Restaurants near Shady Lane Park

Had dinner here with my wife and friends. This is an outstanding restaurant. The service was exceptional, the food was very well prepared and the drink/spirits options were plentiful. The ambiance could be a bit more ‘intimate,’ but the noise levels were acceptable and distance between seating areas was reasonable. I felt the pricing was just very slightly high, but, overall a very good experience which I would recommend.

If you’re having any reservations about this establishment please let this be the review that makes you go, it is absolutely fantastic the moment you sit down, our server was Jordan who was very well informed on the menu and knew just what to recommend. The in house soft rolls with the mustard herb butter set the tone and let us know we were in for a treat. We ordered the wagyu braised beef wontons to start and it was the best small bite I’ve ever had in my life, and I’m a bonafide food enthusiast. The soy truffle vinaigrette with the ginger, truffles, and shaved serranos was to die for I’ll definitely be back just for those. The steaks were both main characters, I had the 8oz strip and my Wife had the 8oz filet both cut and melted like butter in your mouth. We each got the blue cheese butter toppings, and I added an additional brandy peppercorn topper, the steaks did not need the toppers at all but what an elevated complex bite! For our a la carte sides we chose the roasted broccolini, white cheddar mac, and the smashed lime potatoes. All were a delight and held their own, but that broccolini was LIFE CHANGING! It was the perfect melody of smoky, spicy, and crunch the flavors were immaculate. This restaurant has easily catapulted to the top of our favorite steakhouses in Houston.

Uchi is our special occasion dinner or date night. We love the variety of options (plenty of vegetarian options) and service is always top notch. I like to come during happy hour so that I can order from both happy hour and dinner menu. Linda is my favorite server! She makes really great recommendations and we always have the best dining experience with Linda. Will see you again soon!

We had four different dishes (two steaks and two types of fish. ALL were delicious. I really don’t think you could find anything that wasn’t outstanding. The one thing I would change is the noise level. They might refer to it as energetic, I thought it was a little too loud. Made it necessary to speak louder and it seemed like a competition. No a huge problem but not a quiet romantic dinner. A matter of taste. Great experience.

Love the food and the folks at Sao Lao - always a delight