Xin Chào Info
Amenities
From the business
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Identifies as women-owned
Service options
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Outdoor seating
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Curbside pickup
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Delivery
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Takeout
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Dine-in
Highlights
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Fast service
Popular for
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Lunch
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Dinner
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Solo dining
Accessibility
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Wheelchair accessible entrance
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Wheelchair accessible parking lot
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Wheelchair accessible restroom
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Wheelchair accessible seating
Offerings
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Alcohol
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Beer
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Cocktails
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Coffee
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Comfort food
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Happy hour drinks
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Happy hour food
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Hard liquor
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Healthy options
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Small plates
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Vegetarian options
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Wine
Dining options
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Brunch
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Lunch
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Dinner
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Dessert
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Seating
Amenities
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Bar onsite
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Restroom
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Wi-Fi
Atmosphere
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Casual
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Cozy
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Trendy
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Upscale
Crowd
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Family-friendly
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Groups
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LGBTQ+ friendly
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Tourists
Planning
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Dinner reservations recommended
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Accepts reservations
Payments
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Credit cards
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Debit cards
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NFC mobile payments
Children
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Good for kids
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High chairs
Parking
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Free parking lot
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Free street parking
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Parking
Other
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LGBTQ+ friendly
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Identifies as women-owned
Best WLM Reviews
My wife and I decided to have an early dinner here. The place was kinda out the way, not a lot of traffic. Nice place, food was good. Wagyu steak was cooked to perfection, the oysters were a little Salty but out server offered dessert on the house to make it better. The dessert worth coming back for. Our server was very attentive. ????????????????????????
Service was excellent. Food was delicious and creative. The portions were generous except for the mixed vegetables. That was the only dish that was disappointing. The chicken skewers were very tender and full of flavor. It was so good that we had to order another portion. Beef cheek dumplings was another dish that burst in flavor and extremely delicious.
Food: A+
Service: A+
Ambiance: A
Cleanliness: A
Parking: Free parking, two parking lots and street parking
This is the place I've had the best oysters of my life, both raw and cooked. I'm not a fan of cooked oysters but I'm always willing to have my mind changed. These changed my mind. I'm a fan of these cooked oysters! The main meals were also very tasty. I will have to say that I was not a fan of the rubbish apple pie. It was putting a handful of star anise in my mouth.
The food comes out very fast. The staff felt a little hit or miss on "southern hospitality" but no one was rude. Our waiter was fantastic.
It's a small place so it can get crowded quickly. They have plenty of outdoor seating but in the middle of August no one wants to be outside. Also, we had unexpected company our entire meal. There were a few flies. I don't judge because I know it's hard to keep them out but it would be nice if they worked on a solution for that.
Pro tip: Don't even think about showing up a few minutes early. They do not open their doors until 5:00 on the dot.
We dined here on a Friday evening around 630pm, had a reservation for two people which was made on the same day. It was not too busy though and we could have still been seated immediately without the reservation. We picked a few items to try, found out they were out of a few menu items already (perhaps it was the end of the week for their supply). So was disappointed to not be able to try smoked beef cheek dumplings or soft shell crab, but we enjoyed everything else we ordered. Definitely recommend the braised pork with crispy rice.
I had high hopes for Xin Chao after reading highly rated reviews, despite some mentions of the restaurant going downhill. Unfortunately, my experience was pretty disappointing.
Even though I had a reservation, I was left waiting with no one at the front to seat us. Once seated, the waiter gave us different menus and it took 20+ minutes before he came to take our drink order. The table next to us actually walked out because they were waiting so long. Throughout the meal, I had to repeatedly call him over. It seemed he was the only one covering the entire restaurant, so I blame poor management for the lack of service.
The food was average. Not bad but not great either:
- Pork Belly Bao: Good flavor and well-seasoned but $7 for one bun is criminal.
- Beef Dumplings: It was okay. The filling was just beef. I wish it was more substantial. It has potential to be a more complete dish. I wouldn’t get it again. $14
- Smoked Beef Rib Flat Rice Noodles: I like the strong Vietnamese flavors. However, it was the most disappointing dish of the night. It boasts a large beef rib bone in the middle of the dish. But upon digging in, there is only a small amount of actual meat. I wish there were more noodles too. The dish was actually mostly vegetables. The dish would be more appropriately named “Vegetable Flat Noodles with Beef”. $29
- Five Fungi Congee: The standout dish of the night. The mushrooms were cooked and seasoned well, with incredible flavor for a simple congee. $17
- Nguyen-er Nguyen-er Chicken Dinner: Plain fried chicken that was under-seasoned. I was relying on the ketchup it came with to give it some flavor. I expected more lemongrass flavor as described. However, it was cooked very well. The fries were great, though. $26
Overall, the food did not live up to Xin Chao’s initial rave reviews. More disappointing was the lack of service, indicating poor restaurant management. I understand restaurants have their occasional bad days and hopefully this was just that. From my experience, I would not recommend this restaurant unless significant changes were made in the food and service.
Excellent food and incredible service. Our server was attentive, friendly, and helpful when we had questions about dishes, portions, and drinks.
The oysters and dumplings were good but I'd say the soft shell crab was the highlight of the appetizers. The wagyu Wednesday steak was fine but nothing special. If you've had a steak, you'd had this. The fried whole fish was special though and although $62, tasted incredible. It could have stood to be a little less dry on the outer edges but overall great.
Desserts were hit or miss. The coconut bread pudding was excellent but the "rubbish apple pie" that Gordon Ramsay thought was great isn't that great. You can smell apple but you can't taste it.
After a loooooong day of work, food and drinks was much needed. I'd heard about "The Blind Goat" but this was a last minute date night so I made a reservation after looking at the menu.
First things first, I started off with the "Spicy, Smokey, Sweet" drink which hit the spot. We also put in a few apps to get us started.
The "Lemongrass Chicken Skewers" were perfectly cooked. No one likes dry chicken breast and these definitely weren't. Each piece was juicy and covered with the right amount of glaze. It was topped of with micro greens and a slice of limes which pairs well with the glaze. I recommend ordering these for sure.
The "Pork Belly Bao" wasn't bad but it wasn't my favorite. I'm normally used to crispy pork belly with a soft bao bun but this was the opposite. Also, I feel like the taste of the bao changes a lot when it's fried. This is a personal preference so if you like braised pork belly this is dish you'd want to try.
The "Drunken Mussels" were out of this world. The lemongrass coupled with the coconut milk made for a creamy tang broth. I added pieces of mint to each mussel and it was a game changer. You may need more bread for the broth or you can just drink it. Recommend 10/10.
The "Viet-Cajun Oysters" may have been the best oysters I've ever had and I'm not just saying it to say it. I don't know what's in the H-Town bang sauce but they should bottle it up and sell it or just let me know how to make it myself lol. If you like this dish, go back on Tuesdays because the Gulf oysters are half-off. Again 10/10, recommend.
For our main dish we ordered the "FOB" whole fish because we've been craving fried fish. The portion was legit and perfect for two, if we didn't have all the apps we did. It took some time to get this dish but it was hot and fresh. Next time I would place the order when I get the apps. Back to the fish, it was perfectly seasoned, so much so that we didn't even use the sauce. I'd ask for lemons on the side when I order this again.
Out of everything we ordered only one was a miss for me and again it was a personal preference. There were some items that were 86'd so we will be back again to try them out. For an impromptu date night, I stumbled upon a gem tucked in between the Bayou and the Heights and it was a great experience.
It's one of my favorite places in Houston to recommend to visitors. I feel confident saying that you won't find a place serving elevated, lovingly crafted Vietnamese-American food anywhere else. It's a place that reminds me of my mom's cooking, but also not quite. It can be a date place or a nicer-casual meal time with friends. It will almost certainly be a good time. It's rare to find a Vietnamese place that my parents enjoy, but they were able to appreciate this despite being a fusion place, so to speak. I think they really liked the crispy rice and braised pork dish the best, along with the FOB. The former reminds them of when they were in Vietnam (plus I'm in love with the crispy rice texture!!!!), and the latter is so well done + hard to find! I also personally recommend trying the gulf oysters. It's my favorite oyster dish in the city so far! The crawfish was a limited time special. ????
Quick Facts About Xin Chào
Today
Opening Hours
| Monday | 02:00 AM - 09:30 PM |
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| Tuesday | 02:00 AM - 09:30 PM |
| Wednesday | 02:00 AM - 09:30 PM |
| Thursday | 02:00 AM - 09:30 PM |
| Friday | 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM |
| Saturday | 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM |
| Sunday | 11:00 AM - 09:00 PM |
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