New Punk Food Truck

Feeling hungry, Punk? New food truck with attitude brings fine dining chef credentials

As more and more well-established food trucks open brick and mortar locations in Houston, there's room in the market for new trucks to step up and find a following. One such contender is Gastro Punk.

This two-month old food truck bills itself as serving "American street food with a South Texas attitude." The eye catching design features a punk chicken and full sound system with a TV. More than looks, it takes great food to establish a truck, and Gastro Punk's owners have cooking chops to spare.

Schoenburg hesitates for a bit when asked to define his food but settles on "gastropub food" and "street food from everywhere."

"My wife and I are both fine dining chefs," owner Don Schoenburg tells CultureMap. When Schoenburg and his wife, pastry chef Christina Carter, moved back to Texas after a two-year stint in the British Virgin Islands, he says "I couldn't find anything I wanted to sink my teeth into." Carter encouraged him to open a food truck to do "my kind of food."

Schoenburg hesitates for a bit when asked to define his food but settles on "gastropub food" and "street food from everywhere" as descriptors. He and Carter make all of their own ingredients including barbecue sauce, salsa and pickles. For example, this week the truck will introduce a house-made wild boar bratwurst with homemade sauerkraut on a Slow Dough bun and a duck burger.

There are even a couple of healthy options in the form of an ahi tuna burger and watermelon salad. Also, thanks to Carter's skills, the truck serves its own desserts, which is rare to find in a truck with savory offerings.

In addition to the unusual ingredients, Schoenburg stresses that they cook everything to order. "The quality shows through in the food we serve," he says.

The truck can be found at a variety of spots around town, including dog park bar The Boneyard on Tuesday, Memorial Wine Cellar on Wednesday and Friday and the new food truck park in EaDo on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Follow Gastro Punk on Twitter and Facebook to stay current on times and locations.

Gastro Punk serves freshly made, fine dining style food from its bright green truck.

Gastro Punk Facebook

Gastro Punk serves freshly made, fine dining style food from its bright green truck.

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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