City Cellars HTX

I chose City Cellars to celebrate Mother’s Day with my mom and sisters. We made a reservation online and the manager was accommodating to our requests once we arrived at the restaurant. We sat outside on their patio and enjoyed the gorgeous view of downtown and breeziness underneath the fans. Karen, our waitress, was absolutely amazing. She offered delicious recommendations and was attentive to our table. We ordered the bananas fosters French toast (great to share), açaí bowl, and build your own brunch. We truly enjoyed our time and can’t wait to return. When you go, ask for Karen, she’ll take great care of you ✨

a month ago

Pros: The food and drinks were excellent! Our server was very nice and attentive. Cons: The wait time for our food and drinks was way too long! It was about 30 minutes for our drinks, and an hour for our food. Plus the food was overpriced for the amount of food we got in my opinion. Despite the cons, I would be willing to come back and experience their brunch in hopes that I have a better experience next time!

3 months ago

Most reviews online were highly ranked however, we had one of the worst brunch experiences I’ve ever had. To begin, we waited over an hour and 20 minutes for our food. This is the longest wait times I’ve ever had in any restaurant. It wasn’t just us, I should’ve taken a picture of the expo area showing 45 minute plus ticket times. The restaurant was understaffed, Management ended up going back in the kitchen to support, no manager ever stopped by to check on us or apologize for the chaos and long wait times. We watched several tables walk out. We had a reservation, but was sold our table was not ready so we ended up sitting at the bar. It took about 15 minutes from one of the bartenders to greet us as they were completely swamped and overwhelmed. It took another 15 minutes for us to get the drinks we wanted. As previously mentioned, we waited over an hour and 20 minutes for our food, and when we received it, each plate had something wrong with it. The waffle was cold, the chilaquiles was missing several of the toppings as shown below, and the crabcake was soggy. The bartender was apologetic, and we felt bad because they ended up having a conference our entire tab as we explained it was unacceptable to wait that long for food. Overall, it seems as though the place was understaffed, poorly managed, and delivered subpar food .

3 months ago

My sister and I planned a Mother’s Day brunch at City Cellars and were genuinely excited for the experience, especially since we made reservations in advance for what was supposed to be a special day with family. Unfortunately, it turned into one of the most uncomfortable and disappointing dining experiences we’ve had, and we left feeling deeply unfairly treated. When we arrived, we were seated at a patio table with only partial shade in the middle of the Houston heat. The sun was directly hitting our table, making it extremely uncomfortable almost immediately. We politely asked the hostess if we could move to one of the several fully shaded empty tables nearby, but were told that was not an option because all of those tables were “reserved” — despite the restaurant barely being occupied at the time. Wanting to be understanding since it was Mother’s Day, we stayed seated and ordered drinks anyway. A few moments later, a group of white women arrived and were seated in a similar partially shaded area. They asked to move tables and, to our shock, were immediately accommodated and moved to a shaded table without hesitation. At that point, we felt embarrassed, confused, and honestly hurt. We had asked first, were told no, tried to be respectful and cooperative, yet watched another group receive completely different treatment within minutes. It made us feel singled out and invisible. When we questioned why we were denied the same accommodation, the hostess apologized and said she would get the manager. Unfortunately, the manager showed very little concern for how the situation looked or how it made us feel. He claimed the other table had “just opened up,” but when we asked why we still couldn’t move to one of the other visibly empty tables, he again insisted they were all reserved. I even explained that we would be in and out quickly and suggested the next reservation could simply take our original table once we left, but he refused and seemed completely dismissive of our concerns. There was no empathy, no attempt to make things right, and no acknowledgment of how unfair the situation appeared from our perspective. I have worked in the restaurant industry myself, and as someone who understands customer service and hospitality, I know this situation could have been handled very differently. Good businesses treat all guests with the same level of respect, care, and consistency. Policies should be applied equally to everyone, not selectively depending on the customer. Even if there truly was a reservation policy in place, there were multiple opportunities to handle the situation professionally and compassionately, and instead we were made to feel like our concerns did not matter. As Hispanic women, it was hard not to walk away feeling racially profiled and treated differently. Whether intentional or not, the inconsistency in how guests were treated was very noticeable and upsetting. No customer should ever leave feeling less valued or less deserving of basic comfort and hospitality. If patio seating is being offered in Houston heat, every table should have proper shade or umbrellas available. More importantly, all guests should be treated fairly and with the same courtesy. Very disappointing experience, especially on Mother’s Day.

a month ago

I love the vibe and aesthetics at City Cellars! I’ve been here several times, for dinner and happy hours, but today is my first day for brunch. A great experience! The drinks are always consistent and the food is great. Julie, our server, has been AMAZING! She’s attentive and I appreciated the questions she asked when taking our orders to make sure the food is correct! Love that!

a month ago