Houston Pizza review, Regina SK

Originally posted December 9th 2007

After church today we decided to have lunch out due to a busier than normal schedule, so after all the discussion it was agreed that Houston Pizza would be acceptable by everyone.


First impressions;

Now although this is not a specific criteria that will affect the flavour and/or quality of a meal, I still find this an important part of the dining experience and therefore will include it as a part of the review.


Upon arrival we were greeted, and seated, by a pleasant hostess, however she looked as though she was doing far more work than just hostess/waitress, as she almost appeared as if she had been working in the kitchen. Now it's not that I have a problem with being seated by someone from the kitchen; however at the same time the front end staff directly reflects the restaurant as a whole making the experience that of "fine dining" or "cafe cuisine", and my impression at Houston Pizza was that of a Cafe rather than that of a Fine dining establishment (even though it is classified as a "family restaurant" and not fine dining).

The table setting was incomplete at seating, as well the cutlery on 2 settings had food remnants on them that was not taken off by the dishwasher nor checked for by the dish washing or waiting staff.

Service:
The service staff came and took our drink order upon seating, and the server came back for our order shortly after we were ready which was appropriately done which I was pleased with.

I was disappointed in having to "catch" the server to replace a dirty soup spoon upon my starter's arrival, and it was equally annoying to do the same whenever I required a refill on my beverage.

The Food;
The menu offered far more than Pizza, Pasta and Burgers, having more elaborate dishes like Swordfish, Gyros, Souvlaki and Steaks and Seafood.

My selection for lunch was a simple enough "English style fish and chips". Now I have had this at other establishments that have made it fresh, and from scratch, and it can be incredibly satisfying, however this was not the case at Houston Pizza. The fish's batter was not what one would expect from true "English style" fish and chips; the batter was plastered to the fish making it one with the fish it surrounded making the combination heavy and dense, and what I expected was a batter that lightly enveloped the fish to retain it's moisture rather than to overwhelm the delicate fillet. It was similar to what you might have achieved at home with a frozen meal from a supermarket. The "chips" were standard French fries, and were quite soggy having been served with the fish placed on top of them.

This meal could have been easily duplicated at home with frozen supermarket items for far less expense yet with equal results.

Overall experience;
The staff was pleasant and courteous, however I found them lacking in table attentiveness regarding both service and cleanliness. Our meals were adequate to fill the basic requirement, but as a dining experience Houston Pizza lacked in all aspects in which they attempted to achieve if they are looking to be a quality Family dining establishment.


In a nutshell I can tell you that what we got was upscale prices for average quality.


May all your meals be dine-o-mite.
Bob