Holley’s has sadly closed. Be on the look out though, I expect Mark Holley to pop up again.
On Friday my co-worker and I were desperate to try somewhere new for our weekly Friday lunch out. Surprisingly, this foodie brown paper bags it during most of the week. That’s how I am able to afford the weekend splurges :). I suggested Holley’s in midtown because it was close and participating in the Houston Restaurants Weeks. I have been to Holley’s before and enjoyed the food and atmosphere.
Holley’s is a place that I would typically make a reservation for, but we were being spontaneous and just walked in. They were able to seat us quickly in the partially full main dining room. The service was as great as it was on my previous visits. One thing that I love, is you are guaranteed to see to the owner/chef Mark Holley walking around the main dining room greeting customers. On this visit I even saw him serving as a host for a group that came in after us.
Once seated we glanced over the menus hoping to take advantage of the $20 Houston Restaurant Weeks menu options. The items on the Houston Restaurant Weeks menu did not pique our interest, so we both went for the regular lunch menu. I ordered the crab rolls with homemade chips and my co-worker had the shrimp and grits. On my previous visits to Holley’s I ordered the homemade Parkerhouse Rolls, so I figured I could not go wrong with the crab rolls. The menu even includes a note under the rolls that says “once they are gone, they are gone.” That is how you know they are good!
Both of us devoured our food and thought the taste was great. It was a true lunch portion though, so we were not as full as we would have liked. When we first sat down, our waiter suggested an appetizer, but we passed on that. We probably should have taken him up on that offer. Also, outside of the restaurant weeks menu, Holley’s is a pricier lunch option. The shrimp and grits were $26 and my rolls were just under $20. If your budget allows and you are close to midtown, this would be a great option for a group of co-workers!
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