Houston's Copycat Recipes
Houston's (Hillstone) is the polished American grill famous for its spinach-artichoke dip, ribs, and veggie burger.
3 recipes
Houston’s — now operating as Hillstone at select locations under the same Hillstone Restaurant Group — built its reputation on a short, rotating menu of well-executed American dishes: the prime rib, the hickory burger, the house salad, the BBQ chicken. But the item people specifically come back for, and the one that spawned hundreds of copycat recipes, is the Chicago-Style Spinach Dip.
The dip is structurally different from every other major chain’s version. While Applebee’s, TGI Friday’s, and Uno’s all build on a cream cheese block, Houston’s starts from a flour roux cooked in butter, then adds cream and broth to form a cream sauce before any cheese goes in. The result is smoother, more velvety, and less dense — a dip that flows rather than sets as a stiff mass. The canonical cheeses are Monterey Jack and Parmigiano Reggiano (identified by Todd Wilbur’s Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2). It’s served with warm hand-cut tortilla chips, salsa, and sour cream as three separate components — the combination is intentional.
Many Houston’s locations rebranded to Hillstone after 2008, particularly in New York, Boston, San Francisco, and Dallas. The menu — and the spinach dip — is identical under both names. The company operates around 50 locations nationally under both brands.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between Houston’s and Hillstone?
Same company (Hillstone Restaurant Group, founded by George Biel), same menu, same spinach dip. Starting around 2008–2010, the company began rebranding select Houston’s locations to Hillstone in major metro markets — Manhattan, Boston, San Francisco, Dallas. Numerous locations, including the original flagship markets, still operate as Houston’s. The full name is Hillstone Restaurant Group; both restaurant brands are the same concept.
Why is the Houston’s spinach dip so much smoother than other restaurant versions?
Because it’s built on a roux. Most chain spinach dips use cream cheese as the structural base — beat it smooth, fold in the rest, bake. Houston’s makes a flour roux first (butter + flour, cooked until blonde), whisks in broth and heavy cream, then melts cheese into the cream sauce. The result is a velvety sauce-based dip instead of a set cream-cheese block. It’s the same technique difference as a béchamel mac-and-cheese vs. a Velveeta one — same general dish, entirely different texture.
What should I order at Houston’s besides the spinach dip?
The menu is intentionally short, and most items are worth ordering. The prime rib (carved tableside at some locations) and the hickory burger are the other signature dishes with the same devoted following as the spinach dip. The house salad — romaine, bacon, egg, parmesan, and a vinaigrette — is a recurring mention in food writing about the restaurant. The BBQ chicken and salmon with citrus are reliable mains. The rotation varies by market; ask your server what’s fresh that day.
How much does the spinach dip cost at Houston’s?
Approximately $21 at the West Paces (Atlanta) location per the official Hillstone PDF menu, as of 2026. Prices vary by market — major coastal markets may run slightly higher. The dip is listed as an appetizer and includes warm hand-cut tortilla chips, salsa, and sour cream. Portion size is generous enough to share as a table appetizer for 4–6.