With Houston’s vibrant restaurant scene, locals are spoiled for choice, even those in the suburbs. With the high prices for rent in the inner loop, a number of eateries are expanding outward to take advantage of less expensive property.
Unfortunately, many of those expansions are chain restaurants that pop up in strip centers, squeezing out some of the smaller, locally-owned businesses that were previously go-to spots for the surrounding neighborhoods.
However, there are still hidden gems that hang on, delivering delicious food with a side of personal service that one doesn’t often see in bigger establishments. One such place is Redfish Seafood Grill, a few minutes north of Willowbrook Mall.
Opened in November 2003 by Chef David Chang and his wife Rolita Chang, it’s housed in a boat shaped structure that brings to mind the nautically-themed fried seafood joints that one finds across America. However, its outward appearance belies the quality Japanese-French fusion cuisine and fresh sushi that is served daily with a smile.
Even its interior is a mish-mash of fishing nets, fake marlins and ship wheels. The focal point, though, is a stunning blue-lit aquarium tank filled with exotic fish and fluorescent coral that hypnotizes youngsters and oldsters alike. The Changs added a second story a few years after opening to accommodate the growing community. Many of those same locals have their caricatures lining the walls of the upstairs dining room.
Redfish Grill and the Changs receive a lot of love via social media and online reviews. So much so that the couple decided to expand to the Galleria area in 2018 with a more upscale concept, Blue Onyx Bistro. While well-received by local residents, the restaurant was located in a tight spot on Richmond, with high rent and low traffic. The Changs closed the bistro in 2023.
Now, their focus is solely on Redfish Grill, and it shows. My family are big fans of the local restaurant and we’ve celebrated graduations, birthdays and anniversaries here over the years. But for a while, we were pulled away by shinier and fancier spots. Recently, we started returning to Redfish and it’s been a superb experience each time.
The service has always been friendly, but our past several visits have been exceptionally warm. Though we have had a different server each time, they’ve all been young and enthusiastic. We’ve also sat in the downstairs dining room for our meals. For me, the upstairs dining room is too far away from the action. I like to see the comings and goings of the kitchen and more than likely, David or Rolita are making the rounds, chatting with guests. Some days, it’s the both of them.
As for the menu, it remains much the same, though there have been some added and subtracted items. My favorite fried clams seem to have disappeared, but a new favorite, Chef Chang’s Ravioli( $10.95), has been my go-to starter. Oddly, it has tasted different each time. One time, it was a fluffy mix of spinach and ricotta and fresh egg yolk with a drizzle of chili oil and a little black bean sauce. Another time, it was heavy with brown truffle essence and missing the egg yolk. And yet another visit, it was loaded with chili oil, which I didn’t mind, because I like the spiciness. However, the first time, with the runny egg yolk, was the best.
My husband, Classic Rock Bob, usually orders octopus salad or seaweed salad. Both are fragrant with toasted sesame oil. My daughter has the escargot each time. I am not a fan, but I don’t mind scooping some of the bread into the remaining garlic butter left behind.
On a recent birthday visit for my daughter, Chef David came to our table. When we mentioned that she had wanted the escargot for her birthday, he disappeared into the kitchen, only to return with one of the prettiest dishes I have ever seen. It was five dark pink scallop shells with scallop crudo, topped with a very light yuzu vinaigrette. It was so fresh that the scallops were still attached to the shells. It was sublime. And despite being a food writer and eating abroad in a few places, I have never actually eaten scallops straight from their original shells.
One thing to know about Chef Chang is that he is constantly sourcing fresh ingredients. Some days, he might have a limited amount of seasonal soft shell crab. Other days, it might be a giant halibut. While his seafood dishes are always fresh, there are times when he is experimenting with something new that might just blow your mind.
Another popular starter is the seafood chowder, which is $5.95 for a cup and $6.95 for a bowl. We always go for a bowl of the sweet, creamy soup for one dollar more. This month, we tried the gumbo instead. It was thicker than I prefer, and had just a hint of a sweet Asian flavor, but boy, did it pack a cayenne punch, among the small shrimp and melt-in-your-mouth bits of chicken. I slid it over to Classic Rock Bob to finish and he said it was one of the best things of the evening.
One of my favorite dishes is Chang’s Special Sea Bass, though the last visit it was a tad too sweet. However, it’s usually one of the best dishes to represent his skill with sauces. It’s also one of the pricier dishes at $36.95, but it is such a different combination of tastes, that it sticks in the memory. It’s dusted lightly with parmesan, the saltiness of which helps to balance the sweetness of the miso sauce. It is served atop a mix of finely julienned vegetables, which taste amazing with the sauce itself.
Born in Taiwan, Chef Chang immigrated to the U.S. as a young man, working in Chinese, Japanese and French restaurants. All of those flavors and techniques combined are the backbone of his style of cooking. I recently had the flounder with crabmeat. While it didn’t quite blow me away like the sea bass, I still loved the basil macadamia cream sauce, which worked perfectly with the delicate flounder. It too is served with Asian vegetables, plus a couple of spears of asparagus. I almost wished, though, that I had a little bit of mashed potatoes to sop up the sauce.
On our most recent visit, a couple nearby ordered Treasures of the Sea, which is also one of my faves. When it was placed in front of them, they were so awed by the presentation that the delight on their faces nearly made me teary. I love to see people having a good time at a restaurant. With soaring food prices and high inflation, most Americans have to be choosy about where they put their dining dollars. This was obviously a date night for this couple and it looked to be going quite well. Because the restaurant wasn’t particularly full that evening, I was able to overhear their glee as they dug into the blackened scallops and crabmeat-stuffed lobster tail. Their server told them they could also eat the orchid blooms, which they found to be quite a revelation.
The restaurant also has an extensive selection of sushi rolls and hand rolls. I rarely order sushi, but it’s a favorite of CRB and our daughter. The rolls are large, beautifully presented and fresh. That’s about all I can say for them, since it’s not my usual choice. However, the spicy tuna is always good and CRB raves about the soft shell crab hand roll ($8.95).
Redfish has upped its game over the past few years when it comes to cocktails, which I think must be a left-over influence from Blue Onyx Bistro. When the Changs opened the Galleria restaurant, they had Mark “Howie” Voros curating a menu of classic tiki drinks. Voros was known for Howie’s Tiki in Spring. The bar menu at Redfish has incorporated some of the craft cocktail trend into its list of well-priced drinks.
CRB loved the Ultimate Mai Tai, which is a potent rum-forward classic. He opted for a second of the same. I liked my jalapeno-cucumber margarita, with its kick of heat on the back end, as well as the Coconut Dreams, a creamy martini-style drink that delivers exactly what it says. While inner-loopers are paying upwards of $15 a drink, most of the cocktails at Redfish range from $9 for a limoncello spritz to $12 for a chocolate martini.
For our past two meals at Redfish, we’ve ordered the special wine on offer, which was Ethos Cabernet Sauvignon for $38 a bottle. It was an extremely smooth wine with flavors of dark berries, but not too tannic. We thought the price was extremely good, even more so when we saw that the retail price was $25. That is such a fair mark-up, I was kind of floored.
And that’s the thing about Redfish Grill. The prices are reasonable for the quality of cuisine, especially the seafood. There are well-priced beef and pork dishes as well. Which makes me wonder why more Houstonians who loved Blue Onyx Bistro don’t make their way north to check it out. Sure, the interior is a little haphazard and dated, but when I mentioned to my husband that maybe it could use a little refresh, he said, “No way! I like it as it is.”
And so do many of the locals. They love to be greeted by the Changs. It’s like a family restaurant version of Cheers. On our last visit, there were three remaining tables near closing time. Chef Chang had been stopping by and talking with everyone, so it felt like being in his home. He disappeared for a few minutes, returning with a complimentary dessert for each table. It was white chocolate bread pudding, made by his wife Rolita, and served piping hot.
Though we were full from our meal, we still dug into the gooey goodness with pleasure. As did the other four guests remaining, who all seemed charmed by this unexpected act of hospitality.
Family-owned restaurants are currently suffering through the high costs of operation, but so are families themselves. When a business treats you as if they are honored to have your custom, it makes you feel as if you are not only getting bang for your buck, but also a lovely experience.
Redfish is one of those places.
Redfish Seafood Grill
19550 Texas 249
281-970-8599
