crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, it had that rich, cheesy flavor that makes it impossible to stop at just one bite. It was indulgent without being overly heavy. The crab cake was the star of the meal. It was packed with crab and lightly seasoned so the natural flavor of the seafood really came through. You can tell it wasn’t loaded with fillers — just fresh, well-prepared crab with a nice golden sear. The cone fries were a fun presentation and super addictive. Perfectly crispy and well seasoned, they were the ideal side to balance the richer dishes on the table. And the Buddha grits were something special. Creamy, flavorful, and comforting, they had that Southern-style richness that makes grits feel like a full experience rather than just a side dish. Overall, the meal at City Cellar delivered on flavor, presentation, and comfort-food satisfaction. Every dish felt thoughtfully prepared, and the variety made it easy to try a little bit of everything. If you're in Houston and want a place that serves elevated comfort food with bold flavors, this spot definitely deserves a spot on your list. 🍽️

Most reviews online were highly ranked however, we had one of the worst brunch experiences I’ve ever had. To begin, we waited over an hour and 20 minutes for our food. This is the longest wait times I’ve ever had in any restaurant. It wasn’t just us, I should’ve taken a picture of the expo area showing 45 minute plus ticket times. The restaurant was understaffed, Management ended up going back in the kitchen to support, no manager ever stopped by to check on us or apologize for the chaos and long wait times. We watched several tables walk out. We had a reservation, but was sold our table was not ready so we ended up sitting at the bar. It took about 15 minutes from one of the bartenders to greet us as they were completely swamped and overwhelmed. It took another 15 minutes for us to get the drinks we wanted. As previously mentioned, we waited over an hour and 20 minutes for our food, and when we received it, each plate had something wrong with it. The waffle was cold, the chilaquiles was missing several of the toppings as shown below, and the crabcake was soggy. The bartender was apologetic, and we felt bad because they ended up having a conference our entire tab as we explained it was unacceptable to wait that long for food. Overall, it seems as though the place was understaffed, poorly managed, and delivered subpar food .

City Cellars is a really impressive spot in the East End, and our visit was genuinely enjoyable. The food was extremely good, fresh, flavorful, and clearly cooked to order. You can taste the difference when a restaurant isn’t relying on frozen items, and that alone set the tone for a great experience. The drinks were also excellent, and despite the busy atmosphere, the wait time for our food was surprisingly short. There happened to be a speed dating event taking place during our visit, but it wasn’t disruptive at all. Honestly, it was pretty cool to see an organized event happening right inside the restaurant, and it added a fun element to the overall vibe. If I had to give one piece of feedback, it would be about the lighting. The restaurant felt extremely bright for an evening dining experience. I’m not sure if it was due to the event at the bar or if that’s just the standard ambiance, but it didn’t create the relaxed atmosphere you’d typically expect after 6 PM. It doesn’t need to be dim or dark, but slightly lower lighting would go a long way in elevating the dinner experience. Overall, though, City Cellars lives up to its chef-driven reputation and offers great food, great drinks, and an enjoyable environment. We are definitely returning, and I recommend giving it a try!

Unfortunately I cant take away the one star given.....this was a bad experience and I was excited to dine and be apart of the atmosphere. Saw this place on tiktok and heard a few talking about it.....I should've paid attention to what was said. The manager was rude from the start. Our server was amazing but you can't do your job if you dont have the tools. Our drink glasses were nasty food was stuck to one and I had crumbs in mine. It took 2 hrs before our server notified us that things were absolutely running behind. They were short on staff the manager who played host and was again rude took off his jacket to help in the kitchen. We watched people leave as we patiently waited very hungry and defeated on our order. Our server told us that this happens every Sunday from lack of staff.....We arrived at 1:00, our reservation was for 1:30, we were seated at a decent time but left at 3 still hungry... I will absolutely not be returning.

This place is average at best. Service was fast (for me). Ordered right when I was seated. Table was sticky & not properly wiped down. Mac n cheese balls were good. The turkey club sandwich wasn’t good or fresh & sadly there were visible dust hairs on the bacon. The bread smelled like it was pressed on old oil. This is a one & done place. Wouldn’t go back or recommend it. Not worth the hype. I definitely don’t recommend going when it’s busy. I was lucky enough to find street parking.

Great surroundings and atmosphere! Drinks and food were amazing along with the violin music in the background outside. The Lamb Chops were juicy and flavorful! 21+ only was also nice! Valet parking is available for reasonable price. I definitely recommend this place!

The new city center is coming along nicely. Great views from City Cellar's deck. The food and drinks were fantastic. Service was above and beyond with Carey.

First time trying city cellars & we were super impressed! Cocktails were great, food was all delicious & Lucid gave us fantastic service! Will definitely be returning.

Our waiter, Steven was amazing! He was so attentive , fun and pleasant. The service, food and ambience were wonderful! Absolutely loved the drinks. I will be back.