Reviews
Facebook Reviews: 88% as of December 2024.
Google Reviews: average 4.4 out of 5 as of December 2024.
321 recommendations on NextDoor.com as of October 2024.
Rated as a Neighborhood Favorite on NextDoor.com every year from 2017 through 2024.
“Owners celebrate 25 years, give credit to hard-working staff at The Raven Grill”: Community Impact newspaper, May 9, 2023.
“Low key on the outside, elegant on the inside. Food was perfect and original. I had the redfish grilled with green beans and sautéed spinach. The redfish was great off the grill, the spinach was the best I’ve had since that steakhouse in downtown St. Louis. Wish I had room for desert, sounded yummy. The patio is way cool and dog friendly. Highly recommend food, service and atmosphere.”
Google My Business, September 2022
“My colleague and friend took me to lunch yesterday, and I was surprised what a jewel of a restaurant this place is. It has a cozy layout, and is classy. But it is not stuffy. The customer service is impeccable with check-ins at perfectly timed intervals. Portions are appropriate. I had the pot roast, and it is absolutely divine-best I’ve probably had to date. I highly recommend dining here for lunch or dinner.”
Google My Business, February 2020
“Casual dining, always excellent food. Perhaps the best salmon prep in town!”
nextdoor.com, February 2020
“A great local neighborhood go-to spot for fresh and creative food dishes and unique flavor combinations.”
Google My Business, February 2020
“We visit Raven about twice a month because it’s such a warm, inviting place to have Sunday brunch. (And also an excellent lunch spot close to Rice U without the traffic/parking disadvantages.) Raven is consistently delicious: a broad menu, warm service, food lovingly prepared, fresh ingredients. You can never go wrong with any of the enchiladas, from chicken to sweet potato, and the daily specials always offer something new. Dessert, you say? Raven has an incredible selection, such as the “tall, moist and sincere” carrot cake. Great wines and cocktails, excellent specialty coffees, and plenty of easy parking – a miracle in Houston. Highly recommend!”
Google My Business, November 2019
“This was the ideal place to relax after a visit to the museum district. The romantic ambiance, excellent service (merci beaucoup, Noël) and delicious food was top-notch. The tender blackened catfish I ordered was seasoned and grilled just right, the pecan crusted chicken my husband had was delicious. Quiet enough for relaxing as well as conversation. Don’t forget to try the breads and desserts served from their pastry shop. The carrot cake slice we shared was HUGE and oh so yummy, delightful when accompanied by an espresso or americano coffee. Our new favorite downtown restaurant! Note: even though a week night, the restaurant filled up quickly.”
Google My Business, December 2018
“Not a lot of restaurants like Raven anymore. Quiet, good service. Lots of the staff have been there for many years. The food is tasty and well priced. It’s a great place for a relaxing meal without a lot of fuss and bother.
– Neighbor on nextdoor.com, October 30, 2018
5 out of 5 stars: “The waitstaff service is unobtrusive and excellent. The Raven has extensive menu selections from which to choose. The chicken vegetable soup is, in my opinion, the best in Houston. The fried oysters were perfectly breaded and gently fried. Truly divine! The avocado and crab salad is to die for. Delicious large avocado filled with fresh crab meat topped with corn chip points that is a must have. The portions are large and unfortunately I had no room left for the exquisite deserts. Snappy service, great food – it does not disappoint. Highly recommend.”
Google for Business review, July 5, 2018
TripAdvisor Reviews: 4 out of 5 stars; TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, November 2018.
(Please note that TripAdvisor does not maintain the current version of our menu, prices or operating hours.)
I haven’t been here for years. Went back last week and am pleased to report they still serve a solidly good meal at reasonable prices. I got my old favorite pecan crusted chicken. It came with sweet potato and beans – totally on my eating plan! And now I know they have a great kids menu too. Very reasonable prices for everything and particularly the kids meals. Dessert was just as good as I remembered. Mango sorbet and molten chocolate cake ala mode! Delicious. Also our waiter was awesome; patient with my child, helpful, and pleasant. Will definitely be back sooner rather than later.
Julie R., Yelp, June 2018
“With exemplary service and a relaxing atmosphere, The Raven Grill is one of the best places to have a quiet lunch in West University. With daily specials and fresh bread baked next door, you can expect nothing but fresh ingredients and top notch grilling. I highly recommend any Houstonian shopping off of University to stop here and have lunch.”
Google+ review, April 2017
“The menu is varied culturally with lots of different influences and heavy on the seafood, very Houston. If you are looking for an excellent representation of Houston’s food variety and excellent service I highly recommend it.”
Google+ review, December 2016
“Always lovely. An experience one would expect in Manhattan right in the midst of the lovely university neighborhood.”
Customer review on Facebook, June 2016
“5 stars. The food was amazing…the pecan crusted chicken and fresh grilled vegetables out of this world. My husband had the sirloin steak with grilled corn and garlic mashed potatoes which were superb! The wait staff is possibly the best in Houston!”
Customer review on Facebook, February 2016
“Local gourmands flock to this open-kitchen restaurant for a post-work glass of vino or a candle-lit dinner of comfort food classics like the chipotle-honey glazed bone-in pork chops topped with black bean salsa. $$.”
Houston Magazine, April 2015
“This tribute to Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem and the nearby elementary school bearing his name has taken flight as a neighborhood haunt. The pot roast, featuring chuck that is slow-roasted with burgundy, herbs, garlic, rutabagas, turnips and tiny onions, is also something to crow about.”
The Houston Press online
“Houston’s Best Damn Restaurant”
Read the damn review.
My Table, February-March 2006
“Locals crow it’s a neighborhood ‘sleeper,’ a triumph due in no small part to its ‘varied and reasonably priced menu,’ ‘nice patio’ and ‘very friendly’ service.”
Zagat survey, 2002
“As someone who eats out seven days a week, finding such a gem in my own neighborhood is a dream come true.”
Ursula McGavron,
The Houston Chronicle
Whine & Dine
“There’s much to like, from the spare but attractive dining area to the outdoor patio to the good, basic food at fair prices.”
Texas Monthly, August 2000
“The dessert is so good it takes every ounce of restraint that I have not to lick the plate clean like a dog.”
The Houston Press, July 2000
“The atmosphere is nicely casual with Sunday coat-and-ties seated next to Old Navy cargo shorts and Pea In The Pod maternity dresses.”
My Table, 1999
“Kevin Brewer says their favorite is ‘The Raven Grill enjoying the good menu, weekly specials and friendly staff.’”
The Houston Chronicle
Whine and Dine
“Since it opened, The Raven, a favorite hangout for lunch, for after-work drinks or a glass of wine at the bar, for dinner or for Sunday brunch.”
Ann Criswell, Food Editor
The Houston Chronicle