take it slow

Locally loved coffee shop brews up fifth outpost at bustling west Houston hub

A growing locally owned coffee shop and cafe will bring its fifth Houston-area location to west Houston. Slowpokes will debut in the spring at On The Trails, a 24-acre mixed-use development from McNair Interests.

Photo by Becca Wright

Slowpokes is open for breakfast daily.

The new Slowpokes will be part of an apartment building that’s currently under construction next to a Remy On The Trails, a midrise development. All told, the cafe will serve as an amenity for 550 combined units.

First opened in Garden Oaks in 2016 by owner Mazen Baltagi — a Houstonian hospitality veteran who’s a partner in establishments such as Christian’s Tailgate and the Warwick — Slowpokes has grown to locations in Upper Kirby, Spring Branch, and West University.

“There is an element of discovery with this site that intrigued us,” Baltagi said in a statement. “McNair Interests has created a beautiful environment that perfectly aligns with our mission of creating unique spaces for customers to chill out and slow down. They have also been integral in helping to achieve a wonderful sense of place with many thoughtful touches that will benefit both residents and visitors.”

Slowpokes has developed a devoted following thanks to its combination of coffee, beer, and wine that are paired with a diverse food menu built around sandwiches, flatbread pizzas, and breakfast items. Those three beverages are represented by three mascots: a turtle named Mash (beer), a snail named Tasker Alexander (wine), and a sloth named Patches (coffee).

Diners will find baked good from local suppliers including Cake and Bacon, Michael’s Cookie Jar, Sinfull Bakery, Kraftsmen Baking, and Slow Dough Bread Co. Pair them with coffee, wines by-the-glass or bottle, loose leaf teas, kombucha, or locally brewed craft beer.

Designed by local firm MaRS, the interior will feature tile walls, polished concrete floors. And a steel planter divider. To better serve residents, it will supplement its familiar menu with market items such as toiletries and retail wines. The cafe will seat 40 inside with room for 30 on a covered patio.

Located on Deerwood Road at 400 West Sam Houston Parkway South, On The Trails is a residential development that features a three-acre lake, a fitness center, and communal workspaces. A location near Terry Hershey Park and Buffalo Bayou means its near hike and bike trails.

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a CultureMap Exclusive

Houston's 'Chinese takeout bar from the future' touches down in Webster

Courtesy of The Rice Box

A rendering previews The Rice Box's new location in Webster.

Houston’s Chinese takeout bar from the future is coming to the Bay Area. The sixth location of The Rice Box will open in Webster later this summer.

Located at 114 El Dorado Blvd, the new location will be called Rice Box Space Center after NASA’s headquarters at the nearby Johnson Space Center. Founder John Peterson tells CultureMap that it’s a bit of a homecoming for him and his wife/business partner, Jenny Vo, as they grew up in the area. As with every new location, the restaurant created a movie-style poster to announce its opening.

Rice Box Webster movie poster The Rice Box Space Center is expected to open later this summer.Courtesy of The Rice Box

For its first truly suburban location, Peterson plans to offer a more efficient pickup system for to-go orders. Dubbed The Rice Box Pickup Reactors, the system applies Rice Box’s sci-fi aesthetic to curbside ordering. As seen in the rendering above, the building will have six slots that drivers will pull into to get their orders.

“The goal is to have guests in and out with food in hand in around 90 seconds,” Peterson writes in an email. “It’s still pickup, but we’re trying to make that moment feel more intentional and more connected to the digital side of Rice Box instead of treating it like an afterthought. We’re looking at this opening as both a new store and a prototype for how Rice Box can work in more suburban markets without losing the part of the brand that makes it feel like us.”

Bay Area-area diners can expect the same menu as the Rice Box’s other locations. That includes staples such as General Tso’s chicken, sesame chicken, beef with broccoli, and orange peel beef. The restaurant also serves traditional Chinese-inspired fare such as Chongqing chicken, cumin beef, mapo tofu, and chow fun noodles.

Recently, Peterson rolled out a new version of Rice Box’s dumplings. Available in chicken, pork, or vegetable, each style of dumpling comes with a different wrapper that enhances the filling’s flavor. They’re also available either steamed or fried.

The Rice Box started as a food truck in the early 2010s. After moving to a permanent location in the Greenway Plaza food court, it has opened brick-and-mortar locations in the Heights, River Oaks, Rice Village, and Memorial.

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