Chinese food is rarely associated with seafood, and if it is, fried shrimp is usually the first thing to come to mind. At Confucius Seafood in Houston, though, diners will be pleasantly surprised to find more than fried noodles and orange chicken on the menu. Furthermore, great seafood that’s reasonably priced is also hard to come by, and yet one will find both qualities—cheap and yummy, that is—at this unassuming restaurant on Bellaire Boulevard.

The Lobster Special

The thing that this restaurant is most famous for is its lobster special. For only $18.99, an individual or pair of eaters can order two live whole lobsters. While lobster is sometimes offered cheap at other restaurants in the state for low-quality handling, you’ll find nothing but the most succulent flakes of lobster meat at Confucius. Juicy, fleshy, and exactly everything fresh lobster is supposed to be, the Lobster Special at this restaurant is quite the catch.

However, if you want to try something other than the Lobster Special, the baked lobster is a close second. Served with black pepper and butter, the lobster is moist, flash-fried, and absolutely mouthwatering.

No Lobster, No Problem

If you’re not a fan of lobster, don’t worry: there are plenty of other delicious items on the menu here. Some crowd favorites are the beef with flat rice noodle, the Gailan with beef, the beef clay pot with eggplant, the chicken fried rice, and any of the lunch specials, which are priced at $4.88, or half off of the price that they would normally cost in the evening hours.

Go for the Food, not the Service

The biggest complaint about this restaurant is the service, which has been criticized as not only being not good, but being downright poor. Despite the complaints about the wait staff here, the place is usually packed; the food is just that delish. Best advice: go with a good attitude, put on a smile, and don’t let someone else’s frown or sharp tongue get you down. Oh, and exercise a little patience—you’ll need it here.

Getting There

This place can sometimes be a bit difficult to find if you don’t know where you’re going, so here are a couple tips: don’t get confused by the construction that’s going on; turn at the Pizza Hut; and don’t get discouraged by the fact that the areas a little scary seeming. Once you get into the restaurant, any and all hesitations will subside.

A Cool Culture Gathering

Despite the grumpiness of the servers here, the guests are always pretty happy, and this restaurant is a great example of what people pleased with their meals and their company looks like. Attracting people from all over Houston, you’ll hear a combination of English, Vietnamese, and Chinese being spoken quickly and animatedly at Confucius Seafood, adding a pretty cool touch to the already authentic and traditional meal you’re enjoying.