Chart House Restaurant - Kemah

We tried The Chart House for the first time last weekend, and were very impressed with the entire dining experience. From the brushed chrome stair railing, blue-carpeted staircase, and the large glass-enclosed candles burning outside the front door entrance; all the details made for a warm seaside entrance to this restaurant. Upon entering I was greeted by name by the manager and hostess (since I had made a reservation online at ""OpenTable"") They sat us immediately at our table which included a formal dinner setting with candle, and a large window gazing out onto the evening ocean. Music playing softly overhead, lent a nice sophisticated touch as well.\r Our waitress named Juile, was very prompt, helpful, and well-versed with all the menu items and specials of the day. We took her lead on trying the crab-stuffed mushroom caps, and they were really delicious. Also on our varied venture thru the menu, we ordered Oysters Rockefeller, Lobster Bisque, stuffed flounder, mahi mahi, shrimp fresca, prime rib (children's menu cut, for my daughter), and topped it off with a lobster tail added on the side. It was a huge seafood variety which the four of us healthily devoured without too much effort, save for the chocolate molten lava dessert.\r All-in-all, we found the restaurant, food, and most importantly the service, to be very charming, professional, serene, and worthy of our making many return visits as soon as we can make it back there.\r Wonderful evening, thanks to everyone at The Chart House, especially Julie. Pros: Wonderful, subdued, tranquil atmosphere, excellent food, wonderful view, great martinis Cons: Expensive - but I knew that before going. more

We have highly enjoyed this restaurant being added to the Kemah Boardwalk! The waitstaff is SUPER and management is extremely friendly and accomodating. Everyting that we have tried (and we have been approx. 20 times) has been really good! If you have not tried the potato chip appetizer from the bar - it is a MUST! Please go and enjoy (after it reopens from Ike)! Pros: Parking (Valet), Quiet Atmosphere more

I had a friend in town and we wanted to go somewhere in Kemah. We hadn't tried this restaurant yet and the menu looked tasty. Our waiter was pleasant but slighty creepy. I figured just nervous. Our appetizer was good- Crab Stuffed Mushrooms. Then that is where it fell apart. We all ordered our entrees and my husband chose the Chef's Special. It never arrived. After that the waiter disappeared. Short story...the food is basically good but nothing fancy. A bit overpriced however, it is billed as fine dining with casual atomsphere. If you still want to go, don't pass up the dessert. more

After being completely wowed by the Chart House in Boston, I was completely disappointed. The service was awful, the specials paled in comparison to the Boston offerings, and some of the same dishes we ordered were laughable comparisons.\r \r Don't waste your time or money. Pros: lobster bisque Cons: everything else more

Where to start? First the review above was right on - wannabe!\r We live in Houston & decided to spend a nice Sunday afternoon on the Kemah Boardwalk. We saw Chart House, it looked REALLY nice and the menu outside looked great, even though it was pretty pricey for Sunday lunch.\r It was problem after problem... in an 'upscale' establishment, I expect top-notch service (never found it here)\r After being sat, no one came to our table for over 10 minutes - unacceptable at a high-end restaurant. Our waiter was CLUELESS!! We ordered calamari dry. It came out drenched in sauce and soggy. We called over the manager and he brought us some new 'dry' calamari that was practically swimming in grease - we ate a few bites. Big waste of $12!\r Ordered iced tea, had to flag down 2 different waiters just to get sweet-n-low.\r Asked the waiter about the lunch specials, he had no clue.\r I asked about a salad his response ""It is ok, I mean it is a salad made with fresh ingredients"" - geeeze, so helpful. NOT!\r We finally ordered one entree and I went for the lobster bisque and cobb salad. We waited for OVER 40 minutes with NO food and no update on our food. 3 tables were sat around us (after we arrived) and were finished with their meals. Finally the food came, the fish entree was fine but not worth the price. I never got the bisque and the waiter brought me the wrong salad! When I brought it to his attention - he said ""Oh, that is what I thought you ordered"". I ate the chopped salad and it was blah, at best.\r We wanted to stay for dessert but figured we would cut our losses and get out. Our bill was over $50 and nothing was better than LongJohnSilver's quality.\r After arriving back home, I went online to email the restaurant. This is a Landry's restaurant and not surprising - not even a response!\r Don't waste your time or $$. Looks are TOTALLY deceiving. If you want great service and great food - visit the ""other Houston'"" chain, they get it right and know customer service! Pros: Very nice, overlooking the water & free valet Cons: BAD service, over priced & poor food more

The Chart house was a mini step above most of the typical Clear Lake/Kemah restaurants. The environment was much nicer than what you usually get at the other noisy/touristy boardwalk restaurants. We went for our anniversary dinner and I was pleased. We had the calamari - which was very tender, not chewy. I had the Alaskan King crab legs - which were awesome - much better than Joe's. My husband had Sea Bass - said it was good. I had the chopped house salad - I would have expected it to be crunchier - and I can still taste the very heavy red onions. The chocolate covered cherries martini was good. We were too full for dessert. :( The service was good - though the waiter took my husbands plate from under him while he was finishing his roll, we had a good chuckle over that. We spent about $115, and I think the food is expensive, but not more than we expected. Most of the Kemah restaurants have a weird smell(something to do with the pier?), but the Chart House was the exception. I really enjoyed this restaurant - the service and the environment, and maybe because the food choices were different - there are so many that are exactly the same around here. Pros: Ambience, parking more

We?d wanted ?UpStairs at The Flying Dutchman?, but that?s now ?Red Sushi?.\r \r In the 80?s, in Melbourne Florida, ?The Chart House? was an example of Fine Dining. The Kemah eatery of the same name isn?t.\r \r I?m a 50-something old-timer who thinks that when you spend $150 for your wife?s birthday dinner, you ought to come away feeling satisfied.\r \r \r Calamari $11, ?Lightly fried with sweet and sour peppers.? There was nothing ?lightly fried? about it. The breading was thick and heavy, with way too much of Tony Chachere's creole seasoning dumped in. The peppers were mashed and overcooked. For this appetizer, go to Perry?s Italian Kitchen!\r \r Chart House Chopped Salad $6, and the Caesar $7 ? Flavor was o.k., but the lettuce in both was a bit wilted ? like it was prepped a couple of days earlier.\r \r Shrimp Scampi $26 ? Eight medium (26-30) shrimp and pasta. The garlic was too ?raw? and bright, the shrimp were overcooked.\r \r Filet Mignon $29. On the plate were the 8-oz. fillet and an ice-cream-scoop of ?garlic-mashed? potatoes. The adornment of some carrot strings atop the perfect potato dome and sprig of parsley completed the presentation. I asked for a bit of Bearnaise ? way too heavy. But the steak was perfect. Forty bucks at Ruth?s Chris doesn?t buy a better-tasting or textured piece of red meat. As I sampled the potatoes, I imagined they?d been ?extended? with something out of a box. They were bland.\r \r Chart House Cosmo $10 only filled the martini glass 2/3?s full; for ten bucks, fill the glass! \r \r Hot Chocolate Lava Cake $9 It was o.k., but I think you can get the same thing at Dairy Queen for $3.99.\r \r Kemah?s Chart House - it?s a Joe?s Crab Shack, but there are tablecloths, the wait staff wear ties, and the prices are trebled. Like Jimmy Walker?s, ?Upstairs at the Dutchman? is gone. For the Clearlake area, #1 is still Tommy?s, with either of Chris Perry?s places a very close second.\r \r PJ Pros: Service was good. Cons: Way Over-priced more