Food of Love

Houston steakhouse ensures you won't butcher Valentine's Day dinner

It's a month out, but you're probably already thinking about where to have Valentine's Day dinner. How about at home — but you don't have to do the cooking?

B&B Butchers on Washington Avenue might be known as one of Houston's best steakhouses, but the restaurant/butcher shop also has a pretty extensive to-go program.

Instead of sitting shoulder-to-shoulder at a crowded restaurant with dozens of other couples, you can enjoy a romantic three-course meal (sides included) in the comfort and privacy of your own home. And get this: a box of specialty chocolates is included, and there's an option to pre-order floral arrangements from John Friedman Flowers as well.

If you really want to go out on the town, B&B Butchers does still have a limited amount of tables available, but reservations are going fast. As a special touch, it can be arranged to have flowers and Champagne waiting at your table when you arrive.

Each made-to-order meal-for-two includes your choice of two appetizers, one large entree, and two desserts. Start with lobster bisque, Caesar salad, B&B meatballs, or Chef Tommy's famous Bacon Box, then share either a 20-ounce chateaubriand, 20-ounce beef Wellington, or two 10-ounce filets mignon. Roasted Brussels sprouts, creamed spinach, and B&B mac and cheese are also included.

For dessert, linger over chocolate cake, New York cheesecake, or an artisan cheese selection with truffle-infused honey.

All meals are made-to-order, so you must reserve at least 24 hours in advance. You can indulge beginning February 13 and all the way through February 16.

Each two-person meal costs $130 plus tax, while the flowers come in three pricing tiers: $85 for a bubble bowl of six roses, $155 for a bubble bowl of 12 roses, and $195 for a dozen long-stemmed roses. Call 832-767-4828 to place your order.

Unlike most eateries, which just make their regular menu available, The Butcher Shop at B&B curates special occasion meals, platters, and other spreads that bring the taste of this acclaimed restaurant home. So if you miss this one, be sure to check back for summer holiday grilling packages, plus decadent Thanksgiving and Christmas to-go menus later in the year.

B&B Butchers has a three-course meal to-go, complete with flowers and chocolates.

Photo by Bonner Rhae Photography

B&B Butchers has a three-course meal to-go, complete with flowers and chocolates.

holidays dinner wine promoted

service switcheroo

Street food-inspired Houston restaurant swaps counter service for servers

Photo by Andrew Hemingway

Traveler's Cart is add new dishes to its menu, including steak frites and chicken parm.

A globally-inspired Houston restaurant is making a big change to its service model. Traveler’s Cart will switch from counter service to full service beginning this Monday, November 17.

When owners Thy and Matthew Mitchell opened Traveler’s Cart last year as a more casual sister concept to Traveler’s Table, their globally-inspired Montrose restaurant, they decided counter service would match the restaurant’s street food-inspired menu and lower price point. With a year of experience, they’ve decided full service — where diners sit down and order from a server — will improve the customer experience in a number of ways.

First, they noticed that some of their online reviews go to great lengths to explain the ordering process. Moving to traditional table service will elimination that confusion.

“We want to be like a great brasserie or izakaya where people come and enjoy food and drinks at a reasonable price,” Matthew Mitchell tells CultureMap. “There’s a lack of intuitiveness about the process right now. Almost a year in, we’re still having to explain where you go and how you order. That tells you we probably missed the mark.”

He also recognizes that the inherent uncertainty of counter service — people are concerned about how long they’ll have to wait to order and whether a table will be available once they do — limits the restaurant’s appeal as a date night option or for larger groups who want the certainty of having a place to sit.

Even though the restaurant has been a financial success, according to Mitchell, he thinks Traveler’s Cart is missing out on revenue with its counter service model. “I think people order less at the counter. You may not order a cocktail, and you certainly won’t get back up and order more drinks,” he says.

Switching to full service will also help the restaurant’s perceived value. With entrees mostly priced between $15 and $25, the restaurant may feel expensive relative to other fast casual restaurants. Once servers are added, Mitchell thinks diners will appreciate the value, particularly since its prices are about half of sister concept Traveler’s Table.

“I feel like the food quality is outstanding for the price, but when it crosses that $20 or $30 threshold, people perceive it as pricey,” he says.

Traveler’s Cart has other ways to enhance the value of its offering, such as its $18, three-course lunch that includes iced tea or a fountain drink. Happy hour, available Monday through Friday from 3-6 pm, includes $8 cocktails, $3 drafts, $8 small plates, and more.

Along with the new service model, Travelers Cart is updating its menu with a number of new dishes. They include Thai chili queso, Baja shrimp tacos, salmon donburi bowl, chicken parmesan, and steak frites. The cocktail menu has also been refreshed with a Mexican espresso martini and a Tuk Tuk Old Fashioned, named for the vehicle that now sits in front of the restaurant’s entrance.

Recently recognized by the Texas Restaurant Association as Restaurateurs of the Year for the Houston region, the Mitchells hope that these changes will lead to even more success. With the service style refined and the menu dialed in, they’re already looking for another location.

Photo by Andrew Hemingway

Traveler's Cart is add new dishes to its menu, including steak frites and chicken parm.

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