I came to the House of Blues for the first time to watch AFI/Saosin many years ago. However, since Yelp didn't exist or was big then. Also, I never had experiences in other venues, so I couldn't really judge.
One thing I like about this place that the atmosphere isn't cramped or disgusting looking. Maybe it was also because being emo and scene wasn't that big during my high school years, but the venue wasn't full of high school teens who think the world revolves around them. I also like that there's a big enough back area to chill in unlike some smaller venues where you're just packed in one floor.
All in all, I think House of Blues is one of the better venues out there.