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Armandos Reviews List
Armandos
Armando Palacios and his eponymous restaurant of Mexican fare with "The Margarita"! Located centrally in the River Oaks section of Houston, Armandos engulfs you in an environment reminiscent of early 20th century Mexico City fine dining. Come and experience what it was like in Spanish & French colonial Mexico and dine on Armando’s family recipes. With its goldenrod and wood-paneled walls, intimate lighting, and a serendipitous selection of grand mirrors, Armandos provides a wonderful backdrop for sharing a wonderful evening with one or many. Great. Mexican. Bistro.
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70 Current Reviews
Summary of Diner Ratings & Reviews
Overall
(Outstanding)
4.3
/
5
Rating Breakdown 70 reviews
5 stars
(35)
4 stars
(27)
3 stars
(3)
2 stars
(3)
1 star
(2)
Food
(Outstanding)
4.3
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
4.2
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
4.3
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
Filter Reviews By:
Diners classify this restaurant as:
- neighborhood gem(36)
- hot spot(28)
- special occasion(26)
- good for groups(23)
- romantic(23)
- vibrant bar scene(22)
Armandos Reviews List
Review 1 for Armandos
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Fun evening!
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"We celebrated a friend's birthday and we all had fun...good food and great service!"
Dined on 6/13/2013
2012
Special Features: good for groups, vibrant bar scene, hot spot, special occasion
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Review 2 for Armandos
Overall rating
(Fair)
2
/
5
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Poor)
1
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"It has been years since our last visit but the food was as good as we remembered. Our waiter was totally unprofessional. We had a party of 8 celebrating a birthday and he "announced" to the table that he was going to bring out what was supposed to be a surprise piece of cake which blew the surprise and never even asked if anyone wanted additional dessert or any kind of after dinner drink. Two of our party arrived a few minutes late and he only asked one at a time for a drink order and then had to make two trips to get their drinks. He seemed more interested in waiting on the other tables at his station. Sorry for the bad review but there are too many other restaurants around to go thru that again."
Dined on 6/01/2013
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Review 3 for Armandos
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Still the place to go!
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"Whether you want great food, wonderful drinks, or outstanding service, Armando's is the go to place for all of it! My only problem with Armando's is I can't pace myself to still have room for their fabulous desserts like Choco-Banana! So alternate and have dessert first every other time!"
Dined on 5/31/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, romantic, neighborhood gem, hot spot, special occasion
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Review 4 for Armandos
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Great Food
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"the food is excellent, very nice fine Mexican food."
Dined on 5/26/2013
Special Features: romantic, special occasion
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Review 5 for Armandos
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Yummy
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"Eaten there many times. Everything delicious and great service ."
Dined on 5/20/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem
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Review 6 for Armandos
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Food Quality and Ambience
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"We loved the ambience--intimate, romantic and a nice crowd. The food was good, but not as good as we'd expected"
Dined on 5/17/2013
Special Features: romantic, special occasion
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Review 7 for Armandos
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Food Outstanding
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"Food was outstanding the the waiter was one of the best my only complaint was the seating was too tight for the space --- very hard to walk between the chairs to get into and out --- needs to give more space for walking."
Dined on 5/03/2013
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Review 8 for Armandos
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Good TexMex
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"A great place for an alternative to the chains. The crab enchiladas were very good. I like it that the portions were not huge. Chips and salsa were fantastic. A bit noisy but could still enjoy the conversation."
Dined on 5/01/2013
Special Features: good for groups, great for brunch, great for lunch
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Review 9 for Armandos
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
River Oaks TexMex Gem
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"Armando's continues to serve some great Margaritas, the service is always spot-on, and the food is consistent, upscale Texmex. One of my favorites."
Dined on 04/26/2013
2005
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, neighborhood gem, hot spot
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Review 10 for Armandos
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
I LOVE ARMANDO'S! I go out
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"I LOVE ARMANDO'S! I go out for dinner/ drinks at Armando's probably 4 times a month. Armando's has great drinks and the fajitas are out of this world! I also highly recommend the queso flameado."
Dined on 04/19/2013
2012
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, hot spot
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Review 11 for Armandos
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
It's a great place to celebrate
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"It's a great place to celebrate or just have a dinner out. The food is fabulous and Armando takes a special interest in all of his guests."
Dined on 04/07/2013
2012
Special Features: neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion
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Review 12 for Armandos
Overall rating
(Fair)
2
/
5
We are regulars at Armandos.
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Poor)
1
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"We are regulars at Armandos. This was our worst experience. It was my daughters 26th bday and our service was so poor that we couldn't believe it. OUr waiter not one time asked us if he could help us.. We had to ask to order after being there 30 mins. We had to ask for a second round of drinks, had to ask for our glasses to be refilled with tea or water. Had to ask for everything. Twice, our waiter stood next to our table, staring out into the crowd, not asking us if we could help us with anything. We even had to ask for our check at the end. I dont know that we'll be back."
Dined on 04/06/2013
2011
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, romantic, special occasion
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Review 13 for Armandos
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
We come back here time and
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"We come back here time and time again and it never fails to meet our expectations. We love that we can make a reservation for Mexican food. Thank you Armando's!!!!!"
Dined on 03/30/2013
2008
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, good for groups, hot spot
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Review 14 for Armandos
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Food was decent, but nothing
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"Food was decent, but nothing out of the ordinary. I recall the days when Armando's was the most innovative Tex-Mex in town, but those days are long gone. Now it's more of a place to be see and be seen. Margaritas were above average in quality/strength compared to many other Tex-Mex venues in town."
Dined on 03/23/2013
2006
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, hot spot
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Review 15 for Armandos
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Simply one of my favorite
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Simply one of my favorite restaurants!"
Dined on 03/15/2013
2011
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion, scenic view, hot spot
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Review 16 for Armandos
Overall rating
(Poor)
1
/
5
I remembered Armando's from
Food
(Poor)
1
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Fair)
2
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"I remembered Armando's from the 80's over on Shepard so when I heard it'd opened in the old Post O' Grill's location I thought we'd give it a try. The food is deplorable. It couldn't be less authentic and was just overally tasteless. My chille rellano was neither breaded nor fried. The sauce wasn't a Spanish (tomato based) sauce nor a chile sauce, but rather an orange, creame sauce that was tasteless. The rice was plain white rice, and not only did I not have a choice of ranchero or refried beans, the refried beans were pasty and laden with bacon grease - not even bacon. And the music, where I like Cuban / salsa music, it isn't Mexican in any way other than it's sung in Spanish. Over all, it isn't even suited for a lunch place."
Dined on 03/15/2013
2011
Special Features: kid-friendly
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Review 17 for Armandos
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Great hot spot on Thursdays!
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"This place is jumping on Thursday nights! Food is wonderful! Great location ."
Dined on 02/28/2013
2011
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, late-night find, romantic, hot spot
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Review 18 for Armandos
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Great dinner at Armandos!
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
"Great Food - Wonderful Margaritas!"
Dined on 03/12/2013
2012
Special Features: good for groups, neighborhood gem
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Review 19 for Armandos
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Excellent experience - was
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"Excellent experience - was flipping through the Opentable app and decided on Armandos for a dinner with a few friends. Wonderful experience, and will return soon!!"
Dined on 02/05/2013
2009
Special Features: good for groups, special occasion
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Review 20 for Armandos
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
As always, food was delicious
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"As always, food was delicious and service was top notch. Best margaritas in town."
Dined on 02/15/2013
2006
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, hot spot
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Review 21 for Armandos
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Valentine's dinner
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Armando's was a great choice for me to take my girlfriend on valentines day. We were seated promptly and tended to well. The waiter was knowledgeful of the menu. The food was hot, and most importantly the kitchen got our order right. For dessert we had the cheesecake. My girlfriend swears that it was better than the Cheesecake Factory! I will definitely come back to Armando's on special occasions."
Dined on 02/14/2013
2013
Special Features: romantic, special occasion
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Review 22 for Armandos
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
The lighting and big mirrors
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"The lighting and big mirrors makes this place very romantic ..........Had a lovely time."
Dined on 02/14/2013
2012
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, great for outdoor dining, romantic, special occasion
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Ratings-Only Reviews for Armandos
Based on the average of (48) ratings-only reviews
Overall
(Outstanding)
4.3
/
5
12 out of 12 recommend this product
Food
(Outstanding)
4.3
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
4.2
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
4.3
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic