My First Date Location ~ Houston's ~ Irvine

Yes, I know, it's a chain. However Houston's holds a special place in my heart because it is the location of my first date with my husband and the place that we often go back to for special occasions.

We've tried a variety of foods at Houston's but our appetizer is always the spinach and artichoke dip. It comes with salsa and sour cream on the side. They never bring enough tortilla chips however it's no problem to get them to bring more. The dip is warm and cheesy and the sour cream and salsa act as a cool complement. Another thing that we always order is the house salad with blue cheese dressing. This might be the best house salad that any restaurant has offered. It comes with bacon, corn, croutons that are both crunchy and chewy, crisp iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers. The blue cheese dressing and bread sticks are the best part though. The dressing has large chunks of blue cheese and the breadsticks are soft and fluffy with a hint of garlic.

The most recent time we went to Houston's I couldn't fit much more in my stomache after the dip and salad so I ordered the tortilla soup. It was above average but not incredibly memorable. One of my favorite dishes is the Baramundi. It is a white fish cooked on a wood plank with just enough butter to keep it from sticking. The fish is always tender and flaky. I usually order a side of vegetables, whatever is in season.

Dan usually gets the Hickory Burger. It is a burger with BBQ sauce, shredded cheddar cheese, diced onions, and diced Canadian bacon. It comes with shoestring fries that are cooked to perfection. He has also ordered the filet minon in the past and we've both enjoyed it quite a bit.

Finally, the apple walnut cobbler is the perfect ending to a great meal. I'm not a fan of walnuts but they are easy to pick out and this dessert is worth it. It comes topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you can see the specks from the vanilla bean. It's has just the right combination of sweet and tart.

Another great thing about Houston's is that there's no corkage fee. We went there on our one year anniversary and brought in a great bottle of wine that we had purchased in Napa. They also have a great wine list to choose from if you prefer.

The restaurant is dimly lit and good for a date but definitely not somewhere I would recommend for a family dinner. It's somewhere between inexpensive and pricey, depending on what you order and how much you eat and drink. The servers are always helpful and they work as a team; you can ask anyone who walks by for more water (although you probably won't need it because they are good about keeping your glass full) or more breadsticks with your salad (and they won't give you attitude).