Midtown Restaurant “Underbelly” Welcomes Customers for all Occasions

My friends and I are always looking for places to make us look like effortless hipsters or characters off of Gossip Girl. Though we are hardly able to personify Chuck, Blair or Serena, we take weekly ventures through the depths of midtown to find the best that our “Bayou City” has to offer. On a whimsical spat of splurging, we decided to invest on a meal at the infamous Underbelly.

With tables booked everyday between six and nine, you may want to make a reservation before your visit if you are looking for a private table. But if you’re up for a new experience, sit at a communal table and cozy up to a fellow Houstonian. Though many sophisticated cosmopolitans take business meetings to Underbelly, the ambiance is fairly laid back. With walls decorated with mason jars and old cook books, the restaurant feels like you’re at your rich friend’s summer home. Priced like an upscale restaurant, Underbelly tries its hardest to make you feel welcome and relaxed. The employees are dressed in jeans and t-shirts, and you are welcome to come in anything from a business suit to overalls.

The menu changes every day because the restaurant serves local and fresh ingredients. Since the availability of these items changes from day to day, the chefs meet every morning to whip up a new, extraordinary menu. Tying into the communal family feel, most of the dishes are meant to be shared “family style.” My comrades and I first ordered the homemade bread with honey butter, and saying this bread is like heaven on earth is a bit of an understatement. Maybe it is because I have been on a no-carb diet or maybe it is something magical in the chef’s hands, but something makes this warm, freshly-baked wonder feel like you are skipping across a field of daisies, but in your mouth. As our main entrée, we ordered the pork collar with cheddar grits. I’m personally not a fan of pork, but this piece of pork was cooked to perfection, and it paired perfectly with the grits. We still had a little room (keep in mind we’re sharing among three people), so we ordered the Korean braised goat with dumplings, which is the restaurant’s signature dish and the only dish that is always on the menu. The goat was braised beautifully, and it was so tender and moist, you could pick it apart with a chopstick. However, the dish was incredibly spicy, which made it a little difficult to enjoy fully. Overall, it was a good pick and paired well with the other dishes.

The average price of an entrée is between $15 and $25, which is why I say eating at Underbelly is quite literally an investment. Even though it is expensive, the ambiance, the service and the taste of the food is absolutely incredible. If you’re ever looking to treat yourself to something nice, give yourself a pat on the back and make your way to Underbelly.