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    take it slow

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

    Eric Sandler
    Oct 18, 2023 | 3:05 pm

    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.

    Slowpokes breakfast food spread

    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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    What's Eric Eating Episode 584

    Beard Award-winning Latin chef dishes on big Houston move and menu overhaul

    CultureMap Staff
    Sep 11, 2026 | 4:32 pm
    Exilio Latin Flair Douglas Rodriguez
    Courtesy of Exilio Latin Flair
    James Beard Award winner Douglas Rodriguez is the executive chef of Exilio Latin Flair.

    On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” chef Douglas Rodriguez and Bari Hospitality Group co-owner Pedro Teyuca join CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss Exilio Latin Flair, the company’s pan-Latin restaurant in Montrose.



    Opened in April in the former Verde Garden space, Exilio recently recruited Rodriguez to serve as executive chef and revamp its menu. Known as the “Godfather of Nuevo Latino Cuisine,” the chef brings an impressive resume to his role, including winning Rising Star Chef in the 1996 James Beard Awards, competing on season one of Top Chef Masters, and earning a Recommended designation in the Michelin Guide for Nikos, a Greek restaurant in Durham, NC. As he explains in the episode, he and Bari co-owner Tommy Nally first developed the idea for Exilio when they worked together in Vegas, so he jumped at the opportunity to bring the restaurant to life.

    Rodriguez just rolled out a new menu for Exilio that includes a total revamp of the restaurant’s ceviches and entrees. Specific dishes include tuna watermelon ceviche, mixto seafood ceviche with leche de tigre, Colombian-style chicken empanadas, snapper Veracruz, and a smoked ribeye.

    “The sauce is made with panca peppers (Peruvian red pepper), watermelon juice, yuzu juice. Then it’s slices of tuna and slices of watermelon. I kind of single them,” Rodriguez says about the tuna watermelon ceviche. “The sauce has red onion, Thai basil, tarragon, a herb you don’t usually find in a ceviche. It’s very light, refreshing, herbaceous — hits a lot of different areas in the palate for a simple, two ingredient dish.”

    The chef adds that he’s been getting to know Houston through its restaurants. He cites Mala Sichuan and Hugo’s as two places that have impressed him. He also hails Love Croissants, whose owner, chef Omar Pereney, worked for Rodriguez prior to moving to Houston.

    “I have a long list of places to explore, and I’m excited that this is a big food city,” Rodriguez adds. “I haven’t been to Maximo yet. That’s at the top of my list. I’m excited to be here and get people into the restaurant to try the food.”

    For his part, Teyuca provides an update on Bari’s plans to open a second location in The Woodlands later in September. He also shares exciting news about the company’s plans to add a sushi bar to the lounge above Georgia James, the Montrose steakhouse it purchased from Underbelly Hospitality in 2024.

    -----

    Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hear it Sunday at 8 am on ESPN 97.5.

    Exilio Latin Flair Douglas Rodriguez

    Courtesy of Exilio Latin Flair

    James Beard Award winner Douglas Rodriguez is the executive chef of Exilio Latin Flair.

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