Welcome to Hillstone, America's Favorite Restaurant

if you were a server at a Hillstone, you would never be saddled with more than three tables. That’s why at every Hillstone ­restaurant, the total number of tables is divisible by three. There are no food runners or bussers. It’s a team effort, which means your server will take your order, but anyone on staff can help you out. The dismissive “Let me

And now I finally had the chance to ask Brian Biel in person if there’s some secret formula behind Hillstone’s powerful allure—besides trying to avoid press, of course. Is it the napkins with buttonholes, just in case you need to affix one to your shirt like a spaghetti-eating character in  Goodfellas ? Is it the fact that every location has a

you know what every great chef strives for, more than the creation of a groundbreaking dish or Michelin stars? The kind of consistency you experience at every Hillstone.

The Biels know that booths offer the privacy and comfort that a freestanding table simply does not. Each table also gets its own (literal) spotlight, meaning that you can read the menu without pulling out your phone for help—something my mom was quick to point out.

You know who loves a Houston’s? My mother. You know who else? Your date, the client you’re trying to impress, and your impossibly picky friend. How many spots can you say that about?