It's been a while, and I decided to give Dot's another try. They used to serve these massive plates with so much food, but it didn't taste as good as it does now. The quantity is enough to fill you up, but the taste has improved so much.

+2

Every time I visit this place, it never disappoints. The food portion is plenty, and the cost is worth it. Great atmosphere just a little chilly bring a sweater.

We love everything about it. Great chicken fried chicken. Pancakes are great! Soups delish I’ve been coming here since I was a kid. Great place and family atmosphere. There can be a bit of a wait sometimes but well worth it

First time here , large portions we ordered Breakfast, Lunch plates.

+2

One of the best diners in Houston. Well known for 24hr service, delicious food at reasonable price. You may have to wait for a table, especially depending on what time of day. But the wait is worth it!

Always great comfort food. Enjoy their breakfast plates and deserts. Service can need improvement but always busy.

+4

Our hostess, Holly was awesome and very personal. This is my second time here, it's still amazing. My mom ordered chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and amazing coleslaw. The slaw is the BEST I have ever had. I kept sneaking bites!!!! I ordered the beef tips on rice, green beans and black eyed peas. The tips were very taste. Holly brought us fresh rolls straight from the oven. They melted in my mouth, so good. For desert we ordered the Mudslide choco cake and the famous carrot cake. Both verry yummmy...

Great food, breakfast lunch and dinner options! Alexis (Alex), he was very nice and helpful and made great suggestions being it was our first time. You can tell he takes pride in customer service! This is a must experience if you come to Houston!! The kids were very happy and ate all their food plus some of my French toast!

Very good food and service. The place was packed but our waitress had us and her section feeling like we was the only 1 there * forgot to get her name *. They also have the biggest cheese sticks I've ever ate. The food was good portions and very good. Definitely will go here again next time I'm in the area

+6

OMG! Best kept secret of the South!! Stumbled across Dots Coffee Shop cause I had seen they have an assortment of pies. Decided to stop in for lunch and boy was I politely surprised! I tried their Lunch Chicken Fried Steak with choice of two sides. The portion was HUGH. For a Lunch Portion at $15.95, it's the absolute Best! I also got their (4) Dinner Rolls for $1.95 and them were Beast! Fresh and Hott. I went in for their pie but got MORE than what I bargained for. I was so stuffed from my plate... had no room for pie. I will definitely be Back!!!

Classic American Diner with excellent service and delicious food options. The place has a super atmosphere and is popular with locals, including police officers popping in for breakfast. Prices are excellent and portions huge.

I love Dots it is one of my favorite places in the Houston area. My one and only complaint is I wish they would open a location that would accommodate semi parking. I am an over the road driver and don’t really get a chance to come in any more. 🥲 But will always recommend for finds and family coming into the area.

The new eggs Benedict was to die for ! The waffle combo was fire! 🔥 The management was great ! The manager was so friendly ! Strawberry Pancakes 🥞 were fire 🔥 They need to make a 6th star for this place 10/10 Service 12/10 Food Quality and amazing atmosphere!

Food was delicious! Giant portions. Holly was our server and she was awesome! Short 5 min wait, it is a very busy place so dont go expecting to not at least wait a little bit. Its worth the wait!

This place is amazing with friendly people , hot coffee , fresh food and great prices. You get plenty food for the prices just come ready to eat. We take the whole family and we alway have to go plates and ready to take a nap. Very big plates and the breakfast is breath taking. It’s good to know that there is a place you can go where there still is great customer service all day. Remember to spend your money wisely on good food . Don’t forget about the pies that are so so do delicious. I never have room but I take them to go after I wake from my nap. Thanks for great food good people with great service. Thanks Dots here again and it’s hottt.

+6

Dot's has the very best chicken fried steak in all of the greater Houston area! The service is always fast and friendly. Their rolls are served warm with soft whipped butter that is just delectable. Good 'ol sweet southern tea and tasty hot coffee always ready. No matter who you are or where you come from...Dot's has got to be on your list of places to eat.

Hadn’t been here since I first came to Houston almost 5 years ago so couldn’t remember for the life of me what I had back then. I figured I’d play it safe and ordered the chicken fried chicken. It was not the best but it was really good with the gravy. The gravy stole the show for sure. I got it with over easy eggs and hashbrowns. The eggs were over cooked but they had no problem with remaking them which 2nd batch came out perfect! The hashbrowns were flavorful and fresh. My boyfriend got the ribeye steak with scrambled eggs and hashbrowns. His was 10/10 across the board. Steak was cooked perfectly (medium rare) and eggs were fluffy. We also got a size of fries with cheese. The waitress recommended with the Mac and cheese sauce which at first I was like what? But wow. Such a good call. So cheesy. Overall 10/10 place even with the minor hiccups. The waitress and servers are nice and the aroma made you wanna order more. Price itself was pretty decent. Would return.

+3

Late night awesome diner. Minimal wait. Wait time for food was reasonable. Chicken fried steak with hash browns, toast, eggs, is amazing. I should have taken photos of empty plates cause nothing remained. Our server Aquila was awesome as well. Thank you.

+6

In town for business, saw restaurant sign from freeway and stopped in. Very pleasantly surprised. Atmosphere was great, looked, and felt like diners of the past. Staff was great, and portions were large (chicken fried steak) was perfect. Eggs and hash browns made to order. Food came out within minutes of ordering, hot and fresh. Would highly recommend this place, especially to wearry travelers. A++ experience. Will come back again.

Perfect old school diner - has exactly the food and feel you're looking for. Leah told us she was gonna give us fantastic service. She wasn't lying.

Value for money! They give big portions and i love their Chicken Fried Chicken Breast and the Fried Catfish. Will surely want to try more of their dishes and the pies

Dot Coffee Shop holds a special place in my heart, as it does for many Houston locals who have memories and stories of enjoying fresh home style southern cooking. The country fried steak and chicken are easily the best I've ever had with a crispy batter and juicy meat. Obviously accompanied by southern sawmill gravy and make sure you get a side of biscuits. The interior is original to 1967 inception and has been satisfying H-town locals ever since. Worth visiting weather it's convenient or out of the way. ☕️🥓🍳🥞 Oh and the portions were so big I couldn't possibly save room for pie - that I will return for! 🥧

+6

Wonderful food. First time here. Portions were huge for the price and tasted great. I had the chicken fried steak and over easy eggs with grits and a biscuit (best biscuit I've ever had , its not in photo cause I ate it quick😋). We're from outa town and someone recommended. Glad we came by. We'll be back next time we're in Houston area. Try it I think you'll love it too. 🤗

Great food with friendly service that serves generous portions. I enjoy their grilled chicken sandwish its my normal go to when not getting breakfast.

Great food very nice atmosphere very welcoming. Been going there for years never disappoints. Carrot cake is on point. Miss the sharable since they used to give but still delicious!

I loved this place! This was my first time eating here. I didn’t know it was owned by Pappas. For being what I’m assuming is an older restaurant, it is very well maintained. Very nice and clean and the employees were all very nice and helpful. The food was super comforting and delicious. I can’t wait to go back! So glad they’re 24hrs!

+3

Great Homestyle Comfort Foods. Service is friendly & attentive. The prices are reasonable and the location is convenient. Enjoy & Bon Appetit!! 😋 😋

+6

OMG!!!!! Houston's Best Kept Secret!!! The food was absolutely amazing! The Key Lime Pie is a MUST try!! I'm a foodie snob & it this place definitely has a repeat customer in me!!! The service was ok. I overheard a few of the servers saying, "Everybody here can just leave. Every single table." I wasn't going to let their nasty attitudes ruin my 1st time here. 😁

This place has been here for years and still delivers good food in a classic diner environment.

Love this place! Great food, great portions!

big fan of diners and this place was SO yummy. Try eating pie BEFORE you eat. Thank me later. Sets the palate LOL.

+2

This place is ridiculously good. We haven’t been here in 20 years or so, and it is NOT the same as it was back then. I got the grilled chicken sandwich and my wife got the chopped steak plate. She raved over her chopped steak, saying it was tender and savory, the mushroom gravy delicious. My sandwich was excellent, juicy, tender, came with generous amount of Ruffles chips. We got a side order of dinner rolls, and they are beautiful, huge, warm and fluffy. The rolls are a star all their own. Between generous portions, reasonable prices and delicious food, this place rates one of the best places in Houston to eat. — Since originally posting my review, I’ve been back several times. I’ve had the French Toast, which is made with huge Texas toast and it’s just amazing. But I’ve had the cheese omelette twice and it’s quite generous and delicious. I upgrade the toast to biscuits for a dollar and they do not disappoint. They’re gigantic. I can only eat one of them and the other goes home. Pic included again. The only thing I’ve discovered I don’t care for about Dot’s is the coffee. It’s not my favorite. I like a medium smooth roast and this doesn’t hit my notes. I think it’s a darker French roast. It’s probably a me-thing, but it’s my only quibble. —- Edit - Adding another photo from another visit on 11/8/22. I got the pot roast. The plating wasn’t pretty, but the portions were very good and the flavor was excellent. Just look at it! Would order again.

Great place for brunch! The atmosphere was diner/coffee shop like. The structure of the facility was vintage, very home like. Service was great! The food was amazing! Everyone at the table liked thier food. Definitely coming back when in town.

+2

Danielle is the BEST... Food was wonderful. Event turned out nice. Thank you to all of DOTS staff for the February 28, 2026 large early catered order. Will always use.

We stopped for brunch and it was everything I thought it would be. Just delicious! My husband and I enjoyed our meals and the keylime pie. Will recommend Dots Coffee shop to my friends and family. The only bad thing to say is that the restaurant is very loud.

Got breakfast with a friend and I was pleasantly surprised how delicious my omelet was. I ordered the chicken fajita omelet and it was incredible; I would absolutely come back to order this item again but also I’d love to try other menu items. That ranchero sauce is so good!!! My friend got the French toast with bananas and it looked so delicious. Shout out to our server Holly for having great table side manner.

Can I just say this place is a hidden gem. I just found out about it, so I invited a couple colleagues to go with me, we each got something different off the menu, and we all were very pleased with our order, the chicken, fried steak, macaroni and cheese and dressing was seasoned so good!!! My coworker’s cheeseburger was so huge and delicious and can’t forget the breakfast sandwich that’s so massive. The portions are so large. But our favorite thing was the biggg hot soft fluffy dinner rolls 😋

This place was definitely a gem. We traveled from California to Florida and were headed back to California. We were looking for a great chicken fried steak and this place did not disappoint. I got the gravy on the side, as I always do. I asked for biscuits instead of toast and what I was brought was two gargantuan sized biscuits. They were divine and the perfect accompaniment to my chicken fried steak. The hash browns were ordinary, but easily overlooked with how great everything else was. Dot's Coffee Shop is definitely worth the stop and even worth driving out of the way for

+1

Food at this restaurant is delicious. Prices are reasonable. Henry our server provided an excellent service.

The chicken fried steak and gravy was a 10/10. Th fries were better dipped in the gravy. They had a great choice to choose from on the menu. Our waiter didn't provide service except to ask about our check.

Love, LoVe, LOVE! I've not been here since I was a little girl... but, WHY?! It was amazing. The food, the atmosphere, the service... everything was wonderful. I ordered of the daily specials, turkey and dressing with mashed potatoes, brown gravy and steamed broccoli. Don't forget the cranberry sauce! We ordered rolls and they were scratch yeast rolls... huge and soft as clouds. Highly recommend. Hubs had the smothered pork chops with green beans and mac & cheese. That's the first time I've ever seen him eat an entire helping of mac&cheese that wasn't from a box! (That means it was really good!) Sabryya kept the hot coffee coming and made sure we had everything we needed, very attentive without being overbearing. You know what I mean? So the only disappointment was the chocolate cream pie. I didn't read the fine print and was expecting meringue but got whipped cream. I do not like whipped cream. 😒 I scooped it off and had the filling and crust which was tasty but not exceptional. The coffee is excellent! Which is to be expected since it's in the name after all. Hubs and I both agreed that we would definitely come back. I'd like to go for breakfast but I hear it can be quite a wait for a table, especially on the weekend. I'm sure it's worth it!

Absolutely delicious food and our server raqib was amazing and very kind. The floor manager Danielle was very helpful and considerate. Will be be again thank you !!

our server angel was the best, the place was clean. The food was amazing. Coffee was even better. The fresh squeeze orange juice was definitely worth it Restrooms were clean Which is a big deal for me! And the staff was amazing! The manager Daniela came out to check on us made sure everything was good. I couldn’t ask for a better visit.

What an amazing dining experience at Dots! Great food! Great service! Great price!! I'm grateful to have met the amazing leader by the name of Danielle! She is a great leader and she works very hard to help the guests and staff!!! I felt very welcomed and I will be coming back for more great food and more great service! Dots hits the spot!!

marilyn flores

Staff were very friendly and welcoming. Food was great. The managers was also attentive and friendly. definitely would come again

Reese Alexandra Collins

Flew in early morning and was starving. My sister took me to Dot's and as soon as I walked in and smelled the food I knew I made the right choice. Got seated quick and kept watching what other tables were getting. Ended up ordering pancakes, sausage, eggs and grits. Pancakes were huge. Too much food but all of it was good. Our waiter was great too. Definitely coming back next time I'm in Houston.

Bobby

One of the Pappadeaux’s establishments here but breakfast is on the menu! Great staff and great food, we will definitely return when in the area.

Gail Silverman

this was our first time there in years .. so glad that we decided to try it again. Our server was the BEST - thank you Adriana. My husband and I ordered the french toast with crispy bacon ... cooked to perfection and more than enough to share! They even served it with hot maple syrup! Coffee delicious too. Highly recommend coming here -- it was a treat!!

hailey perez

Every year for thanksgiving we chose dot to bring Mac and cheese to the table. It has never disappointed and today was no different. The skill it took to be this organized on probably their busiest holiday. I was very pleased and not at all surprised. Jesus and angel were going back and forth making sure everyone got their order in time and efficiently. Their customer service was exceptional. I believe Dominiqua took my order and payment. I’m not sure but her and her manager alyssa were extremely helpful. Keep up the good work. You never fail to make us happy :)

Powerman Luke Cage

The food was amazing. I had country fried steak and eggs. The gravy just so so but the steak, eggs, and that melt in your mouth biscuit was the star. The pancake was good also. My had chicken fried chicken and she loved it

Chibuzor Onyedum

I was in town for work and this place was highly recommended by my hosts so I decided to try. The food was great and the staff were friendly. I got the Breakfast Feast and I loved it. I will stop by again whenever I'm in town. A+++

B V

I’m a huge fan of Pappasito’s, so when I heard that the Pappas family owned Dots Coffee Shop, I had to try it out and it did not disappoint! We stopped by late one night and started with the mozzarella sticks, and let me tell you… they were massive. Like, one stick per person is more than enough. They came with Marinara and I asked for ranch super good for dipping in both. If you’re with a group, it’s the perfect appetizer to share. If not no worries, they make great leftovers. The hashbrowns were not your typical flat ones. These were thick cut, fresh, and almost like little chunks of crispy potato. Super satisfying. We also tried the chicken fried steak with eggs, and everything on the plate was on point. The eggs were perfectly cooked (not dry!), the gravy was rich and flavorful, and the portion sizes were huge you could definitely split a plate. The biscuits were a standout too. I had a friend with me who never eats biscuits, and even they loved them. Light, fluffy, and just the right amount of crisp on the outside. Oh, and the grits? Smooth and buttery classic comfort food done right. Service was quick, our waitress was super friendly, and the entire place was clean and welcoming. For a spot connected to the Pappas restaurant group, I was honestly expecting it to be pricey but it was really affordable.If you haven’t tried Dots Coffee Shop yet, this is your sign. Great food, generous portions, fast service, and prices that won’t break the bank. I’ll definitely be back!

Miguel Galvez

This place has a nostalgic vibe to it. The old school interior, the music, and the good food. My wife and I had dinner here for the first time yesterday and it did not disappoint. The food was delicious. The pancakes we shared were massive lol. We spent roughly $50 for what you see in the pictures so not cheap. However, the portions are huge. And the quality of the food is great. Definitely worth it in my opinion. They're also open 24 hours which is cool! Not many places do that in general nowadays. Hell, not even IHOP! 😅. I recommend giving this place a try. Shout out to our waiter Corvin! He was very pleasant and informative! 5 🌟 service.

+3

Carla Ramirez

I got the banana waffle with eggs and hash browns. Was having bad morning and the waffle feast was perfect. Definitely felt better afterwards. It sweet but not overpowering the granola with the pecans and banana was so delicious. My sever Holly was really nice. Will be back again soon.

Breezye Lynn

03-Apr-25 @ 12:00 PM - Food was good, waitress (DJ) was amazing, atmosphere was nice. My only complaint was the girl at the front door checking people in. She needs more customer service training. After speaking to the manager, I hope she gets it right. Don't treat customers like they are an inconvenience when they ask a question. If you don't know, ask someone. When you ask someone and they give you an answer, tell the customer who asked the question vs. saying nothing 🤦🏾‍♀️.

David Tran

This is a simple diner with amazing qualities. The staff was friendly and helpful. We got the fried cheese sticks and Buffalo chicken wings as appetizers. They were both amazing and tasty. The steak was juicy and well seasoned. And the fries tasted way better than they looked - perfectly crispy and seasoned.

+4

Baloo Lozoya

The food and service were great! There was a wait to be seated but on the weekend and after eating the food one can understand the long lines. Big portions and amazing prices. Will visit again.

+1

I really love this place - the food is always great ; staff is kind and welcoming overall good experience , most of the staff is friendly but a little more attentiveness and enthusiasm at the host stand would really improve the experience .

The customer service at Dot Coffee Shop is absolutely AMAZING. Danny was very helpful and attentive. The food was DELICIOUS with the exception of the grits. The grits were absolutely terrible. The omelette was very flavorful and the french toast slices were huge and came in a generous portion. I would definitely come back!

+6

First time patron and the reviews were spot on! I absolutely loved the atmosphere at Dot's! It's lively with great music and amazing staff! We went on Sunday morning so it was busy with a reasonable wait time. We were told a 40 minute wait and were seated within 30 minutes. It was a yummy breakfast and it didn't break the bank! Three French Toast with 4 bacon slices...yummy yum yum! Will definitely go back to try out the menu.

Dot Coffee Shop is a solid spot for a classic, no-frills meal. It's got that old-school diner vibe that's hard to find these days, and it's open 24/7, which is a huge plus. Just a heads-up, it can get pretty busy during weekend breakfast and brunch, so be prepared for a wait. The food is dependable and fills you up, especially if you're in the mood for some breakfast or comfort food. The coffee is what you'd expect and a great way to start or end your day. The service is generally quick and friendly. While it might not be a place for a fancy meal, it’s a reliable and cozy spot that gets the job done. It's a great local gem that's worth a visit, especially when you need a bite at an odd hour.

Went to dinner with family. The waiter did an amazing job. The main issue was we didn't get all the food at the same time and some of our orders were done incorrectly. Once all the food was corrected it was delicious. We did let the manager know our waiter did a good job with his service and worked with us to get things corrected. This is why I am giving 4 stars.

+1

Decided to give this place a try even with some mixed reviews. The country fried steak and gravy was awesome. Definitely would get it again. The cheeseburger was pretty decent and it was big enough I could not eat it all. The pies being brought out to other tables looked so yummy. I hated I just didn’t have room in my belly to try a slice.

Food was delicious but be prepared to salt and pepper the food. It's a diner so that's the vibes. Our server, Maria, was training but very nice.

Go late night, better service. Out side that all the food is great, desserts are on point. Good old fashion diner feel. Last visit was a disappointment, ordered a club sandwich with no tomato, they took the sandwich back and peeled tomato off and re served. Thats some bs, if I had an allergy things would have turned out very different. Lesson learned. Keep the original on table til they replace with correct food. Especially with sandwiches.

Axel Valero

I go out to diner restaurants a lot and Dot Coffee Shop is always the best EXCEPT in hospitality service (I'll get to that in a sec) The food is well served and very good. From breakfast, lunch specials, and the lil bit of seafood to desserts and coffee it's all great. Atmosphere is as good as it gets for a diner. Their restrooms are small, but I've never had an issue with them. Parking is very accessible, not an issue at all. Over the years I've seen waiters and waitresses come and go, and the ones I've seen cop an attitude for no good reason are Holly and Mary. I don't tip when they give me attitude. You can always tell when they get a new server too, they mess up drinks because they have little to no experience serving customers, but that's no biggie it's understandable. Everyone starts somewhere. I highly recommend going to this location and sister franchise of Pappas.

Sherman On

It’s cool this is the first Pappas restaurant that started it all. It’s got that old classic diner feel even the tables and chairs resemble that for maybe the 1970s other than reupholstered so it was things are in good condition. The pies and cake look delicious. The food made from scratch came out quickly. Service was attentive overall and above average any experience that’s why I give it four starsI’d say from a price standpoint. It was a good thing for buck because got very full on the Houston omelette.

+1

Persephone Jaster

The dinner is 24 hrs so I understand why the servers aren't as attentive as they might have been. Props to them for handling as many people as they do. Food is classic diner fare but they do it extremely well. The chopped steak I had my first time there was probably the best I've ever had. Had the chicken fried steak this time and I was so hyped for it I forgot to snap a picture before digging in but it's so worth the calories. Coconut cream pie was delectable

Cassandra Bass

We went to celebrate my Mom’s birthday because this is one of her favorite restaurants. Seating took over 40 minutes for a party of 9. We tried different menu items; omelette, pancakes, chicken fried steak, hamburgers and I had the fried chicken strips over their salad with a house made honey mustard dressing. It was fresh and very tasty. Strips were cooked perfectly and not dry. Everyone else enjoyed their entrees. The only negative comment was from someone who order just a slice of lemon pie and was not impressed with the flavor or amount of meringue (too much)

Food is good. It's mostly full most of times so the food takes awhile to get. The waitress was not remembering to bring us what we needed had to get it myself don't know if it was cause she had several tables maybe it was that. But over all it's ok.

We decided to go back to our old college hang out to have the spaghetti and awesome bread and butter. I was sad to hear that the spaghetti was discontinued. The bread and butter was amazing as usual. I ordered the turkey and dressing since it was on the Sunday listings. The turkey was cold and very dry. I did ask for the gravy on the side but the turkey should hold on it’s own. I ordered a side of chicken and rice soup and that was enough to fill me up. I took my entire plate to go. My husband ordered the philly cheese steak and could only eat half of it. The waitress we had was not very good at all but as we looked around the rest of the staff was very courteous and worked efficiently so I don’t think that this waitress is representative of the customer service here. We had to wait a long time at our table and finally another waiter said he would come and take our drink order until she arrived. Then she never really checked on us then she gave us the wrong check. All in all I will probably only come once or twice a year now. I recommend that you share plates.

The food is pretty good and the service was on point. The cute retro decor makes this place a nice spin off but the nostalgia of the original Dot Coffee Shop on 45 can't be replaced. (The Mimosas make up for it though) We came for weekend brunch and was not disappointed.

+1

Food is decent, but if you order to-go make sure you check your order before you leave the restaurant. Ordered from them two nights in a row and the first night my grits was missing, second night they gave me beans but no rice and my cabbage was also missing. I understand accidents happen, but two nights in a row is kind of ridiculous for a restaurant charging so much. I also work in The restaurant industry and one thing I make sure to do is double check people‘s orders. Please do better! What am I supposed to do with beans and no rice?….. Almost forgot to mention that when we got there, we parked in the curbside parking spot, texted them and told them we were there. Nobody ever came out. Had to go inside and grab the food ourselves, even though it’s supposed to be “curbside pick up”.

Our dinner was okay, we were given a table in less than 2 minutes when we arrived on a Friday night. The server was nice, quick and efficient. The food was not to the highest standards as we received our food was mostly cold or dried. The chicken fried steak was very chewy and hard and the mc & cheese was dried and cold. We were also told they had run out of various sides by the time we arrived which was around 8pm and they are open 24/7. We were okay to substitute the sides but it was a bit unfortunate. The chicken tenders were very chewy!!! And the fried pickles were lightly coated not sure if that's their style? because we were trying to dip them on ranch and the breading will crumble like paper so that was a waste of money on the appetizer.

Seriously fantastic service but the flavor of the food was lacking. The pancakes had zero flavor until syrup was added and then it was still off, the chicken fried steak was okay and the coffee was good. We decided against getting dessert which was one of the main reasons we stopped by using the pancakes as reference. This has been a staple for us since we were kids going with Grandma, so it is truly disappointing to have to leave this review about Dot's.

+6

Nice place, good service, cute diner ambiance. Solid standard meal options. Price options from mid range.

This was my first time coming here, the wait on a Sunday morning was 25 mins. Which is bad for a popular breakfast place on a Sunday morning. Now let's get to the service. The service was great, friendly waiters and good service. The food was pretty good, I just didn't like the sausage patties. They tasted very different from what a regular pork sausage. Overall a very good place.

Manny G

The food was delicious, I had the Paris Grand Prix and my wife got the banana nut pancakes. Our waiter Angel did not check on us for a long time I ran out of coffee and waited for about 10 mins. He finally came I told him and he forgot. I got attention about the coffee again and then he brought me a small pot so I waited about 15 mins for it. It would be different if it was really busy but it was not.

This place is a Houston staple, and the food is usually great—but lately it’s a mess. Every visit something is missing: mashed potatoes, rolls, broccoli, croutons… you name it. Management needs a serious wake-up call if they want customers to keep coming. We love the restaurant, but it’s getting harder to rely on it.

I was looking forward to visiting Dots after not going for years. Service was mediocre. We felt rushed to leave by the server. The food was good, it could be better. Overall experience I won’t go back anytime soon. So many other better places to eat breakfast.

The food is always good which is why my family enjoys to come here for special occasions. However the food has changed and is not the same as before and as for the atmosphere everyone seems to hate working there and do not seem to care for the customers. The waitress was fair but very rude I asked for water and she just nodded her head and kept walking by thankfully I didn’t die and then I ask for the check and to go box and she’s comes back with an attitude and I have to remind her of the to go box.I didn’t get her name but she’s the only waitress with a burnt honey comb color hair.

Hadn’t been to Dot’s in a few years and what a disappointment on my return. Had a night out with friends who had never been there before and since Waffle House no longer has seating at night we decided to go for Dots but man was the food crappy. All three of us ordered the chicken friend steak and eggs and all three of us experienced the same with the chicken fried steak. It was bland and tasteless. The only thing that gave it flavor was the white gravy. The guys don’t like to complain or cause a scene so we didn’t say anything and still left a tip but it was the worst Dot meal ever on top of having to ask our waiter for sugar about 10 times before he actually brought sugar to our table long after my coffee went cold and not to mention not getting our toast served with our meal and the hash browns were more like fried mashed potatoes wth. Dots got lucky with our visit only because Waffle House only does to go orders at night and we really wanted to have a sit in meal after a night out. Get it together Dots, you guys went down hill horribly!!!

Used to love this place but recently the service is always horrible. Every time we go the table gets ignored by the server. This time was the last time I will go. I ordered something and it never got delivered. It wasn't until the other guests were 1/3 through their food that the waitress came back and realized I didnt get my food (She wasn't the one that brought the food; the gu who did promised he would bring my plate right out). She said she would check to see what happened. Suddenly she came out and apologized saying that apparently they were out of what I ordered. Why do you not know this until everyone else is almost finished eating and I'm still sitting there hungry? She was apologetic (but this wouldn't have happened if she had been on top of our table) but I was disgusted and didnt order anything else. 30 years of coming to this restaurant and I have never been more angry. Do better, Dot.

Tina H

I went to see if the reviews and my past experience was true and it wasn't. It was not generous portions at all. The taste of the food was fine but the $20.00 i paid for the food was not worth it. Now I'm skeptical about ordering for the holidays wondering if it would be enough for my family.

Melanie Soders

I was so excited to go to Dot Coffee Shop today because it had been so long since I last visited and I really enjoyed the food. Unfortunately this visit did not live up to my expectations. I want to say the wait staff was friendly but I felt like they were just doing their job. No smiles and just kind of a flat mood. I understand that they probably work long hours because the location is 24 hours but I just expected better. I ordered the catfish, green beans and Mac and cheese. The catfish was not catfish. I don’t know what kind of fish it was but it was not catfish. No seasoning at all. Just cornmeal. I saw someone else with the Mac and cheese and it looked so good but mine do not taste like it look. I’m not sure what they used for cheese. It was not the right consistency. The green beans were the best thing on the plate but still no seasoning. I did order lemon meringue pie and that was good. My friend had turkey and dressing with early peas and red beans and rice. She did not enjoy her food. When she ordered a banana split she was told they were out of chocolate ice cream so she just didn’t get dessert. I will say they did comp my meal but I just expected better. Maybe it was a bad day for this location. I probably will not be back. I will say, try dessert and I probably should have ordered breakfast and I did like the nostalgic diner vibe.

+2

I honestly don’t understand the hype around this place. The service is below average, and the food options are extremely limited—especially for vegetarians, Muslims, and Jews. Nearly every dish contains pork, and when I asked for a substitute, the only alternative offered was… more pork. It’s as if they went out of their way to make the menu inaccessible to anyone with dietary restrictions. Disappointing.

Just had the worst carry out experience ever. I live on the Northside of Houston and just happened to be on the south for the evening. So, I thought I'd grab a late breakfast. Dots was the wrong choice. I even ordered online curbside. Not only was my food late on the time it was suppose to be ready, but also cold. My wife went inside the time it was scheduled to be done and 20 mins later was handed the food. She watched it sit in the counter for 15 of those 20 minutes. Not only was the young lady with two gold chains rude but very dismissive about our complaint. Do Not Order late night. Do not waste you time or money. "They only care about customers coming into to eat inside!"

NOT 24/7! Ordered to go at 10:30am and they call me back saying they're not serving lunch until 11am cannot start my order until then. Aren't you all 24/7 ??? Shouldn't the to-go counter know this? I was half way there when I got the call, wasted my lunch break. Tried ordering online just before and it was going to let me order lunch. Only reason I didn't order online was because you cannot choose your sides, you have to get fries.

If I could give this place 0 star , I’d do it faster than they served our food. We decided to give this spot a try since I heard it was the original Pappadeaux Seafood Restaurant, and I actually love Pappadeaux. I figured it had to be good… big mistake. We got there around 2:20 AM, and the hostess said it’d be a 25minute wait. No big deal. Except 45 minutes later, we were still standing there. When I asked how much longer, she just ignored me like I wasn’t even there. And let’s be honest at 2:20 in the morning, the place was not busy. When we finally sat down, the waitress couldn’t have cared less. She was rude from the start. Then the food came out, and wow it looked and tasted like it had been sitting out all night. My eggs looked microwaved, the sausages were awful, and the French toast somehow managed to be both burnt and cold. That’s talent. By the end, we were just laughing because it was so bad. I really wanted to love this place, but nope. Save your money and your appetite we WILL definitely NOT be back!!!!

I've never had such a bad experience at Pappas restaurants; it's always a very pleasant and charming experience. I just left Dot Coffee Shop on 11/11/25 at 3:20 pm. First of all, they weren't as busy as usual. The waitress, Haliegh C., was the worst of the worst. I had to wait more than 10 minutes for her to bring my drinks because she was nowhere to be found. I had to ask another waitress if she could call my waitress. Then I ordered appetizers and waited more than 15 minutes for her to reappear because she had disappeared again. The table next to us arrived 10 minutes after us, but they got their food before, ( I ordered the same appetizer they had in their table) “The soup of the Day”. When she noticed, she went to check if our food was ready, this is already 20 or more minutes after we ordered…The that tray with our food was there on the counter for over 15 minutes. She brought the appetizers with the food at the same time. When I said thank you, but I didn't want the appetizer because the food had already arrived, she insisted, "Are you sure? Are you sure you don't want it?" as if the appetizer didn't have to come out before the food. The food wasn't the problem because it was delicious; we ordered a fried chicken fillet and fried catfish. Another comment is that whenever I come to the restaurant, the managers always come by and ask if everything is alright, they're attentive, but this time the whole time I was there no manager when to the tables, so I decided to talked to the manager on my way out, So I explained the situation and let her know that I was very sad and upset because the service was bad and that I would leave them a review so they would pay more attention to their employees and their guests so that they would have a better experience than the one I had this time.

I never leave reviews but I’m pretty sure tonight was the end of an era. Been coming here for over a decade and have never had service so slow and forgetful. Wasn’t sat with silverware and had to get it from the host stand myself, parts of our orders were mistaken or missing completely, and to top everything off we saw not one but TWO HUGE ROACHES within about half an hour of sitting there. When telling my server about the situation, she seemed dismissive. Brought me a box I didn’t ask for and didn’t comp the meal (that I didn’t touch) off my ticket. $40 for 2 people and I had a singular bite of egg. Absolute garbage.