Fun Yelp Elite event! I got to try the Earl Grey Milk Tea after they made a fresh batch. When…read moreordering, I lessened the sugar one tier below, and I thought it was the perfect amount of sweetness. The milk tea had a good balance of creaminess while still retaining the natural tea flavor. My partner got the Krypteanite to support which is a matcha and vanilla blended drink and that was also good! I liked that the drink was not too icy, and the matcha flavor was definitely there. The staff gave us the extra goodies to bring home which I thought was a nice touch. Overall, good experience!

I actually met Thy as she was coming outside and I just parked asking if there was ramp access…read morebecause I had my baby niece with me. She was super sweet then. Not even knowing I was going to her establishment. Thy was incredible. She helped me on the popular drink menu between the two choices we had and also something to snack on because I was incredibly hungry after leaving my meeting. I chose the blueberry blush. I had the full sweetness, with no eyes but shaking. Topped off with honey boba and the boba that it came with. **I give the tea a 9/10. It was not overly sweet and the blueberry taste was certainly present but not too powerful. It's definitely a beverage I could see myself drinking daily. My niece actually LOVED it and she's only 10 months. I also had the regular karate chicken. Level 3 spice with basil. The chicken was a solid 10. Point. Blank. Period. It's what you would want from Korean chicken. It was crispy but tender. Spicy, but not unbearable. It also came with sauces if you'd like and I chose the sweet chili. The sweet chili itself was incredibly delicious. But paired with the chicken?? So so yummy. The chicken on its own is a 10 but this sweet chili sauce absolutely elevated it. Then...as I was taking pictures... BOOM! SPLASHHHH...boba went a'flyin' everywhere on the floor. Yay me. I sure know how to stick a landing. Perfect 10! I informed Thy, and without hesitation she came with a broom and a mop. And still had a smaller face. She even offered to make me another one even though the splash was completely my fault. I almost wanted to tear up in gratitude. Truly. I was a bit overwhelmed this morning and that small act of kindness was so appreciated. All in all, I had a wonderful time as I sat there and ate and relax with my baby niece. This place is awesome with wonderful customer experience as well. I will certainly be back! Thank you so much, Jandoooooo and the Yelp Houston team. A much needed and delicious break in the day.

OMG! I enjoyed this movie way more than I expected! I was pleasantly surprised! The film was great,…read moreand I'm so glad I managed to snag a good seat. The theater was clean, the seats were comfortable, and everyone working there was so nice and helpful. Things were a little unorganized at the beginning, but honestly, I was just happy to be part of Group 2 and make it in! I'm definitely looking forward to more Yelp movie nights.

Count me in for movie night! Predator Badlands advance screening at the Regal Katy Fwy was a nice…read moreweekday event. The movie opens to the public on November 7th which made it all the more special that Yelp hooked us up with the opportunity to get a special preview. I've been to several of the YES movie nights before and made sure to read the instructions prior to arrival as sometimes the check in process can be confusing. Knowing that these advance screenings are not exclusive to Yelp, I made sure to arrive well in advance at 6pm only to find a huge line already camped out outside the main entrance. While this was a little intimidating, the line funneled inside fairly quickly to a smooth check in at the table outside of the theater. I'll be the first to admit that I am completely out of the loop on the newest movie releases and movie series and had never even heard of this film. Set far into the future, predator Dek, labeled as the underdog from his clan, sets out to prove himself to his kinsman and seek redemption for his brother's death. Faced with multiple lessons of loyalty and teamwork, Dek finds several companions on his journey which turn him from a solo adventurer to a leader of his own new clan. The film was exciting and kept the audience on their toes. The creatively of the physical appearance of the characters and the qualities of the natural environment were impressive and definitely gave me some ideas for Halloween 2026 costumes. As always, thanks Yelp and Jando, for setting up this event and allowing Yelp Elites to venture into the badlands!

A spontaneous Tuesday night in Katy. This was a bit out of the way for some of us but a fun night…read more Great hospitality by the Crafted Bar & Tap team. They did their best to accommodate everyone from serving drinks to the food. We tried the pepperoni and magherita pizzas but my favorite was the boudin balls. We were also served the whiskey shank, great flavors. The event was very chill, plenty of seats for everyone. This place isn't too big or too small. Great establishment, looks like they are very dedicated to making this place pop for Katy. Shoutout to the singer for the entertainment. Love her voice and energy throughout the night. We had good time mingling. Thanks to Jando, the Yelp Team, and the team at Crafted Bar & Tap for hosting and organizing.

Very friendly staff, very lively music! Wednesday kids…read moreeat free!!! Family friendly sport bar! Kids are welcome! They have a kids menu option too! Tonight was my first time ever trying margarita pizza, and I must say being that I am not a big tomato girl. I'd rather enjoy the margarita pizza better than my go to, & only pick, pepperoni pizza. (Crazy I know. But their margarita pizza is just that good. The tomato slices are super thin, which are enjoyable for people who are like me who don't care about big tomato slices.) I really enjoyed the whiskey shanks, their perfectly cooked pork shanks toss in their signature bourbon bbq, garnished with avocado ranch and crushed Cajun pork rinds. You can request them to be spicy as well. They very meaty, no fat on these shanks baby!!! Boudin balls are always a favorite, being a baby who grew up on the border of Texas and Louisiana! Crafted kitchen and taps did great with this! Happy Hour is offered EVERYDAY FROM 3p-7p!!!

I was so excited to attend this festival. But the excitement faded very quickly once I got there…read more Now I'm a regular at Axelrad so I'm aware of the parking situation. The small free parking lot was full by the time I got there and the street parking was all taken. I was forced to park across the street in the paid lot. The "funny" part about this parking lot is the sign reads $8 parking but when you scan the QR code it's $8 an hour. Once you walk into Axelrad you had to check in at the table outside to get your wrist band and food ticket. Which I don't understand why there was an admission fee for non-yelp people. Axelrad is an open space with people coming and going throughout the day. The event was suppose to start at 3pm. Once I parked and checked in it was just after 3:30 and I was told the food wasn't ready. After about 30 mins we were able to get our "plate" of food. This consisted of 3 small sample cups of Jollof and small samples of other items. All the food items were cold. I asked someone working the event if this was all the food options and I was told additional food could be purchased. I didn't see many people stay long as there wasn't really much to eat or do. I would have been really mad if I had paid to attend this event.

What a beautiful afternoon for a Jollof Festival…read more Grab an orange ticket and get a sample plate. Three cups filled with Jollof rice, plantains, sweet puff puffs and slices of beef. Add some fresh fruits and veggies. My favorite bite was the purple cup. Nice to sit outside enjoying the West African music, the blue sky and the cool breeze on the first day of November. Life is good!!! Try the King of Pops popsicles. Based in Atlanta, they really are the best. I used to get them when I visited my daughter at Emory. Thank you to the Jollof Festival for such a relaxing afternoon. Thanks also to the magician Houston's own CM Jandito who can fix so many things.

Needed a relaxing spa treat. Nice to be gifted a face form massage from Hi, Skin-Rice Village…read more Parked in the garage and then walked to Hi, skin. Thanks to Annalisa for the tips on how to find the location. After a brief intro, Ashley gave me the most relaxing face form massage. I wish that she would have written down what she used. The mangosteen and other botanicals smelled so good. Like a tropical medley. So relaxing. Thank you to Ashley and Hi, skin for a special spa afternoon. Thanks also to the best CM Houston's own Jandito, who really treats our collective community like All-Stars.

It was a lucky coincidence to be on an Elite event for a facial as there was an important party the…read morenext day. Hi skin is a high end spa. It specializes in facials and has many booster packages to enhance the same. As part of the Elite event chose the form face mini treatment which involved exfoliating and gentle massage to tighten the skin and leave a glow. India - the girl who worked on my face was excellent. She answered all my questions, gave useful suggestions on specific needs of my skin , suggested a spf lip balm made inhouse for my really drying lips. The massage definitely made my skin feel smoother and lighter. I did not choose any boosters as I wanted to see if my skin will react to anything considering my LP- an auto immune skin condition. The girl at the counter was extremely knowledgeable on the products they carry and how useful they are too. She gave me a sample matcha mask too. I purchased the lip balm which was 50% off that day. It costed me $10 after discount. Hi skin carries membership. It is pretty useful if you are a regular spa visitor for facials. I give a glowing thanks to Yelp team and Hi Skin for this lovely rejuvenating experience

From the generous food and drink tastings to meeting and chatting with other Yelp Elites, the Elite…read moreevent at Nandos was one of my favorite Elite events so far! First of all - getting to sample all the sides, an entree, and a dessert was so nice because although I have been to several peri peri chicken spots, I typically order the same things so this was a great chance ot get out of my comfort zone. I definitely discovered some new go-to orders. I also appreciated that it came with not one, but TWO drink tickets. Not only that but there were so many drinks to choose from and the bartenders even let me sample drinks before I selected which really made this a 10/10 for me. One of my favorite parts was learning more about the background and history of a famous franchise and even more, what make it's Houston location special! To end a great night we even got goodie bags that came with chargers, additional coupons for future Nando's visit and a cute little tote bag. Overall a well-rounded event and a fantastic Elite Experience!

This was a fantastic elite event! First off, I loved that Jando did random assigned seating so that…read morewe could truly get to mix and mingle with other Yelp Elites! I was able to connect with multiple people at my table that I had never met prior. As for Nando's itself, I was very pleased with the food, drinks, and friendly staff. I loved getting to hear from management and now I look forward to visiting a location in Atlanta when I go there next year! My favorite dishes were the halloumi cheese, Brussels sprouts (they were fire), peri peri chicken (of course) with lemon herb or hot sauce, and their mango cocktail drink! This is really a vibrant restaurant as well which makes the food even more enjoyable. Shoutout to Jando for yet again another fabulous event!

It was my first time at an Office Hours and I definitely enjoyed my time. Finding the location was…read moreeasy, and there was ample parking, but it's essential that you pay attention to the spots that are reserved for surrounding local businesses. Upon entering we were greeted by Jane C., our wonderful intern and Jando! Jane gave us our Yelp drink token for our complimentary beverage. It was nice to see a few of my Yelp Elite homies and catch up. Office Hours gave me the opportunity to learn about Filli Cafe, while simultaneously learning more about Yelp's history/culture. There were some great questions asked, and Jando provided great responses and fun facts. I asked specifically about how they decide which swag to bring to events? Learning the answer was not shocking, but it was great to know how things are selected. With all of that said, it confirmed for me what I did know - intentionality. Throughout my years (8) as an Elite Squad member, the Yelp Houston Team has been intentional and consistent, and I appreciate that. Words that I want to highlight from the evening are listed below: Consistency Frequency Community I believe in the power of community and I believe in Yelp! I tried the Filli Tea Zafron - let me tell y'all this tea was perfect and I'll definitely return for another one. I tried the chicken chapali flatbread and samosas. Both were delicious, but the flatbread was my favorite. I'll definitely be returning to this location to continue supporting their business. The staff were helpful, answered all of my questions, and ensured we enjoyed ourselves. Thank you Jando, Jane, Yelp Houston, and Filli Cafe!!

This was a different type of event more informative than a food event…read more Filli is located in a large strip center on Hwy 6 close to Sugarland. This was a question and answer for elites here in Houston. you were able to send in your questions in advance to be answered here. Very informative about how do you get chosen for elite events as one of the most questions that elites want to know. There were others but Jando answered how this process was done. Surpassingly he isn't the one that makes that decision. It is based on several factors other than you being an elite only. It is handled by Yelp. I had spoken with him about this process in the past and I was surprised on several factors on how one is chosen. We did have some lite bites which include flatbread pizza, chicken salad sandwiches (yum) and meat pies which resembled empanadas. and mocktail drinks which Jando sponsored. Thanks! If you are an elite, I would advise you to try and attend one of these events, it will answer a lot of questions that you may have.

Back by popular demand. I announced as this was my final UYE of 2025 back in May because of my work…read moreschedule and community commitments. But, I retracted my promise during this Sunday Brunch UYE. There was a bundle of joy at this UYE. Originally I thought just about 10 people were attending. Because of my social media posts, this event attracted about 20 people. It was a huge success. I was nice to see familiar faces, such as Zain, Yasser, Maria and Jando. I also met a few new friends. I was going to plan on my next UYE but I had some scheduling conflicts. I just announced my UYE for this Sunday a week ago. Yeah. Can't tell when I can get back to my normal scheduled UYE anymore.

What a nice outing to attend on a Sunday amongst other events like a long morning hike beforehand…read moreand gardening afterwards. Meeting at 11:30 AM instead of 11:00 AM, was great because it gave me time to plan to be punctual (I'm usually late to the UYEs), but only because I'm in less frequented territory. What a different kind of UYE that's outside the norm of Chinatown Crawls, it leaves room to what is to be desired. Here we are at Makiin Thai, chatting with other fellow Yelpers and then some new faces conjugated around an AYCE (all you can eat) Thai buffet with a limited selections of veg options on the line. An elegant styled restaurant and I'm sure glad that today was "dress day" for myself since I felt at place with everyone else attire. There were three options that I could choose from: tamarind brussel sprouts, purple rice, and stir-fried mixed vegetables. Everything was delicious! I could have ordered from the menu, but I specifically came for the AYCE. Nonetheless, the moment wasn't sour for me. I'd like to visit again to sample the menu items since Thai is one my favorite cuisine. I'm looking forward to the next UYE!

In case you missed virtual HAAPIFest in 2020 due to CoVid19 pandemic, movie screening is continuous…read morethroughout the year. The festival was June 4-14 with various topics daily shown on Eventive Virtual. Admission was free and it accepts donations during the screenings of over 40 Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) films and special LIVE and pre-recorded Q&As with filmmakers. I attended the preseason teaser screening in May. It was kind of fun until the movie stopped due to technical difficulties. Not sure if it was my internet connection or from the host's computer. I didn't stay to the end (maybe it was the end). The fun part was that participants can chat while watching the movie (I think that was the reason for crashing). I heard from the festival organizer, they can show more movies outside of festival. For example, ASIAN AMERICANS Documentary will be featured at the Virtual OCA National Convention this Sunday August 2nd. I'm waiting FERMENTED movie to be shown again. Because I want to host a virtual watch party with my foodie friends. What's 2021 gonna look like? I don't care it is gonna be virtual or in person, as long as Houston AAPI Film Festival continues forever.

Fantastic festival to learn about Asian American Culture. Awesome experience to learn the…read moresimilarity between the Latin culture and the Asian culture, and the struggle that they both gone through. What a great experiences.