Raven Grill
This entry was posted on 8/6/2008 7:36 PM and is filed under New American Casual, Old Reliables, Casual Chic - Jeans Allowed.
As close as you get to a neighborhood restaurant for the Southampton-West U crowd, Raven Grill has been steadily busy since it first opened. Nothing about the food dazzles, but it's consistently good, with a large variety of options served in a comfortable, casual setting. And Bill Clinton lunched here on a recent swing through Houston. Although it's a toss up who is more of a celebrity -- Bill or the Raven Grill's resident chicken. The chicken would likely get more votes, particularly if he ran on a "Stop Ashby High Rise" platform. We drove by the other day and saw someone rush out to scoop up the chicken who had waddled dangerously near the street curb. Move over Secret Service.
The large menu leans toward comfort food -- everything from grilled fish and steaks to sandwiches to salads. Not to mention Mexican plates. Nightly specials include meat loaf and chicken fried steak. Unless you just ate Thanksgiving dinner, you'll find something to your liking on this menu. On a recent visit, a group of us enjoyed the pecan crusted chicken breast, the hamburger, and the flautas. One of us has fond feelings for Raven Grill's hamburger, finding the patty generously portioned, with a choice of wheat or onion bun. The roasted sweet potato wedges were a nice option to fries, although the hamburger eater found the substitution only yielded 3 wedges, a sacrifice for the sake of health. The pecan crusted chicken breast had a nice overall flavor but nothing about which to write home to mom. (Unless you count the fact that Mom reads this blog.) On prior visits, the fried oysters were crisp and tasty. Prices are quite affordable. The burger with fries is only $6.95. There's a low key bar area, but also a kids menu. Sunday brunch is served. Attire is museum area casual.
1916 Bissonnet
713/521-2027
http://www.theravengrill.com/
