Restaurant Review: Spec's Liquor Warehouse

Raise your hand if you did not know that the Spec’s Liquor Warehouse Midtown (2410 Smith) also carries 5,000 square feet of deli and specialty foods? Hmmm? Yep. That’s what we thought. One hand too many. If you don’t live or work in midtown/downtown, it’s likely that you might not know about this hidden gem.

Houstonist recently went to Spec’s for lunch. Yes, lunch. And then we wanted to come back for dinner and to do our grocery shopping. The deli sits way in the back corner where lunch lines wrap around the beverage, chocolate and cheese aisles. Every sandwich looked scrumptious but we finally settled on a delicious French-inspired sandwich stacked with angus beef, cole slaw and pate. We had trouble choosing a beverage (the non-alcoholic variety) since there were about eight different root beers available. For the best bargain, try the brown bag lunch for $6: a turkey sandwich, bag of chips, cookie and a 16 oz beverage.

A quick stroll through the specialty foods section was eye-popping and mind-blowing: one of the largest selection of cheeses we’ve seen in Houston, an entire aisle of imported and artisan chocolates, an excess of olives, caviar, marinated rabbit and duck, porcini mushrooms and fingerling potatoes…good grief, excuse the drool rolling down our chin.

The Verdict: Friends don’t let friends miss out on the food at Spec’s. Oh, and there's lots-o-booze there too.