Love the service, our waiter angel was literally the best waiter I could've ever had! Literally any issue that I had he was right to the rescue! Coffee was amazing. Food was amazing. The place was really clean. Restroom were clean as well. Definitely recommend this place for brunch, dinner, or literally anytime of the day ! Thanks to the manager Daniela (sorry if I spelled her name wrong) she made sure everything was perfect and everything was! read more

Dot Coffee Shop - American Near Me - Houston, Texas

Dot holds a bit of a nostalgic throwback to the diners of the 50's & 60's. With plenty of parking located behind the building arrived at about 10AM and place was buzzing. Thankfully, Mark was there and initially was told a 35 minute wait but seemed intent by quicker. Ambiance: 4/5 It was breakfast time so of course it was a busy time. For my visit, it was crowded but not to where you couldn't hear your table. Dress is casual, good for friends, solo, or pit stop. Service: 5/5 Our waitress was very knowledgeable and friendly. Since it was our first visit there, she gave us some background that it was a Pappa's owned restaurant and food is made from scratch. Food: 3/5 They offer mimosas and I was tempted to order, but was driving and it was 9AM so forewent that option. There are food options for every tastebud. Mark ordered the fried cheese sticks, they were one of the items that I found worthwhile to return for. I opted for the Waffle feast. It included a waffle, that I added pecans on top to, two strips of bacon, eggs your way and hash browns. To say that I needed to add salt and pepper to the eggs and hash browns because they tasted bland and flavorless was unfortunate. It also was served at room temperature, because it was made from scratch, would think it be warmer to hot. The waffle was savory and had good mix and topped with the pecans made it even better. If you're on this side of town and want a change up from the "other breakfast diners" DOT would be where I stop. Fast, friendly service. Depending the food you get, it gets the job done for some sustenance to hold you over when you're not sure when your next meal is because you'll be in Galveston for 7 hours riding a float in the Mardi Gras parade. read more

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Dots has always been a nostalgic place for me to visit and dine in with my family until I noticed smaller portions every time. What happened to the huge portions? Well, today can confirm I ordered a slice of my favorite mudslide cake to go and came home to find 1/2 of a slice given to me. This is a big disappointment coming from a local spot we visit when I am in home. Dot's, please do better. read more

Dot Coffee Shop - Mudslide Cake to go, and was given half a serving - American Near Me - Houston, Texas

Went for the first time with my bf who been going there for a long time. He loves the place. Waited about 30 min for a seat, definitely busy. Server was nice and gave us extra pie since we were sharing. Food was nice and seems freshly made. Got the Chicken fried Chicken and the Chicken fried Steak (both 16.95$) The bread/biscuit we ordered didn't come until after we finished our food and the server noticed the bread never came. The key lime pie was yummy, the crust was extremely sweet. read more

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Loved having brunch at this diner. We moved here from New Jersey and it gave such a Jersey diner vibe. We had a short 15 minute wait before being seated and immediately greeted by our server. Amanda was very sweet and patient since it was our first time. The mimosa was tasty, made with fresh squeezed orange juice. The food was amazing and came out quickly. We realized early on that we will return for lunch. The mozzarella sticks are massive and this girl wants to try them. read more

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Omg. This location is such a quick and nice spot for breakfast! I'm talking hearty and tasty! I was super shocked and amazed on the quality of their food, especially giving that they are part of a chain. Let me tell you about their PANCAKES!!! O. M. G. They are soooooo crispy on the edges. Not too fluffy and not too thin. They were PERFECT! I'm coming back as soon as I can just for them! Everything was good...but the star was def the pancakes! The service obviously was good as well! I had zero issues. I loved how quick we were seated and evrything. It made the whole experience enjoyable and on top of that, the ambiance was spectacular! read more

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It was my first time at Dot Coffee Shop and I learned that it was owned by Pappas! Cool. We went around 11am for breakfast and it did not disappoint. I ordered the fried catfish breakfast and I was quite impressed - specifically with the eggs, potatoes, and wheat toast. While I didn't dislike the catfish, I didn't love it. I would have preferred the catfish be fried harder. Either I was thirsty or the apple juice was fire! Ms. Holly was an attentive server and ensured we had everything we needed! The ambiance is that of a diner feel. I'd definitely return! read more

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This place has the best home cook meals! First time here and I was not disappointed! Service was amazing too!! read more

Dot Coffee Shop - Blackened catfish over rice with broccoli and cabbage - American Near Me - Houston, Texas

I absolutely love this place for breakfast! It is a casual spot for a nice breakfast. The portions are pretty big and the service is quick! There was not a plate that had exactly what I was looking for like a lot of breakfast spot too. It either had too much or less of what I wanted, but overall fresh food, and great great ingredients. read more

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Went for lunch 1-17-26 and ordered the turkey and dressing with mashed potatoes and corn and had their chicken fried chicken with French fries and red beans and rice. We wanted to try as many sides as we could. The CFC was 4* and the hit of the meal, we had to send the turkey and dressing back to get reheated. The red beans lacked seasoning and the corn was just average canned corn. Service was good until we were ready to leave and couldn't find our waitress, isn't that so annoying, especially with people waiting for a table. All in all solid 3.5* nothing worth driving that far or waiting too long for. read more

I decided to check this place out after getting out of a concert at the Toyota Center and looking for a place that was open late to eat at. The drive was only about 15 minutes. They told us the wait would be 10-15 minutes but we ended up waiting over 30 minutes. That's fine, as we sat outside and chatted while waiting. The weather wasn't bad and they have benches outside. We first got the root beer float and it was delicious. It's a small size but sufficient. Filled with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and the ice cream was tasty. After that, we ordered the Chicken & Waffles and the Philly Steak & Cheese. They both were very good. We were starving and this was definitely a way better option than eating food at the venue. I added hot sauce, lettuce, mayo, and tomato to my Philly and it was phenomenal. It comes on Texas Toast. I changed the chips to fries instead and they're some of the best fries I've had. So crispy and So good! We also got the chicken & waffles. The strawberries and sauce were very delicious and a great topping. The chicken was tasty and crispy as well as the waffle. This place is owned by Pappa's and I never heard about it before. It's open 24/7 which is really neat. We will definitely be back again as there are not many tasty places to eat that are open late. read more

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This place! It's a hidden gem. It looks like a well kept old school restaurant. The service was great from the time we sat down until we left. The food phenomenal. & the desert.. EVEN BETTER. I will definitely be back to this scratch kitchen again especially for that vanilla cheesecake. I am ashamed I devoured the cheesecake with no photo but that just means you'll have to try it for yourself. read more

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This is a Houston staple. On a busy Saturday morning we were quoted 45 minutes and got day within 5. Service was super on top of it and food arrived very quickly. Every food item was delicious and very flavorful. Such a fun little diner feel and they have a pie counter where you can see what dessert you want. I have been coming my whole life and plan to continue. read more

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Would you believe me if I told you I'm the reason folks couldn't find a seat after midnight in 2017-2020 never trust a UH kid to keep a food secret... the rolls are by request now, they discontinued ALL my favorite pies, decreased the side sauce portions, but upgraded the French toast, mozzarella & buffalo wings so I had to forgive them. You'll never get the same server but you might befriend the regulars if you dine in the right way. Enjoy the meal, mind your manners, and never leave without a togo! read more

First time ever trying Dot and we were very happy and will be returning. The portions are huge and s the food is delicious! read more

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I went here for lunch with friends. It was busy but the wait was under 10 minutes. The staff were very nice as you walk in. The decor definitely gives a coffee house vibe which I like. Mary was our server and she was amazing. She was very attentive, charismatic, and knew the menu very well. The food was amazing. I highly recommend trying this place out. read more

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Came back and the experience was worst. The front staff was nice and kind. They definitely kept their composure as other customers were expressing their frustration with the wait time. I'm going go straight to it, I can tell our waiter was in a rush and I will provide facts in the review. My wife ordered a burger with fries (2.50 extra) and I ordered the chicken strip basket (comes with fries). I waited til the end to double check the chicken strips came with fries, he said yes. He was about to walk away so I said oh can we cancel the fries from my wife and she gets the chips I'll give her mine. He goes that makes sense and walks off. We get our food, my wife gets fries and I get chips and we are later charged for the fries. I told the waiter that brought the food out ( diff guy) about the mix up. Apparently the original waiter didn't adjust for what I asked for correctly. Well this waiter was nice and apologize and said if we would like a side of fries. He said we will take care of it. He told our waiter who then came by and we told about the mix up and he goes oh I wasn't aware. No apology or anything. I said I just want to make sure we aren't charge for the fries on the burger he said ok and walked off. Then... My wife's burger came out half pink and half cooked and we had to get this taken care of. Our waiter response was ok so cooked all the way? We said yea that's what we said. It took another 15 minutes for my wife to get food and eat, almost 50-55 min to actually get to eat. Again no apology until he came back 3rd time to say it will be here shortly. As we waited my wife was talking to us and saying it's ridiculous to have to wait this long for me to eat. I heard the waiter who was at POS systems behind us say "shut up, just shut up" I do not know if he was referring to my wife or not. But either way that kind of talk should not be heard in a restaurant. It was not a joking shut up with co workers either. When my wife burger came out, so did Togo boxes that we did not ask for yet. My wife didn't even start eating yet. This is how I know there was a rush for us to get out. It was just a bad experience. DOT has really gone down over the years and continue to do so. Also I guess chicken strip dinner doesn't count as dinner where we get the rolls with it? Cause we were told last time during breakfast the rolls come with lunch and dinner items.... It's not fair to have to pay full price when you don't get quality service and have to wait even longer for your food. read more

Dot Coffee Shop - Tender with chips when it was suppose to be fries. - American Near Me - Houston, Texas

Dots is great for brunch! If you go right after church 10 11ish. We made the mistake of going on a graduation weekend and not right after church and it was PACKED! Luckily we got on the list for a table of 12 before we got there so we only had to wait about 30 minutes. We had to be split in two tables because of our size but the food came quick and the waiters were very friendly. I got the banana nut pancakes, eggs, baccon and sausage and my son got the kids French toast and baccon. That was the best and beautiful pancakes I have ever seen and tasted! We will def be back! Dots is cute like a little 1950's diner. read more

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I've driven past this place so many times and finally decided to stop in--wish I had years ago! The breakfast was amazing, classic American comfort food at its best. I also got the meatloaf which was incredible! Service was fantastic, and the vibe feels like old-school America in the best way. Definitely a must-try spot and now I see why it's one of Houston's iconic classics!!! Definitely one of my fav go to spots now' read more

Dot Coffee Shop - Meatloaf, green beans and corn! - American Near Me - Houston, Texas

There are a handful of 24 hour restaurants in Houston, but few have a storied history like Dot Coffee Shop. A pioneer in the early days of the Pappas empire, this diner has been a fixture in the city for close to 60 years. Originally a downtown staple, it is now one of the restaurant landmarks along I-45 and is one of my favorite brunch and late night destinations. The retro vibe is still alive here, however, now that Pappas has steadily become one of the city's most well known hospitality groups, the renovation for this place was complete several years ago. It has all the bones of a diner from the 60s but with ample seating and parking and their popularity is just as vibrant on the weekends. Breakfast is one of my favorite meals and they do it well. Their pancakes are fluffy and buttery, the bacon is juicy, and the hashbrowns are crispy. I appreciate their omelettes, chicken fried steak, corned beef hash, and especially their steak and eggs. The latter is my go-to breakfast option and the portions are substantial. Lunch and dinner is also a mix of hearty items and the variety is across the board. I recommend their homestyle cookin daily specials, which ranges from $13-18 with an entree and two sides. I think their catfish and/or meatloaf is the way to go. My experiences with the wait staff has always been good. The young peeps running the show here have always been courteous and pleasant. I do think the weekends are a bit chaotic but the waits have been anywhere from 15-30 minutes for me. Weekend brunch is fun and so are the late nights. I'm probably going to be at one but I suspect one day I'll be at both consecutively. read more

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I wasn't impressed especially since this is a Pappa's brand. The gluten free choices are slim here. My husband had a more traditional meal (not gluten free), and even with larger portions, he said he was okay not to return. They are open late though, so if you are looking for a meal after everything closes, this might be your spot. Not for us. read more

We stopped by as this was one of the few places open late at on a weeknight. I enjoyed the traditional breakfast diner vibe of Dot's but the food itself was pretty lacking in flavors. The chicken was bland and dry. This was unfortunately a miss for us. read more

Dot Coffee Shop - Chicken Fried Chicken - American Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Still the best Chicken Fried Steak I have had in Houston. Always a treat, the bread service is worth it! Fluffy white bread that feel like a hug. read more

We woke up wanting breakfast and came across this place! We loved everything about it. The food was great and the service was amazing! The waiter was really funny and helpful. It had an old school vibe and the place was clean as well. Also, they do not take apple pay yet, only card and cash so be mindful of that when going. It wasn't expensive either, very cost effective and great for a quick breakfast/ brunch meal. read more

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These guys have been around forever and have the most excellent desserts. I love their pies. They're also open 24 hours a day great service and it's easy access off the freeway. You realize you stepped into a blast from the past when you look around. read more

First time coming but I have heard this place has been around for a long time now. Looks updated. The restaurant gives a cute diner vibe with updated decor and furnishing. My server was very sweet, attentive and efficient. Food was very delicious! They have plenty of options to choose from! Many hardy dishes to pick from haha. Parking is easily accessible with the shared parking lot for Pappas. Food was a little pricey compared to other diners. Could be inflation? The eggs? who knows. Overall, very good! read more

Dot Coffee Shop - entry way - American Near Me - Houston, Texas

One of my friends told me about this place to grab some breakfast so I was like have hunger will travel. The place definitely has some character and memories of Houston's booming era. It reminds me of your favorite small town diner with more space. The food is plenty, the coffee hot and the service good. read more

Dot Coffee Shop - Dot - American Near Me - Houston, Texas

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This is one of the better breakfasts in Houston. Mary was our server and she is a rockstar. Great service. Scrambled eggs, bacon, and hash browns were perfect. The biscuit was very good. Fresh squeezed OJ and coffee were excellent. The pie of the month (chocolate cream) was a masterpiece. A symphony of taste and crunch. You have to try a slice of pie. If need be, eat half of your breakfast and take the rest home. You have to save room for dessert. We ate everything and could barely move afterwards. read more

I love this place. Old school dinner, massive breakfast plates. Booths. Linoleum and belly filling comfort food. Waitresses take care of you and you're transported back to the 60s. read more

Always great! Save room for pie. The banana cream is my favorite. Breakfast, lunch, can't go wrong with either. read more

Dot Coffee Shop - Chicken fried steak! - American Near Me - Houston, Texas

Have you ever heard of a place that just about everyone raved about, but when you finally got a chance to try it out, it just didn't live up to the hype? That was my experience coming to check out Dot Coffee Shop. My wife and I had always heard amazing things about this diner-- rustic atmosphere, old school service, amazing food. Sadly, it really didn't live up to any of those things when we came by on a Sunday evening. The restaurant was only about 80% full, but they were clearly short staffed because they were having people wait and not be seated despite all of the open tables. My wife and I attempted to grab menus to look through before we got seated so we could order more quickly, but the menus were in pieces and we each managed to only grab half of the menu. Why they would do that is beyond either of us. The host asked us to move outside or over to the side because we were "blocking the entrance." We were admittedly close to the host stand but we weren't blocking anything. The kids running around in front of the door were doing a lot more blocking, which didn't even matter because we were the only people to walk in the entire time we were there. Despite being decorated for Christmas, the place seemed a bit dingy. I'm not sure if the lights were dimmed too far or bulbs were on the verge of going out. It also didn't help that the windows looked like they were in need of some significant cleaning, which gave a dingy vibe to the whole place. When we finally got seated, we were ready to order, but quickly disappointed. Our waitress was clearly well-versed in both the menu and other customers' previous issues with what they ordered, and warned us of things like "the chop steak is just a hamburger patty" and "the hickory burger doesn't actually come with the toppings listed as included with all burgers on the menu." Go figure. The food itself was... forgettable. I've had better burgers at chain restaurants like Denny's and IHOP. Heck, the burgers at Chili's are the same size, better tasting, and about half the price. My wife and I both agreed that this will not be a place we make a return trip to. read more

Stopped here on my way to hobby airport for a quick bite to eat. I have seen this place many times when I drive-by but never stopped and boy was I wrong for not stopping before. When you enter the ambiance is a cool diner feel the only thing missing was Mel and Flo! The food was great. The fries were hot along with the rest of the food. The service was spectacular, fast, friendly, and we had a new trainee named was Aquila and she was very attentive. She will be a great asset for Dot. Great personality and friendly! Definitely a great place to stop and eat and can't wait to return! read more

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Flew in early morning and was starving. My sister took me to Dot's and as soon as I walked in and smelled the food I knew I made the right choice. Got seated quick and kept watching what other tables were getting. Ended up ordering pancakes, sausage, eggs and grits. Pancakes were huge. Too much food but all of it was good. Our waiter was great too. read more

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Surprising find. Service is really nice for a diner. The ambience is clean, modern with a nostalgic feel to it. The food though! Everything looked appetizing. I went for the breakfast feast. It's a ton of food for a great price! Husband got the breakfast sandwich. Also a lot of food and very tasty. Had the strawberry pancakes. Couldn't even finish it all but boy was it good! Recommend!! read more

Dot Coffee Shop - Strawberry Pancakes - American Near Me - Houston, Texas

This place is great for satisfying, diner-style food. Nothing too fancy. From breakfast fare to dinner, they cover it all. The food is sure to make your bunch happy! read more

I had to drive by this place, Dot Coffee Shop, quite a few times when going up and down I-45. The font on the sign, the look of the diner, and the location, within that first ring of suburbs told me I needed to go in here. Then, I looked up where one can get coffee and a snack at late hours and Dot is open 24/7. I would definitely be trying it during my stay here. There is parking right next to Dot, and it's practically adjacent to a location of Pappas, a long running barbeque chain with a Greek surname of which I like their downtown location the most. Once you go in, it delivers on the time stamped diner look found at older Denny's and, in SoCal, at the chain named Norm's, thus it's familiar turf for me. It has the counter, the sloped ceilings, the booths, and the general aura of that era. Since I now prefer tables, I asked to be seated at a table and they obliged. The menu at Dot is extensive and there are some specials. They serve a fair number of chicken dishes and, being at the meeting point of Texas and the South, a lot of it is fried chicken. A lot of people were ordering it. I was looking for something else for this early dinner and a few things interested me, but I settled on a robust pork chop platter that was rounded out by several sides. It was fairly good and definitely filling. I also had coffee. And, then, since I don't routinely see it, I did go for the icing on the cake - a slice of key lime pie, which was delicious after I scraped off some of the whipped topping. For all that food, the price was very fair. In addition to that, employees handling to hosting function were quick to greet and seat me upon arriving. The server was very helpful, from answering questions to keeping my coffee filled to checking in to make sure I was enjoying my meal. There are a few things to note about Dot as I wind this down. First, the neighborhood definitely looks funky from the freeway. However, it's at a juncture where that would depend which direction you go. In one direction, it would be those tired looking structures of the first inner ring hemmed in by the Inner Loop, in another it would be the big UH campus, and in another it would be McGregor Way and nicer homes as you make your way toward the Museum District. Forget about all that ... just do it. Second, one needs to get used to something weird about Houston's street naming conventions. Here, the freeways have crazy roads parallel to them that are either called feeders, arterials, or frontage roads where the drivers are frisky. That said, the address for merchants on those roads would be Gulf Freeway, which is the name of the street for Dot Coffee Shop, while the actual freeway is defined by its number, here being I-45. Lastly, if you look out over the front paved area of the restaurant and look back toward downtown, you'll get a fairly good look at one vantage point of Houston's skyline. I like Dot's Coffee Shop. It's obviously a product of one of H-town's growth spurts and it remains a comfort food institution. However, to me, its most apparent characteristic is that, for being such a big metro area, the staff and the customers are down to earth and there is no pretense whatsoever. But one just keeps on discovering food in one of America's fattest cities and, because this diner fits like an old shoe, I'd balance it out between finding new places and still visiting Dot's from time to time. read more

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Only good vibes here! This was our first time at this Houston landmark that I had only driven past for decades, I wish we had come sooner! All staff was warm and welcoming. The place was packed at 2pm Sunday but we only had to wait about 10min for party of 2. My kiddo and I shared the Breakfast Feast with a side of fruit, which was plenty for 2! She focused most on the pancakes which we upgraded from plain to strawberry and she, a pancake connoisseur, gave them an emphatic chef's kiss. The fruit was super fresh and some of the best melon, they know to choose them! The eggs and breakfast meat were standard fare but hit the spot. The hashbrowns were more like skillet potatoes with onion and I hope I'm not underselling be we thought they were delicious. Next time I'll be sure to try the biscuits, which many other tables had. The pies looked impressive too. Thanks, Dot! read more

Dot Coffee Shop - Breakfast feast with strawberry pancakes and a fruit plate-- YUM and plenty for 2! - American Near Me - Houston, Texas

Going to try to be fair and not give this one star. My major complaint is the lack of responsible security of the parking lot. We had rented a car that did not have Texas plates and in the time we were in the restaurant, the car got broken into. The security guard said this to us: if you come here with a out of town license plate, your car will get broken into. What is more frustrating was the security person was unable to tell us any information to help us give to the police. How is it that you can see the car being broken into, the thieves, running away but not see even the color of the car they got into? Now a review of the food: the food is not spectacular but will definitely fill you up. Plates are large and service is good. The coffee is not the greatest, but I don't think people go there for the coffee. I think they go there for the large portions of food. They have a lunch and dinner special that allows you to get a nice plate of food for a decent price but you can certainly order something off the menu. Desserts are large and tasty. Bathrooms are small, which is something I don't like and there is a table that sits right outside and close to the bathrooms, which I think is yucky. All in all it's a good place except for the parking lot! It's going to be a long time before I feel comfortable enough to go back. read more

We were in Houston 8/24 overnight to catch a cruise the next day. We were in the mood for comfort , home style food. We ubered around 8pm from the Marriott Airport $12 The restaurant is adorable vintage. The hostess took our name, stated a 10-15 minute wait. They took your cell # to make it easy to text when your table is ready. It took maybe 4 min for us to get a comfortable spacious booth We were a party of 2 and I was pleasantly surprised we landed prime real estate (4 + person booth) due to the busyness of the restaurant. (No open tables) I figured we would be passed over and seated at a two top table to make room for a larger party Immediately We were greeted by an enthusiastic friendly server. I wish I got his name because he was amazing, happy , and loved sharing all the inside info of the menu I took his advice and ordered the chicken fried chicken breast with COUNTRY style gravy. He suggested the carrot and red beans and rice for sides. OMG it was a meal I could not ever find back home in Calif nor could I create on my own. It was out of this world delicious. The chicken was moist and juicy. The gravy was true county style and seasoned perfectly The carrots were sweet and tender and the red beans and rice on its own could have been a main dish. They packed a little punch of spice but had a wonderful southern flavor. Our server totally got it right and had my number dialed in when declared I wanted something of a signature dish and unique to me. He checked back on us several times making sure we were doing well and inquiring If we wanted dessert . I wish I left room for dessert, but after finishing up every last bite of my very large portioned meal there was no way I could order dessert. Anyway I plan on retuning if ever back in Houston. My dinner mate ordered the ham and cheese sandwich and chicken noodle soup. Where we come from we expected a few pieces of ham and some bread. Not at Dot's. It was a work of art yummy high quality ham piled high and sandwiched between two freshly baked pieces of yummy bread The soup was wholesome filled with goodies You gotta see the pic to appreciate and it was delicious. Once I get home I'm going to look for the receipt so I can find our server's name. Young man. Dark hair He deserves kudos and a raise nowadays the younger generation late teens early twenties lack the in person people skills and customer service talent of the old days This young man was a gem. Serving up good food , knew the menu and was genuinely happy to serve us. Highly recommend read more

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I'm so sad this location has changed so drastically. For a while I was dining inside but I still wanted to enjoy it so I'd been ordering out for months. Tonight was the final straw. The To-go Server Sabriyya was so rude. After I paid for my side house salad she had let me know that it came with tomato's and croutons no cheese. So then I asked how much was it to add cheese and she let me know it was $1, so I had her break my $20 and then she proceeded to give me my cash change in my hands and then the .95 she threw on the counter. Maybe not a huge deal but the body language was so trash. She's super rude and I was shocked this happened even with a Togo order read more