The first thing you’ll probably notice when...

The first thing you’ll probably notice when you walk into Houston’s is the large open kitchen, bustling with activity, at the left, and the crowded bar on the right. This is a popular restaurant, and you may encounter a brief wait on the weekends before you are seated in one of the large booths.

Houston’s, opened in 1991, is part of a national chain that started in Nashville in 1977 and has 25 restaurants now, primarily in the South. Its only other Southern California location is in Century City.

Listed under the “This and That” section of the menu is the dish that seems to be ordered by nearly every table. It’s the “Chicago style” spinach and artichoke dip ($6.75). With fresh tortilla chips, you dig into a mix of creamed spinach and artichokes, topped with melted cheese. Top it off with salsa and sour cream, and you’ll probably understand why this dish is so popular.

Another big seller: the large, rectangular-shaped pizzas with thin crisp crusts. The pizza margherita ($9.25) is topped with mozzarella and Monterey Jack, pesto and arugula greens. The pizza rustica ($9.75) is topped with marinated eggplant, artichoke hearts, a crumbling of Italian sausage and fresh basil.

Meat-eaters are well taken care of here, especially with a New York strip ($15.95), a tender, aged steak grilled over an oak-wood fire and served with a choice of baked potato, creamed spinach, or crunchy, curly french fries. A selection of fresh fish varies daily. A recent offering was an orange roughy ($10.95) sauteed in lemon butter.

Houston’s is at 1550 Rosecrans Ave., Manhattan Beach. (310) 643-7211. Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday. Full bar.