Belly Of The Beast

Almost but not quite there yet. Dishes are well seasoned, dishes are creative and nicely named but my husband and I both felt that our meals could have used some editing. Meat was too chewy and pieces were too large on the carne asada. Birria tacos were extremely messy and we felt could have had more "crunch". The tart we had for dessert was tough to bite into but strawberry toppings excellent. Missed having cocktails as well, hope they can add a bar concept. The home made agua fresca and non-alcoholic beverages were a delight. There was a camera on above where the glasses were stored that kept hitting me in the eye, especially when the blue light was on which it kept flipping on and off. It is clear the chef here is very talented. With a few adjustments we hope to dine here for years to come.

Fabulous staff and fabulous food. I was so happy to be able to make it out to Spring to get a taste of of this obvious passion project from Chef Thomas and his wife. I made the journey after seeing that they were up for a James Beard award and wanted to to experience something special. Happy to report that they delivered!From the jump the whole team there made us feel comfortable and welcome. Our waitress took us through the highlights and newer choices of the menu and made plenty of suggestions as we asked about it. The rest of the staff made sure glasses were never empty and empty plates never over stayed their welcome. The food overall is heavily rooted in Mexican dishes and cuisine, but there are a few options that venture out to some European and Asian influences. Nice tight menu to choose from, nothing here that was obvious it didn't belong. Ceviches and Crudos were a particularly strong point for us, wonderful blend of flavors and unafraid to make things spicy. The entrees were very clearly meticulously prepared and it showed when you take a bite. Duck breast had crispy skin and perfect temp while resting in a delicious mole. Empanadas were sooo delicate and fluffy yet maintained the flaky crunchy exterior; loved the spread paired with it. Portions were fair relative to the prices and presentation was pleasant. I would absolutely come back and bring friends here, typically would need to be inside the loop to have a chance to have a dining experience like this. My only suggestion would be to add liquor/cocktails to the bar selection. They currently have beers and wine available, but I couldn't help but think how I would've loved a smoky Mezcal cocktail or seasonal margarita to go with my meal. Not sure if it's a liquor license issue, but it did detract from my experience slightly.

There is a reason why Chef Thomas is up for a James Beard award...We happened to book a reservation before the award semifinalists were announced, which was incredibly lucky. We mentioned we were celebrating 2 birthdays and this is definitely a great place to do so. We arrived and were immediately greeted by Liz, the co-owner and wife of Chef Thomas. We got to our table and she gave us the run-down of the restaurant, telling us the origin of the name. After a little bit, our waiter Brian came by to take drink orders and appetizers. We got our drinks and the appetizers seemed to come out immediately. We started with the Mexican hummus, Tuna tostada and saag paneer. The Mexican hummus was made with black garbanzo beans which I hadnt seen before! It was rich and delectable, and the blue tostadas that came with it were crunchy and paired very nicely. The tuna tostada was stacked with flavor, it had creamy avocado and crunchy spices on top. Really just all around deliciousness. The saag paneer was also very good. We also got ceviche which had quite the kick! The 50/50 tortillas are also TO DIE FOR they are made of two types of corn. For mains we opted to split which seemed to be the wise choice, given how full we were after apps and how big the portions were! I split the Wagyu Zabuton with my dad and we ordered it medium-rare. It came out rare, so we sent it back and they corrected it right away. The tendon sauce was rich and delightful, and the pomme puree was buttery smooth. We also got some steak fries which were AMAZING! Crispy, with some fantastic seasoning and lime. Just perfection. The others split the striped bass special, which may have been my favorite thing of the night. It came in a curry sauce that was absolutely to die for. The rice was a ginger rice, and all in all it made for a wonderful dish. We ended with tres leches which seemed to be enjoyed The restaurant is located in a non-descript strip mall, and the walls are basically bare. It seats 49, so is a bit small and can get loud but from the outside you would never know that the food coming out of the kitchen is next level. Major allergens (gluten, dairy and nuts) are labeled as are vegetarian options, which we love to see!Good luck getting a reservation but please visit if you ever have the chance!

Went here for wife's birthday having known about them from their original location but never having had the chance to visit. I'll try to keep it short but this place pretty much lives up to all past, present and future hype. All of the dishes are creative with unique ingredients, well balanced, with contrasting flavors and textures. The squid ink tagliatelle was expertly created, cooked, plated and danced around my taste buds. The Mexican take on sag paneer (one of my fave Indian dishes) with spinach mole verde, was executed perfectly and was such a fun and fresh take on an otherwise traditional dish. The Bunelo dessert with foie gras mousse and sweet pears, the pozole with chicharron, the perfectly cooked savory Zabuton or the Birria tacos on freshly made corn tortillas or the passion fruit cream on the tres leches. You can't go wrong.IF I had to have a negative it was that the service was a little spotty but even that was understandable given what is taking place at this restaurant. You're doing yourself a disservice if you don't check this place out!

Very unassuming outside. Don't let it deter you. The food more than makes up for the vibe. Make reservations or arrive at 5PM because it does fill up. Their menu is a mexi-california vibes. We ordered the empanadas, hamachi tiradito, gnocchi, duck and side of brussel sprouts. We tend to order a lot of food for the two of us but everything was delicious! The food is something you can NOT get at any other restaurant. The hamachi tiradito was in a strawberry aguachile and the duck had a strawberry mole. Supposedly their menu has changed since opening so we'll be interested to see if they change seasonally or not. For dessert, we had the tres leches which had a bruleed passion fruit merengue which was the perfect amount of tart to cut through the cream. It seems to be wine and beer only but we saw people bring in their own bottles.

My wife and I visited Belly of the Beast at their new location off of 2920 in Spring. We had previously visited their old town spring location during the pandemic that operated primarily as a taqueria. This new restaurant certainly lived up to the hype, most of which coming from the Chronicles Food critic listing Belly of the Beast as one of her top ten new restaurants of 2023. The space is in an unassuming strip mall in Spring, but inside you feel separated from the hustle and bustle outside. They pack the small place with quite a few tables, and most were occupied during at least part of our meal. What is amazing is that service is provided by one server - Brian - supported by the chef's wife Elizabeth. I had my doubts whether that was going to work, but other than a delay between our final course and the time it took for our dessert to arrive, the service was very timely and friendly. Now to the food which is the important part. For appetizers we sampled the Tuna Tostadas and the Scallop Tiradito. The Tostadas were excellent, and the tostada shells really held together nicely which is not always the case. There was just a hint of heat and the accompaniments were perfect. The Scallop tiradito was also very flavorful, but I must warn, it is pretty spicy. Too spicy for my wife, and borderline for me. I was worried my palate might get blown out before our next course. The head managed to fade prior to our mid course - the Squid Ink Taglietelle - sort of a carbonara riff with a raw egg yolk that was stirred into the dish tableside. The chorizo and mushrooms along with the perfect texture of the pasta made for a very flavorful dish. I assume the pasta is fresh made and not dried because of the lush texture. For our entree we shared the Carne Asada which was served with very smooth refried beans, a spicy sauce and tortillas. I was amazed at how tender the bavette steak was. Much more tender than typical flank or skirt steak fajitas Home run with that dish. We finished the meal with the Tres Leches that was also excellent with the passion fruit meringue. Really can't say enough about how much I enjoyed the meal. We will be back soon.

Really cute cozy restaurant. We came to try this place because of the reviews and pictures. The service was exceptional. The chef came out as we were looking at the menu to answer our questions and make sure we understood the menu. The kids chicken strips were delicious and looked very homemade. I ordered the airline chicken with the corn tamal and it was fantastic. The chicken tacos were also delicious but the best part of all was the tres leches dessert! It had a whipped topping with passion fruit that was divine. I definitely recommend giving this place a try.

Highly creative and beautiful food in a small setting. The pork tenderloin was excellent! The homemade tagliatelle was superb. We enjoyed it greatly.

Fantastic service! It's my first time back since they moved from Old Town Springs. The owners are the same.The food is amazing, beautifully displayed, and absolutely 5-star worthy. The restaurant itself has a calm and relaxing atmosphere.Don't forget to make your reservation.

Never got a chance to eat there because the manager left us waiting forever so we had to leave. We stopped in with no reservation and they were busy. The server told us the manager was going to see if they could work us in once she was off the phone. We waited 10 minutes for her to finish her call and then instead of letting us know she went to a table and took an order. Before she headed to the back to out the order in she told us someone would be with us and then left. After another 5 minutes we left. If you're booked no problem, but don't have us stand there for 15 minutes with no idea of whether you were even going to seat us. It was rude and they could have just let us know they were full.