I Didn't Eat at Houston's - The Next Big Thing

The Next Big Thing

Blog

The Next Big Thing

« Robbing Peter to Pay Wall (Str... | Main | Working for Norman Brinker... »

Link This | Email this | Blog This | Comments (2)

Lane Cardwell

I Didn't Eat at Houston's
February 7, 2008

If you know me, you know where to find me for dinner on a Sunday night. Houston's. And because of the timing of the Super Bowl I just couldn't figure out how to get there (and I was already full on Super Bowl food). Houston's doesn't have to worry about a missed meal from me. I always make it up the next week. Two visits instead of one.

I have been going to Houston's since the original opened in Nashville in 1976. Well, not exactly. I didn't get there until 1980, but I got there as soon as I could. Over the years I have marveled at how a restaurant organization could set the bar so high, for so many years, across the country. Over the years I have come to realize that it can only be done by sheer willpower at the top. George Biel, the founder, has high standards and good taste. The rest of us benefit.

If your city has a Houston's, consider yourself lucky. You have an opportunity to see what American food should really taste like. A hamburger never tasted so perfect. BBQ ribs never were so tender and tasty. Chicken tenders (which haven't been on the menu for over 10 years) are a top seller. Try them and see why. Fish, steaks, pork chop, salads, soups. It isn't a very big menu but it doesn't have to be. Everything is done exceedingly well.

In the event that you have never been to a Houston's, trust me, just go. Soon.

Many a chain has driven itself crazy trying to be the next Houston's. The Next Big Thing. It's a worthy goal, but most don't have the tastebuds or the stamina to compete in such rarefied air. Some day, a worthy contender will appear, but until then you know where to find me on a Sunday night.

Posted by Lane Cardwell on February 7, 2008 | Comments (2)

Industries: Expansion, Operations

November 22, 2008
In response to: I Didn't Eat at Houston's
onthego commented:

Hey Lane. I found your posts tonight about Houston's very interesting. I was a server and then manager for Houston's for about 6 years. I'm currently the general manager for another group. Yet everything I do everyday is think about what I would have done at Houston's. They are so detail oriented that it was very hard to leave a group of people SO devoted to what they were doing. Because they have such high standards of quality and preperation of food and of service and style, they are able to inspire people into becoming true restaurateurs - and subsequently comparing all other restaurants to Houston's. This is the brilliance of the concept. Beyond the Frank Lloyd Wright, and the open kitchen and the edgy but unoffensive artwork, and the minimalist approach (which is the reason it seems as if the restaurants were built with nails that said Houston's on it - "just because") it is its ability to communicate its philosophy to even the weakest of servers because of all of those details. The concept is circular. It's a volvo or Exxon or Brooks Brothers. It doesn't offend or attract. It just focuses. Brilliant!

November 22, 2008
In response to: I Didn't Eat at Houston's
Lane commented:

The casual dining industry is in a better place because of the existence of Houston's as a role model for excellence, and their managers and staff who have moved on, who practice the principles that they were taught in new chains and restaurants.