Red Lion revisited
I find the Red Lion a very irritating place. It could easily be far and away my favorite place in Houston to eat but it always contrives to blot its copybook in some manner every time I go there such that I can never quite embrace it in my arms in a bear hug.
Partly it is its own clique-eyness which puts one off, but yet even my beloved Sherlock's Home in Minnetonka was guilty of that at times.
But what lovely building and so nicely appointed. My late father (a connoisseur of rude seaside postcards) would love the restroom for example. I could not help noticing yesterday that it is in danger of becoming a de facto British Embassy in Houston. I counted 6 adjacent tables all with Brit's or partial Brit crowds. And of course why not when Sunday din-dins (roast beef, Yorkshire, and two veg) are on the go.
We ordered their house champagne, a not-awful Spanish affair and properly made. $40. Here is another downswing. Is it REALLY necessary to have your entry-level bottle of red at $45? that seems a bit unnecessary and vastly inflates the tab, which, I suppose, is the idea.
And so we order a shared crab and shrimp salad. I had been previously impressed with their tuna appetizer (VERY generous on the tuna) and expected the same here. Oh dear: three (!) smallish shrimp and a fairly naff sprinkle of lump crab meat about the place. Again for $18 a bit more was wanted.
Then the roast beef. Now here there's a problem. I think roast beef SHOULD be served rare, but not with goopy brown gravy, with meat juices is fine. The goopy gravy and rare meat are quite at odds. You either have to go English overdone plus goopy, or French rare plus meat juices. either is fine, but the combination I mention is not great.
For some reason I found their pepper off putting as though an oriental variety was added. It had a distinct ginger twinge which did not go well with he beef at all.
So it sounds like I hate the place right? No it has a certain kookiness which is quintessentially what I LIKE in a restaurant. I have come here several times alone to drink and found it a bit unfriendly if you are not known but I can live with that even, it's just while I like unpredictability, there's just a tad too much unpredictability here on a typical visit.
The dessert (Grand Marnier affair) was luscious and superb. I have tried the cheese here and it is of the 'pretty cheese with accoutrements' variety: Not for me.
If I could submit a wish list it would be to offer a few cheap wines, lighten up a little on the Members Only vibes, but otherwise (apart from being a long way for me to travel) I could spend a lot of time here. I like the Red Lion, I suppose like schooldays crushes it's only the girl who irritates you significantly that you are secretly attracted to or some such.
The owner from Yorkshire I have barely spoken to but certainly seems a very interesting guy when I have. This is a one-of-a-kind venue which I have to say on the whole I am pleased to have access to in Houston. It probably will always frustrate (there's an ancient post here of my very first experience here one blighted Xmas Day) :-) but perhaps that remains partly its charm.
thanks for reading.
bb
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Red Lion Pub
2316 S Shepherd Dr, Houston, TX 77019
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re: texasredtop
Was it not a Cchicago name-alike? Otherwise I'd like to have seen that. What dish did they highlight if Houston?
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re: bishopsbitter
texasredtop
May 18, 2010 05:10 PM
No, 100% sure it was Houston. I turned it on after it already started and they were making some kind of chicken then covered it in a sauce that was tomato sauce and cream (and other things) and baked it in the oven, served on rice. Then they made chicken quesadillas that looked very good. They made Shepherd's Pie and I don't remember what all else.
My husband kept thinking they were talking about the "old" Red Lion that was on South Main. That was awesome food but it's been gone a lot of years now.
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re: texasredtop
It was Houston. I looked them up on Red Lion Houston Food Network on Yahoo and got a Houston Chronicle article from February saying it would be on that night. They made a naan bread chicken quesadilla, a chicken masala, and the sheperd's pie. Forgive my computer skills, or I would have provided the link, but it was easy to find. I remember the old Red Lion, while I never went there, it was just down the street from a favorite and fellow erstwhile restaurant, The Stables on Greenbriar and S. Main.
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re: James Cristinian
and also down the street from Valians---a great italian restaurant of the 50s and 60s vintage, The old Red Lion was one of the great restaurants of the Houston of 1950-1980. It was truly designed like an old English inn and the food was outstanding. I think the people who owned it were named Crowder---he had a big handlebar mustache---and I vividly remember the London taxi parked outside which picked up guests from the Shamrock, Warwick and other area hotels. I would take dates there if I wanted to impress them---but alas, my success in dating was only that I had a great meal.
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re: BuddyH
texasredtop
May 19, 2010 05:33 PM
My first time there was a date in the early 70's and we ate in front of a fire place. It was a beautiful room. I remember going there again in the late 80's with groups from work about 7-8 times from 1984 on. My boss loved it and we had lots of functions there. Lots of B-52's too :-) The steaks were always so good.
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re: James Cristinian
That is one of the signature items I have never tried as I usually find myself there Sunday Lunch, not prime fish and chip nirvana.
Their website (!) makes their offering look fairly tasty.
http://www.redlionhouston.com/food.htm
That reminds me that in my alternate home during the week (Twin Cities) Anchor Fish and Chips needs to be tried.
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