grounds for celebration

Top Houston coffee shop perks up Memorial with new location

Blacksmith is now open at Two Memorial City Plaza.

Courtesy of MetroNational

One of Houston’s most well-regarded coffee shops has opened a second location. Blacksmith recently opened in the Memorial City area.

Located on the ground floor of Two Memorial City Plaza (820 Gessner Road), the new Blacksmith occupies approximately 1,700-square-feet and will serve as an amenity for occupants of the 18-story office tower. Blacksmith opened in 2013 and quickly developed a following with area residents and restaurant workers. Like that original location in Montrose, the Memorial City outpost serves coffees brewed with beans that are sourced from its affiliated roastery, Greenway Coffee.

In addition to a full range of coffee, espresso drinks, and tea, Blacksmith serves biscuits, bagels, tacos, and kolaches. At lunch, customers will find options such as grab-and-go sandwiches, salads, and bowls. Its pastry chef, Christina Au, won Pastry Chef of the Year in the 2022 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.

Blacksmith Christina Au Chef Christina Au won Pastry Chef of the Year in the 2022 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards. Courtesy of Blacksmith

"Our commitment to quality and hospitality mark a perfect fit with MetroNational,” Blacksmith co-founder David Buehrer said in a statement. “We are excited to bring our specialty coffee, breakfast, and lunch items to the greater Memorial community through 820 Gessner."

Blacksmith joins a number of new additions to the Memorial City area. In April, Montrose favorite The Pit Room opened its new location at 10301 Katy Fwy. Goode Company president Levi Goode opened Credence, his Texas-inspired live fire restaurant, in the The McKinley at Memorial City luxury high-rise that’s near the new Blacksmith. Haywire, a Texas-inspired comfort food restaurant that’s part of the Dallas-based FB Society hospitality group, opened in May in the Gateway Memorial City complex.

“Blacksmith’s decision to open a location in Memorial City speaks to MetroNational’s commitment to positioning Memorial City as one of Houston’s top food and beverage destinations,” added executive Danna Diamond. “We are confident that our tenants, residents, and visitors will enjoy Blacksmith’s signature coffee and culinary offerings.”

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