Backstreet Café

Great hangar steak and eggs!

Love their ever-​changing menu. There are new options every time I go. The artichoke-​intensive menu they do from time to time has some of the best dishes I’ve ever tasted, their cocktails are top notch and the happy hour menu rules. Their patio is one of the best in town too!

First of all, this place has completentary valet parking so don’t bother finding parking. I’ve only been here during brunch on weekend and it get crowded with a bit of wait time even though they have two floors and outside patio seatings. Food is delicious, everything I ordered was great. This place is getting 4 stars from me because they don’t do split check. Last time we went for my friend’s birthday, we had 10 people. We didn’t even ask for complicated split or anything. Just simply put 6 people one ticket and 4 on the other. The server wasn’t able to do it or doesn’t want to do it, who knows. Whatever, I’m over it lol.

Came here Tuesday afternoon for lunch. Great service and very quick. The tortilla soup is pretty tasty. My colleagues meals looked pretty good too. Everything was presented very well. No complaints.

Definitely a must try for a Sunday Brunch spot! Has such a cute garden green ambience.
My mom and I go to Backstreet Café on Sundays frequently and our favorite dish is hands down the lamb chops and the eggs benedict. The lamb chops are so tender and juicy, definitely a must try if you like lamb dishes! The service is also always impeccable with a staff that never fails to suggest the most outstanding dishes.

My friend and I went on a monday afternoon, just wanting to have a happy hour drink and a good lunch. We decided to sit on the patio, which is absolutely beautiful by the way. We ordered the cherry tomato flatbread to start and 2 mojitos. Both were perfect. For an entrée i decided to try what i was told is a signature dish of backstreet, the Pecan crusted chicken. EXCEEDED my expectations. The presentation was beautiful, the chicken was cooked to perfection and the spinach and mashed potatoes were amazing. My friend ordered the fried green tomatoes with crab remoulade, roasted oysters (off the happy hour menu) and mac n cheese. She was very pleased as well. We tried a few other signature cocktails that were quite inventive and nothing dissapointed us. What tied our whole experience together was the service! Sergio was absolutely professional, friendly and accommodating! He was a real treat. Good service is so hard to come by, and because of him and the great experience we had, we will definitely be returning!

This is a gorgeous restaurant in a repurposed house on a small side street off Shepherd between West Gray and Dallas. The location does an excellent job of buffering the sound, creating a nice little oasis away from all of the traffic typically on that stretch of main road.
I’ve been here twice, once for lunch, and once for brunch, and both times were absolutely stellar. They have smaller, more intimate settings for dates, and can set up larger tables for groups if you want to bring a crowd. The food here is some of the best brunch that I have ever had.
The only knock on this place is a lack of parking. There’s not even street parking in the area, so you pretty much have to valet, or you have to park in the neighborhood and hike it. That’s obviously not a good option on a date night, but If you’re shopping off West Gray on a Sunday before or after brunch, it’s not a far walk to the restaurant.

Oh my… DELISH.
My friend and I wanted fried chicken and waffles. So we decided to try theirs out. NO REGRETS. Their chicken pieces though — HUGE. The waffle was a gingerbread with a delicious maple sauce. Mmmmm…
Also had the fried green tomato salad to share. SO GOOD.
The service was good.
Prices — pricey but you are paying for what you get.
A great place for brunch and definitely gets busy. We were lucky to be able to snag a table right away, but I imagine people aren’t always this lucky.
Would love to come back!

I had my second visit to backstreet last weekend with a group of friends and was slightly disappointed with this visit. Don’t even try to park at the restaurant. Park down the street or just do valet. The waiter was okay, but I do not recommend coming here with large parties. Our waiter made us split the check by items and then told us to do it by amount and then comes back with separate checks in the end… even though we tried requesting separate checks before even ordering in the beginning of our meal. It was an extremely annoying and frustrating way to end our meal.
The duck spring rolls were good, but not sure it was worth the money. 4 pieces, so basically 2 spring rolls for $ 10 – 12? There wasn’t even that much duck in the filling! The nutella iced coffee is pretty much a dessert drink, but I still expected to taste a lil coffee. I do not recommend. I ordered the traditional eggs Benedict and wasn’t disappointed, but wasn’t impressed either. My bf got the French toast and he loved it. It didn’t taste eggy and had good/​unique flavors. I think it had caramelized peanuts and bananas?
I do like the aesthetics of the restaurant since it’s in an old vintage style home, but this place is overrated and over priced for the inconvenience of parking, small portions and average food. Luckily we had a reservation, so we didn’t have to experience a wait. I would have been pissed if I had waited 45 minutes and spent $ 60+ for an average meal/​dining experience. My bf and I were lucky that we were semi satisfied with what we ordered, while everyone else was «whatever» with their meal. All 6 of us will probably not return or recommend.

Just go. You’ll love this place. With a friend or a to impress a date. I like the birds being so close. Setvice was meh but surroundings and awesome food made up for it.
Get the bread pudding… Dear God on heaven above, get the bread pudding.

We came here for brunch with the family on a Sunday morning. When we called to make reservations, only the 10:00am spot was open or a 1:30pm. We opted for the early time. And I would suggest making reservations or coming early, because as the minutes passed, it was filling up fast!
It’s an older house that has been converted into this cute old restaurant which does have outdoor seating in a beautiful garden setting. You do have to walk up stairs, so if there is an issue with anyone in your group — you better make a reservation to insure you can sit downstairs. The AC was running full blast and it was a bit chilly inside, so bring a light jacket. There is ‘free’ valet parking, as there is very little nearby and you cannot park yourself in the lot. They do offer you to wash your car, if that’s what you need done during your lunch — which I guess for some, is a good thing.
Service was fast and friendly and on point. No issue here at all.
For drinks we opted for lattes, bloody Mary and berry mimosa. The blood Mary was just OK to me. I’ve certainly had better, but it was light and fresh. The latte was of good quality, but one of the guest said «my first was so very good, the second — I’m not sure what happened.» So consistency should be thought about here.
As far as food goes, I had the shrimp and grits. Not bad, but I wasn’t blow away by them. They seemed a little bland for me. My man got the roasted cauliflower steak and it was so so very good. I would get that next time. They do seem to have a lot of veggie options if you need that, which I thought was fantastic.

I’m happy I finally got a chance to check out Backstreet Café after being a fan of Hugo’s and Caracol. Hugo Ortega is one of Houston’s finest chefs and I see his influence in Backstreet’s menu. I went with one of my interns for lunch and we sat out on the patio. When the weather is nice, it’s a great date spot/​brunch spot for a casual yet upscale meal. The service was great and they give you complimentary bread and butter to start. Realllyyy good bread, some of the best I’ve had in a long time.
I went with the salmon tacos: three flour tortillas with cabbage, sauce, salsa, and tomatillo sauce on the side with black beans. I’m not a big fans of beans but they were happy to switch it out with some roasted potatoes which I appreciated. Backstreet Café is a homey house that has been converted into a restaurant right off of Shepherd. I would really give Backstreet 3.5 stars if I could for two main reasons. It’s valet only and I hate on restaurants that do this, especially at lunch. Two, I think the food is a little pricey for what you get. You don’t have the splendid interior or ambiance of Hugo’s or Caracol here. It’s more casual, and as a result, I was expecting a slightly lower price point. With that being said, no complaints about the food or service, it was great and I’ll definitely be back!

I met a group of friends here since one was visiting from out of town for brunch yesterday at around 12:30 pm. Parking was hell, and valet was a line out the door. My girlfriend and I got there early so decided to sit down. We informed the waiter upstairs that we would be on the same check and he said don’t worry about it he will split it up at the end. In my own experience as a server, it’s always easier to split a check in the beginning.
We were still waiting on late arrivals and one of my friends ordered duck spring rolls and we ordered the «steamed» artichoke. I steam artichoke on a regular basis. it takes 45 minutes to an hour. However, I believe this appetizer came out baked and under cooked because half was inedible. I tried the skirt steak and eggs. It came with a chimichurri sauce, over easy eggs and fries. It was alright, but not worth the cost.
The only item I was semi satisfied with was the undressed White Peach sangria. Then to really up the experience, the bill came all together for our group of six. I decided let’s just split it up by menu item for the cards we plan to use. The server came by and said no no, go by amounts. So then we did the math. and he came by in the middle of it to say how about I just split the ticket. Great, we were assuming you had that covered before all of that mess. He split the ticket, wrong… but we were so over it we wanted to pay and get out as fast as we could. Backstreet Café is a backstreet I don’t want to venture down again.

the food was amazing & so fresh, the service was also on point. I ordered the Pecan Roasted Chicken and it was so delicious, I highly recommend others to check out this beautiful put together café.

Texas Gulf Shrimp and Stone-​ground Cheese Grits green onion, crispy leeks 23
Lot of grits and lots of shrimp! The shrimp was really… Fishy. Like I could taste the gulf in them. The grit sauce was super creamy and delicious. The grits were fluffy.
Cauliflower pan seared with hot sauce. Delicious. Sizable portion!
Brussels Sprouts (GF) 7 not the best I’ve ever had. Very strong Brussel sprout taste which I like because I like Brussel sprouts but it’s definitely not like bacon roasted or buried in cheese or whatever else we do these days to mask the veggie ness of it.
Delicious berry mimosas that were champagne heavy yay and also berry heavy double yay.
Mandatory valet parking so bring cash to tip.
I wasn’t disappointed with my meal but I wasn’t impressed by it either.

The intrigue of this quaint two-​story house is its inviting «backyard» to enjoy a relaxing Sunday brunch or group get-​together in a nice area of town. However, the food is hit or miss (you gotta know what to order) and service is average (they tend to slack when it gets busy, which is often).
I was severely tempted to give 3 stars, but what saved it for me is how cute this circa 1930s house is sitting amongst some beautiful mature oaks with an endearing back patio and upstairs dining area. I’ve sat in almost every spot in this place, and I don’t think there’s really a bad seat in the house. Another cool thing they do is wash your car while its with valet for $ 20 extra I believe (IDK exactly, I’m not the one paying for that usually, lol).
Been here for brunch, lunch, and dinner – during the week and on weekends. I usually gravitate toward their vegetarian menu, but the short ribs are pretty excellent. So are the crab cakes – full of crab! Their crispy duck is pretty darn good too. I know, I said I’m more into the vegetarian menu, lol (which is an excellent selection); I usually get the mixed grains with roasted veggies or risotto. I’ve had the cauliflower steak – love it! There’s a plethora of seafood choices, the scallops and tamarind shrimp being my faves. The brioche French toast should be ordered as dessert (on the brunch menu), it’s pretty popular in our family.

The reviews and pictures led me to set high expectations for Backstreet, but the food didn’t live up.
I chose the carnitas tostadas for brunch since I wanted some meat, and what better choice than pork? The dish overall was kind of one-​note and soggy. The salsa verde drowned out the inconsistently poached eggs, and all the moisture made the tostadas really wet at the bottom of the plate. I just liked the pork by itself.
My husband thought his steak and eggs dish was ordinary, but appreciated the option to sub brussel sprouts for French fries.
Two other things that surprised us were that we didn’t have to wait for a table (outdoor) on a busy Saturday, and the valet out front is based on tips only! Take advantage bc it doesn’t look like there are many street parking options.

This southern comfort setting of a café is perfect for brunches or lunches with your friends and or adult family. I did not realize how popular this café was until I drove up on Sunday morning to find myself with no choice to have my car valet parked. There is outdoor patio seating as well as indoor seating. It is more fun to have a mimosa with your sunglasses on outside.
I was waiting for my friends and thumbed through the menu to order the orange chocolate chip brioche (similar looking to cinnamon rolls). That needed to be shared as it can become filling to where you will not be able to start/​finish brunch. The mimosas come in various flavors and the items listed are really tough to make final decisions on.
The Bush family are rumored to come eat here. Trust me. Make reservations as they get booked quick towards the weekend, and it will be well worth your wait.

Came here for brunch for friend’s birthday (Hi Marc!) with a group of 11. We had reservations and were seated immediately upon arriving. They had us set up outside per the reservation preferences in a secluded area which was nice. I hate yelling over other people.
Service: we had Mauricio who was just fantastic. Very accommodating and took great care of us. Pouring drinks and getting water refills, he was always on top of whatever we needed. Food came out at a decent rate for it being a busy Saturday.
Food: Didn’t blow me away by any means. I ordered the Steak and Eggs and couldn’t even finish my steak. Seasoning was right, but it was not tender and was basically like chewing on jerky. Severely underwhelmed. Ordered the Oven baked Oysters and they were good not great. Tasted a bit like crawfish seasoning on the coating they put atop the oyster. A fair amount of oysters for the price I guess. We ordered the sangria and one of the flavored mimosa pitchers and neither of them were amazing. The sangria was better than the mimosas though. Forgot which flavor for the mimosa since it was kind of bitter tasting.

I have eaten here since I was a kid and they have never disappointed! Love their patio setting as it feels so secluded. And their food is consistent and delicious!!!
For a late lunch today after the Azalea Trail we had a few appetizers which included crab cakes and an artichoke. Then a tortilla soup, crab cakes and salad. Then for our little birthday the restaurant sent a lovely dessert! So must say their crème brûlée was amazing!!! This is such an amazing and delicious spot to enjoy great food!

I was VERY impressed by the Backstreet Café! The menu offers multiple vegan options and there’s a nice wine and cocktail list to accompany it. I had a chance to sit on the heated patio, and the ambiance was really nice.
I was dining out with business partners and we all enjoyed our meals. I started out with a side of Brussels sprouts (solid, but not the best I’ve ever eaten) while my compadres had amazing looking salads. For my meal, I had the cauliflower «steak,» Again, it was solid. Not sure I’d order it again, but I appreciate that there was a vegan entrée option on the menu.
We had two minor hiccups during our dinner. The first came when I asked my server if the free bread was vegan. He asked me if I’d eaten it, and then told me it was vegan. That seemed… odd to me. After that, after our first round of drinks, I asked to see the drink menu, and our server seemed put off by that. I appreciate that he offered to «find me a drink I’d like,» but sometimes a girl just wants to see the menu, ok?
Overall, this was a great night out for my one night in Houston. I’d check this place out again or visit one of their sister restaurants.

Dined here on a Saturday morning around 11:30ish for brunch. I walked in and was immediately greeted by the hosts. They asked if I had reservations (which I didn’t). She had an open table at that moment for an inside seat. The seating was very tight-​spaced yet cozy. The seating was so close I touched elbows with the lady seated next to me lol It wasn’t that bad as we ended up engaging in a nice conversation. Anywho, I ordered 2 different mimosas: pomegranate and a wild berry — both were really good! My friend ordered the rum drink with ginger beer, which also appeared to be good.
For my meal, I initially had my mouth set on french toast but the menu didn’t have an entire meal so I opted for the skirt steak, eggs and potatoes (comes with fries but I substituted it). It was sooooo gooood!
Parking was very chaotic and I would highly recommend valeting, its complimentary. Otherwise you’ll be parking on the street a few blocks away and with all the construction in the area that can be a bit much. I ordered some bread pudding to-​go, hopefully its good! Everything was great and the bathrooms were extra tight but clean. I will definitely return to try something new on the menu! Kudos.