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Review content:
I have never written a restaurant review, but felt compelled to do so after our meal last night at Ocean’s. We had a coupon from Houston Tidbits that was set to expire, so we decided to pay a visit. I have always known and admired the old building the restaurant is in, and when we walked in I was immediately impressed with the renovation work they had done. The place is beautiful, clean and well decorated. It was a hot night, so we were hesitant to sit outside. We walked out to test the temperature, and actually found it quite pleasant with several fans enhancing the breeze. The patio really is one of the nicest in Houston, spacious with great tree cover and an attractive fountain. We were one of just a few other tables, so I figured the food and/or service was sure to be poor. I was wrong. Our waiter Juan, kind of a do it all type and friend of the owner Jorge, brought us a fresh squeezed Margarita and a Bellini to start. The Margarita was one of the best I have had, and I have had a few. What I was envisioning as a one drink Thursday ended up as four. Needless to say, they were obviously top quality – I am writing this hangover free at 6 AM the following morning. We asked Juan the history of the place and he explained it had opened 10 months prior during restaurant week, and the place had been packed. I imagine they had trouble with service early on, as many restaurants do, when they are not ready to handle big crowds. Juan told us he had to return to Mexico about a month after the opening, and just returned two weeks ago. Upon his return, the place was a mess – I presume leading to some poor reviews below. He has set out to return the place to its original concept and is not going back to Mexico this time. He and the owner Jorge are the servers right now, and though there weren’t many people there when we visited, the service was fantastic. And most importantly, the food was superb. We shared four dishes, the Ocean’s ceviche, the tequila mussels appetizer, the scallop salad special (main course), and the shrimp tacos. The food was simply delicious (even the French fries, of all things, were awesome – and a surprisingly tasty complement to the seafood). Come to find out the chef – his name escapes me – was the chef at The Rickshaw in its glory days. Reminded me of the fantastic tuna tartar nachos (on wontons) I used to love getting there. And the prices. They seemed a little heavy at first glance, but they aren’t. The portions are solid and we were pleasantly full after the four dishes. It ran $35/head for two dishes per person, which is quite reasonable given the quality of the food. And I figured the margaritas would be $12 or so. They were $9 – very reasonable, given the quality (they use Cuervo silver, perfect for ritas). On our way out, we looked at the bar upstairs. What a beautiful and unique spot – perfect for a private function or happy hours. Speaking of happy hour, if you are on more of a budget, they are offering some very attractive happy hour prices on food and drink. If you have visited Ocean’s in the last 6-8 months and were disappointed, try it again. If you haven’t been before, certainly give it a try. If there are just a few other people there, don’t let that dissuade you – stay and enjoy. You will be glad you did.
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