It’s the simplest way to carnivorous bliss.

1. One person orders the Baby Back Ribs ($28) and the other the Cheeseburger ($14).
2. Split everything down the middle and share.

Counting drinks (nonstop free refills, seriously, before you finish your drink, you’ll have a fresh one) and tip, this is the best $25 dollars you can spend.

I love BBQ & I love Ribs. Houston’s Ribs really aren’t BBQ though; they’re cooked in the oven, basted, and grilled. In the end, who cares? They’re delicious. The flavor from the spicy, smoky ribs combined with fries dipped in ketchup, is heavenly.

If that’s not enough, the ribs are always tender and falling off the bone.

 I’ve eaten the buttery cheeseburger below at least 50 times. 50 burgers, 50 lip smacking smiles. 50 thoughts of “I wish there was more”.

And the burger is equally tender. It’s served with lettuce, tomato, pickles, chopped onion, mustard, and mayo, but I skip all that. I stick to the classics.

Crumbly, tender, and moist beef always cooked to order and covered with melted cheddar. I recently found out that the patty is painted with a tiny bit of Hickory Sauce for some smoky flavor. Needless to say, I’m not complaining. A thin slice of cabbage rests below the burger patty so it doesn’t soak through the bun. Its presence goes undetected however, melding perfectly with the buttery egg bun and juicy burger.

The fries are amazing too. Thin, crisp, and amazingly addictive when served piping hot. If they taste like they haven’t been spiced, I implore you to add some salt and pepper because once you do you won’t want your supply of fries to end. Dip them in Houston’s ketchup, Heinz mixed with a touch of honey (surprising, I know), and you’re in business.

I would consider ordering fries as an appetizer if not for the Chicago Style Spinach/Artichoke Dip ($12).

Mounds of Monterey Jack & Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese combine with finely chopped artichoke hearts & spinach to create a molten mass of deliciousness. Served with a bowl of corn chips and two small sides of sour cream and salsa and you’re in for an amazing appetizer. I love alliteration.

I recommend a nice hearty dip in the spinach/artichoke followed by a spoonful of salsa and sour cream. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

And since I’ve run this meal in reverse, entree to appetizer, it would only be fitting to end with on a sweet note with one of the best desserts I’ve ever had.

The Warm 5-Nut Brownie ($8) (previously reviewed by NYC Food Guy) features cashews, walnuts, macadmia nuts, pecans, and peanuts, encased within a warm, moist, and slightly fudgy brownie that strikes the perfect balance between sweet and dark chocolate.

The brownie rests in a pool of decadent champagne custard, the most expensive item in any dish in the entire restaurant. As you scoop through the Sedutto vanilla ice cream, drizzled with caramel espresso sauce, drag your whole bite along the plate, through the custard and just marvel at the knee-buckling harmony of flavors making your palate sing.

Houston’s

3 locations in New York

***Check out more great desserts here***

Fear not if you’re eating at Houston’s, because once you finish your cheesy spinach & artichoke dip, buttery cheeseburger, crispy fries, and fall off the bone BBQ pork ribs, the Warm Five Nut Brownie Sundae which awaits you is a decadent, chocolatey achievement of palatal perfection.

It’s also one of NYC Food Guys all-time favorite desserts.

I know what you’re thinking: “Houston’s is a chain restaurant.” Yes, it is, but it’s more of a high-end chain and respect is due when great food is consistently produced. Let me stop you before you attack the NYC Food Guy for praising a chain when there are so many creative chefs creating unique desserts all over the city. Like Ed Levine, I feel that Houston’s is a great place that deserves a lot of credit for some well executed and delicious food.

Onto the brownie:

A perfectly spherical scoop of Sedutto Vanilla Ice Cream crowns the top of a warm, chocolate brownie with chopped walnuts, pecans, peanuts, macadamia nuts, and one more mystery nut ensconced within its fudgy interior. Ed Levine claims he tastes espresso somewhere in there, but it was subtle enough that I didn’t detect it. It all rests seductively on a pool of champagne custard, which Mr. Levine calls “superfluous”, but NYC Food Guy calls it just plain decadent. The sundae crumbles into the pool of custard as you spoon away at it, each bite soaking up the deliciousness until you find yourself scraping the plate clean.

It’s good to have reliable dining options and Houston’s is NYC Food Guy’s go to. It’s great for a date, a meal with the family, or a stop in just for coffee and dessert. It’s a little on the pricey side ($13 for a cheeseburger, $12 for a salad, $28 for a rack of ribs with fries and slaw) but it’s well worth it for the top notch service, the ambiance, and most of all the consistently delicious food.

Houston’s – 3 locations in New York

378 Park Ave S. Btwn 26th & 27th St
Phone: 212-689-1090

153 E 53rd St At 3rd Ave
Phone: 212-888-3828

Roosevelt Field Mall
Garden City, NY 11530
Phone: 516-873-1454

***Check out more great desserts here***