The Tasting Room

I am so disappointed to rate this place as low as possible, because one person should not completely ruin my impression of the place, but the person waiting on us started out great, and wound up being a real problem. I’m disappointed to say I saved our ticket because it had his name on it (Connor, I think), but I cannot find the receipt now. Anyway, we walk in and ask recommendations for a tasty Red blend, and he says, I have just what you want! AND, he was right — we drank two glasses of Last Judgement — delicious. When he saw we liked it, we likened it a very good wine we had just had, «Cuttings» by Prisoner Wineries. He agreed they were similar, so we asked if he had Cuttings — he took 10 – 15 minutes to check, and reported they carried Prisoner Wines, but had no bottles left. He than began to bargain with us about the wine we were drinking. At first he said he could make us really good deal on take-​out wine, but he would have to talk to his manager. THIRTY minutes went by with no further offers of wine to drink, so we were ready to go and only wanted to pay our tab at this point. THEN, he finally comes back and says they found a case of Prisoner wine (not «Cuttings») and says his manager will give us a FREE case of the wine we were drinking (Last Judgement), if we would pay $ 500 for the case of Prisoner wine that was suddenly found. I just had to say, give us our tab dude — we need to go! Won’t be back, would never recommend!!!

One could be bowled over by the impressive stock of wines in the bins as one walks in the door but we found the wines by the glass on menu is a much smaller selection. If by chance, there is a glass of wine you enjoyed do not necessarily expect that the wine by the bottle is available for purchase. Perhaps arriving early afternoon is not ideal for the wait staff but the listed menu could not necessarily be fulfilled either, suggesting «return after 3PM for all of the items to be available». The décor is rough but not pretentious with inside or outside tables available. The wait staff was exceptionally polite and accommodating. Having an upscale wine bar in the downtown neighborhood would be elegant if the wines and the menu matched the printed menus and façade of the bottle bins.

First time visit came for Mother’s Day buffet Brunch
Completely underwhelming! There was NO BEEF offered
No meat offered in Omelette station or egg whites offered as an option
Our reservation was @ 1 the dessert table only offered 2 choices dry brownies & average chocolate cupcake even though signage claimed assorted cupcakes & cookies
Service was very SLOW even though it wasn’t busy
Won’t feel the need to come back
If you want a GREAT BUFFET BRUNCH buy a plane ticket & have an amazing brunch @ the Camelback Inn in Scottsdale, AZ

Usually super happy to come bere. Tonight, barely crowded, I took a seat outside and was mainly ignored. I had to ask for a drink, despite other patrons around me being served. Was it because I was only wearing jeans and not heels and short shorts? Or because I was alone? Unknown, but a terrible experience. Tighten up TTR.

Haven’t been here in a while, but I realize why now since my last visit. Service is lacking. Perhaps they were understaffed. Food was alright. No real incentive to return. my friend used to go often, but she too had not been in some time. I think our last experience did not do much to change our mind. Meh!

The Tasting Room is all over the board here… Ratings of 1* to 5*
I was in town for work last week and we stopped in here about 8:00pm
Greeting upon walking in 1*. Ugghhh Stood there at Hostess (empty) stand for 5 minutes. No one noticed or said a word (And no sign that said seat yourself). After I grabbed a bartender they informed me to just pick a table…
Service 1*/3* how do you two ratings you may ask… Remember the front door wait, well here we go again another uuggghhh.
I had to get up and grab a server to get service 1*
He service was fine once we got hold of him 3*
Food 2* had the mushroom pizza. Nothing to write home about.
Wine Selection 4* I did like the wine selection, but would agree with others that the pricing was a little high.
Atmosphere 5* Great Location and loved the inside bar area and the outdoor ambience. We sat outside.
I will go back, but try them at happy hour and see how things stack up then.

Pretty good. Great location. I love that you can park curbside and be seated literally right as you walk up.
Service is pretty good and staff is friendly. I do like that they do their very best to accommodate you with your wine preferences. They will bring you more bottle samples (if they are already opened) if you are unsure.
We had the pepperoni pizza. Very cheesy and delicious. I shared this with 2 friends. I bought those waffle fries but that was s waste of $ 11 to me. Basic and sprinkled cheese on there to make it sound «exceptional» or something. Those should be like $ 5.
I’ll still return for the wine and atmosphere.

I love this location of the tasting room! It’s a great spot to go to in the evening during the week/​weekend for a bottle of wine and a bite. I love the pizza and calamari here! The service isn’t always that great, but it’s still a good time.

What a great spot to mingle with your pals or your «sig o». My first visit to this location last week was for a little reception thrown by my cousin’s firm. They set us up in the back corner which gave us a little area for us to kind of take over without having to bump into neighboring parties. The spread was nice and they kept the food and drinks coming.
Pull up to the valet if you’re not in the mood to walk because the valet takes up most of the closer-​by parking. There is also street parking available but you’d have to get lucky as those are a hot commodity and very difficult to come by when the place is hopping and/​or neighboring businesses are open.
The crowd is not limited to a particular set/​type of people but you will definitely see a lot of businessmen here after work and they’re dressed nicely. You needn’t dress up or anything but it’s not a bad idea dress like you want to be seen. Too, this area draws a lot of more well-​to– do shoppers so, as a byproduct, expect that a place like The Tasting Room would be a location of interest for their post-​shopping refreshment and refueling.
We didn’t order any entrees since we noshed on a variety of finger foods which were all pretty decent. Nothing wowed me nor did anything disappoint me, in all honesty.
The back room was occupied by a gathering of local CFO’s and we were just outside of that room. The only drawback to our location was that we were located just en route to the restrooms so we did have folks constantly walking by. It wasn’t a major bother but we did have a little logjam from time to time as folks tried to navigate thru our group in order to hit the baño. On the upside, it wasn’t as though any unpleasant «aromas» wafted over to where we were (thank God!).

In town for business and my BFF invites me to this place, which I knew it was going to be great as every single place she takes me to in Houston is amazing. So we get here the place has an incredible energy, it is packed, live music playing, friendly and awesome staff, service was excellent! Food was really, really good and it I was surprised that food made it in a timely manner even when the place was as busy as it was. My friend has some food allergies and they were able to accommodate her order in a very smooth way, we were really surprised in a very good way! We had pizza and later on the mussels and both dishes were delicious! Highly recommended, and yes of course we will be back!

We just had a semi-​private event here and it was perfect! Ryan was here the whole time and was so kindly aware of my budget. He let me know when we were about $ 100 away from our target budget. I appreciated him being so thoughtful and attentive the entire time! Thanks Ryan and the tasting room for an incredible event!

I’ve been coming here for years and have always loved the staff, sometimes the food, and never disappointed with the interesting customers. I recently visited and tasted some of the new food offerings from the new exec chef Jonald. It was excellent! He brings a fresh fusion of flavors and style to the menu. I also appreciate that management has been move around and Jason McCain is now the GM. Customer service will always be a top priority. Rumor has it that they will soon offer a full bar!!! Enjoy!

Nice patio for the area that this is in, but unless it’s happy hour, the prices will not make you happy. Glasses of wine are typically around $ 10 each regular price.
I tried the skirt steak entrée which had some of the toughest steak I’ve ever had. Very chewy even though it was cooked medium. The steak portion itself was about 7 small slivers of meat. The entrée came with French fries which were hot and delicious, and also a «kale» salad which was just spinach with a ton of red onions in the corner of the plate.
I would opt for the meat AND cheese plate instead of just the cheese plate since 6 small pieces of cheese wasn’t hardy enough for me.
The house Pinot Grigio was well balanced between dry and sweet, but was not worth $ 10/​glass in my opinion.
Bottom line: Come here for the atmosphere or service because both were great, but not so much for the food/​drinks unless it’s happy hour.
**dogs are allowed on patio**

I don’t like this place but went cause a girlfriend had suggested it. We ordered food. The pizza was disgusting. I sent it back. The manger was very kind and gracious which I appreciated and brought me a new pizza and did not charge for it. The food used to be good. I should have just passed on the plans cause I really don’t like the place at all. You can smell all the cigarette and cigar smoke inside from the outside. I just cannot deal with that. Again, the manager was gracious but I just do not like this place.

A good friend took me to The Tasting Room while I was visiting Houston. I really enjoyed myself. Nice adult atmophere, very good selection of wine, and tasty dining menu. I a chocolate brownie with my cabernet and I was in heaven.

What happened? TTR used to be a good lunch spot but they changed the menu and charge $ 14 for a chicken salad sandwich… really? Not as crowded at lunch as it used to be due to prices.

TT R has a great wine selection. I always find something that I like. I enjoy both red and white, this time I had a Riesling. It was awesome! I also have the nutella brownie. I’m not a huge chocolate fan but this was to die for.

For the Galleria area, the Tasting Room remains one of my go-​to spots to catch up with friends. I can always count on a good time along with a glass or bottle of vino here no matter the occasion. Being located in a shopping center, plenty of parking is available and because of its location and clientele, you get to scope out fancy, luxury cars as you walk across the parking lot. On weekends, you can expect to hear live music too!
My gf and I chose to meet up here while we were both in town for the holidays. For a Saturday evening, we got pretty lucky with front row parking, right by the entrance. We knew it was a good start to the beginning of a great evening. With the colder weather, we opted to forgo the outdoor patio and seat ourselves closest to the vino at the bar! The bar is always fun for people watching (especially when a few of them have had too much vino and attempt to make contact with other patrons there by using very corny pickup lines).
The atmosphere was lively and upscale, as is the norm for this location. The interior is dimly lit and is a nice spot to have a drink before a dinner date. We ordered a couple of glasses of wine and a meat and cheese platter. I have tried different food items on past visits and have enjoyed the food and this particular visit was no different. Meat and cheese platters have been fresh and tasty. Hot food is made to order in the kitchen and comes out perfectly cooked. The pizza and truffle fries are some of my favorites. To get the most bang for your buck, I do recommend sharing a bottle of vino since the prices for vino by the glass are steep. If you’re unsure about what wines to order, the staff are knowledgeable and helpful in giving suggestions and letting you sample different wines.
The Tasting Room continues to deliver quality food and wine with stellar customer service. Despite it being busy night on the weekend, the staff were very courteous and hospitable, and we felt very welcomed during our visit. I would definitely come back again to enjoy vino with my friends.

My boyfriend and I come here from time to time to enjoy a glass of wine together. I really like the dim light atmosphere and the live music. The ambiance is really romantic and it’s a nice place to go and people watch or to just enjoy a night out.
They have a large selection of wines to choose from, but most of them are offered by the bottle. I usually get me a glass because my boyfriend and I have totally different tastes in wine.

Great atmosphere, especially on the weekends when they have bands. Food is good and good quality. I’ve really enjoyed their events. Great wine selection and they offer different wines then your everyday wines that you know. Love the tuna!

Thursday Night Lights! Oh yeah!
Thursday night is definitely the night to see & be seen at this fun & funky establishment. They have great live music, which makes for a FUNtastic night of dancing. The bands are awesome, especially the one tonight. Oh my god, they’re playing Prince!!!
Another cool draw is the frozen sangria — oh so yummy!
The food is delicious. I’ve had tons of different items, including pizza, stuffed shells, kabobs and more. The only real disappointment were the meatballs. However, the stuffed shells are to die for. Trying something different tonight (pork & chips), which is pork medallions, jasmine rice & plantains. Wish me luck!
One last thing… If you’re single & like classy men, you might want to come here. I have never been here & not been approached by someone :)
UPDATE: The pork was way too salty. Tonight’s dish was not a winner. Thank goodness for the frozen Sangria…

The service at this location was terrible! It took forever to get waited. The waiter never came back to check on us. We had to go hunt him down for our bill. In city with so many options of wine bars and everything else, bad customer service is unacceptable if you want your business to survive. Put that advice in your smelly cigar and smoke it!!!

My husband love coming into the city and when we do we always stop at The Tasting Room! Love the atmosphere and the happy hour! We have always had great service and our servers have always been very knowledgable which is so important I think when it comes to wine!

This place is terrible. The service is awful. The wines are mediocre and they don’t let the reds breath before serving them. They don’t take reservations yet all the larger tables are reserved which relegates all larger parties to the patio with the smokers. Good luck getting served and you have to beg for the bill. Go to Sonoma instead. Avoid this mess of a wine bar.

Service was horrible. Was there 3.5 hours and had to practically beg for service. Food menu was limited and waiter had limited recommendations. In regards to some of the wines, Shawn stated «they all taste the same» in relation to the malbecs. Seriously? No apologies for the seriously heavy residue left by one of our selections, leaving nearly an ounce undrinkable. Would have liked to had a nice night trying several wines with our group, but the poor service wouldn’t allow it. Very disappointed.

TTR Uptown is good — solid music when live music isn’t playing, heaters on the patio in the colder Houston weather, and a really good HH ($ 5 menus and half priced menu). But honestly, I feel like I always get treated a little differently when I come here by myself to enjoy a glass (bottle) of wine, my Kindle, the weather, and people watching. Is it that strange that a single woman would be here alone? Do you have to give me the judgey eyes when I tell you I don’t need two glasses of water (honestly, I don’t need the first glass. Yes, I’m trying to get a buzz)? Other than that, no complaints. I really like this place, the food menu, and the wines :-) Though HH could go past 6 pm and do something on the weekends!

So! This experience started off bad. Our waitress had a bad attitude. She took forever to come back to the table and she kept rushing us when she did stop by the table. When our food came out my friends skewers were cold and my chicken was dry… But on the up side. Cody (the manager) saved the day.
When my friend mentioned her food was cold and we were waiting 30 minutes to place a drink order he came right out with our drinks and took care of coast of her food and our drinks.
Overall, I like this place. The vibe, live music and some of the food was good. I’m willing to give the place a second try.

This is a very nice place to kill some time. Food is great, pizza amazing. They have live music on thursday eve. It’s a nice place to bring your special one. If you are in Houston on business don’t miss this place. If you live in Houston, plan to became a regular. Also free parking. Amazing.

Pros: Huge selection of wines. Superb patio to sit by but its right next to the road so at times isn’t all that great.
Cons: Getting to it after work can be tricky as 610 can get chocked. The food isn’t impressive at all. They don’t serve any hard liquor.

{: HRW Dinner :}
Group of four for dinner on a Wednesday. Promptly sat for 6:00pm reservations. 3 of us ordered off the HRW menu to try everything (minus the tabbouleh) and checked-​in for the free pizza w/​purchase of second one. Apparently the waitstaff and managers were unaware of the check-​in offer on Unilocal.It was an ordeal while ordering and before getting the bill.
Food wise everything was decent but the stand outs were the grilled stacker, pork chop, and the standard pizza w/​broken meatballs. The beef tenderloin was cooked to medium, seasoned well, and a good starter. The pork chop was also seasoned well while being tender and juicy. The salmon and chicken were overcooked. All desserts were ok. I didn’t know there was whipped cream w/​a side of crème brûlée on the menu. They went little over board with that. Wasn’t able to try the chocolate cake due to oven problems but quickly substituted that for a brownie.
Overall a good dinner. Nice atmosphere and abundance of wine. A plus having live music starting around 7:30.
***TTR took off the free pizza offer days after the debacle***

I came tonight with friends for a birthday celebration and was pleased that they were able to accommodate a large party with such short notice. (I booked the reservation at 8:15 for 8:45).
I actually don’t like this restaurant at all since they changed their menu. They once had things like oven roasted chicken with potatoes and other similar items. However, a few months ago, they moved to a traditional wine tasting menu with meats and cheeses. This is fine if you truly go there for the wine tasting experience. But I am not one of those people. I went for the food!
It was my friends birthday so I couldn’t say no to her request for TTR. I was very relieved that they were honoring the Houston restaurant weeks menu option because I knew I’d be eating real meat and potato kind of food.
My first course was the crab cakes, which were burnt. My second was the pork chop, which was difficult to cut. And the dessert was the crème brûlée which was amazing. Though I did not enjoy the food, I was just glad they offered «real» food options. I wish they had that menu all the time, but unfortunately they won’t. Smh. Probably won’t be back after September 7^th.

This is my to go to for happy hour. I feel like I come here a lot after a long day at work. A nice glass of wine to wine down for the day is really nice. I love coming here because I feel like I fit in. Everyone is in their business attire and just want to relax. Great place to drink.

My team and I were headed to a nearby sports bar to catch the Houston Rockets playoff game, but they were full so we redirected over to The Tasting Room. What a great find. The staff was super friendly, setting up tables in their wine locker room for folks who came in to catch the game. We shared a couple bottles of wine from their extensive list as well as some thin crust pizzas.
Excellent food, excellent wine, superb service.

I came here for late business dinner last week.
Due to flight delays our options was limited.
Service was slow, couldn’t get the menu for a while. When the server finally came, she was okay. She was still new and she said she was still trying to figure out. She was very friendly though.
Wine menu — I don’t know what to think too much. We tried a bottle from South Africa just because my business partner just came back from South Africa last week. It was a bit sweet to my taste. I heard some wine from South Africa are good, but the bottle we had was just okay for me.
We tried Cucumber, Feta & Quinoa Tabbouleh. I thought this was very refreshing and tasted good. Cheese plate we had was also good. We also tried a couple of different meat. I wouldn’t say the food was fantastic but good enough. Perhaps being tired and late at night, I wasn’t feeling the best that night.
They have live music and I am sorry to say, I would have preferred if the sound was less.
Nice ambiance, I would like to try to come back at different occasion, perhaps at earlier time than when we went (around 10pm) when I feel much better to fully enjoy their potential.

What a gem.
An old soul like me found so much joy here as soon as the jazz band started singing.
Came here with my parents on a late Friday night to celebrate my 21^st. The place wasn’t crowded, but it was still busy.
Our waitress was superb. She brought out samples for us to try, knew what we wanted, and checked on us multiple times to see what we thought.
She also took the extra care to return a cork that was melting on a skewer.
I had the most perfect birthday dinner and lovely wine here.
Tried moscato, red wines including merlot, and a desert wine.
The mushroom truffle pizza is heavenly and light!
Still unsure why this place has 3 stars… you must try it out for yourself!