A Review of Red Robin Restaurant in Houston, Texas

Parents Magazine voted Red Robin restaurant as one of the ten best family friendly restaurants, so it is no surprise that this burger chain has been going strong for over 60 years. We went to the Red Robin in Houston, Texas, and thought it was fabulous. Red Robin's countless awards speak volumes, so if you are a burger lover then this is the place to go. If you do not eat meat, don't worry, they have something for everyone including turkey burgers, garden burgers, grilled chicken burgers, soup, salad, wraps, and even entrees like fish and chips.

As soon as we walked in we were greeted and seated in a small booth for two. Our waitress took our drink orders quickly and was very friendly and efficient. I ordered the Very Berry Raspberry Limeade ($3.99) which turned out not to have berries in it at all but rather was seltzer with grenadine and slices of limes. It was not what I was expecting but strangely enough, I enjoyed it.

My husband had the Freckled Lemonade ($3.99) which is Minute Maid lemonade with slices of strawberries in it. He thought it was a refreshing change from soda, but thought it was difficult to drink since the strawberries kept getting stuck in the straw. The best part about the non-alcoholic drinks is that all refills are free.

I tried the Grilled Turkey Burger ($8.49) without the chipotle mayonnaise it comes with and had ketchup instead. Normally turkey burgers are a bit dry and bland, but Red Robin managed to add spices - including a lot of pepper- to give the turkey burger zest. The turkey burger was topped with shredded lettuce and tomato slices, and was wrapped in paper to allow for easier eating without making a mess. My burger came with thick steak fries but I opted to have a healthier substitution: melon. They served two very thin small slices of cantaloupe but forgot to provide utensils so I wound up eating them like corn on the cob.

My husband ordered the Souper Sandwich Combo: French Onion Soup with a Wrapping California Chicken ($9.79.) He adored his French onion soup which consisted of a rich beef stock with caramelized sweet onions and croutons before being topped with melted Provolone & Parmesan cheeses. His chicken wrap was good but not as exciting as a burger would have been. The exact ingredients are: turkey breast, hickory-smoked bacon (although I do not recall seeing any bacon,) avocado, lime juice, lettuce, tomatoes, basil, red onions, Parmesan and Swiss cheeses, with Caesar dressing, wrapped in a fresh tortilla.

Whenever our glasses were half empty (or half full depending on how you look at it,) someone was there to fill them up. We received our food quickly and thought every single staff member was friendly. Red Robin boasts excellent customer service because that is exactly what they deliver.

Red Robin's décor is fun, there's just no other way to describe it. The restaurant has a very high ceiling with painted yellow pipes, unique up-lighters, fresh plants and funky pictures throughout, Aztec clothed booths and mahogany leather seating. There is an open kitchen so you know they're not doing anything dodgy to your food; and televisions are mounted on the walls in case your table conversation ceases and you need a form of entertainment.

This is a family friendly restaurant but it is not loud nor filled with children screaming and running around. I would not hesitate recommending Red Robin to anyone; in fact I cannot wait until I return so I can try a few of their other dishes. The Red Robin we dined at was located at: Marq*E Entertainment Center, 7620 Katy Freeway, Suite 465, Houston, Texas, 77024. Their phone number is: 713-476-9096. Red Robin's web site is: www.redrobin.com