text: I discovered Houston'swhile in Atlanta on business in the 90's, and have been a great fan.  After I moved to Scottsdale in 1999, I became a serious regular and found Houston's to be a 5 star experience every time.  It was a great relationship until the changes started a few years ago.  First, their wonderful Filet disapppared for awhile, unimpressive sushi was introduced, then the Shashimi Tuna Salad disappeared, and the Phoenix location was rebranded as Hillstone.  (I ate at Hillstone twice and then gave up on it...corn on the caeser salad - a southwestern Shashimi Tuna Salad - really?)  But back to Scottsdale, where I have the most history and the strongest relationship.  They had wonderful staff who, even if I wasn't around for awhile, remembered my name and nearly all of my preferences.  Every one of them have recently left.  Service now is ok, but not great.  A high level of attentiveness is a thing of the past.   Of course, over the years the prices have increased but in the last few they have really been increasing, while portion sizes on items like salads, have dwindled.  Houston's has never been inexpensive, but I am happy to pay to have the food that I want.  Therein lies the rub.  My last two visits were so bad that I am determined not to go back.  \n\nMy very favorite - the shashimi tuna salad - is history again.  Although the offered, if I wanted to pay the price of the $24 Flying Tuna Platter, to fix me something sort of like it, but not with the dressing or other elements that I loved.  I ordered fries, but they have lost their snap, and I had to pick little bits of fiber off of them.  The manager explained that they were burlap fibers from the bags that they use.  I didn't eat them, and was not charged for them.  I eat early, but can no longer get a baked potato at 2pm - and where did the pork chop go?  No more 1/2 glasses of wine.  So on my very last trip, not finding anything that we came for on the menu after 13 years of dining, my friend and I decided to go with the tortilla soup rather than just leaving.  It was far too salty...not something I have ever experienced at Houston's.  Of course, they did not charge us for the \"meal\".  No reason to ever go back now.\n\nLeaving Houston's with an empty stomach, I considered stopping at Bandera, another Hillstone property.  I quickly wrote off that idea since they've tinkered with their menu items so much that I gave up my \"regular\" status there in 2010.  \n\nI believe that the Hillstone Restaurant Group has made some awful choices over the past few years, making changes to long time favorites that ruin the dining experience.  Perhaps new chefs can't just leave a good thing alone or need to put their stamp on it.  I saw this in another review and couldn't stat it better - \"I understand menu changes happen but it was so good and so the same for so many years why do they have to switch it all up now? Pretty sure the business model was working just fine. \"  \n\nAs steep as Houston's prices have been over the years, I didn't mind paying for great food and great service.  I'll probably go in for a fillet a couple of times a year, but I'll have to wait until it's crowded at 5pm to have a baked potato with it.