Le Colonial - Houston

Came here for my birthday dinner, had a reservation set for 7:30 in the lounge. The previous guests were still sitting at our table so we did have to wait a couple of minutes to be sat but while we were waiting, the atmosphere and live music made it worth it. It’s a dark ambient place that just makes you feel relaxed and the food and drinks were great. Our server was quick and sweet as well.

Reviewing the bar on second floor: great ambience (strong similarity with Clarkwood style furniture setup), Good cocktail menu and nice presentation. All cocktails tasted good. The music can get a bit too loud in the late evening hours. can recommend Saigon Tea

My family has been coming to this restaurant for 30 years, visiting about five times a year for all of our birthdays. If you do the math, that’s a significant investment—roughly $85 per person per visit. Tonight, we were celebrating my brother’s birthday, and I had flown in from out of town to surprise my family. They had already been seated at a booth, after waiting an hour and a half. When I arrived, joining them made our party five. At this point, Sean Martin was notified of the change and informed us, in an unkind and apathetic manner, that it was not allowed. He gave us two options: either one family member had to leave, or we all had to wait another hour and a half for a table to accommodate five. This response was completely unreasonable. His justification was that seating five people in a booth would impact the “customer experience.” Ironically, we were having a pleasant experience until his intervention. The booth comfortably fit all of us, and his rigid approach felt dismissive and unnecessary. I work in the service industry myself, and I was appalled by his lack of professionalism and empathy. Instead of finding a reasonable solution, his behavior made us feel unwelcome and insignificant. After three decades of dining at this establishment without any issues, this was a shocking and disappointing experience. Let me be clear: we love Houston’s. The food is exceptional, and the servers have always been fantastic. We’ve never had a bad experience—until now. Unfortunately, the behavior of one individual has soured what was once a cherished family tradition. I urge management to reflect on this situation. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, regardless of the circumstances. Sean Martin’s inability to communicate kindly and resolve this situation in a thoughtful manner was unacceptable. We understand that working in hospitality can be challenging, but that’s no excuse for making a loyal customer feel dismissed and disrespected. It saddens me to say that we won’t be returning to this location. After 30 years of wonderful memories, we’re walking away, not because of the food or servers, but because of how we were treated by someone in charge.

Our experience at Houston’s Pasadena, CA was appalling. First, we waited over 1.5 hours to be seated because they don’t take reservations for groups of five. The staff was unorganized and provided no updates during the wait. Once we finally got inside, I was kicked out for wearing a hat. The manager, Sean, claimed hats weren’t allowed, yet I saw at least four other patrons wearing hats without issue. When I pointed this out, the reasoning kept changing—from "no hats allowed" to "no baseball caps" to "only men can’t wear hats." To make matters worse, several people inside were dressed in pajamas and flip-flops, which raises serious questions about how this so-called “dress code” is enforced. It’s clear the rules are applied inconsistently and unfairly, and the whole situation felt discriminatory. The long wait time, unprofessionalism, and blatant double standards make this place a complete waste of time. If you care about being treated fairly, I’d strongly recommend avoiding this restaurant.