Late August

A cute small restaurant located in midtown with free valet. I am a huge fan of Lucille's so couldn't wait to try Late August. The food and drinks we ordered were 10/10. But unfortunately service fell short. I'm not sure if our waitress was new but she completely forgot items we ordered and then charged us for a drink we never received which was removed when we informed her. I would like to go back so I can try additional items.

OMG! I am in love with this place. My time there was absolutely wonderful. Our waiter and the manager were absolute perfection. By the end, I wanted to be besties with them. The meal was perfect from start to finish and the mocktail I had was a dream! All the vibes were right and wonderful.

We love the casual atmosphere of late August. The portions were quite large and they were very attentive. Great cocktails.

We had a fantastic lunch at Late August! The restaurant is pretty (located in that relatively new development near the Sears); the service is great; and the food is what puts it over the top. The food is a combination of Southern with some creole and is just delicious.Here's what we tried:-Cornbread: The bring out complementary cornbread, with a butter that has corn and peppers in it, and it was great--a wonderful start to a good, southern meal.-Field pea hummus: Our table shared the hummus as an appetizer, and it was absolutely fantastic, my favorite part of the meal. The hummus was a little tangy and so savory and topped with chorizo. On the side there was fried bread, which is exactly what it sounds like: bread that is fried and a little doughy, so good.-Gumbo: This gumbo was surprisingly fresh--the veggies in it were crispy (not smooshy), and it wasn't greasy at all. If you want a fresh, modern take on gumbo, this hits the spot.

Visited on the second day of operations for their Lunch Menu. Food was delicious, especially the BBQ Seafood Platter. Lovely atmosphere, and excellent mocktails for non-alcoholics. Portion size was a concern so I ordered a lot. Definitely looking forward to trying out their dinner menu.

Three Couples Date Night The Seafood BBQ was very tasty with the seasoning soaking into the Fry Bread. My hubby enjoyed the Smash Burger with Egg. The rest of our party enjoyed their Steak and Oxtail Stew. The Navajo Beignets are great along with the Rice Pudding. All of our cocktails were on point. I really liked the Highway 288. They are very new so some hiccups happened but were quickly compensated and/or corrected by Chef D Davis.

Yummm. Food and service here are great, and the ambiance is elevated and inviting. Nicholas was our server and he and the rest of the staff did a great job taking care of us. Seems like everyone's excited about this place! Love seeing restaurants that have really thoughtful menus with just enough variety for everyone but keeping it limited in a curated way. Some faves: smoked chicken drumettes, A1 basted strip loin, and the cabrito stew which Nicholas recommended we pair with the fry bread. If you've had Taiwanese cuisine before, the fry bread was light and fluffy similar to youtiao. Also tried the special jerk spiced branzino that was butter in our mouths. Everyone was really satisfied with the meal.

The oxtail stew was fabulous. Not pictured are the appetizers and the A1 Steak, which we all tried and enjoyed. The greens lacked flavor and maintained more texture than most cooked greens. The fried chicken was overcooked, as was the burger. There were great comments on the yucca fries, the seafood platter, and the drinks that our group ordered (not pictured). Romy, our server, had eccentric knowledge of the menu. She did an excellent job of giving context to the names of menu items and the history of the ingredients. The vibe inside was fabulous, though. I'll definitely go back.

Could not sleep without submitting this review of my experience tonight at Late August, the newest restaurant/concept by Chef Chris Williams/ Lucille Hospitality Group. I love Lucille's and was excited when I found out there was a new offering with unique menu items to try. Had a rare evening to myself. So, I visited for a solo date. Atmosphere: Complimentary valet parking, with a short walk up to the stunning restaurant entrance. Love the modern vintage appeal of the furnishings/decor, definitely giving relaxed but cultured/refined. Upon entering I was greeted by friendly staff and was seated immediately at a cute table in view of the kitchen. It was a nice treat to watch the artistry in action as both head chefs took turns plating. (Yes, Chef Chris Williams was present and actively presiding over the kitchen). Service: I really hate that I forgot my waiter's name as I would have loved to give him his flowers in this review alongside the General manager and sommelier Danny Davis. They were both knowledgeable, courteous and kind. Both checked on me frequently, but not so much that it distracted from the experience and each spent time telling me a little about their backgrounds and the things they loved about Late August and Chef Chris Williams' social/charitable/community impact. I'd read about/witnessed most of the things mentioned but it was heartening to hear them as part of the rapport building while at the restaurant... it solidified the deep sense of pride that I felt upon entering the restaurant. Make sure to ask your server about the commissioned artwork by Robert Hodge. I could go on and on here... but the bottom line is that the service I received was outstanding.Food: I had the Texas Ceasar, Smoked Chicken Drumettes, A1 Basted Strip Loin and Navajo Doughnuts. All excellent! All beautifully plated and contrary to some of the reviews I've read I feel like portions are generous for the quality and price point. -Texas Ceasar - The overall freshness of the ingredients was the highlight of this dish, not only the fruits and vegetables, but the croutons! The croutons had a unique taste unlike any I've had before and just set the salad off. They could sell these separately as a snack/ gift item. I typically order my salad dressing on the side and appreciate that the greens were not tossed/drenched with the dressing. The dressing was nice and light in flavor, highlighting the quality produce.-Smoked Chicken Drumettes - Holy Mole! LOL... the mole sauce on these was marvelous, full of complex flavor/spice, but not heat. Loved the addition of the crackling garnish for a little variance in texture.-A1 Basted Strip Loin - This is the best steak I've had in a long time (possibly ever). I ordered the steak medium well and the chefs new the assignment. Typically, when I order this cook at restaurants I am offered a basically burnt grey/brown steak which I accept because I prefer this over a bloody steak, but not this time. Gorgeous crusty exterior and buttery (but not bloody) interior with subtle, soft smokey sable pink center ombre-ing into brown - and the steak was not the sole highlight for me. I loved the chimichurri sauce and the pickled cucumber and tomato - reminded me of my favorite summer salad/garnish growing up. I could eat the cucumber and tomato garnish all day every day, definitely elevated a refreshing, nostalgic flavor for me. The Yucca steak fries hit also. They were perfectly crispy on the outside and fluffy/tender on the inside.-Navajo Doughnuts - Reminiscent of both a beignet and a version of sopapilla that I've had... like the choice of chocolate and fruit as a garnish over cinnamon.Beverages: Running out of space. So, I will just say that if you are a sweet wine/cocktails/white liquor/bubbly kinda lush like me you will thoroughly enjoy the Highway vodka & cherry cocktail and the Biancospino Moscato D'Asti.I know that this is going to sound cliche, but I truly wish I could give this restaurant more than 5 stars. This place deserves to be as packed as Lucille's. My experience was phenomenal and I hope that my pictures and words do it justice. I used Open Table to book a reservation through Maps on my iPhone and experimented paying with the InKind app. Can't wait to make the haul from The Woodlands to go back and try more things!

I celebrated my birthday at Late August with a party of 10. We experienced a cultural cuisine celebration with wine pairings. There were 5 courses (or more) and each dish was excellent!! Danny and Tariq were superb!! Can't wait to return!!