uncommonly good

Favorite Houston cafe opens in Tanglewood with cookies, burgers, and more

This week brings good news for Tanglewood residents who are feeling slighted by the departures of Local Foods and Dish Society. The neighborhood’s new Common Bond has arrived.

The locally-owned bakery and cafe quietly opened its new bistro location last week. As CultureMap reported in January, the restaurant claimed the former Local Foods space (5740 San Felipe Street, Suite 130) for its fifth bistro location, joining Montrose, the Heights, West U./Medical Center, and City Place.

“When the opportunity came to us to open a Common Bond Bistro & Bakery in Tanglewood, it was a natural fit,” executive chef Jason Gould said in a statement. “We were receiving constant requests from the community to open a bistro in the Tanglewood, Briargrove, and Memorial area, so here we are.”

The 5,500-square-foot restaurant, including a mezzanine level with additional seating, serves Common Bond’s full menu of sweet and savory items for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That starts with favorites like soft scrambled eggs and shrimp and grits in the morning, a Nashville hot chicken sandwich at lunch, and steak frites at dinner. The extensive pastry selection features chocolate chip cookies, croissants and other viennoiserie, macarons, and cakes.

Along with those familiar items, executive chef Jason Gould has added a number of new items that will also appear at Common Bond’s other Bistro locations. That starts with three burgers: Classic Bistro, Bacon BBQ, and Mushroom Goat Cheese. Diners will also find new dinner entrees such as cavatappi pasta with black pepper sausage, tomato sauce, roasted red peppers, pistou, and fresh basil.

Notably, it’s the first Common Bond bistro to open since owner George Joseph partnered with Garza Management to manage the restaurant’s day-to-day operations. The company is looking to expand into new markets, such as The Woodlands, Austin, and Dallas, according to press materials. Back in January, Garza Management COO Andrew Miller told CultureMap they see opportunities to expand Common Bond On-The-Go, the company’s quick service offering that typically includes a drive-thru.

Photo by Andrew Hemingway

Common Bond is now open in Tanglewood.

“There’s a niche market for quality coffee with quality food and quality pastries,” Miller said at the time. “We look at what’s coming into the market. They’re not really offering quality options. We believe we can execute at a high level on the quality of our offerings but also expand to where people who are on the move can get through the drive-thru quickly.”

The past couple of weeks have been a busy time for Garza Management. In addition to opening a new Common Bond, the company also welcomed Houston's fifth El Bolillo at the corner of the Southwest Freeway and Fountain View Drive.

breakfast dinner lunch news-you-can-eat openings tanglewood

one last squeeze

Ben Berg's New York-inspired, fancy burger joint will soon shutter

Photo by Leah Wilson

undefined

The original location of Ben Berg’s fancy burger joint will soon serve its last meal. B.B. Lemon on Washington Avenue will close after service on Sunday, June 1, the restaurant announced on social media.

In response to CultureMap’s request for comment about the decision, a representative provided a statement that reads in part:

“It is never an easy decision to close a restaurant,” Berg said. “The love Houston has shown B.B. Lemon-Washington over the years is what made it such a special place. Thank you for making us part of your everyday moments and life celebrations.”

The statement continues that the restaurant is “no longer part of our strategic plan,” referring to Berg’s company, Berg Hospitality Group. However, the location of B.B Lemon that opened last year in the downtown tunnels will remain open.

Open since late 2018, B.B. Lemon takes inspiration from iconic New York City restaurant JG Melon, including its signature green-and-white checked tablecloths. Thanks to a spacious patio and a lively atmosphere, B.B. Lemon soon found favor with area residents and downtown office workers, who made it a happy hour favorite.

Like its decor, B.B. Lemon’s menu also takes inspiration from the East Coast. In addition to a diner-style, wagyu cheeseburger, the restaurant serves an array of comfort food that includes fish and chips, a lobster roll, and blue crab beignets.

Berg’s decision to close B.B. Lemon follows last year’s closure of Benny Chows, its New York-inspired Chinese American restaurant. In January, the company closed NoPo Cafe to make way for a new location of Bagel Bob’s HTX.

The group also opened three new concepts in 2024: live fire steakhouse Prime 131, retro diner Buttermilk Baby, and upscale steakhouse Turner’s Cut. It will open a second location of Buttermilk Baby in Sugar Land this summer.

news-you-can-eat closings