Ah, Market Square.  One of the few areas of Houston where history matters, and where you'll find places that have been the same for decades.  On the eastern edge of the square, you'll find the Market Square Bar & Grill, a place that's known for good food as well as strong libations.  We'd been here before, years ago, and really enjoyed it.

This trip... not so much.

We were there a bit after 5; prime happy hour time.  And it was empty; only one group besides our party.  Yet the service was glacially slow - the waitress seemed to be more interested in chatting with the cook than doing her job.

Once we got her attention, we placed our order.  And waited longer.  A burger and a salad should not take 20 minutes to prepare.  Hopefully it'll be worth the wait.

Well, it wasn't.

Something was amiss with the beef; it had a peculiar flavor.  I ate about a third of it and decided not to risk gastric disturbance.  The side of new potatoes was very good, though.  My companion's salad was disappointing as well.  Served in a smallish bowl, it only held about a half-bowl of salad.  Nothing memorable about it otherwise.

When we asked for our check, the waitress noticed that I'd not eaten much of the burger.  She asked if I enjoyed my burger.  "No.  It was horrible, and the flavor was off." was my reply.

In 90% of cases, the offending item will be removed from the bill.  Not at Market Street.  Apparently customer satisfaction isn't a major concern; heck, the waitress had to get back to her conversation with the cook, and thankfully doing her job didn't get in the way.

What was good?  The room is very nice; it's an old, narrow building, and has a cozy atmosphere.  If the food and service improved, it would be a great spot.

Until then... pass.