Riel Restaurant
Globally Inspired Gulf Coast Cuisine.
Riel is a modern American restaurant in Houston, Texas led by Executive Chef, co-owner and Manitoba-native Ryan Lachaine. Dedicated to sourcing the highest quality seasonal ingredients, Riel is about highlighting local flavors, utilizing regionally-sourced products and allowing room for interpretation. Inspiration for the menu is pulled from the culinary landscape of Texas’ gulf coast, Lachaine's Ukrainian heritage and French-Canadian fare.
Beverage program showcases small production wines, craft beer, seasonally inspired cocktails and a full bar.
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Popular dishes
Tempura Cauliflower
kimchi hot sauce
23 reviews
Hanger Steak
potato & cheddar pierogi, green beans, horseradish cream
17 reviews
Fried Rice
chinese sausage, shrimp, egg yolk, ginger
4 reviews
Back in the saddle. Great flavors.
The food was, as always, absolutely over the top outstandingly delicious. The chef is world class. The service was also, as always, absolutely stupendous… Excellent in every way.
However, we were seated next to a table with 2 male and female couples, the 2 men of which were absolutely obnoxious individuals, with no sense of socially acceptable behavior. They were loud and obnoxious, and were three sheets to the wind inebriated. It appears as though they arrived in a state of drunkenness. That being said, the noise level and foul language reminded me of my time spent in the locker room of a rugby team. They were actually yelling as though they were in a sports bar. And when I say yelling, I mean at the very top of their lungs. It was an unmatched experience of inappropriate behavior at a restaurant known for fine dining.
We will, however, return to Riel. I realize times are tough, and that the restaurant needs to make money… However I would’ve expected at least a 25 to 35% reduction in our tab given that that management expressed concerns as we were leaving about the guests who were out of control. That being said, there was no remuneration for our suffering. And suffering it was!
As a word of advice to Reil management, I would suggest disciplining your guests when they are causing a social disturbance. If their parents did not teach them respect, then it is our responsibility as business owners and members of the community to put people in their place when it’s called for. It’s called social responsibility.
We had an amazing meal! The food and cocktails were outstanding.
Delicious food and great service!!
Back open and still superb! Try everything!
Four of us found the food outstanding. Only blemish was needing to wait fo 45 minutes for our booked table. However, recommend the restaurant for its great variety of food.
The food was amazing, the place was a little noisy but overall had a wonderful experience
I love the food, staff and ambience!
Lovely ambiance, warm and friendly personnel, interesting and delicious food choices.
First time going to riel and it was delicious
Great place off the beaten path in a cute neighborhood.
We went here for my girlfriend’s birthday as a party of 4. Despite a reservation we had to wait over an hour to get a table. This seemed to be because people were late to earlier reservations and then were not leaving. We were pretty unhappy especially since it did alter the plans for the later part of the evening. Anyways, the Riel team did make it right by giving us our whole meal and drinks for free and a gift card for my girlfriend’s birthday. As usual outstanding food and service.
Wonderful, creative menu with fresh ingredients. We loved everything including the cocktails, oysters, tempura cauliflower, empanadas, pork belly and hangar steak. Wonderful place to celebrate my wife's birthday.
Food was average at best
Food was amazing but it was really cold in the space. Also we ordered coffee and asked for the dessert menu but they never came. We sat for a long time waiting with no one circling back. It was odd. After a while we Got our check and decided to go elsewhere for dessert. That was super disappointing given we returned because our first time there the service was exceptional
Amazing as always. The food is always delicious and the cocktails were spot on. I never have a bad time here!
The evening started at the bar with cocktails that really set the stage for a great evening. The maple Old Fashioned was outstanding, as was the extensive whisky collection. Dinner was sharable and again, great. We had the cornbread with jelly (sounds basic, but really delicious), the Borscht soup, and the amazing porkbelly. The main courses were made up of the airline chicken and the outstanding steak, that was so perfectly seared we are still talking about it. Dessert was the chocolate cake with popcorn (weird but fantastic). The service was lovely, and the only critic was that it was loud, cue to the lack of carpet on the floors. I know this is a modern approach, but a quiet ambience would have made this place perfect.
First time dining at Riel. We had the bone marrow and the mushroom empanadas to start. All I can say is yum! After that we had the tempura cauliflower and finally the fish of the day which was snapper. It was perfectly prepared and very tasty. We'll be back. Loved the vibe of the restaurant.
The hostess was unfriendly and dismissive. Despite making a reservation, we still had to wait half an hour to be seated. When we asked for an ETA, the hostess replied with, “How can I estimate how much longer people want to enjoy their meals?” The portions were ridiculously small and didn’t live up the quality the restaurant claims. It was a huge disappointment
The place was nice. Staff were welcoming. Food was super delicious! Loved it! Will definitely go again. They are baby friendly! :)
It was way too expensive for the amount of food you get, and the eggplant sauce sort of tasted like chef boyardee quality
While the food was delicious, it was because it was either fried or soaked in butter. I would love to see them become more creative and use spice and healthy fats to expand what they offer
Food/ service could not have been any better. Shout out to Derek.
Amazing food, great ambiance.
We were greeted and seated promptly. The menu is not extensive but it's all very good. Our server, Derrick was someone who we knew from the late, great "The Pass" restaurant. He's great. Knowledgeable and quietly confident in his recommendations. We had a wonderful meal.
We have been to Riel a few times now, and really enjoy the food. Consistently good. We invited our friends to join us, and they agreed the food was excellent. The eggplant dish with Soba noodles is truly differentiated and amazing, and many folks all say they hope this dish stays on the menu forever. The hanger steak and mushroom empanadas are also very good. The only items we didn't love was the icebox chocolate cake, but the other desserts we tried were good.
Absolutely loved our meal and the recommendations from the staff. However the noise level is very loud, which makes it hard to have a conversation, even for a table of two. Acoustics are not great, low warehouse type ceilings, concrete floors, therefore, no sound buffers. But food was outstanding!
The food that arrived was cold did inform the server and she comped one dessert .
LOVE IT HERE!!!!!!
Waitstaff was really excellent. The food was top notch and different, so that made it a wonderful experience. We hope to return again.
It is a good restaurant but not exceptional. Food was very good. One issue I have is that their website says they have a happy hour during the time I was there however when I asked about it, the response was that they don’t have it.
Delicious and imaginative menu. A very kind and generous server. We will be back! #pierogisforever
A little disappointed in the portion sizes. And the food lacked flavor.
Anniversary
Great eats! Excellent service.
Highly recommend Riel Restaurant to anyone looking for great food with an update atmosphere. Everything we ate was delicious - empanadas, oysters, and redfish. We will definitely go back soon.
Great food and service, but due to size of restaurant and maximum tables, it was hard to visit with friends during dinner. Food was inventive and served perfectly. We will definitely go again.
Love, love, love Riel!! One of our go to spots!
Outstanding Service and appetizers were delicious with the exception of briskets(big turnoff)... again outstanding service all the way around but felt menu wasn’t deep enough and needed more Main Entre variety.
Food is consistently good. Service is friendly without being obtrusive.
FAQs
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Riel Restaurant is rated 4.7 stars by 608 OpenTable diners.