**** Stars out of 5—will definitely return
Legendary Houston restaurateur Roland Laurenzo (oldest son of Momma Ninfa Laurenzo) has created a new restaurant on Washington Avenue in Houston, called Laurenzo’s Grille. Built from scratch to his exacting specifications, Laurenzo’s on Washington adds a touch of class to the Bars & Clubs on Washington Avenue.
“My concept was to build a place for the business people in the area to come and enjoy good food, and for all the people who have recently moved into the area to have a nice date place, in an upscale, but unpretentious and FUN environment,” said owner Roland Laurenzo.
Laurenzo’s has accomplished these goals, in SPADES!
I first went to sample some food and the menu. Since most of the specialties on the menu involved Steaks, Prime Rib, and Gourmet Burgers, our party ordered one of each for sampling purposes.
First up for tasting was the oversized hamburger, served open faced with melted cheese over the top, and the “veggies” laying on the top of the bun. We ordered it medium rare, with some pink in the middle, and it came out just as ordered (always refreshing to know the cooks actually READ the tickets). The large burger was complimented by a hefty side order of fries, though we all thought $12 was a tad high for this, tasty as it was.
Second on our beef lover’s tour was the Prime Rib, which in serving size took up most of the plate on which it was served. DELICIOUS PRIME RIB!!!! I really love Prime Rib, ever since I worked in my first restaurant (not divulging year, LOL) and enjoyed them straight out of the oven.
Again, the cook read the ticket well, as we were served a delicious medium rare hunk of Prime Rib Dinner! The Horseradish Cream Sauce on the side with a Stuffed Baked Potato were the perfect compliments to this dish. Again, the side potato was a bit pricey at $4 extra…………..but the Prime Rib was better with it nearby. I would put the Prime Rib among Houston’s Best Restaurants for portion and quality.
The last meat dish for this trip was the Steak Dinner---again ordered with the Stuffed Baked Potato (I know, I said it was too high, but it was GOOD!). The steak is a CHUNKY nice-sized portion of meat, cooked to medium rare perfection. I REALLY like my meat cooked as ordered, but so few restaurants seem to be able to deliver this seemingly simple thing. The meat was juicy, tender, and a large enough portion that there was no room for dessert.
As we are wont to do, we made another trip to Laurenzo’s after it had been open for about a month. This was a scouting trip for single friends to see what the bar scene was like for Happy Hour at Laurenzo’s Grille. There was a group of girls there that consented to a quick picture for this article, notice also the Large, Flat Screen tv’s that hover behind the all-wooden bar. The bartenders were also friendly, knowledgeable, and fast.
During this trip we had a lighter dinner, featuring the Ahi Tuna Salad and Ahi Tuna Entrée. Interestingly, they had about the same amount of perfectly seared Ahi Tuna, but the salad was a much better deal since the price point was about $4 lower, with MORE food! This Ahi Tuna dish was as good as any tuna we have had from Houston Sushi Restaurants and filled us up.
The décor of wood, booths for more intimate seating, and upscale sports memorabilia on the walls made the restaurant “feel” manly enough for a sports bar, but with the extra details such as large picture windows facing Washington Avenue, the artsy decorations on the support poles, and the EXTRAORDINARY Bathroom décor, made our lady friends very comfortable (not like a stodgy sports bar) was their quote. The selection of wines was also more in tune with an Upscale Restaurant in Houston than a typically more casual place.
Overall, Laurenzo’s Grille is a happy, pleasing place where all will feel comfortable, for Business Meetings, as a Date Place, or as a Happy Hour gathering spot. Also well reviewed by www.B4-U-Eat.com.
HouTXRestaurantExaminer@gmail.com
Moderate Pricing
$10-28 per entrée
Casual Décor & Dress Code
Open 7 days.
4412 Washington Ave
Houston, TX 77007
(713) 880-5111
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