Off the Vine Bistro

Nevin Zetino

Honest Review! Good Food, Homey Feel, But Some Things to Note 4 friends and I visited Thai Halal Bistro recently and had a pretty mixed experience overall. First, the atmosphere was lovely. We arrived after sunset (~7:20 p.m.), and the restaurant was lit with a very homey orange and yellow lighting, giving it a cozy vibe that made our experience feel more connected. However, we noticed that a highchair had a broken seatbelt, which made us a little uneasy, especially since other patrons had young children with them. The area around the restaurant also seemed a bit rough, but inside it felt safe and welcoming. When we walked in, we were the only party in the restaurant at the time which was pretty surprising. The service was really impressive regarding speed! Everything came out in under 20 minutes, and each dish came out within 4 or so minutes of the next one, which is especially fast in comparison to other Thai places we’ve been to. There was only one bathroom, but it was clean and had no odor, which was greatly appreciated since it was very close to the dining room. Regarding the food we ordered: Thai Tea: Really good! On the sweeter side, but the flavor was strong and satisfying. Tom Kha Soup: The flavor was complex with a rich coconut taste and a nutty undertone. However, the portion was off; there were way more veggies and tofu than actual soup, which made it difficult to share. Roti: Our favorite appetizer! Crispy, flaky, and paired with a flavorful dipping sauce. The roti itself didn’t have much flavor on its own, but the sauce made up for it. Crispy Roll: The rolls could’ve used more seasoning as we couldn’t taste the filling of the actual rolls. The plum sauce provided most of the taste, however a couple of our party members commented that it was way too sweet for their tastes. Pad See-Ew: Our favorite entrée! The flat noodles melted in your mouth, and the tofu was cooked perfectly. We just wish the portions were balanced, there was more broccoli and tofu than noodles, so it was also difficult to share. We found this a recurring issue throughout a lot of their dishes. Tom Yum Noodles: Unfortunately, this was our least favorite. The noodles were thin and didn’t absorb the flavor, and the soup was unexpectedly tangy, and its spice level did not complement its flavor. It felt like we were trying noodles, vegetables and soup rather than one combined dish. We wouldn't recommend this one. Panang Curry: The curry sauce was delicious and flavorful, but again, the portion ratio was off, there were too many bell peppers and tofu compared to the amount of curry. The bell peppers and tofu were well flavored; however, it was also difficult to enjoy because these ingredients absorbed the soup very fast and made the portion size issue worse. More things to note: They automatically added a 20% gratuity for our party of 5, which we didn’t know about until the check came. Although we ordered close to $100 worth of food, we ended up with a bill of ~$120. We were told that the gratuity rule applies to all parties of 5 or more, but it would’ve been nice to know in advance, especially since we were exactly at that limit. Also, after paying, we had to ask for a to-go box instead of being offered one, and no one mentioned that we needed to pay at the front counter. Although that wasn’t a major event, it made our experience more confusing as we thought the check would have been brought to us. Lastly, a few photos on their website seem to be made with AI or at least heavily edited, and the food didn’t quite look like what was pictured. Overall, we loved the homey feel and some of the dishes (especially the roti and pad see-ew), but the unfortunate taste of some dishes and surprises while paying dragged down the experience for us.

3 months ago

Imani P

Very friendly staff and clean restaurant! My first time here and I can’t wait to try their food. I will come back with an update. Update! The food was fresh and well mixed together. I got the Pad Thai ❤️

a month ago

Samuel Davis

I haven’t had food this terrible in a long time. Ordered the pineapple rice, roti, crying tiger beef, and tom yum noodles. All were awful. Originally we planned to eat at another restaurant but that restaurant became take out only, so we walked over to Thai Halal Bistro. Big mistake. Should have gone to any of the 1000 other tasty places in Missouri City, TX.

a month ago

Muhammad Murtaza Motiwala

It was an amazing experience, visited with family and tried their famous soup, Chicken sticks. I loved their fried fish 😊

2 months ago

Katherine Nguyen

The food here is amazing and comes with generous portions. We came here on recommendation from a friend and will definitely come back. Shout out to the server too, he was awesome

3 months ago