Restaurant Review: Houlihan's @ The Galleria

It's literally been years since I was in a Houlihan's , but when the Mexican place I had hoped to dine at was no more, Birthday Girl Friend of The Mistress Of The Dark "BGFOTMOTD" and I decided to give it a shot. Being a Saturday Night, I expected a long wait, but it really wasn't more than 15 minutes, and they let us look at the menu while we waited so that was a plus.

The prices are higher than the average chain. Houlihan's is comparable to Cheesecake Factory in price, but the portions are a little less than TGIFridays and the selections are less than both. This restaurant bore no resemblance to the original location up the road. The atmosphere is perfect for a date night, but since that wasn't the case, "BGFOTMOTD" and I cracked jokes and gagged at the couples in nearby tables and pondered how teenagers could afford to eat there. Then I remembered we were in Mt. Lebanon...and that question was answered. Everyone is rich in Mt. Lebanon. If you are poor, they push you out of the town.

We started out with a lovely spicy lettuce wrap. The lettuce was beautifully shaped and crunchy and the filling was just spicy enough to make you reach for a glass of water, but not too spicy. The appetizer had four servings, so it was two for each of us, which was just fine though the $9.50 price tag was a bit steep for an appetizer.  If you had a bigger party, this might not be the appetizer for you. Maybe try some of the Disco Fries? Or Sliders?

We both ordered the enchiladas, mine were chicken and BGFOTMOTD got the wild mushroom, as she has a fetish for fungi.  The price was a moderate $13.95.

The enchilada's came with a cabbage slaw that was wonderfully refreshing.  The rice had great flavor, and I have to say, I remarked more than once that I could have eaten a whole bowl of the rice. The beans were also full of flavor and spicy. My only beef with the beans was due to the portion side. I'm not found of half a plate of beans, but the small portion here left a little to be desired.

We finished our meal with the S'mores Fondue. A rather lovely treat for only $5.00. It is probably one of the best values on the menu and one of the best desserts. My next recommendation is the Cappuccino Cake, which is a longstanding item on the Houlihan's menu.

The fondue is a to die for chocolate ganache with the melted marshmallows on top. Your items for dipping include strawberries and long graham cracker strips with sugar on top. Delicious and Yummo come to mind when thinking of this desert.

Houlihan's has definitely revamped itself in the past few years and set itself apart from some other chains. In fact, it almost doesn't feel like a chain. Definitely worth a visit!