Went here tonight to celebrate my birthday. Â I really like Houlihan's, hubby doesn't like it as much as I do. Â I like the varied drink menu, the service is always good, and the food is excellent. Â I again got my usual Steak and Wedge Salad and Cream Brulee for dessert. Â I am a creature of habit and Houlihan's has this wonderful salad and desert that I really like. Â No complaints on the food, no complaints on the service, and I will be going back. Â I just like this place for a nice dinner out in a trendy environment that makes me feel young.
Review Source:It was Hubby's Birthday and we were looking for someplace that we haven't visited before to get a little more upscale meal. Â It's been quite a few years since we went to a Houlihan's and we decided to check out the one in Lee's Summit.
For 4:35 in the afternoon the parking lot seemed pretty full until we reminded ourselves it's Friday and probably happy hour. Â Then it all made sense. Â At Houlihan's on Friday after work in Lee's Summit people are more than ready to 'un-wind' and that was definitely happening inside. Â The noise level was way-way up and stayed that way for our whole meal.
I ordered Seared Georges Bank Scallops, lemon-asparagus risotto, baby radish greens and a basil-infused olive oil.  It was a nicely executed dish and an interesting combination of textures and flavors.  I've never had Georges Bank scallops before so I have no idea whether these are how they generally are, but my observation is that they were extremely mildly flavored (not much flavor) and had a very soft mouth-feel.  Certainly not much like the wonderful scallops I have eaten in the past. (I am generally very fond of scallops)  And I would say that I don't much care whether I ever have them again.  But that  really isn't necessarily the fault of the restaurant or of the Chef.  It may have been just a matter of my personal preference.  Â
Hubby ordered Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo pasta with fontina, provolone and romano cheeses in a rich and creamy sauce. Â He commented that the serving of grilled chicken was very generous and moist and flavorful.
Our service was just okay but not especially attentive and, as I have already mentioned, the noise level was an issue through out the meal. Â So, all in all, I can only give Houlihan's just under three stars and won't probably go back when there are so many other places in the Kansas City area that suit my personal tastes better.
Look, it's a chain. A more contemporary, higher-end chain, but still a chain, nonetheless. That said, in America, when one is travelling or wants to eat out on a holiday, there is little else to choose from except chains. So why not pick a good one? Houlihan's is a solid choice, with roots in K.C. So, when we were visiting my husband's family over the holidays, we elected to take them to this Houlihan's. Â I had been to the location in Schererville, IN (because I have friends who live there and there is really nowhere else convenient to grab a drink and decent food) and also to the one in Orland Park, IL (same reason), so I was expecting the same type of experience. Unfortunately, I have to say that the Lees Summit location fell short. Why? For starters, the hostesses were almost inanimate. They had slackened expressions and had no trouble telling a party consisting of an 80-something year old woman and a handicapped person that there was a 25 minute wait, even though there were empty tables that we could see. They did not offer anywhere to sit, either. We actually wound up waiting only about 5-10 minutes, but again, the hostesses were just utter dimwits. They acted as though it was such a puzzle where to put us. And again, no respect or kind attention paid to those with disabilities in our group. But we had a table and ordered drinks. The drinks took FOREVER. Our server was nice enough, but something was just off. Our appetizer also took forever to come out (hummus is cold, it should be easy to prepare). And then the best was that my mother-in-law wanted a loaded baked potato as her dinner. The server came back several minutes after taking the order to say that they were out of potatoes but that she could have mashed. Um, where do the mashed potatoes come from if you are out of potatoes? Also, how is it possible to run out of potatoes?? Send a busboy across the street to a grocery store! Anyway, MIL agreed to the switch. The server comes back a few minutes later, clearly flustered. Guess what? They were out of mashed potatoes, too. She offered MIL the baked potato soup for free. I still don't get it but it worked out. This location is super loud, super crowded and the staffing is pretty questionable. I didn't see a manager once, which was also weird. MIL remembered Houlihan's from the 70s, when it was apparently in the Plaza, so the history is still interesting but I wish the experience would have been better.
Review Source:Houllihan's is a-ok with me! If you want a little taste (ha) of class in the 'burbs, this is one of the best places you can go. I wouldn't exactly say it's "supporting a local business," but it is something to be proud of, having started in KC.
Tip: sign up for their text alerts!! They have some great deals. During All-Star Week, they had $1 sliders (they were HUGE) and $1 gourmet hotdogs (fabulous!) both of which were really good. Especially for $1. Other than that, I would highly recommend their spinach dip with their artisan crackers and any of their burgers are well worth it. This place is always crowded and bustling. It would prob have gotten 3.5 or 4 stars, but the service is a little touch-and-go. Last time I was there, the waitress filled up our empty glasses with water. I appreciate the hydration, but we had ordered soft drinks. It was an honest mistake, but it did happen once more. Maybe she was just having a bad day. The other few times, the wait staff didn't have any recommendations nor did they know very much about their own menu. Check out their happy hour specials, too!! I think right now they have a Facebook deal for buy-1 get-1 free entrées.
This is not a review of the restaurant per se, but more about a dish they serve. Â
The restaurant is great in general. Â Can be a bit loud but menu has good range. They serve bar food to seafood. Â "carb to coast". Â
I am often skeptical of seafood dishes here in flyover country, but I tried the seared scallops with asparagus risotto. Â It was superb and I highly recommend it.
Went here yesterday with my parents, daughter and her husband. Â I had the yum yum burger and it was not yum yum. Â Could barely eat half of it. I don't know how you can wreck a hamburger but they did. Â I don't know why this place is always so busy. Â The food isn't that great. Â My parents love houlihans but I dont know why. Â The hamburger was almost ten bucks. Â It should have been good.
Review Source:Absolutely love this restaurant. Â Service is always good, food fresh, and atmosphere pleasant. Â My favorites are fish tacos, lettuce wraps, and I LOVE the spinach salad with goat cheese. Â If we don't want to wait on a busy Fri or Sat night, we'll order carry out. Management is very responsive - we had a bad service experience and I reported it on their website. Â The next day I had a personal call from the manager who offered us gift certificates to rectify the bad experience!
Review Source:This place is always busy for a reason: good food, decent prices, beautiful/classy interior, and party-like atmosphere. Though it's a chain - it's a chain that started here in KC. That said, it's by far one of the nicest - if not the nicest - places to eat in Lee's Summit.
Best time to visit is during Happy Hour, or Reverse Happy House (see Yelp app or location details for times). All LIT's are 1/2 off. The blue LIT - God know I drank so much I can't remember the name of the thing - is like heaven in a frosted mug. Their appetizers are delicious. My husband orders the sliders as a meal and I can't get enough of their fried pickles Their veggie burger with steak fries is solid. But I still can't get my mind off of that blue LIT. And that one waiter that kind of sucked. All the rest of them have been great.
Give yourself plenty of time for seating, though you can start at the bar and work your way to the dining room area. Lots of out-door seating when the weather is nice. Oh, and you can drag your sport-loving friends here instead of having to go to BW's thanks to the TV's at the bar and loud buzz of the place.
Why is it that whenever we've been traveling all day, we all seemingly gravitate towards chain restaurants for dinner? Â Is it because we've been on the road, on the rails, or in my case in the air for several hours and we just want something familiar? Â Just how different is the Houlihan's in Lees Summit, MO from the one in Mt. Lebanon, PA?
Truth is, it isn't. Â We have two Houlihan's in or near Pittsburgh, where I'm from. Â We've got one in the Station Square Mall and one in the aforementioned suburb of Mt. Lebanon. Â And the menus are almost exactly the same. Â I used to think the Brentwood Chicken Sandwich was named for the suburb of Brentwood, PA!
But Houlihan's is better than most chain places, so I'd rate it 3.5 stars. Â Well I went for the Brentwood Chicken again--smoked bacon, gouda cheese, dijon-spiked mayo, baby greens and with a side of peanut ginger slaw. Â Ain't I glad I have no food allergies! Â I am however a type-1 diabetic and after a slice of that bourbon pecan pie, it was "Pump that insulin, Susan. Â Pump! Â And hit the hotel gym afterwards!
Oh wait, I did find one difference between the Houlihan's locations near Pittsburgh and the ones near Kansas City. Â The ones near Pittsburgh sell Iron City Beer!
I was so happy when Houlihan's opened in Lee's Summit.  There are so many things I love about it.  My favorite has to be their "Seared Ahi Tuna Salad".  It's perfection!  I've never  had anything like it!
I also love the outdoor patio & the martini flights and the mini desserts, very fun!
The reason it didn't get 5 stars, the noise level is very high, it's hard to have a conversation. Â And when I order the Brentwood Chicken Sandwich, the bacon is never crisp.
Oh, and make sure to sign up for the Birthday Club! Â I get a free meal every year on my Birthday month, love that!
I love Houlihan's. Â I dont think I have ever had anything that wasn't great. Â They have a really good happy hour(and a late night happy hour). Â Most of the time we just order the small plates. Â There is a huge selection. Â I love the shrooms and the vietnamise spring rolls. Â Daily drink specails are nice too. Â Big Patio. Â If you sign up for their email club online, they will send you specials every wednesday. Â Todays was desert for $.50
Also, if you check in on foursquare and show it to to your server, you will get a free order of frites.
I met a friend here that I hadn't seen in ages, she lives in this direction and since she always drives to the city when we meet I thought I would head too her neighborhood. Â She is also pregnant and I felt bad asking her to drive 40 minutes. Â The place was packed and hopping on a Friday night. Â
The food was good, we had some small plates, spinach artichoke dip with crackers covered in cheese, why you would need cheese on the crackers that you would be dipping into a cheesy dip I'm not sure, but they seemed too be popular, the lettuce wraps were good as was the spring roll. All and all it was not bad, but it is a hard place to have a conversation since the noise level was almost overbearing.
Would I go back? Â If I happened to be in Lee's Summit again but I wouldn't make the drive down that awful 470 Hwy for it.
I went here for dinner last night with my Mother, a sister and her hubby and their son. We were quickly seated and our server was helpful and friendly, and checked back several times during the evening to be sure everything was OK. The wait for our food wasn't very long in spite of all the business they were doing.
We did have enough time to enjoy the atmosphere, and have a good conversation catching up on what's been going on in our lives lately, and chatting with a couple friends who came over on their way out.
Houlihan's menus had lots of great choices, and it was hard to decide what to have. Mom had the small plate pulled smoked pork slider topped with pickle "fries", and, although she couldn't quite get her mind wrapped around the idea of fried pickles, enjoyed it. My nephew had the hand-breaded chicken fingers with cole slaw and fries, and the chicken looked so good, I had to restrain myself from reaching over and grabbing a couple! Sis and her hubby both had the Chicken Asian Chop Chop, and enjoyed every bite. I finally decided on the French dip that came with an excellent au jus and crispy fries. Very good. I'm always leary of ordering a beef sandwich. There's always a chance the meat will be fatty, or stringy, or both, but this was perfect.
We shared desserts: one bourbon pecan pie, and one creme brulee.
Those sharing the pie were happier than those sharing the brulee, which was not as thick and firm as expected, and which had only the thinnest film of caramel glaze and half a strawberry on top. It was our first creme brulee, and maybe we were just expecting too much.
I'm a cheapskate who usually eats at fast food places with coupons, so the prices here make me wince, but I'd gladly come back, especially if someone else is paying!
Excellent!!!! JAMIE was our server and she was OUTSTANDING. I had a margarita, of course, and it was delicious, so was the second one :o). We started with the spinach dip with crusty bread that had cheese topping and chopped tomatoes instead of chips and it was DELISH!!!! They were offering a "mead deal" for $13.95 you got soup or salad, entree and dessert. Hubby and I ordered the baked potatoe soup, which was fantastic, our friends had the salad and they were very happy. Then we all had the ribs with the sides and, let me tell you, they were fall of the bone wonderful. Â All in all it was a great evening with great friends, good food and excellent service.
Review Source:I get it that some people don't like anything that is a chain or franchise, but I have to say I am having a love affair with the Lee's Summit Houlihans! Â I have never been disappointed there. Â About 90% of the time they nail it; food, service and atmosphere are excellent. Â And frankly, it's one of the best places to eat in Lee's Summit...especially good for a date night or meeting friends.
The new 'small plates' menu is very cool. Â The plates really are quite 'small' servings, but if you share 3 or 4 with someone it's a fun sampler-type meal. Â I love the martini flights and am enchanted by the 'mini' desserts they have. Â Giant desserts often dissuade me from ordering one at all, but a few bites is GRAND! Â Â I noticed today they have added a kid's menu which I do not believe they had before. Â
The 'slider' options (specifically the pulled pork and burger) were very good. Â I have tried many different items on the menu and have enjoyed them all. Â The baby-back ribs are to die for and on the flip side, the salads are great too. Â If you do end up unhappy, speak to a manager. Â I understand they are eager to recitfy any problems. Â From what I've heard from others, any problems (messed up orders, cold food, etc. ) seem to stem from a bad server.
Is this review fake? Calling Houlihans "a hip modern American restaurant" is like saying the Taco Bell is gourmet Mexican food.
Houlihan's is a chain that simply exports mass mall-oriented restaurant culture thoughout America.
I'm sorry, but this review reads more like an ad written by some PR agency.
Houlihans is a hip modern American restaurant.
 Talk about food presentation that also tastes great. We started our meal by ordering calamari as an appetizer. It came with a spicy dipping sauce that I thought was unique (see posted picture). I enjoyed every bite of the fried multi-legged baby squid. Next I ordered the Seared rare Ahi tuna tacos and my dinner companion ordered the Mandarin Grilled Chicken Salad (see below for more detail).  I loved these tacos. Just when you think you have tried every kind of tacos someone comes up with something that tastes new.  My dinner companion also enjoyed her chicken salad.
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We ended our dinner with a drink order. I got a 22 ounce Guinness (my usual) and my companion got a chocolate martini. The Guinness came in a really cool glass. I wonder where I can get a set? The martini looked very unique with a HoHos looking chocolate treat stuck to the rim. We both enjoyed our drinks and absorbed the pleasing atmosphere.
They have a nice patio area and the bar looked like a cool place to hang out. I thought it was a little dark but the lighting was pretty neat. The decor inside had a sort of frank lloyd wright design. The bathrooms were also nice which I know is important for you ladies. Â
Taken from online menu:
Seared Rare Tuna Tacos
Seared rare Ahi tuna, napa cabbage in chipotle dressing, crunchy jicama and pico de gallo in soft flour tortillas dressed with tangy cilantro-lime sour cream. Comes with chips and salsa.
Â
Mandarin Grilled Chicken Salad,
Our classic grilled chicken salad with snow peas, red onions, red bell peppers, wonton strips, oven toasted white and black sesame seeds, peanuts, mandarin oranges in a tangy-sweet peanut dressing.
Here is the website but I would have to say they need to do some work on it.
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.houlihans.com%2Fmain.aspx%23visit&s=848c0a982b4fa678db4dcb97ac118e95f356cb564c4159a226c58da95ba14ab7" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.houlihans.com…</a>
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