Long day, so I needed a little time away. I ordered an Uber, and I was relieved because the parking lot was tiny and a bit chaotic. Crossing the street to park wasn't on my bingo card that day.
Notwithstanding, my driver was his own batch of crazy and almost sent us to the hospital a few times. Yowzers. 2 stars, wouldn't recommend.
Regardless, I was so happy I missed standing in line for half an hour in the beautifully blazing hot Houston semi-summer sun. Apparently, there was quite some wait and people were dripping with sweat. Actually, heard the complaint from several Yelpers IRL, but it mysteriously didn't make it to the reviews. Lol. The selective outrage is WILD when it comes to certain establishments. Anyway...#WeMove.
For the past 3 years, I've appreciated HAPI. There's usually an incredible list of businesses I would've never heard of had it not been for Jandoooo, the Yelp Houston team, their research, preferences, and vetting system. We STAN weeks filled with secret bites and hidden gems (at least to me!)
When one of the owners came up to speak to us, I could instantly catch a whiff of his sincerity, humility, and joy. I always appreciate that in a business owner. His story was inspiring and the origin story of the name, '93 til, was admirable.
The gentleman with the ~nifty mustache~ came to chat with our table a few times, and anyone who knows me knows the personal touch will always be a fav for me. The staff was super attentive, made sure we tried every item on the menu, checked if we needed more water, and were ON IT when it came to removing trash from our table. (Shout out to Chi for the cute location and saving me a seat!)
Now...I will pretty much try any dish at least once (except snake, mice, cat, and dog) however, some of the flavor profiles, combinations, and visual appeal in these samples were off-putting to me. So...yeah, not a fan at all.
Nevertheless, the chicken sandwich, that came out 4th, was juicy, thick, and flavorful. It was well-breaded and even that little citrusy and crunchy addition of the coleslaw was a hit for me. Everything worked well for a tasty bite.
Another star was the mocktail. It was super yummy - refreshing, sweet, salty, and spicy with a heavy pour of ginger beer (the only carbonation I drink). I mean...what else could you want? Maybe more? Yes, I had three. Haha.
I ended up leaving earlier than the majority and much earlier than I anticipated, because the spacing of the dishes exiting the kitchen was a bit of a nuisance. I didn't want to wait to see how many more were ahead. From the looks of it, I only missed tasting the pork belly and the dessert. I am ok with that!
I would've been truly content with just the chicken sandwich and the mocktail the entire night.
I felt bad because everyone lingered well past the time we were scheduled. While I was outside waiting on my Uber, many would-be customers dropped by and were turned away because of our event (even though the sign on the door said until 8:30 p.m.). I used that as an opportunity to socialize Yelp and Yelp Elite to anyone who seemed open to conversing. Some wanted to join, most were inquisitive, and others were just upset they drove there for nothing. Yikes.
Side note:
'93 til is a coffee bar in the morning and if I'm not mistaken the hours are from 6 a.m. to noon or 3 p.m. (omething like that). I like multi-use and multi-themed restaurants! More bang for your buck.
Thank you, Jando and the Yelp Houston team, for the evening. Keep 'em coming! read more