UnderbellyThe food was excellent, butThe food was excellent, but came out of the kitchen in odd courses.... One veg plate , then another with meat dish then another rice dish! I guess I'm not really in step with the tappas style of eating!5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMThe BB's Dining GroupFirst trip for some in our group of 10, repeat for some. All I heard around the table was yumms course after course.5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Birthday DinnerBrought my wife here for her birthday on a Monday night and the place was very busy. We were seated quickly and our waiter promptly arrived to explain the menu to us and give us a thorough explanation about Underbelly and its practices. I had read an online review recommending the Korean lamb and dumplings which we ordered along with the garlic bread. The bread was delicious and the dumplings were hands down fantastic, we're definitely getting those when we return. We also ordered the family style pork roast with veggies which was a very large portion but was very tasty and the meat was very moist. For dessert we ordered the caramel popcorn pot de creme with fried pretzel which also had amazing flavors and textures.5/13/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat foodCreative food that could also be classified as comfort food. A can't miss while in Houston!5/13/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing culinary experienceFantastic food fit for fanatics of fine cuisine. The combinations of flavors were served with attitude, clever style, and good humor. Wait staff was a perfect fit for the family-style grub. Definitely coming back for 'seconds'!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat overallVery relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. The butter biscuits, gulf fish (grouper that day), and tortilla soup all got rave reviews. The acoustics in the dining room are great for having a conversation with others at your table without overhearing others. Our waiter was quite soft spoken, which made him hard to hear at times, but he was very polite, friendly, and timely.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMHow can Underbelly match its hype?With one of the most acclaimed restaurant openings in Houston in recent years, followed by fawning praise from the food press, it would be hard to see how Underbelly could live up to the created expectations. It is as good as they say.
Each of our menu selections was a wonderful dish, with the courses paced perfectly by our waiter, Chris, a man big enough to be an NBA power forward. What is it about big guys named Chris at Underbelly, anyway? The service matched the food throughout the dinner and Chris' food and wine suggestions were as spot on as his professional service.
Favorites included Vietnamese meatballs, a Fried Oyster offering, and a pot de creme dessert. The menu changes daily.5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food. The pork chopGreat food. The pork chop and butcher's cut of day were amazing!5/6/2013 12:00:00 AMDiamond in the RoughMy first time to this restaurant. My supervising attorney brought me to it for a late admin. professional lunch. This is a very nice restaurant. I didn't expect the inside to be as elegant and comfortable with wood, but it was a very nice surprise.5/6/2013 12:00:00 AMUniquely wonderful experienceThis was my second time at Underbelly and I brought a friend for a special "thank you" dinner. She had been here for lunch before. But as we were told, dinner is a very different experience.
Both times, I tried/enjoyed foods I normally would shy away from such as goat meat, etc. We loved the Roasted beets, the Korean braised goat and dumplings, and the Butcher's Cut (steak) which were all amazing. The portion of goat meat was smaller than my last visit, which was disappointing since we were sharing all the dishes. Generous amounts of roasted beets and Butcher's Cut made up for this, however. We ordered the Fried Strawberry pie, but felt it should have contained more strawberry filling. The crust was wonderful, we just wanted more berries.5/6/2013 12:00:00 AMThree thumbs up !Not pretentious, relaxing atmosphere, great staff, superb food !5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMUnderbellyVery interesting place, good service and unique food.5/1/2013 12:00:00 AMThe Underbelly dining experienceThe Underbelly dining experience was unique and different with excellent food and wines. The only negative was the restaurant noise level was on the high or "energetic" side.5/1/2013 12:00:00 AMSolid ExperienceWe ordered three plates when my boyfriend and I went to Underbelly. We had the braised goat and dumplings, the seared flank steak with rice and vegetables, and the butchers cut which was pork neck that night. The goat was amazing. A small portion, but extremely full of flavor. The seared flank was a miss. The flank itself as well as the cauliflower in this dish were amazing but scarce. There was too much rice so the flavors were lost in it. We ended up eating the few pieces of steak that we did get, and ended up leaving most of the rice. The butchers cut was amazing. It was seared and seasoned very well, and the brussels sprouts were great! Overall it was a good, solid experience.5/1/2013 12:00:00 AMA Great Find!We had heard great things about Underbelly and been wanting to try it so we had a date nite last Wednesday (5/1/13). The hostesses were delightful upon arrival. We asked for a specific waiter, Kyle (highly recommend him), and were informed of a 45 min wait to be seated with him. We elected to wait, so went into the small wine bar to wait which has a comfy atmosphere and a very nice selection of wines. The bar staff was friendly and knowledgeable about their offerings. Once seated, the dinner was wonderful. It is served family style and the atmosphere is actually rather casual for such upscale food. Service was wonderful and all the staff was very helpful and attentive from the floor managers to the bus staff. Definite do again!!5/1/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was great. Beets wereFood was great. Beets were perfectly cooked! The grouper was awesome... Skin was perfectly crispy. We were worried that the family style wagyu pot roast wouldn't be very big but it was enough to feed at least three people. I can't wait to go back and try more!4/29/2013 12:00:00 AMOur waitress was awesome.Our waitress was awesome. She gave us just the right amount of attention and was very knowledgeable about the menu. Underbelly is an awesome dining experience.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMOriginally the menu threwOriginally the menu threw me off, but once I arrived and felt the good juju and smelled the food I was hooked! The pork chop special was to die for and the savory onion bread pudding that accompanied it was amazing. The flash fried vegetables should be a must for everyone! There were 7 people in our party and we all ordered different items so we could taste a little bit of everything. Save room for dessert because the caramel pop corn creme de pot is absolutley magnificent. Please, please, please check out this amazing restaurant, the food is brilliant and so is the service!4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways a seasonal and freshAlways a seasonal and fresh variety of dishes. Delicious!4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMWORTH ITBeing a graduate of Paris' Cordon Bleu, I was very interested in Underbelly. I was not let down. The food was excellent,
The wines were moderately priced and paired well with the food.
The wagyu carpaccio was melt in your mouth delicious.
The Korean braised goat and dumplings addictive. I will be back.4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMShared 4 small plates; KoreanShared 4 small plates; Korean braised goat with dumplings, Vietnamese meatballs, crispy veggies and fried oysters. Outstanding variety of flavors, textures and aromas. Dessert was the fried strawberry pie (think empanada) and a custard with a pretzel and vanilla ice cream on top. First time I experienced salt on a dessert which really brings out the sweetness and nice contrast to the saltiness. Waiter Dennis suggested a very nice Tempranillo wine that worked well with all plates.4/25/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had a great time at Underbelly.We had a great time at Underbelly. It is an elegant, nice place. But, it also had a casual feel so that we were totally comfortable and relaxed. The server knew we were celebrating a birthday (I had made a note when I got reservations) and he took EXCELLENT care of us. He picked out the perfect beers for us. All the food we got was delicious. Our favorite dish was probably the steak. Also would recommend the pulled pork belly- best part was the sauce! We also got dessert which is 100% worth saving room for. Of course the food was amazing, but we really enjoyed the service and atmosphere which really made our night great. Absolutely deserving of 5 stars; we will be back & recommending to others.4/24/2013 12:00:00 AMOne of Houston's best! WeOne of Houston's best! We eat at a lot of restaurants and are often let down by the ones that are rated the best at something. Not the case here; Underbelly was fantastic.4/22/2013 12:00:00 AMHusband and I went there withHusband and I went there with our daughter and son-in-law. Loved everything we had, especially the tile fish. It was very fresh tasting and had a wonderful sauce on it. We weren't too crazy about the dumplings that came with one of the pork dishes. It was a very small portion compared to the rest of the meal. We ordered the pork roast as our main entree and it was very good. We never felt rushed and could have stayed longer if it wasn't a work night. This is definitely a place to go for a special occasion. We had one bottle of wine and the total bill came to $200.4/22/2013 12:00:00 AMDefinitely an outstandingDefinitely an outstanding experience. Little pricey, but it is hard to find that type of comfort fusion anywhere (in the country!). Makes you want to go back just to see what else the chef comes up with...4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMLoved everything except theLoved everything except the noise. Conversation had to be shouted.
Will try for lunch to see if it's quieter then.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMUnderbelly is undoubtedlyUnderbelly is undoubtedly one of the most exciting restaurants in the Houston culinary scene. The restaurant is not too fancy where you have to follow a dress code, and the atmosphere and service is far from intimidating. Excellent service! Chris, the owner/chef is a personable and gracious person who also happens to be an excellent chef!4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMDelicious, fun, loudUnderbelly is a unique restaurant that is definitely worth a visit. The food is excellent, and it is particularly fun to share with a small group of friends. It is not ideal for a romantic occasion, however, as it is extremely noisy and crowded. I had a ton of fun there!4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMFantastic food that is freshFantastic food that is fresh by using local grown products. Wine list was extensive and moderately priced. Excellent service.4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat FoodChef Shepherd knows what he is doing. Great food & team-4/17/2013 12:00:00 AMCould have been better....This is a place to go if you want to share food and the tab. Don't expect to order individually. It won't work out well. That said, the food is well prepared and tastes great! One of the dishes we got was the family pot roast dinner. It was very flavorful and unique. However, the meat was tough. Another person got the crab salad. it looked wonderful. Also, the food was delivered at different times to different people because we ordered individually. This was very annoying. We did get lots of help from our waiter/chef. I think with the right mind set and big enough wallets, it could have been very enjoyable.4/16/2013 12:00:00 AMVery impressive - excellentVery impressive - excellent food preparation and great service as well.4/16/2013 12:00:00 AMKorean braised goat was good,Korean braised goat was good, but portion was small for $12. Bucatini was boring/bland. Steak/frites had exceptional steak and ho-hum frites. Caramel popcorn pot de creme was good, but beet panna cotta was nothing special. Service was okay -- a bit slow -- waiter was more interested in the pretty blond than us. The ambiance is nice and casual. Overall a good place which we will try again.4/15/2013 12:00:00 AMThe dedication to local ingredientsThe dedication to local ingredients is a big plus (beer feed cattle raised in Rosenberg and gulf oysters and grouper are prime examples). The nod to international cuisine is eclectic and tastefully done, but really can't compete with a good noodle shop, korean bbq or thai curry shop in either authenticity or price. The wine list was original - small label stuff which was great. Enjoyed a brunello and a haute medoc, neither of which I've had before. Service was stellar with friendly knowledgeable staff. Would have loved a martini, but alas, no bar. Every foodie in Texas should try Underbelly though. Very original and imaginative.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMFantastic and VariedEverything we ordered at Underbelly was fantastic. The bibimbap was delicious, the braised goat was fantastic, but the pork chop was incredible, if it's available (the menu changes regularly) I can't recommend it high enough!4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMUnderbelly really lives upUnderbelly really lives up to its reputation. I highly recommend the goat and dumplings, their signature dish. Their desserts are absolutely to die for, but the best by far is the caramel popcorn pretzel dish. Enjoyed the wine pairing suggested by our waiter. They seem very knowledgeable about all the dishes and wines, so look to them for guidance if you want any!4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMDefinitely lived up to theDefinitely lived up to the hype! Great food and very good service. Menu was varied and inventive. Will be back to try the goat and dumplings!4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMThe prices relative to theThe prices relative to the extremely small portion sizes is simply not worth it (like $12 for 3 meatballs). This ended up being our appetizer (nearly a $50 appetizer) and we went to Hard Rock Cafe for our entrees. The parking is also horrible.4/11/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was amazing. A differentFood was amazing. A different dining experience. Wait staff was knowledgable and attentive. Reservations are a must. It was packed on a Wed. Night4/10/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food, great wine.noisyGreat food, great wine.noisy with not much atmosphere, though.4/10/2013 12:00:00 AMThe shrimp salad was excellent.....The shrimp salad was excellent.....neither drowned with dressing nor under dressed. Our party of 4 was not rushed as we celebrated one's birthday and chatted at length after dining.4/9/2013 12:00:00 AMUnderbellyAmazing meal to celebrate my husband's birthday! Chris Sheperd was just recogonized as one of the best new chefs in the USA - and it is well deserved! Korean goat dumpling dish (a house specialty) was wonderful, as was my husband's wagyu beef and bocatini and my strawberry sald...and the vinegar pie with salt brittle (don't knock it until you try it) was a very lovely sweet/tart/salty end to our meal. My grandmother used to make vinegar pie and I haven't had it since she passed away 30 years ago. I have to say Chris' version was better!4/9/2013 12:00:00 AMThis is simply a fantasticThis is simply a fantastic restaurant. We ordered four dishes for our group of four and passed everything around. Had an extremely nice reasonably priced bottle of Cabernet that was suggested by our waiter, who, incidentally was very knowledgeable and efficient.4/4/2013 12:00:00 AMReally good!The food is both fun and good. Relaxed atmosphere, good service, and really good, imaginative dishes. Love it!4/4/2013 12:00:00 AMUnderbelly was highly praisedUnderbelly was highly praised and we wanted to try it. The menu is somewhat unusual: three choices for groups of 4 or more, then smaller plates--no appetizers, entrees, etc. We were skeptical but the food and service soon won us over. The seared snapper was awesome; the pork belly divine; the Wagyu skewers were delicious; and the Vietnamese meatballs lovely. Those four small plates constituted more than a meal for two. Plus, you can bring your own wine! All of that, and Emily's great service, makes us want to return soon.4/3/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing food and service!!Amazing food and service!! The signature goat and dumplings dish is incredible. The biscuit with chicken gravy is a MUST!4/2/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat service our waitressGreat service our waitress had an amazing knowledge of the menu and knew how to pair dishes together well so that the tastes offered were spectacular. The food was really good but about half the menu is for the more adventurous eater so be warned.3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMVery pricey for the size portionsVery pricey for the size portions but we knew that going in. The food was great-very imaginative. I didn't get the "Texas flavor" tho. A lot of Korean influence.
Vinegar pie was amazing!3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMFood and service were fabulous.Food and service were fabulous. Absolutely the best steak I have ever had, as was the goat dumplings and vinegar pie (who would have thought that would be so delicious?).3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMMmmmmGreat service. Wine recommendation was spot on. Food was delicious and executed perfectly.3/29/2013 12:00:00 AM