Where is the Best Lunch Spot in Houston, Texas?
The Pork Loin Sandwich is my Dad’s favorite. I like the Chicken Salad. Picnic is a little cute for my Dad’s taste, but the cozy, come-as-you-are, sweet staff, and the basic fare where the old neighborhood grocery store used to be add a bit of nostalgic appeal that is easy to grow fond of. Let the tricycle parked out front be a warning that it’s a neighborhood joint where neighbors exchange words in neighborly ways at picnic table seating. The box lunches are also great for takeout, if community seating is not your bag. It’s so close to the sculpture garden. Last time I grabbed a box lunch to go and ate there.(great bathrooms)Pros + atmosphere, food, staff
I’ve been to Jax many times, and plan to visit it many times more in the future. Jax is a place that does it right. I spent a lot of years in the restaurant biz, doing everything from busing tables to managing a chain of pizza restaurants. And one thing I realized many years ago was that one of the critical keys to a successful restaurant operation revolves around a threefold theme: serve good food, plenty of it, and sell it for a reasonable price. Jax aces all three of these items. Another important key is to have a competent staff, especially in the kitchen. Jax knocks this one out of the park. Their cooks are FAST, but they have always cooked my food perfectly, and gotten my orders right. The fajitas, burgers, chicken fried steak, shrimp basket, macho nachos, and salads are all outstanding. They have a special menu that always has a variety of interesting choices. Try the blackened catfish. It isn’t on the menu, but they’ll prepare it for you if you ask for it. It surpa
My first visit to Palazzo’s was when a co-worker suggested we go there for lunch a couple years ago and I’ve been a regular ever since. The food and atmosphere is wonderful – so I was obviously mad at my friend for not telling me about Palazzo’s sooner!As the word spread through our office, it became the favorite lunch spot for our staff and since it’s one of the few places that makes everyone happy (even our picky eaters!). Now we’re using their catering services for meetings and parties (very affordable).Another perk if you happen to live close by… they deliver!! Our regular delivery guy even takes care to separate the hot items from the cold items so that our desserts and salads arrive in delicious condition.When you go, be sure to start with the Romano Crusted Asparagus – amazing! For dinner, I like Chicken Marsala. Hubby always gets the Capellini Al Pomodoro and if you have a hearty appetite, the Southwest Chicken Lasagna. For pizza, their Pollo Pizza is our favorite.
When I’m feeling down, I’m one of those people who drowns in food, or more specifically, desserts. Enter Ruggles Cafe Bakery, a kind of dessert heaven that always manages to cure my blues. Located in the Rice Village with ample parking, a large patio, and window-facing booths, Ruggles Cafe Bakery is my low-key antidote to whatever’s making my day ho-hum. My orders invariably stay the same: a hot, crispy, lusciously creamy, super tasty white chocolate bread pudding topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream – with just enough decadence to help me wallow in my sorrows and just enough sugar to pull me out of them – and a large cup of cappuccino with their signature chocolate dipped spoon. The dessert counter always offers numerous other mouth-watering dessert choices and I’ve tried many – red velvet cake, tres leches, chocolate cake, to name a few – but the white chocolate bread pudding tends to far surpass the others in its ability to bring me back to my happy place. This signature dess
I have been a loyal customer of this little restaurant since it first opened. The Dharma Cafe to me is maybe more notable for what’s missing than for what is there-what’s missing is a predictable corporate layout with lot’s of pre-packaged food from Sysco or some other megalith food purveyor, mind numbing music played so loud as to require you shout your order to the server, and most importantly, isolated, disassociated, and uncaring staff. What you will find at the Dharma Cafe is consistently great food, which is always fresh and flavorful. The atmosphere is delightful, and to the great credit of Susan and John, you can dress up or dress down as the whim suits you and feel just as at home in either attire. I am constantly impressed with the unique and creative creations that John and Susan come up with. Their menu is always evolving and the specials remain enticing and satisfying. On one recent visit, I was treated to a lovely seasonal salad prepared with fresh blueberries, pecans, gr
