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External photo - The Federal Grill - Downtown, Houston, TX

The Federal Grill - Downtown

4.6 (211)
$30 and under
American
1221 McKinney St ste g100, Houston, TX 77010-2011

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 23 times today

About this restaurant

  • Lively
  • Great for happy hour
  • Good for special occasions
Dress Up or Dress Down. A Bourbon or a Beer. A Ribeye or a Burger. Where precision cooking meets quality ingredients in a tribute to classic American cuisine. Dining experiences are complemented by an exceptional whiskey and cocktail list—the essence of the Federal Experience. This location also will serve lunch, happy hour, and dinner, as well as weekend brunch – and will offer catering to our downtown neighbors. New to this location will be a grab-and-go coffee bar, which will offer pastries, sandwiches, and salads throughout the day – and a variety of locally owned 4WD Coffee drinks.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Comfort Food, Contemporary American
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu 11:00 am–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–11:00 pm Sun 10:00 am–9:00 pm Brunch Sat 11:00 am–3:00 pm Sun 10:00 am–3:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 3:00 pm–7:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive chef
    Matt Brice
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown
  • Cross street
    VALET<br />Mon- Thur 5pm-10pm<br />Fri & Sat 5pm-11pm<br />3 Hrs $10<br
  • Parking details
    Valet
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Offers

  • Social Hour Monday - Friday | 3:00 - 7:00 pm

    Multiple dates available
    Mon - Fri - 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM
    From 3 pm - 7:00 pm every Monday - Friday, experience elevated service at a bargain price! Enjoy $8 Happy Hour Specialty Cocktails along with $6 Liquors including Jack Daniels, Makers Mark, Flor De Cana Rum, Hendricks Gin & many more! Delight in our lively social hour fueled by whiskey, wine, & good times. Stop in for an Old Fashioned, Socialite, or one of our Perfect Margaritas before dinner and you'll realize why we just can't limit these deals to one hour!

    Social Hour Monday - Friday | 3:00 - 7:00 pm Photo

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What 211 people are saying

The Federal Grill - Downtown reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Federal Grill - Downtown offers a vibrant atmosphere with "great food and service" and a "perfect downtown vibe." Guests rave about the "phenomenal food" and "professional service," with standout dishes like the "best French dip" and "delicious seafood." While some reviews mention service hiccups, "amazing from start to finish" experiences abound.
211 Reviews
  1. Jana VIP

    Houston1 review

    2.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    It took while for the food to come out, longer than I have usually experienced. My food came out cold, and the restaurant was freezing. My first bad experience at this location.

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  2. Cara

    Unspecified1 review

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    BEST service in Houston! The food was phenomenal and affordable especially during happy hour 4-7! Our Waiter (wish I could remember his name) was an 11/10. Wish we would have found this place sooner and will definitely return.
    The Federal Grill - DowntownResponded 5 days ago
    Wow—thank you so much! We're honored to be called the BEST service in Houston! So glad you enjoyed the food, happy hour, and your 11/10 server (we’ll do our best to track them down!). We can’t wait to welcome you back again soon!

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  3. Chris

    Houston6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The bartender was nice. He made great drinks and food recommendations. Food was great!
    The Federal Grill - DowntownResponded 5 days ago
    Thanks so much for the kind words! We're glad to hear your bartender took great care of you with awesome drinks and food recs. Happy you enjoyed everything—hope to see you again soon!

    Is this helpful?

  4. Kevin

    Unspecified1 review

    4.0

    Dined on June 30, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    great food and service. only issue as I asked for a standard table online and they first seated us in a high-top in the corner between two other active tables then reseated to a booth which was fine but I wish the instructions were at least acknowledged. thank you
    The Federal Grill - DowntownResponded on July 7, 2025
    Thank you for your kind words about our food and service! We’re sorry for the seating mix-up and appreciate your feedback about the table request. We’ll make sure to improve communication so your preferences are acknowledged promptly next time. We hope to see you again soon!

    Is this helpful?

  5. Robert

    Shreveport4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 29, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I loved Federal Grill. The downtown/city vibe was perfect. The atmosphere is perfect, relaxing with a view onto the hustle and bustle of downtown Houston. Service was very professional. Food was delicious and cooked perfectly. I would definitely go back to try other menu items and I highly recommend it to others
    The Federal Grill - DowntownResponded on July 7, 2025
    Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled you enjoyed the downtown vibe, atmosphere, and professional service. It means a lot that you’d recommend us and plan to try more menu items — we can’t wait to welcome you back soon!

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  6. Greg

    Houston1 review

    4.0

    Dined on June 26, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    I had the blackened mahi tuna and it was delicious. Others had various other seafood dishes and they were good. Our server was a bit preoccupied and I don’t believe it was because the restaurant was so busy he couldn’t be more attentive. The wine was a total bust. I would have expected a better grade of wine for the price that I paid.
    The Federal Grill - DowntownResponded on June 27, 2025
    Thanks for sharing your feedback! We're glad to hear you enjoyed the blackened mahi tuna and the other seafood dishes. We’re sorry your server didn’t seem as attentive as expected, and we’ll make sure to address that. We also appreciate your input on the wine selection — we’ll take that into consideration for future improvements. Hope to have the chance to serve you better next time!

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  7. Britney

    Houston1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing from start to finish! Great service and phenomenal food!
    The Federal Grill - DowntownResponded on June 23, 2025
    So glad to hear it—thank you! We’re thrilled you had an amazing experience.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Sabina

    Houston22 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on June 15, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    Pecan snapper was too dry. Short tib had no taste. Very expensive for unsatisfying dinner for three 240$
    The Federal Grill - DowntownResponded on June 18, 2025
    We’re truly sorry to hear your experience fell short. We always aim to provide great food and value, and it’s clear we missed the mark. Thank you for your honest feedback—it helps us grow. We’d love the chance to make it right if you’re open to reaching out!

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  9. Deena VIP

    Houston7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 4, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everything was great. Michael was a wonderful server.
    The Federal Grill - DowntownResponded on June 12, 2025
    Thank you for your kind words! We’re so glad to hear that everything was great and that Michael took such good care of you. We’ll be sure to pass along your compliments to him. Looking forward to welcoming you back soon!

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  10. Gracie

    Houston1 review

    5.0

    Dined on May 30, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The room we were seated in was a big hit with our guests/interns. Service and food were fantastic. We look forward to our next meeting at Federal Grill.
    The Federal Grill - DowntownResponded on June 2, 2025
    Thank you so much for your review, Gracie! We're thrilled to hear your guests and interns enjoyed the space, and that the service and food made a great impression. We can’t wait to have you back for your next meeting!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Federal Grill - Downtown offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (832) 930-5577.

The Federal Grill - Downtown is rated 4.6 stars by 211 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Houston
  4. Houston
  5. Downtown

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 23 times today
Google Map for The Federal Grill - Downtown

1221 McKinney St ste g100, Houston, TX 77010-2011

Additional information

  • Cross street
    VALET<br />Mon- Thur 5pm-10pm<br />Fri & Sat 5pm-11pm<br />3 Hrs $10<br
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu 11:00 am–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–11:00 pm Sun 10:00 am–9:00 pm Brunch Sat 11:00 am–3:00 pm Sun 10:00 am–3:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 3:00 pm–7:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Comfort Food, Contemporary American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Valet
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Matt Brice
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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