Haven

Amazing food, great atmosphere and service. Your taste buds are in for a treat! Highly recommend the shrimp corn dogs! Had the catfish which was off the chain! Save room for dessert! Tres leches coconut bread pudding is to die for! Will crave this place from now on and will definitely come back if I ever visit Houston again. Love love!

Mediocre. I think that best sum up my experience. There was a lot of good food, not much great food. Fish tasted fresh, gazpacho was enjoyable and everything was prepared well. The flavors were tame and dishes uninspired. Maybe my expectations were just in the wrong place. Nothing stood out in my mind.
They really push the seasonal menus and their farm to table style. Servers were a bit snobby and didn’t know the menu very well. Interior was simple and unassuming.
I wouldn’t mind coming back but I also wouldn’t ever recommend it.

This restaurant was beautiful. The good was fresh & delicious. I recommend the artisan cheese plate for an appetizer. The honey was from bees they have on the property. The service was excellent! Very helpful waitress.

I finally took the dive and visited Haven/​Cove cold bar yesterday evening after work during happy hour. As I arrived I looked for parking, I notice there was only valet… complimentary valet. Which was a good thing, the only thing is I had some high heel shoes I wanted to put on. By the attendant waiting to park my vehicle, I did not have time to put them on, which called for me to wrap around my ankles and tie in a bow. But once I exited my car and I saw how convenient it was, I was pleased. I entered the restaurant and I was greeted by the hostess. He informed me that Cove cold bar is the only place to set for the happy hour. He also let me know that Haven has a bar area, but happy hour is in The Cove cold bar. Cove cold bar is a nice intimate area closed off by glass windows. There were about 7 people in there when I arrived. Of course I was instantly greeted by the bartenders. There was not much competition; the traffic at the time was slow. I ordered oyster shooters, shrimp corn dog trio, a beer, and chicken livers and waffle with a syrup. I noticed the oyster shooters and beer, was made in house/​in front of me-​Cove cold bar. While the cooked food was prepared in Haven area and being walked over from Haven to Cove cold bar where I was sitting. just an observation!
The oyster shooters were mediocre. I had oyster shooters in Boston for the first time and it was absolutely delicious. Here at Cove cold bar the all I could taste was the michelada. What happen to the alcohol! The shrimp corn dogs were ok, nothing spectacular. One can go to Trader Joes and get the same thing. The chicken livers were so tender and so very good. They had a wonderful flavor. The syrup that was poured on top of them and the waffle was a little too much/​too sweet for me. But the chicken liver made me which for a plate of them alone. As I exited the bartenders were so pleasant and wished me farewell. The hostess was another story! I totally support you trying to mingle by networking and building your future career contacts, but you need to acknowledge and be friendlier to all.
In all I will be back, I look forward to trying entrees on the full menu. It looks so Yummy, and I enjoy the way the chefs seasons his/​her food.

My first taste of Haven was at the Sugar Land Grand Wine Food Affair event. The food was really good –spoke with one of the managers that spoke up the Restaurant and the new brunch. So made reservation for 3 at 12:30. Upon arriving they only offer Valet, I’m ok with that as I typically valet but some may not. They had a 4 or 5 piece band playing in the foyer, sounded good, was ask inside or out, we sat out. That nice music you could not hear nor anything but the highway. They had speaker outside but it played nothing.
The host that sat us, name was Emma, didn’t smile, didn’t say 2 words to us, first representation of the place not good. You could tell she did not want to be there at all. Point to note, it was Mother’s Day and no one wish the table a Happy Mother’s Day, a thanks for coming or hope to see you again.
Waitress was Julia, she was nice and did a good job, didn’t know the menu well, didn’t make recommendations or upswell the wines etc. despite she was pleasant,
Food portions were small but we left full. I had French toast and shave roast beef on a muffin and egg, my guest had waffles and chicken livers with lamb chops. Food had good flavor.
Price value was questionable $ 45 per person plus beverage. I expect to pay more for holidays, still thought overall was over priced.
Décor of the place-​boring!!! Nothing special inside or out. The table you would have assumed for Mother’s Day would have had a flower or something. Very plan.
We eat out 3 – 4 times per week and we both concluded we would not be going back to Haven, better options in Houston.

Good food. Nice atmosphere. Decent service time for getting drink and food. Servers and greeters nice. Your monies worth for those. It is valet parking, which I try to refrain from doing. Quiet atmosphere and easy to talk to others and still be able to hear them. Very clean.
I was there for a lunch. I had the Grilled Gulf fish. Perfectly grilled. Didn’t taste ‘gummy’ or ‘rubbery’ like I have had in several restaurants. Pilaf was made nicely, not sticky or watery. Our party also shared the Shrimp Corn dogs. And more so than the name, they are actually very good and I actually recommend them!
I would say it’s not a good place for children. It’s more of a wine and other alcohol related establishment for drinks. I would also say that it’s not good for a big crowd. It’s ‘dress casual’ for lunch and Night/​Dinner service is probably more ‘dressy’.
Lunch prices are $$ for lunch and for the amount of food I wouldn’t pay it, but the taste of the food makes up for that difference.

On a beautiful evening in April, a couple of friends and I decided to dine together at Haven. My friend had been to Haven multiple times, but I need my Haven Vcard punched. Apparently, they have seasonally changing menus, so the menu was something new for everyone at dinner!
We started off with their bread and loved it so much that we didn’t opt for appetizers. It was warmth, deliciousness, and comfort all «rolled» into one piece (you don’t have to like my pun).
Then, we moved out gazes to the menu, and this was so difficult! Not the eye-​moving, but the options! They are all appeared to be delectable! So, among us, we had the free range chicken with bacon spaetzle, veloute, crispy Brussels sprouts; and I opted for the Filet and beef belly that came with a fennel purée, candied carrots, and fennel slaw, while my husband opted for a glazed Akaushi flat iron steak with broccoli fried rice and root vegetable slaw.
Crazy amount of food and combinations!
I know I was the only one who had some beef with my beef. I really didn’t enjoy the beef belly.. . it wast too fatty for my taste and I trouble gulping down the sticky, fatty areas between the pieces of meat. It makes me gag just to write this. It was a true fight between my instinct to spit it up or to swallow politely while engage in conversation, so that my friends were not disgusted by my dislike of the meat. Let’s just say, I should have won an Oscar for that performance! So, yeah, the next time I’m at Haven, no beef belly for me — — - ugh. Everyone else loved their food.
So, I really pushed to share dessert since I needed a palate cleanser. I couldn’t deal with what the belly left behind. I didn’t want to leave LITERALLY with a bad taste in my mouth. So, I basically commanded (nicely, mind you) that we order the Chocolate Ice Box Pie. We split it three ways, and I know I enjoyed that more than anyone else. It was delicious with its chocolate cookie crust, mocha ice cream, cocoa and white chocolate shavings.
I’ll probably be back next season, and maybe be less adventurous with my dining choices.

Lots of «good» food, not so much «great» food. The appetizers are great, the main dishes pretty good, and the desserts a little spotty. (The fresh food concept does get a «thumbs up» in my book though.)
As opposed to many other «seasonal dining» establishments that have more the hipster vibe, Haven is certainly high class. Though this strikes me as an interesting dichotomy, Haven pulls it off pretty well.
The best starter was the Shrimp Corn Dogs, without a doubt. While delicious in their own right – how can you pass up battered, fried shrimp?! – the Tabasco Mash Remoulade adds a nice creamy kick that makes the dish. No visit to Haven would be complete in my book without them!
The Deviled Eggs and Fried Oyster Tostada are also great. I’d rate the Deviled Eggs a little bit higher, but I do love the Chipotle Avocado Crema that accompanies the fried oysters.
As far as main dishes, I like their daily selection of gulf fish (either tare glazed or grilled). I suppose it’s a little more sustainable than flying in Halibut from Alaska! The grilled grouper had a nice grilled flavor, but the vegetable-​quinoa pilaf was sadly only mediocre. The tomahawk flat iron steak is certain to be a conversation starter with it’s long bone «handle» hanging off the side of the plate. Great way to turn heads, if that’s what you’re looking for.
For dessert, they have some great coffee /​dessert cocktails, including one with both beer and coffee (certainly an interesting combination). The Chocolate Ice Box pie, though, is only mediocre at best. Nothing about it stood out to me, and in retrospect, I should’ve gone with the coffee /​beer cocktail dessert. Oh well, live and learn.
Overall, not a bad dining experience, but Haven seems to be caught in the middle of being a high-​class restaurant and local, farm-​to-​table establishment. Still, it’s a great place for appetizers and desserts.

Haven is one of those frou frou restaurants that obviously stereotypes their patrons.
— Just because we look young doesn’t mean we can’t afford your food and treat us with indifference.
— Just because your servers served our pork belly to another table doesn’t mean we pocketed it in our purses to make it look like we never received it.
— Just because I denied dessert does not warrant an exasperated sigh and eye rolling.
— Just because a friend and I split the Chicken Family Style dinner doesn’t mean we expected leftover sides to be split too. No need to mock us by packing 2 carrot slices, a slice of onion, and garlic in a to-​go container.
I could go on, but this restaurant does not deserve any more of my time. Food was great so I should commend the chef, valet attendant was great, but you know what, customer service means a lot too — how else do you expect repeat customers? So, one star for Haven.

HAVEN! Ever since I first went, I crave it regularly! First of all, their rolls are the stuff dreams are made of. Warm, soft, melt in your mouth deliciousness. They take you back to the best childhood memories.
I always order the Torn Greens Salad with chicken because it’s just SO FREAKING GOOD. I know I really, really need to branch out and try more stuff off their menu but I just can’t! I think it’s those fried green tomato «croutons».dipped in that spicy dressing… OOOMG. Everyone I’ve ever been with has loved their meal, so I think it’s safe to say their food is delicious across the board.
The restaurant itself is beautiful, very modern but simultaneously cozy and airy. Service has always been impeccable. Suffice to say, I’d go to Haven every day if I could.

This was a place I have on my list if restaurants to try in Houston. We went here to celebrate a friend’s birthday. My wife and I tried the fried chicken that we have heard about so much. (I believe there were 2 Houston chefs that recommended it on chefs feed app) The chicken was very juicy and tender and the skin was nice and crispy. Definitely recommend it. The sides were ok, I had mushrooms and sweet potatoes. I felt there were really healthy options for sides, everything was fried or sautéed it seemed. The appetizers weren’t bad, but not really memorable. We had the shrimp and also chicken livers. Didn’t fall in love with this place to HAVE to come back soon.
Recommendation: worth a try for their fried chicken! Everything else … Eh

So we bought a travelzoo voucher for dinner for two on the line. We expected this to be a pretty fun evening and were not dissapointed. Chef Randy came over and introduced himself and remained converastional throughout the meal, as much as could while still running a kitchen.
We had eaten at Haven a number of times, but never on the line. Each of the six course was fantastic. We started the meal with some Scallops from Cove, the cold bar within Haven. The whole meal was delicious, but the scallops and the gumbo were my two favorite courses. We also opted for the wine pairing which did not disappoint.
We arrived a little early to enjoy happy hour that runs Mon — Sat 4 –7. The John Daly was legit.

We came to Haven because a girlfriend of mine had a gift certificate for the restaurant. The place is kinda tucked away off of Kirby (next to Twin Peaks). There is compliantly valet which is very convenient. Once you walk in they have their bar Cove off to your right and an outdoor seating for the restaurant on the left. We had a reservation and were seated promptly in the main dining room. So I didn’t get to experience the bar. Maybe next time. The dining room is set in candle light and white table cloths so more of an intimate vibe. Looking around the room you can see it’s not just for intimate couples. There were groups of ladies so that made me feel better since it was just a girlfriend and I. We glanced over the menu and decided to go start for the wine and entrée. Although the appetizers descriptions looks tasty! Our waitress was very helpful in selecting a wine and suggested their in house sommelier. We pretty much knew what we were going for and opted for the Post House Penny Black it was DELICIOUS! Next on to the entrée! Our server was helpful in suggesting a few menu items but we had our eye on the Family Style Chicken Dinner. We went with the grilled option and for the 2 sides the pecan smoked bacon spaetzele and farmers veggies. The chicken was seasoned and grilled to perfection and the sides were delicious! The 8 pieces were to much for us this could feed 3 – 4 people so we took a doggie bag. We had money left on the gift card so ordered desert. The coconut tres leches bread pudding popped out me and it did not disappoint! One of the best deserts I’ve experienced!
This restaurant defiantly is one to try and I will be back for dinner or try their happy hour. They also have a cooking class that I heard about. I’ll keep that in mind as well!

Haven and Cove are both in the same building, and both sort of co-​exist with one another. Haven is a ginormous restaurant with a little nook (er…cove) attached to it called Cove. It’s all very chic and pretty inside. My friend and I ended up sitting in Cove but eating off of the Haven Happy Hour menu the other day.
I’m beginning to learn that there is a trend in many nice/​r Houston restaurants: They have stupidly awesome and cheap Happy Hour menus. Flemings, America’s, Queen Vic, and Oporto all come to mind. And now Haven. Or Cove. Or both!
The HH menu at Haven/​Cove is not quite as extensive as other restaurants, but they do have some great noshes for $ 6 each. Sign me up!
The first thing we ordered was the Pulled Pork Slider Trio, which was RIDICULOUS. Megan and I were shamelessly gushing over the sliders. If a Sloppy Joe fell in love with the most divine barbecued pork you’ve ever tasted, these would be their little delicious babies. Just phenomenal.
Next up was the Shrimp Corn Dog Trio. And to be completely honest, the dogs were the weak link of the bunch. There was a little dollop of remoulade underneath them, but you really couldn’t taste it. They were simply just shrimp in a corn dog, without that extra somethin’ somethin’ that matched the awesomeness of the other dishes.
We then went on to the Wild Boar Chili Tater tots, and all at once my mediocre experience with the shrimp dogs was a distant memory in a faraway land. These tots were everything I dreamed of and more. Colorful, flavorful, and stunning. Haven took a standard down-​home staple, and dressed it up as something fancier and sinfully divine.
I’m seriously starting to salivate right now just thinking about them.
And the Fried Chicken and Waffles! Er. Mer. Gerd. I can’t. I CANNOT. They were absolutely out of this world. Blew my mind.
End result? I definitely recommend going to Cove for Happy Hour and dining off the of the Haven menu. The fancified versions of Southern fried staples will be sure to rock your world. Just be prepared for the valet parking (which is free, but as we all now is not actually free… I seriously want to start a revolt against the Houston valet system), and have cash on hand!

The One Where Sandy’s Friend Celebrate His 30^th Birthday.
I’ve tried Haven a few times and unfortunately the only thing that I love is the bread they serve before the meal comes out. The place is beautiful and all; however, the food is just… decent.
For lunch, I’ve tried their Akaushi burger, which is suppose to be one of their main attractions. This burger is served with their homemade tater tots and I thought it was all just okay. The server described their tater tots to be amazing, but it tasted like fried mashed potato. The burger wasn’t anything special either because it’s like any other burger I’ve had.
The big disappoint was for my friend’s 30^th birthday.
First, my friends made reservation here because Haven was suppose to print menus with «Happy Birthday {insert friend’s name}». Well, our reservations ran about 30 – 40 minutes late (we had about 20 folks present) so we were all at the bar hanging out. When we were finally seated — they gave us their menu without the birthday shout-​out. The server they had for us was not on top of his game because he forgot the appetizers we ordered and he wasn’t really there. I mean, they could of had two servers taking care of 20 people, but apparently one was suffice.
Anyway, for dinner, I tried their Free-​Range Chicken since that’s what my fellow Unilocalers suggested and even the server was like «omg… you have to try that». It was okay. Again, the chicken was nothing special and I felt like I would have been okay if I’ve never tried it.
Now, some of my girlfriends ordered their Fried Chicken (it came with two sides) and their mashed potatoes were yummy! At the end of the meal, I wished I had just shared the fried chicken dinner with them because it was better than my chicken (I mean, if they mess up on fried chicken then they need to stop trying).
Another item I had was their Wild Boar Chili and that was actually good. This was the appetizer I had ordered and the server forgot. He brought the chili after I had finished my meal.
Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this place as a «must try». I might order their fried chicken with some friends next time, but maybe I should just head over to Popeyes. It’s complementary valet parking here and make reservations! Although they probably won’t be able to seat you at your reservation time.

I’m an exceedingly loyal customer of Haven and only had stellar experiences.
If you’re looking for Farm-​to-​Table, local, and seasonal cuisine, you’ve just found one of the top spots in Houston for it. Chef Randy Evans has prepared a modern Texas-​Southern hybrid with delicious results. For example, in the Shrimp Corn Dogs, large Gulf shrimp are beer-​battered and golden fried, old-​school style. But the twist is the brillantly spicy vinegar tang of Tabasco remoluade and the side shot of lemonade to balance the heat. Another is the classic Picnic Plate of charcuterie. The classic proscuitto with its earthy flavor offsets the richness of the rillette. While not my favorite, but still consumed nonetheless, the headcheese, when eaten with the house-​made pickles, becomes hard to pass up as the briney pickles cut through the gelationous headcheese. The Wild Catfish and Grits is wonderfully placed. The grits are creamy and rich, without turning to mush or a brick. The blackened catfish firm (at least for catfish, a sign of both freshness and cook). The poached egg running yolk throughout adding a buttery, richness. While not a light dish, it’s certainly a splurge worth it. Throughout the meal, a peppery, light, refreshing Bloody Mary accompanied and complemented the fare. I’m fairly particular of my Bloody Marys and Haven’s is on par with some of the best in Houston.

Wow — what a disappointment. Party of 6 for daughter’s birthday. Food was excellent!
Service — OMG. Some of the worst we’ve experienced. Either the waitress was new, she was staffing too many tables (looked like 6 including 2 on the patio), or they are understaffed.
After being seated and given menus, we waited for 15 minutes to order drinks. Then 10 minutes to get those. We decided to order as soon as we could flag her down. While finishing appetizers, the entrees arrived and it was a Chaplinesque affair of removing plates and serving. Etc…
We will be back to give it another try but hopefully this is a rarity on such service. If not, Houston is blessed with so many dining choices.

I went here for lunch during Houston Restaurant Weeks (Month!). I liked Chris C.‘s advice about lunch being a better value than dinner and making sure you’re really getting you’re money’s worth as far as what you pick and comparing it to their regular menu. Thus, I went with the cold smoked shrimp and wood-​grilled château loin of beef. Regular price: $ 34, HRW price: $ 20. Deal! I went with a large group so have to add tax and automatic gratuity, but still delicious.
What’s also great about going with a large group is sharing! A trio of us ordered a few different things and shared bites. I loved my shrimp appetizer. It was served with baby greens, avocado, and escabeche. What is escabeche? The way Haven made it, it’s a delicious mixture of summer veggies with a vinegary-​citrusy marinade. I sampled the country fried chicken liver and French toast appetizers, too, which were great, but I liked the shrimp better.
My beef entrée was pretty good. I ordered the beef medium rare and it was tasty. The migas were quite filling. I had a small bite of their bread. I was totally stuffed the rest of the day and had a very light dinner.
Service was good. They served complementary bread with butter, but did not enough for our large group initially. They kept our waters topped off and served coffee with individual French presses and tea served in individual teapots. Our waitress was very nice about splitting individual receipts. The only other downside was the complementary valet parking only. I guess it’s a limited parking lot and easier to handle their own lot and make sure the Twin Peaks customers aren’t parking in their lot, but that means you need some small bills for tipping.

Beautiful, gorgeous patio that I loved on a lovely Sunday afternoon. And that might be where the good part ends. The food was mostly between $ 10−20/entrée and over-​salted. The bread had salt. The «cilantro» cole slaw lacked cilantro and was VERY salty. And the service is a little slower. This is good if you’re going to chillax on the patio, but otherwise beware.
With my oversalted slaw, I had the pulled pork BBQ sandwich. It was sticky and good. I was hoping the pork might be a little more tender. The house made chips while salty were delicious, but I suppose I was expecting salted chips…

Quick tips: Very cute open dining area. The patio is a nice place for when the weather is right. Shrimp corn dogs were delicious. Spring Veggies were not good at all. It is fairly pricy and you are paying partially for the food, but mainly for the ambiance. Complimentary valet. You can make reservations on OpenTable.
Food: Warm soft rolls sprinkled with the right amount of salt on top with delicious creamy butter was an excellent start. I love fluffy bread, it makes me so happy as if I’m eating a piece of a fluffy cloud. The shrimp corn dogs are comical — they are delicious but they came with a tiny cup of lemonade which is surprisingly a valuable pairing with the corndogs. They call it a «county fair,» which is the farthest thing from my mind when I think of the sleek haven. My boyfriend and I decided to get the optional fourth corndog instead of the standard three to avoid any appetizer fights.
My entrée was not good. The Spring Veggies consisted of Peanut encrusted tofu which was good, but the vegetables and wilted greens were way too sweet and the vegetables didn’t soak up the flavor of the coconut curry. For dessert, our Goat Buttermilk and Pecan Pie (a scary mouthful) was surprsingly good and not too sweet.
Ambiance: The ambiance and details of this Haven are what make it special. They have all the details right, cute cocktail glasses for water, an open dining area, black napkins available. Great place for a date to impress.
Service: Great service, very attentive waiter, who seemed a little nervous to make sure everything was correct.