The Rustic

Met some friends here for dinner last night. This place is gigantic! There's seating for parties of any size. The first thing I noticed even before we walked in was the live music. It was like being in a giant barn party. The music was projected pretty well but we were still able to chat. I hadn't seen my old roommates since college so it was nice to catch up. The food was great! Everyone got something different. The Happy Hour deals for $7 were good. All of the appetizers were well-received, but the tamales three ways were a huge hit! Honestly, no complaints here.

If you're craving authentic Texas flavors in Houston, this restaurant is a must-visit. I had an amazing dining experience, and the star of the night was undoubtedly the 3-Bone Pork Chop – absolutely spectacular! The pork chop was perfectly seasoned, juicy, and cooked to perfection with a delicious smoky flavor. The portion was generous, and every bite was packed with rich, savory goodness. Paired with classic Southern sides (the creamed corn and loaded mashed potatoes were fantastic), it was a true Texas feast. The atmosphere was welcoming, with a rustic yet modern vibe, and the service was friendly and attentive. Whether you're a local or just passing through Houston, this place delivers an authentic and unforgettable Texas dining experience.

The place was full with live country music, good crowd and great drink. We tried the cactus fries that felt okay but they brought house chips for free which we didn’t expect. Really enjoyed the music and vibes

Very well known spot, been here multiple times! This time we came with friends and sat at the bar, 20min not a single server came by and asked if we even needed anything. Then one of the girls came up and said "what do you need" to which i replied "some service?" And that's where Nova stepped in and rectified the situation. It's a really big place and can be very fun to spend time with friends and family! Food is pretty good as well! Despite how busy they were, restrooms were maintained well.

It was an accidental find but we were happy with our mistake. Food was AWESOME, atmosphere great as well as the service. Will come again!

Went to have a great dinner and ser the band play. It was a Thursday night. They were not crowed. Food was good. The band played for 5 minutes and packed up and left. Service was good.

Great night out. Family friendly, excellent food and drinks and live music. We really enjoyed the Rustic burger. We had a reservation but decided to sit by the backyard bar instead. It's definitely a do over for my husband & I.

We had the smoked queso, tamale trio, and hot chicken and cheese. Food here is really good and the drinks are top notch! Come for happy hour for great deals and live music!

Updating my review. Brunch with the chicken grilled cheese sandwich was great a couple years ago. Last week I went for happy hour and dinner on a Friday night for the love music and we had a great experience! Shared the smoked dip duo, which was half price during happy hour and a great appetizer for a group of 3-4 (it's pretty heavy and was too much for 2 people). We also got a couple of their $7 drinks on the happy hour menu. We were slowly enjoying our app & drinks while the music got started, and the waiter did not rush us at all. After a while we ordered salads. Even though I wouldn't say a salad is a go-to menu choice at a bar, I got the salmon Caesar salad and was shocked at how well the salmon was cooked, perfectly moist and not overcooked at all. Great place to hang out, people watch, listen to live music, and enjoy good food.

I visited with a group during a weekday dinner and we were seated quick. We sat inside and although it was better than experiencing the summer heat, it was too cold inside. The service was friendly and I enjoyed the meal but it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. This place is great for those that enjoy live music but for me personally, I wouldn't go out of my way for it.

Horrible first impression! Came here with a friend who raved about how much she loved this place but it was a total disappointment. The bartender was not polite or kind, asked for Jameson and they were out, how are you of a whiskey that's your whole theme, tried to order off the happy hour menu and they out out of ingredients for that too. Placed an order for a SALAD & Meatballs and it took AN HOUR, and then the salad had an ingredient I asked it NOT to have. I began to think this guy just didn't care and a young lady helped us out. Btw we got asked for IDs after we got our drinks lol Won't be back, at least not to this location. Just made us late to a concert Tomato tomato

I loved the look of this place and decided to go check it out. What a cool place! Service was great and the food was SO good! I highly recommend getting Smoked Dip Duo...it's a delicious experience. Definitely plan to go back on a live music night.

Brunch menu is fire! Super cute indoor/outdoor restaurant with country vibes, live music, and super friendly servers. The brunch menu is a great option because you get to try all of their items: which include a delicious jicama salad, egg frittata, seasoned to perfection bacon and little desserts. If you are more on the lighter fare, the shrimp and avocado salad was perfection. Will def be back!

The Rustic is one of the few reasons why I look forward to being in Houston. The ambience, the music, the service and of course the food and drinks are what keeps me and my friends coming back. Came with a party of 10 Friday night and everything was perfect. From our awesome server, to the strong Palomas and spicy margaritas and delicious food. It was a 5* experience. We all had so much fun, we went again Saturday night. This time with another group of friends, 9 people in total, some of whom have never been here. This was an entirely different experience. Our server seems capable and detail oriented. That is where it stopped. She took forever to bring our waters and drinks. Took even longer to bring our food. Disappeared for long periods of time. It was frustrating we could not even get water refills. She was taking care of 2 tables. The people next to us decided to leave because she never came back after giving them water. A dinner that was supposed to be a fun hour-1.5hrs turned into a 3hr ordeal. One of our friends went to voice his frustration to a guy who appeared to be a manager, who sent someone else to come talk to us. Our bills got even more confusing, we just paid whatever was given us, otherwise we would have been there until midnight. We were all miserable by the time we left. I still love the Rustic, but Saturday dinner was just awful.

We had our team dinner for AAU junior olymics. The food was great especially the portobello mushroom and Briskett. The ambiance was amazing with live music and drinks were great! We loved the smores mini desserts! And the service was Rated A +!

We forgot it was Mothers Day but the wait for three people was short. We first got seated at a dirty table and had to wait 10-15 minutes for her to clean it while we were already seated there for 20 minutes. The server said it was her first day on the floor and we could understand that because all three of us have worked in the service industry. She was kind but seemed to not know what was on the happy hour menu. She kept walking away for really long periods of time. She was nice but probably was overwhelmed because she forgot to ring in one of our drinks. The menu was very confusing because I don't think the restaurant has a concept. I thought it was southern style food but the menu was all over the place and seemed limited. Most menu items don't come with fries so be prepared to pay an arm and a leg for one salmon burger with no sides. The only edible thing on the menu was the meatballs even though they were really small. But back to the salmon burger, it was so salty that I got a stomach ache and had to order a club soda. The server took it out of the way for me because I couldn't eat it. The chips and dip with the pimento cheese thing was by far the funniest thing put in front of us because the pimento cheese lacked flavor and the chips were harder than normal potato chips. The snapper was salty but we didn't want to make a big deal so we packed it up. The drinks were good and strong but will probably be the only reason we come back after eating somewhere else. The entertainment was decent though we could barely hear the singer. But overall I give the experience a 1/10 because it wasn't worth the drive.

Giselle is hands-down one of the best bartenders there! Her energy is infectious, her cocktails are spot-on, and she makes everyone feel welcome and seen. Whether you're a regular or it's your first visit, Giselle brings warmth, skill, and style to every pour. The Rustic is lucky to have her and I'll definitely be back because of her!

Good spot to listen to live music performance Food was good, drinks was awesome Great place to have a little boys night grubbing and drinking My buddy whom was my bunk bed room mate when we were serving on active duty came all the way from Virginia

This place had a really cool atmosphere! I loved the live music and the patio seating. Parking is limited and I had to do valet. The food was good, but a bit pricey. I had the hot chicken sandwich which was not hot at all and a bit dry. The Mac and cheese was really good with the hint of jalapeño! Service was pretty slow, but they were very busy.

Valet is $10. There is potentially free parking outside the lot. Live music at certain time but when I went on sunday we barely missed it. This place seems perfect for a large gathering based on its size and the type of environment when it gets packed. Server was tentative, but our first round of drinks took a while and he noticed it too. Burger - brisket was a little dry. other than that a typical burger but a little more on the expensive side. 6.8/10 Onion rings - a little spicy kick at the end! idk why i didn't expect a giant slice of onion when i bit into it but it's not very batter heavy. i guess i like my onion rings more batter which might be weird? 5.8/10

What a lovely day to enjoy the Rustic patio! I went with a group today, Saturday, during brunch. Some of us ordered the family style brunch. Others ordered individual entrees. At $19.95 per person, the family style brunch was a hit with each plate: hot chicken, avocado toast, French toast & bacon, pastries, fingerling potatoes, migas (which was more like a frittata) biscuits @ gravy, jicama & cucumber salad. Some had entree salads and they looked very fresh and full of flavor. Others had the rustic burger or hot chicken & cheese. The only minor issue some pointed out was that their hot chicken & cheese wasn't spicy but then they bit into the pepper served with it and they found the spicy and then they said it was TOO spicy. Food overall was very good and everyone was satisfied. All plates were less than $20. Everyone seemed to enjoy their drinks. I had a cold brew I enjoyed. It was strong l, not too strong, cool and satisfying. The service was excellent and our waitress was on point with everything. Entertainment was a live cover artist singing Texas country & swing classics. Rustic is an excellent spot for groups of all sizes. Notes: They allow outside celebration cakes . Valet parking is $10 and you can pay with a card but it takes forever for them to bring you your car. Parking in the lot next door is only $3 (3.45$ w/ fee) , EZ, quick and good for at least 4 hrs.

Came in on a Sunday evening, seated immediately. Dress code: casual Food 4.5/5: ordered onion rings, artichokes, Mac and cheese, cucumber salad and mushroom sides for the table. Food was actually amazing, recommend the onion rings especially. Didn't really like the artichoke. Service 2/5: service was really slow, don't really blame my server seemed pretty busy with a private event going on as well but place may have just been understaffed Ambiance 4/5: rodeo themed, pretty cool for what it's meant to do, but very loud despite ample room. Value 3/5: on the expensive side but food is delicious, you get what you pay for Overall: 3.4/5: good food with unfortunately slow service. Fairly average value. Will probably come back to give a second chance on a day without a private event going on. Parking: valet parking is 10$, garage parking close by is validated by the restaurant.

Food was delicious! I got the tacos- and it has a serving for 2 people, so keep this in mind because it's a lot of food. The interior was super cute and they have a live artist performing country music. They have open doors and windows so the breeze can blow in.

We went here as a large group for a good meal after spending the day volunteering. We were very tired and very hungry, but had to wait for over 30 minutes for a table in a nearly empty establishment, even after calling ahead. We had some vegans and pescatarian's with us who did not have a real selection to choose from since they only serve from a short brunch menu until 2:45PM. The food we did get and drinks were good. Also as a "family friendly restaurant", I was surprised that they didn't have any coloring sheets or table activities for the children to enjoy.

Great evening at The Rustic ! My husband and I stopped in for an early dinner and The Rustic did not disappoint! The food was amazing and the service was top notch. Taylor was our server for the night and she was very attentive and helpful with recommendations. We got there in time for happy hour so we took advantage of that :-) we would definitely recommend and if you can...ask for Taylor !

One of my work colleagues who enters barbecue competitions highly recommended this place as it was very close to the Hilton Americas hotel. Very cool vibe. Outside the dining room they have seating and an outdoor stage for live music. We just happen to visit on an evening when they had a musician. I opted for lighter fare this evening, so I had the boar meat chili. It was just the right size portion and was delicious. Not gamey tasting at all, it was a true Texas chili without the beans. For dessert, we got to enjoy a slice of peanut butter cake to celebrate the birthday of a colleague. It was delicious and the perfect end to a great meal.

Food wad pretty good. Service by Taylor and Kayla was fantastic! Very attentive and fast! Thank you ladies!

Reagan was an amazing waitress! She was on top of everything and gave us great recommendations since we are from out of town. The Rustic is a must see and make sure you ask for Reagan!

My family and I on a vacation from Florida and our server Reagan offered amazing service and offered great insight on cool places that we can visit

The food was amazing and the server Reagan was excellent. she was very friendly and very helpful. We are from out of town and she gave us some good ideas for things to do.

Regan was an amazing waitress and did an amazing job at telling us what to do around the city!

Harley served us and we couldn't have been more happier. She was attentive and friendly. The food is always great and drinks as well but you when you have a phenomenal server like her it just makes everything 10x better.

Great service by Harley! Environment was so cool and country. The food came out quick and That Chicken Salad is definitely something to try!

Great atmosphere and positive vibes. Our server Khloe was very sweet and made sure to ask us if it was first visit so we could enjoy the free 1st visit PNUT BUTTER PIE. It was huge and delicious!

One of three locations in Texas, the Rustic Houston provides a large dining area for both downtown workers and visitors to enjoy a weekday lunch. We took the light rail from the museum district, but they also provide valet along with validated parking. When you enter, you notice all of the chopped wood used for BBQ, so the place isn't really known for their bbq. It does have a large outdoor dining area but can't really see that being used for most of the year, especially during the sunny days. We were seated right next to it, with great views of the outside from the large floor to ceiling windows. One big disadvantage was that the air conditioning couldn't keep up against the heat from the abundant natural light: it was warm in the dining area. It's a two page menu, with the front being food and the back being beverages. They have a decent selection of draft beers. We chose - Shiner Bock ($7.95) - classic, must-have at least once when visiting TX. - St Arnold Lawnmower ($8.95) - a kolsch-style session beer, from the oldest TX craft brewery, winner of multiple brewery of the year awards. It was very drinkable. - Galveston Island Tiki Wheat ($9.95) - a slightly sour wheat beer. Glad to try a local beer. We shared Joe Leo Tacos, with double portion of brisket ($18.95 per person) and carnitas ($16.95). It was served on inedible cactus, diced white onions, 6 really good corn tortillas (soaked in bacon fat), fire roasted salsa, lime wedges, and cilantro. We got more salsa and tortillas, which were provided at no extra charge. Both meats were very tender, especially liking the juiciness of the pork. Prices are what you would expect in a downtown area, and the dishes were simple but made from quality ingredients. Service provided by our server, Gabriel, was good. He checked up on us regularly, and his team made sure our water glasses were kept full and we got our food while still hot. It was a good place to have lunch.

Stopped in for a quick bite and a beer before WWE Raw, TJ was our server. He was great and quick , and had a great recommendation on trying the Meatballs. Those along made the experience worth it and coming back for. Great food, great atmosphere, and great service. Will definitely be coming back.

The Rustic is so awesome. Great food. Great energy. Such a fun place. I was in between showings and famished so i stopped in to have a bite. Glad I did. Sat at the bar and was greeted and welcomed warmly by Bartender Taylor. She was kind, funny and very helpful. Taylor recommended the Chicken Sandwich which hit the spot. The ambiance was perfect because it was right before the Happy Hour and Dinner crowds. For this location Valet is must and it's a nice perk to not have to worry about where to park. Forks UP!! Great Service. Gigi

Lily gets 5 stars!!!!!!!! Food was amazing, service was great! Live music, can't beat it!

I love the laid back, open atmosphere at the Rustic. Great music, not too loud. The staff is very attentive. The food is always good, with a little extra something! We started with the steakhouse onion rings. These are huge and crispy, a real conversation piece. Next, I had the rustic chicken club (minus the bacon). It was very tasty, but also a pretty good size. I had to take half home. The fries are tasty (a little salty) but devoured nevertheless. My hubby had the Joe Leo brisket tacos. He said they were great. I tried one of the zero proof - mocktails, spring berry fizz. It was not what I thought it would be. So I sent it back, explaining to the manager. He was very gracious offering to adjust it to my taste. Very good service and attention to customer delight.

Juan was very helpful and sweet. He even recommended the best items on the menu. This place is also very nicely decorated

So four years later, I came to use the giftcards that they gave me during the terrible experience that I mentioned in the review. This is my first time back since said experience. The first thing that my guest and I did upon walking into the bar was to ask the bartender whether or not we could use the gift cards. We handed it to her, she looked at it and told us, yes we could. We then ordered happy hour drinks. Two drinks later, we went to the bar to close our tab and the server told us that we cannot use the gift card for alcohol purchases. This place is literally the worst. What a joke.

Came here on a weekday evening and although there wasn't live music is was a good late night spot to grab some food after bar hopping. Our server recommended the cactus fries, and a neighbor patron at the bar said to go for them. Go for them I did and it was the best most unique thing I had while visiting Houston. I am not going to be searching for these everywhere!

What a fun place to take a group for dinner! The server was attentive and fun, the food was delicious with generous portions, and the drinks were great. Try that big margarita that comes with a popsicle!

No complaints at this place. Loved the Live country music, but the air was a bit high. We were a bit chilly the entire time we were there. The food was decent as well (I'd give it a 7.5/10). The customer service was definitely a 10/10!

The food was ok, place is nice and big and clean, my only complaint is the loud music during the weekend. We had an anniversary planned with just two couples and we could not listen to each other's conversation, we weren't even sitting outside or close to the band, that's how loud it was. We haven't gone back since, I guess if you want to go and listen to a concert this place is it but wouldn't recommend for a nice romantic dinner

Went for a bachelorette's party dinner on a Saturday night. We had a reservation at 7:00, which although a nice atmosphere, a little disappointed no live music from 8-9:30. We pretty much watched the band "set up" the whole time we ate. The food was, however, good. Got the hot chicken sandwich.

Huge thank you to The Rustic for a seamless and fun event! Kristina and her team took really great care of our group and had every tiny detail in mind. The food is absolutely delicious, the staff is friendly and plenty of space to host a huge event. Can't wait to come back!

We went here for my birthday lunch with my coworkers and it was a nice time. There was not a wait to be seated and it was not overly crowded. It actually was quite empty. Even though it was rather shy during lunch I didn't mind. However, service was extremely slow for it to be so empty the day we went. We had to Flag our server down just to refill our drinks. I was a little frustrated because there was literally no one there. We have two appetizers, the cactus fries and chorizo empanadas. Both were delicious but I favored the cactus fries more. It almost tasted like fried asparagus but still good. I ordered the spicy salmon Cesar salad. The salmon wasn't truly spicy but that was okay. Lastly I was surprised with and Oreo type cheesecake with a melted marshmallow on the top. I can't quite think of the name of it, but I was amazing.

I attended a private event at The Rustic over the weekend. This was my first time going to The Rustic (I tried to go a few years ago after a show at Toyota Center but they had already stopped serving food). The marquee at the entrance was funny and gave me El Arroyo vibes (IYKYK). The restaurant is much larger than I was expecting and they have a nice sized stage for live music on the patio area. The entire outdoor area was reserved for us. It was a little warm, but nice to sit under the trees while listening to the music. Since we had so many people in our group, they provided a brunch buffet for us. We also had a private bar which was nice. The buffet offered all of the options on the Jam and Toast Brunch menu. I had the Country Baked Eggs, Bacon, Green Salad, and Baby Fried Toast (i.e. French Toast). I really enjoyed the meal, especially the salad and bacon. I didn't try the Texas Hot Chicken, Jalapeño Cheddar Sausage, or the Cheese and Potato Hash, but my friends that did try these items enjoyed them. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. When the musicians took a break, they were respectful of our group as we shared memories of our friend who's life we were celebrating. The musicians waited for us to finish sharing stories of our friend before restarting the music which was extremely thoughtful. Parking downtown can be a pain, but they do offer valet for $10. You can also park in the Avenida Central Garage underneath Discovery Green and get your ticket validated as long as you do not exceed 3 hours. I parked on the street near Toyota Center and didn't have any trouble as it was early in the day before the Rockets game. The Rustic is a great place to go before/after a show at Toyota Center or for brunch with friends and family.

Been to the Rustic a few times in the past. Always great service and food. However, our most recent visit was not so great. Upon arriving, we asked for a table and were told it would be a "little bit" of a wait for 2 people. No problem, when we asked for a little more of a time line (20/30/45 minutes). The hostess couldn't tell us. There were 2 seats open at the bar, so we opted to sit there. The two bar tenders looked at us multiple times, but continued to wait on other people who just walked up to the bar. Finally, after waiting several minutes. A bar tender walked up. No greeting. He honestly looked annoyed to even be there. Took our drink orders and appetizers. Never came back around. We eventually called over someone who wasn't working in the bar, and asked for our check. Planned on staying awhile and eating dinner. But left after 1 drink and appetizers. Hopefully just an off day. Because we loved going to the Rustic.

Understaffed. And I'm certain our waiter was high. The drink was fine and the food was just ok. But all that could have been forgiven if it weren't for the prices. Literally 1 drink + 2 tacos = $58. That's absolutely insane!!

We had a reservation at 1pm for a birthday and when we arrived, they told us they were close for private event. They tried to call us 1h before and let a voice message inviting us to call back. I called 3 times, only a voice mailbox responded each time I called. Then, they sent a message 10 minutes before the reservation on OpenTable saying they will be close at 2pm and we should be out at this time.

Really great place, every time. I've been to the Dallas location a number of times (solid); this one is different in that it's more of a music hall paired with bar/restaurant. Easy awesome time, made better by (fellow twin) Corey who's about as cool and attentive of a server, and human, as one could have the pleasure of sharing an evening with. He's top notch. I'll be back next time I'm in Houston. And BTW the Hot Chicken and Cheese sandwich is bomb.

Varied brunch items per person for $20 before tip? Count me in. Reserved a 1pm lunch for two through Resy, arrived 20 mins early, was led to a 4-top table, saw a booth of equal seating, asked for it, got it, felt the breeze and got some sunlight listening to a lady playing guitar and singing giving Jewel vibes - so far so good! The menu is very limited during the weekend brunch hour (see the annotated picture). We went for the Jam & Toast brunch so we both got that. Now that I've had this meal and it's been a few wks -- The spread is really cute! You really get a variety of items from fresh fruit, cheese, and ricotta crostini to French toast, egg frittata, potato au gratin southwest style, sausage and greens, and hot chicken. Notice I didn't say magnificent because the portion size is on the smaller side, but the variety makes up for it, and I didn't leave hungry. So I'd say the portion is adequate size-wise for most women and probably calorically adequate for most men. My only qualms are that the food was served lukewarm and that everything cooked was salty. It also took 20-30 minutes to get our food, which is a little surprising considering everything is probably pre-made or batch cooked. That said, this is a great deal given that I would never make 10 different things on a Sunday morning, and while none of the dishes was profoundly good or will be missed, it was nice to get a little bit of each at the price point provided. The food itself had a lot of potential; if they were less salty and served hotter, I could easily have missed it more as I'm writing this review. Our server Chris was really kind, checked on us and brought us more crackers upon request (to balance out the salt), and kept our glasses full, and we enjoyed our time at the Rustic. So I'd say 3 stars for the food itself, extra 0.5 star for the variety, 4 stars for the barnyard ambiance, and 5-star service/experience gets us at a 4.2 star experience. This is definitely a pleasant brunch spot with Gram-worthy presentation to bring visitors for a western vibe without breaking the bank. Check it out!

Loved everything! It was our friends' 20th anniversary, so we decided to surprise them with an anniversary brunch at The Rustic off of Polk St. It's definitely worth it to valet park. Just be sure you follow the arrow showing which way to enter. Once inside, we were in awe of how large the venue was. We were sat out with a view of the stage. Our waitress did a great job of greeting us and making sure our needs were met. We ordered the brunch spritzer carafe to share. It was so good. Then we all 4 enjoyed the brunch. It was brought out family style. I personally love tapas, so this was right up my alley. We enjoyed everything. If I had to pick one thing that we all raved about it would have to be the French toast bites. Regardless, everything was delicious. I'd love to return when there is a band playing. Looking forward to enjoying lunch or dinner in the future.

Food was decent. I got the Texas hot chicken and cheese and my wife got the drunk chick. She loved her meal. Mine was ok. It lacked any sauce or "hotness". The server was the main issue with this restaurant. Not attentive at all. Never checked on our table after the food was brought by a food runner. And I was completely unable to flag him down for refills or condiments for the meal.

Went here for a work lunch and looked at the menu in advance - it has a LOT of offerings! The Rustic is a fun dining experience with an event/ performance space outside, where you can hang out with people and listen to music. The staff here are super nice, and there's plenty of options for everyone on the menu. My team and I ordered the smoked dip duo, Texas hot chicken & cheese, shrimp & avocado salad, and the chicken caesar wrap. The smoked dip is definitely really smoky! It came out with a cover and smoke inside of it, so you could really taste the smokiness in each bite. My coworkers thought the wrap and the avocado salad were okay, same goes for my sandwich. I really liked the chips though, since they're freshly made. We almost ordered the cactus fries, but the server told us that it's the order that's sent back the most and to not even dare order it lol. Would I come back here? Maybe for like a happy hour, live music or something, but not to dine-in consistently for a meal.