Restaurant review: Cullen's American Grille

[Black Betty]

So the wifey wanted me to take her out to dinner in celebration of our closing the sale of one of our businesses tomorrow. I let her choose. She picked Cullen's American Grille in Houston, TX. We'd never been there before. It's new, only having opened on March 19 of this year.

The ambiance is absolutely amazing. Even having dined in many of the most celebrated restaurants in the country and many abroad, I was still quite impressed. The service from the time we were greeted by the valet (complimentary but NOBODY drives Black Betty besides me!) was beyond impeccable. The hostesses were all 7's and above with one very strong 9. There is a special table that is in a round glass room high above the spacious main dining room. 10 guest maximum, $1200 table minimum. The magnificently appointed kitchen has a glass front and most tables are in view of the food being prepared. I liked this, she didn't. I knew I was in the right spot when I saw Chimay on the cocktail menu. The wine list is on a portable electronic apparatus that puts the order in directly to the extensive wine cellar in real time as you order.

Appetizers are very good, not spectacular. The attentive service from the staff was just the right amount of attention; enought for you to feel like your dining pleasure is very important to them but not so much as to be annoying. I had a 22 oz. bone in ribeye with tiny green beans and garlic spice mashed potatoes. Quite tasty. The Mrs. indulged in Japanese Kobe beef for the first time. It won't be her last. She couldn't comprehend how 6 oz. of beef could possibly cost $142. After tasting it she could understand. It is impeccable. The food was prepared very quickly partly due to the order being entered instantly by the wait staff on some PDA type device that links directly to the kitchen and puts the order in as it's placed. Very cool. After dinner and a couple of drinks, we'd left no room for dessert. Maybe next time.

If you're ever in Houston and looking for a wonderful fine dining experience, I'd highly reccommend Cullen's American Grille at 11500 Space Center Drive.

5 stars out of 5. Wow!