Branch Water Tavern

I’ve been here for drinks once and thought it wad only a bar with awesome apps. When my BF suggested going here for dinner, I thought I’d give it a chance. We met two friends and had a reservation for 4 at 8:30. We got there at 7:45 and had come drinks at the bar. I’m not very adventurous when drinking and usually stick with Jack & Coke. I branched out (excuse the pun) and got the Cactus Pear Bottom and liked it so much I drank two more and so did my friends.
We checked in at 8:25 for our reservation and still had to wait another 30min before being sat. Fortunately, we didn’t mind drinking at the bar and catching up.
Of course we had the chicken fried oysters and also tried the muscles. Both delish and full of flavor. My BF had the pork chop, two of us had the Kobe burger and beet salad & gnocchi was ordered by the fourth. We were all blown away with how good everything was. I’ve been on a quest for a while for the perfect burger and I may have found it. We just went two days ago and I can’t wait to go back.
We were all stuffed, but I wanted to try the pistachio butterscotch dessert everyone keeps raving about. I didn’t know what to expect, but it was a molten chocolate cake in a shallow pool of butterscotch syrup with a scoop of pistachio ice cream. It came together beautifully and every bite was better than the last.
I’ve read some poor reviews from here, but we loved every minute and will return as quickly as possible.

New owner and New Name
It is now Federal’s.
Peter took good care of us. Matt the new owner makes you feel welcome. THE FOOD? I loved the steak. This is an easy 5 star.

5 stars for the food and the service. The evening started with the valets escorting ladies to the entrance with an umbrella because of the rain, very courteous. Ambiance and atmosphere are very nice and comforting.
The service was excellent too. We shared the cheese appetizer plate with some great toast. He had the iceberg and while I didn’t like the squash soup very much, I’m sure that wasn’t their fault. We also split the huge bone-​in rib eye which was cooked to perfection. The 3 Chocolate dessert ended a perfect meal.
What really earned them 5 stars occurred after the meal. I realized that I had forgotten to print our tickets to the Improv show that we had scheduled after dinner. We weren’t close to home and it was pouring throughout Houston. We searched for a nearby Kinko’s but didn’t find any open at 10pm on Saturday evening. I asked the waiter and he had the manager print it in the office and deliver it to me. VERY nice of them to do!

Really really wanted to like this place more than 4 stars.
First off, I’ll say that the interior is well designed. Nice wooden tones, good lighting, large windows add to a slightly upscale, but still casual dining experience. Service here is awesome, and everyone is super friendly and attentive.
Came here with the lady for a Saturday night dinner, and got the charcuterie and cheese board, chicken fried oysters, shrimp and grits, and crab cake.
First off, characuterie board was awesome! Pricey sure, for $ 24, and had less cured meat and more cheese, but it is well put together. Had 2 blue cheeses, 1 soft, and a smoked gouda. Do yourself a favor here and ask for them to bring u a bread basket with it, as the biscuits, preserves, and fresh baked bread go a lot better with the cheese and meats than the toasted croutons they provide.
The chicken fried oysters were the best thing I’ve had in a long long time. Well thought out, and well executed, the oysters were fried to perfection, with a light coating and the brininess of the oysters came through well. The slaw and red hot sauce that went with it was perfect, and it is just well balanced (order 2 if you can!).
The crab cake was a disaster, as the cake was just luke warm, the sauce too heavy, and the crab cake just had a weird texture/​flavor in my mouth. Did not feel like it was fresh crab and more of the jared/​packaged variety. Liked the amount, but needed some acid or something else to brighten the dish up.
The shrimp and grits were incredible, well cooked, the shrimp was perfect, the bacon wrapped around the shrimp crispy, and the poached egg in the middle of the grits just put it over the top. Do youself a favor and order this dish!
All in all, it was a good experience, but avoid the crabcake at all costs if you don’t want the experience to be ruined, as it had no place coming to my table. Cold sauce on a hot crabcake, that sits a bit before it comes to the table equals a lukewarm crabcake… no bueno.

If you are whiskey drinker this is place for you. If you happen to come here for lunch this might not be the place for you.
FOOD
I ordered the tomato basil soup, Fried Oyster po-​boy and water and it was just «alright», except for the water which was fantastic. The prices are a bit steep for lunch, but I work for the state so others may be able to afford it.LOL.I think spent around 25 bucks of which I could have eaten two lunches at St. James Courtyard. One plus was the bread, the peppered jam was pretty good.
PARKING
A lot of it. there were literally like one other group there in addition to my crew.
Possibly a hopping spot on the weekends as they have the largest assortment of Whiskey from what I hear, but not my kind of place.
Service was great though. possibly beacuse we were the only ones there.

When we first got there, we stopped by the bar, where the bartender goddess served us up some great Mint Juleps. I’m pretty convinced that nobody was ever meant to enjoy a mint julep, I mean come on, its whiskey sugar water and mint. It cant really be that great. Yet, this lady was able to make them worth the $ 10 we each paid for them.
Went over to the table and started ordering food. Ended up with the chicken fried oysters as an appetizer and the kobe beef burger as my main course. I got 5 chicken fried oysters which were delicious, and the kobe beef burger, well… I dont really think I need to explain how great that was. Its just understood. Paid around 50 bucks a person, but it was definitely worth it.

I echo the other reviewers who say this place has terrific energy, wonderful food and a lovely décor.
My favs are the Fried Oysters and the Squash Soup. A friend gave me a taste of her huge Pork Chop and it was divine.

Ok, I will take a pause and say that this place is just great!
I went here recently to hang out with my cousin for his birthday. Truly a great time indeed.
Most impressive and a definite must try — chicken fried oysters. Who would have thought. Yep, they are awesome and tasty. A little bit of spicy to boot.
I also enjoyed the seared scallops with risotto — superb all around.
The scene — chic yet casual. The feel — just right. The music — in the bar area at least, awesome, and chill (I had a question, and they looked it up — great playlist by the way).
I had a superb drink — BLINKER. Whiskey and juice. Oh yeah, forgot one thing, there is plenty of Whiskey on hand for you in whatever type, varietal, kind, taste, etc. that you have a liking for.
I can’t wait to go back here soon! Next time, I think I will sit outside on the patio! You should come here — now, well, maybe not everyone come right now so I don’t have to worry about getting a table! There is plenty of room though!

Back when I was a major player in the Groupon/​coupon/​voucher game, I purchased a Travelzoo voucher for BWT’s Sunday Brunch. I’ve always been a big fan of rustic, cozy places with comfort food and killer drinks, so my beau and I, both feeling a bit rusty jumping back on that coupon wagon, trekked out to Washington Corridor this past Sunday to get a piece of this.
So, brunch. Sundays only. 11 – 3. Around noon, we didn’t see valet being offered at that time, which was fine since there were still a few spaces open on the side lot (anyway, not crazy about valet). Big, big fan of the interior: there’s a nice lounge with the DJ bumpin’, gorgeous *shaded* outdoor patio, open kitchen, bar, casual (like, sundress, nice shirt, and khakis casual); it’s dark and rustic and full of hardwood everything, so it’s cozy, but has a manly look. It’s one of those gender-​neutral places where you could bring your man for brunch without him grumbling about being pulled out of bed, dressed up all handsome, and dragged out to «do brunch» with you. In case any of you ladies have that problem. (i.e., me.)
* Go for the bottomless mimosas. They’re not the best mimosas I’ve ever had, but they get the job done.
* Chicken Fried Oyster app: meaty, piping hot, lookin’ fine and rustic served atop a black, rocky plate. And there’s an even number of them now (4pcs), so it isn’t as awkward. These bites are delish, the slaw and hot sauce compliment the oyster perfectly. It’d be worth it if there were more.
* Short Rib Benedict & Cured Salmon Benedict: both were pretty satisfying, though not outstanding. I will say that my Salmon Benedict screamed for more texture. With the egg yolk, dill aioli, and soft salmon altogether, it quickly became a mushy mess.
* Sticky Toffee Pudding: the liqueur was way too overpowering in the «cake,» but the pistachio ice cream did well to cover it up. And oh my god, they could put that toffee brittle on a plate and serve it by itself! (Note: JK managers, please don’t do that. $ 10 for those itty-​bitty oysters is enough already.)
Service was fine. They accepted my voucher without a fuss. Apparently, our food must have been taking awhile because we had, like, 3 separate people come by and apologize, but by that time, my beau and I were hopped up and stupid-​happy from our 4^th round of mimosas. Gets the job done, I’m telling you.
Sunday Funday, indeed.

Right across the street from BRC, an area with two great little restaurants side by side. Walking in there is a lounge area up front with some couches and an L shaped bar. Dark wood paneling abound. Another dinning area off to the left and a smallish patio out front. A relaxed and slightly upscale atmosphere. I wish they would tone down the emo, electronica music. Though a small gripe.
First, the booze…4 quality taps available. Southern Stars Bombshell Blond is $ 2 at happy hour, hard to beat that. The other taps are a mix… usually Avery, West Coast, or other good national craft brands. Tons of whiskey. One of the best selections of whiskey I have seen in the city. There are some whiskey based cocktails as well, and are very good.
On to the food. I have been here a few times to grub. The first time was just for apps and a drink. The small happy hour menu is really good. Rueben sliders and Oysters for $ 1 each. The rest of the appetizers are great as well. I love the Bone Marrow. For the main dish, Norwegian Salmon is awesome. The salmon is cooked perfectly. A very slight crispy outer crust, medium rare in the middle, flaky and buttery. MMM. The cherry tomatoes are like candy, with some sweet corn meal. Just great. I highly recommend this place.

My favorite brunch place in town. I love the décor and atmosphere. The restaurant and its clients are all very stylish and upscale, yet fun and engaged, just like what brunch is supposed to be like.
They have amazing food! Their cured salmon with poached eggs are out of this world, with a serving of greens with vinaigrette. Houston Restaurant Weeks offers this as the entry with fried oysters or salad as an appetizer and a phenomenal bourbon chocolate pecan cake. I don’t ever eat desserts but that little piece of cake is out of this world!
Wash everything down with bottomless mimosas for $ 15, it’s a perfect way to start off Sunday!

I’ll say the obvious complaint — all valet. Boo. Moving on… OH MY GOSH HOW WAS THIS PLACE EVER CUE AND CUSHION?! That deserved all caps, what a transformation. That place was so disgusting that I need a shower thinking about it, but now… lovely inside and out. I dig the woodwork on the outside and love how it jazzes up the location. Inside is pretty posh. The lounge was comfortable with nice seating and a cool vibe and even as I looked around for the memories of a dirty jukebox, cloudy smoke and pool tables, I instead saw a beautiful mix of brick and woodwork. Really lovely.
And there’s food. Good food, unique food. I abandoned any self restraint about carbs when the bread and biscuits came out because chutney is heaven. So are chicken fried oysters, whodathunkit? Crab cakes were typical, I wasn’t super into the sauce. Good steak. Shrimp and grits had a surprise fried egg in the middle, which I dug. We had the apple tart for dessert, but if you’re not a fan of bourbon don’t get it. If you are a fan, behold the magic it creates there.
Only reason I’m not at five stars for this is that it is a bit over-​priced and the menu isn’t as big as I would hope. But really, we’re looking at a great experience here. Highly recommend

Branch Water Tavern joins the ranks of some of my favorite Houston restaurants. And most of them have the following: great lounge/​bar for pre-​dinner drinks, an amazing menu (with an equally amazing cocktail/​beer/​wine list), a happenin’ happy hour, great service, and a patio — just to name a few. Basically, a resto that’s perfect for GNO or date night.
I’ve been to BWT on multiple occasions for business lunches, a few happy hours with friends, dinner dates and pre-​party drinks with gal pals. And I’ve wanted to write my glowing review numerous times over the past few years — but couldn’t figure out where to start. The food? The décor? The whiskey drinks? So let me begin by talkin’ up the man behind it all…
Executive Chef David Grossman is an extremely talented and accomplished chef (young and handsome, I might add), who, in his early years, dropped his history textbooks to pursue his passion for the culinary arts. (Something you’ve gotta admire.) Working alongside some of the best, his studies and talents have led him across the country — from San Francisco to New York — and back to Houston to open up his own establishment. I remember when BWT first opened in the old Cue & Cushion spot. I didn’t know what to think: How did they transform that smokey dive into an upscale restaurant tavern? But after checking out the menu, reading so many raving Unilocal revs, learning more about the concept and finally meeting Chef Grossman at a bacon event, I knew I had to check it out for myself. And I did — multiple times.
Lunch: They have a lunch menu, as well as a 3-​course prix fixe menu for only $ 20! And the portions are the same as the regular menu items. If you can squeeze in a post-​lunch nap, do go for the chicken pot pie made from scratch. They also have free wi-​fi and flat screens to check email or catch up on the news.
Happy Hour: It’s 4−7pm with drink and bar bites specials. Think $ 2 Southern Star Blonde Bombshell, $ 3 whiskeys (select daily picks), $ 3 duck fat popcorn, $ 1 oysters … and much more.
Dinner: So for Unilocal Eats circa 2010, I possibly had one of the best dishes here — and it was vegetarian: Polenta Agnolotti with wild mushrooms, local tomatoes and arugula. Swoon! I’ve also over-​indulged in their chicken fried oysters, Peach Semifreddo dessert, roasted beat salad with candied pistachio and bucheron goat cheese … which I think is the best in Houston. I actually crave this salad. And all you carnivores out there, BWT has an amazing in-​house cured meat and charcuterie program. And the bread basket. Oh. Mah. Gah, I think we sent back our server no less than four times to retrieve more of those fluffy, heavenly biscuits and butter. Mary me, Mr. Baker Man.
Pre-​Party Drinks: The bar area is a sexy little spot. Grab a seat at the bar, order up a whiskey flight and chat it up with a friendly bartender. …Or kick back in the lounge or on the patio. There’s also a good looking scene with patrons in their 30s-​40s. I was actually with one of my friends at the bar one late night when she met her boyfriend/​turned fiancé/​now husband.
Brunch: I’ve yet to experience brunch, but I guess I’ve just reminded myself of one more thing to check out!
A note about parking: You can valet, which I seriously appreciate this service since the neighborhood has jacked up AND they put up a lot of no-​parking signs. However, there IS FREE parking in the rear (which can fill up fast during certain hours).

:sigh: service can really make or break a place… here, it broke.
A friend of mine wanted to do a group dinner this past Friday and picked out this place. I was thrilled since I wanted to try it out. First off, beautiful place! I love the décor (the «accent» wall paper was nice). Valet was complementary, which was awesome. However, service was poor.
We were a group of six and our dinner was 3 hours long. Seriously, 3 hours! It’s not like we were indecisive either! I already scoped out the menu online (which, btw, is not the same as the printed menu they hand out). Anyway, our server was more concerned about his other tables maybe because they looked older and established. Yes, we were a group of «asian kids» who are all professionals (or to-​be professionals… we had a med student with us). So all the other tables that came in after us left an hour before we did. I get it… tip was already included since we’re a table of 6, but seriously… at least be somewhat attentive!
My meal came out all wrong and the server never came by to even ask if everything was okay. We had to wave him down to fix my meal. Also, after we finished dessert, he came up to then ask if we cared for coffee or after-​meal drink… ummm, shouldn’t he have asked that right when we ordered dessert or BEFORE we got our desserts!!!
Our server even threw a fit about splitting the check. He actually looked confused like «why are you guys doing that??» Ugh, if anything… he’s the sole reason why I would never go back to this place. Service was TERRIBLE!
The food… it was alright. I tried their beef carpaccio and it was decent. What was awesome was their «chicken fried oyster». Now, that is what’s saving this review (in my opinion). The oyster was fried perfectly and was plated on the oyster shell. Very yummy!
I also tried their NY Strip with chimichurri– again, decent. The fresh cut fries were good. For dessert I had their chocolate gelato, which was okay. I also tried their sticky toffee pudding and the rum was too over-​powering. made the dessert not so great.
Overall, not a place I would come back. Hopefully I can find another place that makes chicken fried oyster!

Went there for HRW ’11. Parking was full by the time I got there, but the valet was complimentary — which is nice for this area since getting parking on the weekend might be hard. Chose the foie gras, venison medallions, and sticky toffee pudding — the highlight were definitely the foie gras and cheesy bread with jalapeño jelly. Venison medallions was OK, the chicken pot pie that my friend got was much better. Sticky toffee pudding was just to sweet for my taste.
Food preparation take a while, I guess since it was pretty busy that day.
My food came a bit late after the others at my table, and the manager comped almost 75% of the 35 $ price that I had to pay — that turned my hunger to happiness right there!

Houston Restaurant Week can make or break a restaurant. In this case, it made Branch Water Tavern for me.
Prior to dining here for HRW, I’ve only been one other time during lunch. My meal left me unimpressed and I simply regard this place as one of those hyped up by bloggers and social media.
But BWT redeemed itself after my recent HRW dining experience here. I came with a group of friends, made the reservations online and noted HRW on the reservations. Upon arriving, we actually had an extra person that decided to join us last minute. The staff handled it professionally and placed us in the back room, which was to our advantage as it was quieter than the main dining room. Everyone was given a HRW menu, one person actually had to ask for a regular menu.
I ordered the foie gras as my app and expected a small bitty thing. To my surprise there was no skimping here, it was almost *gasp*… too much?! Perhaps some bread would’ve helped? If you’re expecting a chunky pâté, it’s not. Texture is more mouse like than terrine. For my entrée, I had veal medallion. This dish was very flavorful but the veal wasn’t as tender as I’d hope and it was slightly overcooked. However, we did have a big group and several people ordered the veal at different cooking preference. I think my veal got mixed up with someone else’s.
I was very impressed with the service, they were constantly checking up on us and happily split the bill for us. This was my first HRW meal for the year (it just took me weeks to finally review it). It was a great way to start HRW season!

I came here last year for Unilocal Eats week and wasn’t impressed. I’m so glad that I gave Branch Water Tavern another try during Houston Restaurant Weeks this year. This time service and food was very good. We were seated in the back room which was much quieter. Our group of 8 was very happy about the quieter space.
I started with the chicken fried oysters. They were amazing! Sometimes when you go somewhere for Houston Restaurant Week, you get smaller portions but not with these oysters. I had 5 chicken fried oysters and I actually thought the portion was huge. This was my favorite part of the evening. Yum! I got the roasted chicken over mashed potatoes which was very good. For dessert, I had the sticky toffee pudding. I really love sticky toffee pudding and this was a delicious version of it. I would have actually loved more.
I don’t like spicy food at all, and I really appreciated that they didn’t bat an eyelash when I asked if they could make some small changes to the set HRW menu. I was so pleased that they were able to make the oysters not spicy and they were also able to change the ice in the dessert.
I will definitely be back in the future for a regular non-​HRW dinner and I hope those chicken fried oysters are still on the menu.
Tip: I’ve not valet parked here yet and I always find easy street parking.

I came here for a business lunch. I had called ahead for a table of 9 and all was ready when we arrived.
We started off with chicken fried oysters, prosciutto wraps, and a beet salad. With a bit of slaw and Frank’s Red Hot Sauce the oysters were delightful and by far my favorite of the starters.
For an entrée I ordered the bacon wrapped shrimp and grits with an egg. The shrimp were great, thought I wish the bacon had a bit more crunch to it. The grits were cooked well, but I felt the egg was undercooked. This was my mistake though, as I should have specified no runny white. I would have enjoyed this meal much more if I had some fresh ground black pepper. There are no salt and pepper shakers on the tables here. Understood, as that can be offensive to the chef… but for eggs and grits I think that would have been acceptable.
A co-​worker next to me devoured his Ruben but I did manage to taste an onion ring. Deliciously light batter covered a thick onion slice. It was a great onion ring!
For dessert we all ordered coffee, miscellaneous desserts, and gelato.
I HAD to try the sticky toffee pudding and it was FABULOUS. With pistachio ice cream, almond brittle, and toffee inside a cake, it was to die for. I can’t wait to go have it again. I also tried a fellow diner’s bourbon and chocolate gelato and it was delicious as well.
I was even impressed by the coffee, I thought the french press table side coffee was a nice touch. It was good and strong.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the place. I am looking forward to going back in the evening with a group of friends and seeing what their dinner menu has to offer.

Interesting name… more interesting cuisine. Met up with a few people to greet and grub with an out of town friend. For a crowd that likes great food and beverages Branch Water Tavern is a good place to make that happen.
Selection was great. So much so that we decided to try a bunch of snacks and appetizers amongst us.
— Port Rillette Biscuit (Biscuit was moist while the pork was flavorful. Can be a meal in itself for the light meal eater!)
— Charcuterie, pickled vegetables and mustard (Didn’t have any of the veggies or mustard. But, the prosciutto was tasty)
— Malpeque oysters (Ate one with some horse radish and it was A-​OK)
— Gnocchi with Parmesan (only a bite. Literally melted in my mouth… if not usually a fan of potato but this was great)
What was my entrée? Kobe Cheeseburger, medium. Burger was super juicy and flavor better than expected out of Kobe beef. Entrée itself was very well portioned). We saved no room for dessert. Though the pictures looked amazing online and the descriptions were mouthwatering!
Why three stars only? Our waitress was absolutely dreadful… not terrible but dreadful. She clearly did not like her job. When asking us about our order a momentary pause or any slight indecision will be followed with jumping to another table or leaving entirely. Not only was she incredibly impatient with our table but she also had this generally dark cloud around her head the whole time.

I’m not normally one to judge a restaurant solely on the basis of one dish, but in the case I think I have to.
That dish is the Kobe Cheeseburger, recently featured in Houston Press’ «Burger Bracket» and «Burgers Across Texas» series. I’m not normally one to gouge on gourmet burgers, especially with a menu as replete as BWT’s. However, I had previously filled up prior to dinner and was really looking for something All-​American to go along with my excellent bourbon.
The burger was, without question, one of the worst I’ve ever had, third on my list perhaps only to this horrendously bad burger at some upper east Manhattan diner and a Burger King Whopper. The burger meat was exceptionally dry, without any semblance of Kobe nor taste. Seasoning was non-​existent, and the accoutrements added nothing to enhance the taste. The fries (curiously not called pommes frites) were decent, at least. This, my fine-​feathered friends, is not $ 15 well spent.
I’d be obliged to discount my taste if the rest of the meal were solid, which it unfortunately was not. The GF’s fish (I forget which dish it happened to be) was not in stock, and the one they replaced it was borderline uneatable. The scallops were said to be decent, as was the beef shortrib+strip duo, although the latter was ridiculously overpriced for the quantity of meat.
I’m sadly disappointed, as the service was good, albeit slow (our reservation wait was approximately 20 minutes behind), and the décor is top-​notch. In fact, I daresay happy hour in the bar area is probably one of the finer experiences in Houston. I’ve heard good things about the duck fat popcorn and chicken fried oysters, the former of which is on the happy hour menu.
If BWT were just a bar, I’d be inclined to rate it much higher. There’s a wonderfully designed seating space and an absolutely stacked bar of the many bourbons and whiskeys across America. There’s also an ample wine list, almost overkill in a place that should really focus on its whiskeys and cocktails.
But alas, BWT is not just a bar, and proclaims itself to be a restaurant as well. And for that restaurant experience, I have no qualms about giving BWT a subpar review. Maybe a happy hour visit can change my mind.