Belly of the Beast

Kathy Combs

Absolutely wonderful dinner experience. This little restaurant serves up big flavors. Every dish was the perfect blend of flavors that satisfied all your tastebuds. Great service as well. We will be back.

Tensai Genius

Belly of the Beast is a testament to culinary excellence, led by a James Beard award winning chef. The experience is immediately elevated by the sheer quality of every dish. Each plate is meticulously handcrafted, showcasing a level of skill and care that is a true rarity. This isn't just a meal; it's a demonstration of a master at work. The food is simply superb, making this a destination for anyone who appreciates the art of cooking.

Cameron Branham

Wow. This restaurant was amazing! Staff was so friendly and the food was out of this world. The Tuna tostada was amazing. We also got the Wagyu carne asada and the scallops which were equally amazing. We had the crispy brussel sprouts and crispy potatoes. To finish off the night we enjoyed the tres leches with a toasted marshmallow cream which was out of this world. Highly recommend, all of the staff was so nice and kind and gave us great recommendations. Can’t wait to go back soon

+3

Brian Carpani, GeckoMediaGroup

Great experience at Belly of the Beast. Definitely recommend a reservation as it has a small amount of tables giving it a good atmosphere. Great service provided by our waiter. The peach burrata appetizer was really good. Pork chop was very lean and juicy and the glaze was amazing although the corn bread was just average I'd say. The duck 2 ways was good but preferred the side without the mole sauce as the crispy skin was amazing. Luckily saved a bit of room for dessert as the tres leches was awesome. Reasonably priced wine list as well. Definitely want to go back soon to explore more of the menu.

+9

Samantha Thrasher

Belly of the Beast is a total experience and such a treat. Chef Thomas uses the best ingredients, cooks in season, and has incredible skills for putting together flavors and dishes. They have a wonderful selection of wine, great local brewed beers, and such warm and lovely staff. Liz, one of the owners welcomes you when you walk in and always makes us feel like family. We dine at Belly of the Beast once a week or every other week when we are busy. Its the best place for date night and we dine with our son as well! Lets not forget the amazing salsas Chef makes and he makes all the pasta as well! We also never leave without dessert. Its a pleasure and blessing to experience Belly of the Beast! We are grateful.

+9

Diem Allis

Absolutely blown away by our experience at Belly of the Beast in Spring, TX -- this place is a hidden gem that delivers big on flavor, creativity, and warm, attentive service. Completely understand how they got the Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition. The staff was knowledgeable, kind, and clearly passionate about the food they serve. Elizabeth, the owner, came to our table and introduced herself (her husband is the chef). Every recommendation made was spot-on. We started with the ceviche mixto tostadas -- fresh, vibrant, and perfectly balanced with just the right amount of heat and acidity. Then came the burrata, which was impossibly creamy and paired beautifully with seasonal accompaniments that made each bite feel like spring on a plate. The tuna tostadas were a standout -- melt-in-your-mouth tender tuna with bold, zesty flavors and a crunch that was just perfection. For the main course, we had the grilled Texas redfish, which was expertly cooked and packed with smoky, savory goodness. The portion was generous, and the flavors were simple but elevated in all the right ways with the habanero sauce. The tres leches with passion fruit meringue was airy, luscious, and the tangy passion fruit brought a bright, tropical twist to a classic dessert. Belly of the Beast isn't just a meal -- it's an experience. Thoughtful, soulful, and absolutely worth the trip.

+13

Thuy An

Went here for Valentine’s weekend with my bf and I left even happier than when I went in! The staff are so friendly and accommodating. The owners (Liz and Chef Thomas) make you feel welcome and at home. They’re such humble people if you get to talk to them! The dishes were seasoned to perfection. When I go to a new restaurant, I like to be surprised. And surprised was what I got with every dish they brought out—there was always something new that’s thrown in to complement familiar favorited flavors. Its hard to describe, but I loved everything on their tasting menu! And the presentation, 😍 I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.

+3

Cristina Aberle

The food was PHENOMENAL! Everything we tried was absolutely amazing. Our server, Heather, was so sweet and did an outstanding job, even though it was a busy night. She was on top of her game and provided excellent service. The chef’s wife was also so sweet and made our anniversary extra special. We will definitely be back!

Lenette Laurente

The food was beautiful and creative, the waitstaff was very attentive and polite, so it should have been perfect... and yet there was something I could not put my finger on - the feeling that everyone was still trying to figure things out, the somewhat "memorized" feel of the blurb my server gave me about the chef (which I overheard again as she said the same thing to the next table, especially in contrast with say, how another famous Houston chef's staff speaks casually but with great respect about him), the alternating overeagerness and hesitancy. I think this could be a 5 star experience, but is not quite there yet. I could make excuses as it was the start of what seemed to be a busy night, but great places can and have served much larger crowds well. I hope that a few more months down the road will give everyone enough time to get the full dining experience put together, but frankly I will only come back if I hear consistently great things in the near future.

Dawn Beltrami

My recent dining experience here was after all the buzz on the chef and I was very excited to try the restaurant. The food itself was good — the flavors were well-balanced, and the presentation of each dish was thoughtfully done. You can tell care goes into the kitchen’s process. The service was also solid, with friendly and attentive staff who checked in regularly without being overbearing. However, the overly casual vibe of the restaurant felt underwhelming for the price point and the effort clearly put into the food. The biggest disappointment was that not a single dish was served hot. From appetizers to mains, everything arrived at room temperature. While the ingredients were fresh and the flavors worked, serving temperature plays a big role in the overall dining experience, and here it just missed the mark. In short, it’s a decent place with good food and nice staff, but the lack of warmth—literally and figuratively—made it a one-time visit for us.

+3

We had dinner here for a birthday and the food itself was very good. The standout dishes for us were the Texas Wagyu carne asada and the truffle bucatini — both were flavorful and well prepared. The grilled redfish was also enjoyed by the birthday guest. We also tried the grilled octopus with bone marrow and the tuna tostadas; those were good, though the bone marrow dish was just okay compared to the others. We ordered several dishes to share so we could experience a variety of the menu, and overall the quality of the food was strong. Where the experience fell a bit short was on the hospitality side. The reservation noted that it was a birthday, and we also mentioned it to both the hostess and the server. Despite that, there was no acknowledgment during the meal — no simple birthday greeting, no mention from the server, and no small dessert or gesture from the kitchen. Service during the meal was polite, but there was very little explanation or engagement about the dishes beyond a brief note about the carne asada and spice levels. After we paid, we also felt like we were quickly rushed out, which made the evening feel a little abrupt for what was meant to be a birthday celebration. Our total came to just over $200 and we tipped around 25%. We genuinely enjoyed the food, but the overall hospitality didn’t quite match the level we expected for a special occasion. The restaurant clearly has talented chefs and strong dishes on the menu. With a bit more attention to guest experience and acknowledgment of celebrations, the overall dining experience could be even better.

Kimberly Barnish

Does someone know someone? 🧐 After the hype decided to try it. Super cute food presentation. Descent flavor on all. Lobster roll appetizer was awesome, great blend of flavors. But…none of the dishes we had were even warm, not the duck, not the pasta, not the scallops and not the octopus. I assume the lobster roll wasn’t supposed to be warm. Dessert was par st best. Custe presentation but why would anyone ever order it a second time. Waitress is in such over kill mode…”the artist is a chef” ect ect…they are really trying to bank on the Michellin acknowledgement. I’ve dined in quite a few Michellin rated places and none try so hard to make that their staple or focus. Their focus is always food, not awards. Ambiance is horrible. Strip mall restaurant, no hostess, just an assumption people could stand by the door to wait for someone. While I believe the chef is on the right track…he needs to hire a FOH Mgr that knows what he’s doing because those true Michellin rated restaurants have both the front and back of house, on point. Cute presentation of food but takes a lot more than they to keep customers coming back. 😔😔

+2

Husband wanted to try this place for awhile so finally I booked us a table. We were welcome warmly and attention to service was nice. Their redeeming quality I would say. Food was a huge disappointment. We can’t understand how this chef won a JB award and is recommended by the Michelin guide. Wow, we either caught them on a really bad night or we just don’t get his food. We tried first the fish ceviche. First of all, PLEASE do not call a crudo, ceviche. Raw fish is not a ceviche, not in Peru, not anywhere. Fish must be cured in some sort of acid in order to qualify as ceviche, and this was sold as ceviche to us, nowhere in the description did it mention the raw quality, I would have not ordered it if I knew this was raw fish, as I do not eat raw fish, and the lady owner had the audacity to tell me that was a Peruvian type of ceviche (wrong!). That was a crudo, and that is that. If they would have marinated that raw fish in the leche it came with, it would have saved it as it would have cured but no, again name it a crudo and I have no issue with it, at least the people who don’t enjoy raw fish would abstain from ordering it. I did not eat it, my husband was hungry and didn’t mind it as much, but didn’t think it was great either. Then came the Birria tacos, with their soggy tortillas, the whole thing just ate very one note and mushy, tasty beef but honestly not much better than the ones I buy from Costco in their refrigerated section. So far not impressed. Then came the pork ragú pasta. The pasta was over manipulated and it became a gummy mess. It was dense and just disgusting. The sauce was ok but no pork to be seen…what a rip off. Finally we had the carne asada, the beef was not tender and too blue for our taste (no one asked us in advance how we wanted it done anyways) again a mushy dish with no contrast in textures, lacking seasoning and flavor all around. The whole meal in fact was very lacking in all aspects. We spent $150 for 2 and had to stop at another restaurant Because we were still hungry. We still can’t believe this place is so popular, but if you actually have a discerning palate please avoid this place.