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| - Why is Laura M., PGH's intrepid reviewer of hidden gem, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, reviewing a chain casual dining restaurant like Houlihan's? Well, like many people, I ended up at Houlihan's at the behest of a friend (who I hadn't seen for months) for her birthday, along with a large group. (Said friend received a $15 off coupon for her birthday, hence her incentive to come.) Quite frankly, I came for the company, with low expectations for the food, and those expectations were met.
As soon as we walked in, I noticed a strange, slightly unpleasant smell that I couldn't quite put my finger on, which I later determined to be emanating from the restroom. We stood at the hostess stand for several minutes before someone acknowledged us, and then we waited several more minutes while she put some tables together, during which time we were awkwardly greeted by another hostess. When we were finally seated, we inquired about the happy hour, and our waitress told us that we had to go to the bar to purchase drinks and apps at the happy hour price. So, we awkwardly got up a few at a time to get our drinks, and ended up getting regular apps. Per the bartender's recommendation, I got the raspberry long island iced tea ($5.75, HH price), which I thought was a glass, but turned out the be a liter. Though I've never had a long island before and don't have any standard of judgment, it was cloyingly sweet and wasn't strong at all, since I didn't feel tipsy in the slightest even after drinking the entire liter. I tried several different variants ordered by my friends, and they were all very sweet and not very strong--the only drink I thought had a better balance was the angry orchard cocktail.
For food, we ordered several appetizers to share between us: parmesan frites, "shrooms," and pretzel sticks. They were all predictably mediocre and salty, with little depth of flavor. In particular, I was not a fan of the bier cheese, which had a strange aftertaste, or the horseradish sauce incorporated into the shrooms. For my entree, I ordered the quiche Lorraine with a cup of potato soup, which came with it ($11.95). To my surprise, the potato soup wasn't salty--if anything, it was bland and underseasoned, such that I added some salt and pepper to spice it up. The quiche was okay, but nothing very special--I'd definitely had much better renditions elsewhere. I felt that the amount of food that I received for the price was lacking. Several other members of our group ordered flatbreads, including my friend who sat next to me, who ordered the gluten free version. Her flatbread was served at room temperature, such that she sent it back to the kitchen to be warmed up. To their credit, the kitchen remade it and the manager comped it--but at the end of the day, this shouldn't have happened in the first place.
Needless to say, I was less than impressed with the quality of food and drinks that I received from Houlihan's, especially given the price (total check: around $20 w/ tip), not to mention that you have to pay for parking (you're looking at around $5 for a couple of hours). I'd never been to a Houlihan's before, and to be honest, I doubt I'd return. There are many restaurants with more character and better--and less expensive--drinks and bar food not far away on East Carson St., including Piper's Pub, Fat Heads, and the Smiling Moose, to name just a few. Experiences like this are why I always try to talk my friends (and boyfriend!) into trying somewhere new, and avoiding chain casual dining whenever possible, esp. given the richness of the dining scene in PGH. 2.5 stars.
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