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Coming to Houston......

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by Lil Pun, May 18, 2011.

  1. Lil Pun

    Lil Pun Contributing Member

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    So my aunt is getting married on July 2 and and my family up here in Arkansas will be heading to Houston that weekend. Most of us have booked a flight on the same Southwest flights to and from Houston. Have some questions about our trip and it has been a long time since I have flown so I am going to start there.

    1. As mentioned, we're flying on Southwest. Seating/Boarding: If I remember right it is basically first come/first serve except for minors go first, then business, then whoever checked in earliest. Is this still the case or have they changed to assigned seating? I see they now have an Early Bird check-in service, worth it?

    2. We will be flying into Hobby (obviously) and have a rental car there too. We will be traveling between Porter and Pasadena most of the time with stops elsewhere along the way. Are there any toll roads that I could take to cut travel time or need to worry about when traveling between these three places?

    3. My cousins and uncles want to head to a strip club while there. Any advice on a good one? Would this thread help: http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=204582

    4. I'd like to go to a restaurant that is Houston exclusive or hard to find elsewhere. I mean some of my family is excited about going to eat at Joe's Crab Shack :confused:but you can get that crap in Memphis. Any suggestions here?

    5. My girls will want to hit a mall. Any suggestions going by our locations?

    I'll start with these five but I'll probably have more later.

    Thanks!!!
     
    #1 Lil Pun, May 18, 2011
    Last edited: May 20, 2011
  2. mrm32

    mrm32 Member

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    Not sure about how seating goes with Southwest but I can shed some light on the toll road part. Take the beltway 8 through Pasadena. Plenty of lights on the feeder to make you want to pull your hair out. I think your best bet for strip clubs is to head downtown or westheimer. As far as restaurant goes there's plenty Mexican food in Pasadena and the whole southeast are in general. Try bay area for more diversity and of course there's good seafood on the kemah boardwalk plus it's a good place to go with the fam. And as far as malls go the closest one to you will be baybrook mall which isn't bad but alot closer than the galleria.
     
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  3. Kam

    Kam Contributing Member

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    Hmm.

    Can't think of any good malls in Houston. Ok, serious. Pasadena Town Mall or whatever is called is a dump. Baybrook is nice, I suppose. Pearland is an outdoor type of place. Just take them to the Galleria.

    Not sure where Porter is, but I like to run with some Latina ladies in the Pasadena area. No, I haven't been knifed and gutted yet. The west Beltway, also known as the Sam Houston Tollway is a tollway. It's near Pasadena.

    I'm was trying my hardest at one time to get free food or cheap food at Joe's Crab Shack.




    If you have a chance, I hear the third ward is nice this time of year.
     
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  4. Rockets1988-

    Rockets1988- Member

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    If your family likes mexican food...Lupe Tortillas for a dinner. Their Fajitas are amazing (Beef)
     
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  5. sammy

    sammy Contributing Member

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    The most scenic route is definitely 45 to I10 or 59. You will catch a view of downtown that way.

    That thread should help as far as strip clubs go. You can find a few down Westheimer between Voss and the Galleria :grin:

    Houston is a melting pot so there are tons of varying restaurants. Try to narrow your search to specific genres and we can take it from there.

    Galleria and/or Memorial City Mall
     
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  6. JayZ750

    JayZ750 Contributing Member

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    Since no one seems to have helped with Southwest info, I'll try.

    They've changed it up a bit. Before it wasn't so much as first come first serve, but first to print your ticket, more likely to get in the earlier boarding group - A. There were 2-3 boarding groups per flight. A, B, and C. And within those groups, first to line up, first to get on. So if you were in boarding group C, you were screwed. Boarding group B even got tricky.

    Now, you actually get assigned a specific spot in line when you "check-in". So checking in as soon as possible on the internet is imperative. If you do so, you'll get a ticket like A12. Then at the gate, there will be a place for A12 to line up - actually they have it by groups: 0-5, 5-10, 10-15, 15-20 and so on. I think they go up to 60, and then switch to B1-B60. So sometimes the person in A12 might end up in front of the person that is A11, but depends on how anal you all are.

    Now, once on the plane, it is still first come first serve, so basically what Southwest has done, smartly, is eliminated the need to rush to qeue in line and then have to wait and wait and wait. Instead, your position is what it is, for better or worse, and when it's time to board, you just go up and stand in order (and again, it's not that complex as there are signs to sow you where to stand).

    I can't say for certain they've made this change everywhere, but they certainly have in Houston.
     
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  7. kubli9

    kubli9 Contributing Member
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    I used to travel from Kingwood (right next to Porter) to Pasadena all the time. You can take the Beltway, but the amount of time saved is negligible and not worth the cost of the tolls IMO. Assuming you are going to be traveling when traffic is light, I would recommend taking 59S to 45S, and vice-versa for the trip back.
     
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  8. Ricksmith

    Ricksmith Contributing Member

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    If you're gonna be in Pasadena, definitely check out Show Palace (strip club). Its been a while since I went but I think its still free cover before 9 pm and byob til 2. Stays open til 4 or 5. Galleria is cool, but traffic is horrible around there. Beltway 8 all the way.
     
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  9. RV6

    RV6 Contributing Member

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    If you mean porter on 59 going north, then it looks like you can take the bltway north, right off of pasadena and then exit on 59 and head north until you get to Porter.

    Haven't been to showpalace in a while, but it's a pretty good option.

    What are your girls looking for in a mall? Something great or just to kill time?
    For something good, they'll have to head to Galleria. To kill time there's almeda mall off of 45 and pasadena town square, but it's nothing great.

    I think the woodlands may be solid option, but it's west of Porter, not between it and pasadena. Premium Outlets may also be an option if they're willing to go further out of the area.

    You may want to mention what kind of food your family likes and price range to get better answers.
     
  10. eric.81

    eric.81 Contributing Member

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    Lupe is decent... but not nearly worth the hype it gets in this town, in my opinion. I think El Tiempo (Montrose area and Washington area) blows it out of the water with ease.

    Here's my list of good, Houston only places... and bear in mind, I've never been to Pasadena but my in laws live in Porter. My recommendations for Porter are useless, because if you eat in Porter, you will probably end up eating at one of the many chain restaurant in the Humble/Kingwood area that you've eaten at a million times before. By the way, Deerbrook Mall on 59 between Porter and Houston (Humble) is decent... not bad at all really.

    Ok, on to the list of my personal local faves:

    Pizzitolas BBQ (I-10 and Shepherd): Good, honest-to-goodness Texas Barbecue. My favorite in town.

    Irma's downtown (NOT Irma's Southwest Grill): This is a Mexican place and something of a local landmark. Tourists I've taken here eat up the atmosphere as much as the food. Their hours are strange and they have no menu, so go to the website to get an idea of what they're about. Best lemonade in town: http://irmashouston.com/

    Frank's Pizza (downtown): If you're downtown and need to eat a meal in 10 minutes or less, they serve pizza by the slice. Quickest meal in town. If you order a whole pie, expect a moderate to long wait.

    100% Taquito (59 south of DT): Love the tortas here. This is basically a restaurant that serves mexican street food. Don't expect a sizzling fajita platter or rice and beans on every plate.

    Cafe Piquet (SW side of town off Bissonnet): Very good Cuban food. Order some pastelitos de guayaba if they're available. Don't ask what it is, just eat it and thank me later. The Pechuga Empanizada (Cuban fried chicken) and Ropa Vieja (a Cuban brisket dish) are also outstanding. Sorry, I'm half Cubano, so I'm very partial to this place. The owners are personal friends of my family, but I wouldn't recommend it if it wasn't absolutely delicious.

    Kim Son (a few locations around town, but specifically the one downtown): I don't know how "authentic" the food is but I do know that if you like "americanized" chinese food (General Tso, Pepper Steak, etc.), this place is great. The Pho is just above average, but the house special fried rice is great.

    Blue Fish House Sushi (on Richmond at Greenbriar): The best sushi I've had in Houston. Their "Blue Fish Eye" roll is outstanding. I could eat 10. And their "cooked food" menu is really good, too. there's a great tempura dish I love there.

    Baba Yega (Montrose area): It's not cheap, but their Sunday brunch is really good and it's a great atmosphere. Get there early or expect a wait. If the weather's nice, sit outside. They have a beautiful courtyard.

    Star Pizza (59 & Shepherd): A Houston institution. Not the best pizza ever (I prefer Frank's) but good pizza, great atmosphere, awesome patio, lots of beers available. One of the last real record stores in the world (Cactus) is across the street.

    Quick disclaimer: you won't neccessarily find these places on "best of" lists. I lived near downtown for about 5 years with my girlfriend, now wife, and we always tried to seek out locally-owned places and these became our favorites. Simply one man's opinon... take it for what it's worth and enjoy your stay in our beautiful city.
     
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  11. Lil Pun

    Lil Pun Contributing Member

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    So is the extra $10 per flight for their Early Bird check-in worth it?

    Thanks for all the info guys. Repped where I could to all of you.
     
  12. Rocketboi

    Rocketboi Member

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    coming from a mexican.

    you should go eat mexican food at taco palenque off 45 and wayside. or tacotote on westheimer. both places are frreakkking awesome.

    say what yall want, but Pappas bbq has the best brisket in town. none even compares. you could try the other bbq places, such as goode bbq (which is overrated) and hungry farmers which is bangin (except for their brisket)

    the breakfast klub is good, and so is cracker barrel, even though they are always super packed. if your staying in pasadena, dot coffee place isnt far out from where your at and neither is taco palenque.

    as for malls, Memorial City is the mall to be at here in houston, well not including the galleria. Baybrook is eh. Katy Mills is also awesome, but a little far away.
     
  13. DonkeyMagic

    DonkeyMagic Contributing Member
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    from arkansas?

    just show then our running water and indoor, flushable, toilets.
     
  14. LonghornFan

    LonghornFan Contributing Member

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    Do NOT go to Pasadena Town Square mall. You will die or get shanked. Stay on the SOUTHSIDE of Pasadena but still keep your doors locked. For drinks, Cullen's is a fantastic atmosphere/kind of upscale bar, but the food is over priced and kinda meh. If you like Catfish though, hit Sudie's up fo sho! Best catfish anywhere. I still miss that place.

    Forget it. Just park on the Beltway and let them walk through Pasadena. Worry about your safety first.

    -Sin,

    Former Pasadena Resident.
     
  15. BrieflySpeaking

    BrieflySpeaking Contributing Member

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    aww come one, pasadena isnt that bad. I lived there for 20 years. And you wont get killed in Pasadena Town Square mall, but yes, there really isnt a reason to go there in the first place.
     
  16. Lil Pun

    Lil Pun Contributing Member

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    So noticed that some say Pasadena is unsafe while others recommend spots there. Which is it?
     
  17. Kam

    Kam Contributing Member

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    Pasadena Mall is a dump, don't take the nieces there. No, I don't go predatory out there.
    It's not bad, but I don't think you'll get killed or anything. I hang out there sometimes. I don't live in Pasadena, I live in the northwest area of Houston, so I don't have to put up with what goes on out there.
     
  18. bobrek

    bobrek Politics belong in the D & D

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    Out of curiosity, why are you staying in Pasadena instead of closer to Porter? Do you have family there you are staying with?
     
  19. TheChosenOne

    TheChosenOne Contributing Member

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    No good malls in Houston? Memorial City? Willowbrook? Galleria? lol
     
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  20. Harrisment

    Harrisment Member

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    I grew up in the Pasadena/Deer Park area.

    Go eat at Border Grill & Cantina in Pasadena. I live in the heart of Houston now, and Border Grill is still my favorite Tex-Mex place around. Seriously go here, order some margaritas (if anyone drinks), and order the Salsa Pollo for your dinner. You will not be disappointed. http://www.yelp.com/biz/border-grill-and-cantina-pasadena

    Another favorite restaurant of mine over there is Don'Key, also Tex-Mex. Hell hit them both up while you are here. http://www.yelp.com/biz/don-keys-mexican-food-pasadena

    As others have mentioned, do not go to Pasadena Town Square mall. There are some parts of Pasadena that are quite nice, and some that are not. That mall is in the part that is not. If you really want to go to a mall you might as well do it right and drive to the Galleria. It's about a half hour drive from Pasadena, just take loop 610 the whole way.

    Also, don't go to a strip club in Pasadena or Porter. If you really have to hit one up, go to the Men's Club or Treasures, both of which are in the Galleria area.
     

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