Friday Afternoon Rant: What is So Dang Special About Houston’s?

I don’t get Houston’s. Sorry, I have better things to do than to wait 45 minutes and pay $17 for a French dip sandwich. If I hear one more restaurateur describe a new concept as “it’s kinda like Houston’s but…” I will scream. Nobody can do Houston’s except Houston’s—even some of the top corporate guys who left to do their own kinda-like-Houston’s-but restaurants have failed. There is some magic fairy dust somewhere in their corporate being. Somebody explain it.