I only went for lunch, so take my review with a grain of salt, but I had a good time. The menu looked pretty good, the bartender was pretty good, the food is pretty good, the prices were pretty good. Overall, pretty good

Very low key, classy bar/ restaurant. We went on a Wednesday night, there is a live jazz band. They were phenomenal. The food was delicious. We got the fried calamari and the shrimp and crab meat melt. We got the blueberry spicey margarita. The service was great. Servers were attentive and very sweet

Overpriced drinks and an unadvertised entertainment charge in which both the drinks and band lacked luster. Also thought this was a jazz bar and not another place for cover bands. Friendly and attentive staff is the best thing the bar has going.

Absolutely amazing place!!! Called ahead and made a reservation for some of us and the whole experience with that was flawless. When there the servers did an excellent job. The drinks did get delayed a little bit but the place was busy. The drinks were delicious especially the spicy Margarita! The food was flavorful and enough choices. They had a live Latin band playing who were great. Overall a really nice place to celebrate a special occasion or just grab a couple drinks. Also there is a valet outside and pretty inexpensive too!

Great entertainment with the live band. Food and atmosphere is nice.

The food was delicious, our waiter was FANTASTIC, and the live band had us dancing in our seats. We came for an anniversary celebration, and all of us left with smiles. I would reccomend this place and would come again.

The ambiance is so niçe here. It feels really comfortable to just enter and be apart of the vibe that it brings. The wine is really good.

Service was amazing, food was exquisite and a 2-time-grammy award winning band playing live. It was an amazing experience!

Great live music. Thursday Latin night is always great 👍

Looking for a place to catch a appetizer and a cocktail on my way home & ran into this place. There was a lady on guitar singing inside so I was intrigued at the dark pleasant ambience. I didn’t have a reservation so choose to sit at bar. I was so glad I stayed. My taste buds were in heaven!! You know how you hate spending money on mediocre food? You will definitely not do that here! I couldn’t resist and added a splurged of desert and wine! I was the most content I’d been in months! Thank you for the experience and will definitely be returning!

Great for date nights or birthday dinner. Live music usually on the weekend. The band/performer list is on the website which will give you a feel for the vibes you can anticipate that night.Ask for the intimate table for a very romantic and intimate table for 2.

We enjoyed our night for a quick bite before a show. Bar and restaurant were big and roomy. We had a prefix date night menu choosing a 7oz filet. It was delicious! The chocolate torte was wonderfully rich and delicious too. Service was great. Our waiter was very considerate and attentive. The only thing that was a little confusing was that I expected a jazz bar with jazz music. It might have been just the night we went but it was more Sinatra type music and actually a pretty good Elvis impersonator who sang live. It was good just not what I expected. Everything was a great overall.

Houston iconic restaurant. Great for lunch and dinner. Awesome jazz club style atmosphere with great bar, dance floor and live music. Make reservations on the weekends and special events. Food is okay but most people go for the atmosphere and fun times. Recommend to anyone visit Ming it had a long night out and wants a good brunch and mimosas and bloodies hair of the dogs and have a fun Sunday morning.

Had a filet and it was perfection. The only complaint was my salad was over dressed. Otherwise, the food and service was delightful. Great place for a date night or celebration dinner. Side note: the entertainment was fantastic but they include an fee per person. Not much $ but I didnt know until I got the bill.

The music was great! Fun dancing, fun atmosphere! Cant wait to visit again. The food was excellent as well.

Love this restaurant, especially the live band.2nd experience I came with a party of 14. Waiter was kind, but was unorganized. Kept forgetting to bring drinks and forgot appetizers. Kept having to remind waiter of what we ordered.Entertainment is charged on bill

Always good food in a great atmosphere!!! Just a really cool place!!

Nice place to hang out and relax, especially after work when you can take advantage of the half price happy hour from 4 to 7pm. They also have live music every weekday. I am not sure if they have it on weekends. The food menu is a little brief in my opinion.It is a place where I would go to, enjoy a drink or two while having a convo or listening to the live music.

When you walk in to the restaurant you can immediately tell that a lot of attention has been paid to the decor and with intimately laid seating where you can bask in live jazz a definite plus. Sitting in the front of the stage, the lack draperies and carpet to help absorb noise renders the music somewhat loud. After this visit I’ve discovered that sitting in the back or bar area is the best place to dine, especially if you want to carry on an intimate conversation. I went on a Wednesday evening, not that crowed at the bar or the restaurant though. I suspect its more crowded on the weekends. I had the Modern Greek Bowl with roasted cauliflower, artichokes, tomatoes, cucumber, quinoa, chickpeas, feta cheese & tzatziki sauce, then I Orderef a glass of Lemon Drop Martini, kicked back, and enjoyed a scintillating show.

Great atmosphere. Great live music. Had a great time!

Good food & service. Lively atmosphere. Pricey.

Worst food, watered down drinks & food was so bland plus its super expensive . We shared an appetiszer Calamari which tasted worst & we wanted to share soup but they said to share its 3$ extra which is very bad taste then i got my main-course Greek bowl no taste n very bland . They ruined our anniversary special with bad food . Service & music was good but again they charged for music in our bill 10$ what a joke.

Definitely coming back. Great ambiance with live music and stage like sitting. Food was really good. Service has some room for improvement, waited quite a bit for a couple of requests, but everyone was friendly and attentive.

They have live music on the Friday-Sunday. The music was great the walkway actually turned into a dance floor for all the couples. Its hard to talk when the live band is playing but the server did a pretty good job at explaining the menú and taking our orders. Customer service 10/10. I had got the Bread pudding desert, I was hesitant to get it but the waiter offered to take it off my ticket If I did not like it. Fast forward, I loved it. It tasted good and the presentation was beautiful. Would definitely eat here again. P.S most of the restuarant goers were booed up and about 60% of all restuarant goers were over age 50. (They do charge a small fee for live music entertainment $3)

Sambuca is located downtown Houston with valet parking if you drive there. The interior is so cosy and welcoming.We didnt book but still got a good table within sight of the live band. We were led to our table by a friendly receptionist and our waiter turned up and introduced himself.The food was great and drinks superb! The blend of flavours was smooth and pleasurable.There is outside seating available.The life band was okay and added fun to guest rendering songs that made guests head to the dance floor.Everything was perfect I went to the restroom, it was a mess. I believe Sambuca should have an employee check the state of the restrooms periodically and keep it neat.On the whole, I had a great night at Sambuca and it is highly recommended.

Great place, lovely atmosphere, good live music, and excellent food! Staff was also extremely polite and professional. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for an overall great dining experience!

Nice place, good food, live band and they have great drinks.

Really good food and music. Most definitely coming back. Had a great time.

Food was limited but quite delicious and fresh! The drinks were so delicious as well. We had Sambuca 75, which was refreshing, tangy with a touch of sweet! Our waiter Timothy was so respectful and attentive! The owner was very welcoming and gracious as well. Now let’s get to the awesome live music. The band, Breakfast at Tiffany’s was so talented! Loved every minute of our time at Sambuca’s!

The live music was terrific! Our wait er was very attentive. Will come back for sure.

Very good food and drinks. Also live music. Service was good. They have dinner date night specials menu.

First time here....Awesome band!!!! Menu needs work, but service, band, food... EXCELLENT! Will definitely be returning.

Good service, good food, miss the pre-Covid heydays here!

Attended a birthday party amd had a blast. The band was absolutely 🔥.

Great restaurant for dinner and drinks in the evening. Went here with friends for a 7pm dinner and were seated close to the live music area. Looked around the restaurant and it seemed like all tables were good seats. The restaurant is easy to overlook since most restaurant storefronts in area look similar and theres the 2nd story that blocks additional signage. Also parking garage is about 2 blocks away. When we arrived were promptly seated. Hostess was nice and waiter was polite and attentive throughout the evening. Shared a bottle of red and I had 2 appetizers for my meal which was the perfect amount of food and that way had a variety too. Tried the crab dip and it was deliciously cheesy and tried the tuna tartar which was awesome and fresh and had sesame seeds on side that just added to the flavor. Around 8 they started live music with a great sounding mixed music band playing jazz, rock and some Latin. Bathrooms were constantly being cleaned which was awesome and there were large mirrors outside and in. Will come back.

Food and drinks were delicious although I didn’t too much care for the bread pudding. The live band was a nice touch.

Found a knew place!Food FANTASTICGREAT SERVICENICE ENTERTAINING

Food was delicious. Unfortunately we went for my girlfriends birthday, it was a party of 8. Everyone ordered food at the same time and 3 people were served at the same time. After 3 of us were served, it took 45 min for the remaining people to get their food.

Warm and cozy, the food was delicious. Service was excellent and music was popping.

Very easy to make a reservation and confirm. We received excellent service and really enjoyed the ambience with great live music! I had the Blackened Snapper Etouffee with a drink called the Funky Cold Medina and wife had Shrimp Scampi. 👍👍 This was for our Anniversary and we loved the experience, will be a returning customer.

Fast friendly service. Food was good it was a little dark for me loved the live music 🎶

Love coming here to enjoy good music and a nice dinner and cocktails.

Live music. great voice. danced

My wife and I just moved downtown and with Covid havent had the best dinning experiences. Travis not only introduced himself but gave us a tour and history lesson about the Rice Hotel. His attention to detail and personality are the best. Way to go Travis!!!. Also they make a great Old Fashioned.

Such an amazin experience !!!From the minute we got there, HECTOR was so polite and attentive to if we needed anything. From the live music to the drinks and their food 10/10 i fully recommend

I loved the live music. My filet was so good. Juicy and tender. The service was lacking. We waited a long time for our drinks and food. And Valet was awful. I waited 45 mins for my car

Beautiful location downtown, great ambiance with live music. The food was excellent. I ordered the Ribeye, it came a little overcooked, more medium than medium rare but thats ok. Absolutely recommend.

The filet mignon was excellent...even well done...which is difficult to do. Loved the entertainment as well.

Very nice upscale spot to bring a date. Customer service is impeccable!!

Awesome evening. Tracy Perez band was magnificent. The lead guitar player set the band off. The guy has skills!!! Phenomanal night.

Fantastic atmosphere, stepped in to check out the band, standing room only. This is a great place for couples and singles of all ages to meet and dance to a variety of music styles from mambo to pop.

Great live music and delicious dinner!

Awesome atmosphere for food,drinks, music, and dance. My only critique is they need MORE vegan options.

Food was so so, the old-fashioneds were mediocre. OK place, but not really worth returning to

The food was cooked to perfection and the live music and atmosphere was awesome!

Great happy hour and the poke was actually reallllly good (coming from someone who grew up in hawaii). I highly recommend the strawberry lemonade made with vodka and the blue berry marg.

Dine your lady in the cocoons at Sambuca! Start with the hummus variety plate and venture off from there.

Great food, the best Calamari I have ever had. Drinks were okay, kinda water down. Great live music! I do recommend this place!

The food is good. The band and drinks are better.

I went In for a beer before a flight. They are still using my card while I am out of state. Then they never answer the phone. Should have known by the dirty looks they give.

We stopped in for a quick cocktail and ended up staying for the band and ordering dessert! Eric, behind the bar, was witty, personable, and knowledgeable, recommending the Sambuca 75, which was delicious! The cheesecake was smooth and creamy, so good! The bread pudding was not the traditional southern style and was a little dry, but had good flavor. The band was great, and we made good use of the dance floor! Ill definitely be back!

Amazing atmosphere, great food, and awesome band!!!

The food was ok. Drink pretty good

Mixed Berry Cobbler = AI took one bite and GREAT GRIZZLIES! This is good!Its light in thickness but not unfulfilling. Literally just right. Sweet with sour with sweet topped vanilla bean ice cream.The crust is the best part. Perfectly textured chewy to crunch ratio. Mixed berries were piping hot but didnt melt the ice cream.Magical. Go and order you one. 😁😁😁

A very nice place located in Houston Texas. The staff seem to be all new we believe because our server was extremely slow and confused about items that we ordered. We went the day after Cinco de Mayo and they were out of a lot of items. The manager there Doug did come out and apologize for the lack of items and he also apologized at the server didnt have a very good idea of what was still available on the menu. All in all we had a great time and the food was wonderful.

My daughter took me there for Mothers Day wonderful brunch

The virtuosity of the music was incandescent. Towering decorum from the manager Robert and Whitney, what a brilliant waitress. And the food.... irrevocably delicious. Thank you for such a grandiose night.

Live music every day. Salsa Thursday.

This was for Mothers Day brunch. They were out some food on the buffet. The band had stopped playing. Omelet was horrible.

Last nights band, by far has been the best ever at Sambuca. Guys were amazing. Cant wait to go back and see them play again.

Delicious food! Awesome music!

Staff is always friendly and the customer service superb. The atmosphere is fun and upbeat. Reasonable pricing and great drinks and food.

Amazing food and atmosphere, and great service!!

Amazing, the food, the service, and the band was awesome!!!

The SVK Party Band performed for Valentine’s Day weekend. Great show 💯🎊🎉👌🏿👍🏿😎

****UPDATE****Changed to my review from 4 to 1 star. They tried to add a bogus “entertainment fee” to my bill. I’ve been coming here for years and never has a fee been added to my bill! Tried to charged me $12 for a top shot. It’s not about the money, it’s the principle. I don’t like what they tried to do so I won’t be going back!!!I have been coming here for years. I used to dine in for lunch when I worked downtown.I decided to pop in on a Saturday evening, they had just reopened from Covid closures. I love the live music. I love that I can come in and enjoy a great ambiance, great food and drinks and still be able to maintain social distance. This is one of the few restaurants I actually feel comfortable dining in during this Pandemic.Vivian is a GREAT bartender. I asked her to create a drink and she concocted a Jameson green tea drink which tasted great! I look forward to coming back!

It gets two stars because of the people who are not out there risking it to support live music....it vital that you visit Sambuca on a monday night and request your favorite acoustic cover and buy travis a shot of jameson for this recommendation

Great food and great music!

Great live entertainment and drinks!! The entrées were reasonably priced. This is a very low-key, business casual atmosphere at which you can mellow out.

Live music every night! 6-9

Live music was great, but the menu is way overpriced considering the mediocre service I received

This place was amazing! The band was great, the food was phenomenal, and I will definitely come back!

Food was good, and band was awesome

Great place for live entertainment.

Not a good location for larger parties. Our food was cold and missing ingredients. We ordered these shrimp and crab linguine and while eating, we could not find these crab. Our waitress had several hiccups in service.

Excellent food and great music by Keisha Pratt Band.

Relaxing atomsphere!

Amazing pork chop and friendly staff.

Good environment, nice food, amazing music.

Had a beautiful friday night with my friends. The dinner was delicious and the band was amazing. Who doesnt love good soul music & jazz 😉

Great live music

We were in town April 9th to watch the Womens National Soccer team play. After the game we went back to the hotel and they recommended this place for supper. Worst advice Ive ever gotten. First off, if you have kids, know that they DO NOT have a kids menu or try to accommodate kids in any way, shape, or form. Second, I really dont enjoy eating a $50 ribeye sitting in a booth next to a metal bucket on the floor thats catching water dripping from the leaking ceiling. Thankfully a waiter put a cloth napkin over it to avoid us hearing the dripping noise about halfway through the meal. I have to believe the hotel gets a kickback for sending us there because this place was horrible. Well never eat here again.

Band and atmosphere was great! Pork chop(1) was small, dry, tough and tasted like lighter fluid. Dish was sent back and I settled for chicken. The dark portions were nice and hot but the white section was cold as if it was a leftover from another plate.

Great food. Great music. Great atmosphere.

It was cool 😎

Love the place

Highly over priced, food was horrible band was ok

Best entertainment ever, Zenteno Spirit. Great place to celebrate any day. Food is wonderful too as are the cocktails. So much fun!

Atmosphere is amazing, live band every night. Drinks are great and Frank is an awesome bartender.

We had a reservation for a birthday party at 7:30 PM. Web didnt get seated until 8:00 PM. Keep in mind the spot wasnt packed either. To add to that our party was ethically diverse and we were seated all the way in the back. To no ones knowledge the business charges a $ 35.00 cake fee. I dont mind having to pay a fee but the only thing that came out with the cake was two candles. Our server barely acknowledged the party all night, we had several individuals whose food was cold and had to be returned. The experience was less then satisfactory so take caution especially if youre trying to book for a birthday party.