Poke Fever hits Houston

NYC-based poke restaurant brings Instagram-friendly bowls to Heights area

Everywhere you look, a poke restaurant seems to be opening. From Ono Poke in Montrose to Pokeology in Rice Village and Pokii Eatery and North Shore Poke in west Houston, Houston has developed full blown poke fever.

The trend shows no signs of slowing down. Seaside Poke will open soon in EaDo and is rumored to be joining Snooze: An AM Eatery at the Lowell Street Market development in the Heights.

Later this year, one of New York City’s favorite poke destinations will enter the mix. After teasing its imminent arrival late last year, Pokéworks has confirmed that it has signed a lease to replace a shuttered WhichWich at 213 Heights Blvd, which puts the restaurant in the same Heights-adjacent shopping as Chipotle and near Pi Pizza and the recently opened seafood restaurant Star Fish. If all goes according to plan, the restaurant will open in August.

Pokéworks manager Jay Gerber tells CultureMap in an email that the restaurant features the same Chipotle-style serving line as most of the other new wave poke shops but sets itself apart by making a commitment to serving sustainable seafood and offering a more diverse array of toppings that includes macadamia nuts, lotus root chips, and masago.

This video describes the company’s “Poke Your Way” approach and also features some fairly filthy poke porn.

The restaurant serves its poke both in traditional bowls, as a salad over lettuce, or Instagram-friendly poke burritos. To give diners the opportunity to sample authentic Hawaiian flavors, Pokéworks has also partnered with a Maui native, celebrity chef and Top Chef alum Sheldon Simeon, to develop bowls labeled “Signature Works” that combine specific ingredients.

It’s that photo-friendly appearance that drew Gerber to the restaurant. As soon as he saw a photo of the company’s dishes online, the Houston native added it to his dining agenda when he visited New York.

“I finally got that chance to go to New York, (where I) visited the very first location and tried it out for myself,” Gerber writes. “That experience far exceeded my expectations and I knew right then and there that I had to bring it back to my hometown.”

Given the city’s full blown poke fever and the company’s track record of success — it already has locations in Massachusetts, California, and Seattle — Pokéworks looks to be another intriguing addition to this year’s hottest food trend. The company certainly hopes so; Gerber confirms he’s already scouting for additional locations.

Have poke burrito your way.

Courtesy photo

Have poke burrito your way.

openings the-heights

bring on barnaby's

Favorite Houston comfort food spot picks Garden Oaks for 10th location

Courtesy of Barnaby's Cafe

Barnaby's Cafe is coming to the Stomping Grounds this fall.

Earlier this week, real estate developer Bryan Danna promised “big news…very soon” about a new tenant for the former LuLoo’s Day & Night space at his Stomping Grounds development in Garden Oaks. That news is that Houston favorite Barnaby’s Cafe has claimed the space for a new location that will open later this year.

When a Barnaby’s decal appear on the restaurant’s door a couple of days ago, news of the restaurant’s imminent arrival spread quickly on social media. It will be Barnaby’s tenth location, joining outposts in Montrose, River Oaks, the Heights, and more.

The restaurant will occupy a 2,250-square-foot space at the Stomping Grounds. It will offer a to-go window for people hanging out in the development’s green space as well as a gated, dog-friendly patio. Houston artist Roberto Cervantes will contribute works to the restaurant’s interior.

Founded in 1992 by restaurateur Jeff Gale, Barnaby’s is known for its wide-ranging and affordable menu of classic American fare, including salads, sandwiches, breakfast items, and dinner entrees. Customer favorites include the Lebanese chicken fattoush salad, chipotle black bean burger, baby back ribs, and green eggs, which are scrambled with spinach and artichoke hearts. Dogs can snack on a special “puppy menu” of ground beef, sliced chicken breast, or scrambled eggs over brown rice.

Stomping Grounds green space A to-go window will expedite orders for people in the Stomping Grounds' green space.Courtesy of Stomping Grounds

“Bringing Barnaby’s to Garden Oaks and Oak Forest has been on my wish list for more than a decade, so I’m incredibly grateful that Jeff Gale and his team saw Stomping Grounds as the right fit,” Danna said in a statement. “Jeff and I go back to his first Heights location, which was one of Barnaby’s first big moves north of Montrose, and I have always respected what he and his longtime team have built. Thirty years in the restaurant business is a serious accomplishment. You do not make it that long unless you know how to take care of people, build loyalty, and become part of the neighborhood.”

When it opens this fall, Barnaby’s will be open daily from 11 am to 9 pm. It will join other restaurants at the Stomping Grounds, including Fat Cat Creamery, Tex-Mex restaurant La Mex, Bollo Woodfired Pizza, casual sushi restaurant Himari, Little Sister Cake Shop, and High Five Mini Bar. Earlier this week, casual Vietnamese restaurant Pho Prime announced that it had claimed the space formerly occupied by The Pho Fix for a new location that will also open this fall.

news-you-can-eat openings stomping grounds barnaby's cafe