G'day, Bay Area Citizens
All-day Montrose cafe pours Aussie culture into new Webster pub
Citizen Rec. will serve dishes such as fish and chips and steak and Guinness pie.
The owners of a Montrose coffee shop and cafe are bringing a taste of Australia to Houston’s Bay Area. Citizen Rec is an all-day concept that blends a daytime coffee shop with an evening pub.
Slated to open this fall, Citizen Rec will be located in Webster near the intersection of I-45 and W. Bay Area Blvd. (19403 Gulf Freeway). The concept is an evolution of Citizen, the Australian-inspired, New York-based restaurant that’s been open in Montrose since 2023.
By day, Citizen Rec will serve the dishes that Citizen is already known for, such as avocado toast, miso-butterscotch banana bread toast, and the Australian big breakfast, a platter that includes two poached eggs, sourdough toast, bacon, chicken sausage, smashed avocado, and hash browns. They’ll be paired with coffee, juices, cocktails, and other sips.
At night, the restaurant will become “a moody gastropub” that serves dishes such as steak and Guinness pie, fish and chips, and shrimp on the barbie cooked over live fire. A “secret” Vegemite menu will match the controversial ingredient with savory dishes. Beer and cocktails will enhance the experience. The pub menu will come to the Montrose location after the Webster location opens.
The restaurant’s decor will further transport diners to Australia with details such as wood paneling, stained-glass lights, and retro Australian artifacts. TVs will play cricket and horse racing, while a wall will pay tribute to various famous Australians.
Diners will also have the opportunity to play two-up, a popular Australian pub game, to win $100 off their bills. Sundays will feature live music, food specials, and other details designed to encourage relaxation.
Australia natives Andrew Geisel and Justin Giuffrida founded Citizen in New York. From there, the concept grew to include an additional New York outpost, plus locations in Houston and Austin.
"Aussie cafes have become a phenomenon globally, and we've loved bringing that to life here in the U.S.," Geisel said in a statement. "We want to further immerse our locals in Aussie culture with our version of a pub, bringing playfulness and adventure to what we hope will become their new favorite spot."
