Hillstone Restaurant

We feel cheated if time doesn't allow us to dine at Hillstone whenever we are in Phoenix. Their personal attention always makes us feel welcome, especially at the bar, and the food has been consistently excellent.

On a special occasion, my friend and I expected to eat dinner at the outside seating area. We sat there had a couple of Mojitos which were not good, and then tried to order dinner. The server said we could only order from the left side of the menu. I was wanting the grilled chicken salad but nope, it was on the right side of the menu which was the wrong side according to my taste preferences. So instead of being able to order a nice dinner, I had tortilla soup which was too spicy for both of us and coleslaw~Yech...what a dinner. I had been thinking about my favorite grilled chicken salad most of the day but no I was sitting at a seat where I was not allowed to order it. We then had a dessert. What an odd and not fulfilling dining experience.

One of the best places; Every plate, the consistency is impeccable - perfect for those last minute craves or romantic date night.
I will always come back - the only this I have to worry about is which plate do i want more...steak - fish - or chicken??!!

My wife and I rec'd a Gift Certificate for our wedding back in Feb. we used it last night 11/13/2010. It was the best dining experience we have ever had in Phoenix. Great People who took the best care, and I mean everyone at Houston's. Caatlyn took our name to seat us, but we chose to sit at the bar, Jill the bar tender didn't miss a beat nor did anyone. I had Prime Rib and my Wife had the Filet, both cook to perfection, flavor was to die for. My wife had a Salad, it was the best I've ever had, yes it was a Salad, try it, you'll feel the same.. Greatest place to dine..

Last night we ate at Houstons before going to the movies. Every staff person in the restaurant was friendly, helpful and extremely polite and appropriate. They were happy and prompt to comply with any request we made. The food was delicious - best French Dip I have had - beef was outstanding and the fries were perfect.

I love the roast chicken...my dream is to make some as delicious as they do!

The Service is top notch. The atmoshere is nice and dark, comfortable. The food is outstanding. If you love baby back ribs, Houstons has the best - get extra BBQ and the shoe string fries. They also have the best desert I have ever had, it's only on the menu in the winter months.... Apple Walnut Cobbler - it's to die for.

good food...we do lunch here sometimes. good service. nice job!

Best food, best service ever! Every time we go to Houston's, we are met with extremely friendly and professional staff. They definitely pride themselves on how their waitstaff looks and acts. The food is fabulous, and they have such a great variety. We always take our out of town friends here. Keep up the good work!

Houston’s Hilton Plaza August 17, 2009
147 S. Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
RE: Service,
Making allowances for the city, Phoenix, and the possibility that natives of the city simply don’t have a skill-set conquerable to that you’d expect to find at Mc Donald’s almost anywhere else, I would , nonetheless, expect that Houstons’ , the organization, would put in place a management team that possesses some minimal knowledge with respect to taking an order, placing it on the table and following up to make certain that the eventual meal meets with a customer’s approval.
Today, merely one example, around 3”30 P.M., I lunched at Houstons. The restaurant is located in Scottsdale, AZ. Near Lincoln Av. & Scottsdale Rd. Lucas was my “waiter.” The dining experience was not rewarding.; that is, it was not rewarding in a positive way.
Openin gambit with waiter: “Good afternoon, please bring water and ice tea.
Tea arrives: no water. “Please may I have a glass of water.” I ask again.
The water arrived but, during the interim, I discover spots on the silverware. It’s not infrequent that I visit Houstons Scottsdale, and also not infrequent that I pick up a knife or fork with spots; and of course, that means dirty water may have been allowed to dry on eating utensils.
“Please, Luke, exchange the silverware.” I ask. Two pieces are delivered in staggered sequence.
“Thank you. Yes, I’ll take horseradish with my prime rib.. Also, for the baked potato: please put butter, etc. on the side.”
The meal arrives without horseradish, and the condiments were served in an integrated form; that is, they were packed layered, all together in a single container. During that entire period, I did not see, from the table where I was sitting, one manager--thus leading me to believe that this is a management deficiency and poor Luke is a hapless employee doing his best without the benefit of supervision.
In Phoenix, during August, it was one hundred two degrees outdoors. Before leaving, I would have appreciated a re-fill, a second glass of water. Refills were offered-- when I was walking out the door.

Very, very, VERY NOISY, to the point that one could not converse with the person sitting directly across in the nice, well-lit booths. The thai steak salad was tasty with wonderful fresh herbs and spices, however, the meat had been over-marinated and was like mush. The salmon appetizer with toast points was smoky, tasty and moist. But the noise !!! I guess they want you to clear out quick and not linger. Have a mojito like we did (fresh mint and lime) will make you forget the place gave you a headache. The service is almost too intense and rushed. Great location by the Ritz-Carlton keeps prices and valet parking high.

I have been dinning at Houstons for more than 20yrs and love it, BUT for some reason everytime I come to this location there is a problem. Last night was TERRIBLE and I will never come back to this store again. The service was poor, but the food was even worse! For the first time ever, I sent my dish back and and shared my husbands club salad while I waited. I have ordered (and shared) that salad for years and it was half the size that it should be, the dressing was globbed on top and not even tossed! The meat and avacado were not properly chopped and there was too much dressing. Not wonderful at all.. The dish that I ordered bad, and to make matters worse the manager never even came around to check on us. After paying our bill, I flagged him down but didnt get the impression he cared much. A HUGE disapointment!

Houston's is the greatest! What else can be said. I have enjoyed most of everything on the menu at some point since it has long been one of my favorite spots. Even when I go to NYC, I dine at Houston's in Manhattan.
Their fillet mignon is superb and the grilled chicken salad with peanut sauce is divine. My favorite dessert is the apple cobbler....ymmm. From the BBQ sauce to the appetizers, all I can say is, you can't go wrong. There is no bad food at Houston's. Service is great! Some of the higher priced restaurants could take lessons.

I am not real crazy about chain restaurants, but this is a great standard. I have tried filet mignon all over the city (thanks to a steak-loving ex boyfriend), and this is my favorite. It is so good that I don't even like to order anything else on the menu. Go all out and get it with a baked potato with butter and bacon - forget the diet for one night! :) Plus they offter to butterfly it and that way you have the option of taking 1/2 of your delicious filet home for lunch the next day - yum! Price is average (last I was there, around $25). Oh and I really like all the dark wood and soft lighting. The bar is a fun place too. Great drinks!

trendy, restaurant. awsome food. they make everything from scratch including their breads. They are known for their chilli only avail on fri or sat. anything on the menu is good. my favorites are sashimi tuna salad (not on menu), thai steak salad, burger, grilled fish, brown rice and black beans, key lime pie and the sundae are a must

Where to begin... I began going to Houston's when I lived in D.C., and was thrilled to find one at the Biltmore when I moved to Phoenix. Houston's key to success is service and consistency. I have never been disappointed with their food, and I have been frequenting Houston's for more than ten years. My sister and I meet there every Thursday for lunch, so she can get the Tortilla soup. Everything on the menu is wonderful, so try different things! An item that is not on the menu, but is one of their best items is the Flying Chicken Platter. Lightly breaded (almost a tempura type breading) chicken, fries and cole slaw. It's a wonderful meal!

Consistently excellent kitchen - everything's meticulously prepared and delicious. Not a hit and miss operation. Portions are generous- an exception is the tuna sliver in the seared ahi salad. Ask for a price on the daily ""specials"", typically fish like Arctic char, as they tend to be expensive (read:ripoff). Despite price creep, Houston's is still a very solid value. Service is businesslike and reasonably efficient - some young servers are rather stiff, intense. Go casual or dressy; it's so dark nobody cares. No reservations, so arrive early to avoid waits. Buzzy, classy, comfortable - one of my favorite spots.

Once you've tried it, nothing else will compare! The fries are great too! They get busy though, so don't be surprised if there's a wait!

Now adays, when I want to combine dinner and a movie, I go to Houstons and the theaters upstairs in the fashionable part of town. I don't see many families in this part of town, and lots of singles at the bar at Houston's so I am not the only one who sees it this way. Every meal I have had has been perfect, especially the steaks! The food is rich and the ambiance is a bit dark for my tastes, and I think that mixing this up with going to a dark theater right afterwards is a formula for falling asleep during the movie, but I am willing to risk that for really good food. Later in the evening, there is a long line, so get there early and go to an early movie.