Backstreet Cafe

Jason and I knew of this place because it has some relation to Hugo’s. We also found numerous Chowhound recommendations for Backstreet Cafe. The prices were very good, considering the quality of the food. I would describe it as upscale Tex-Mex bistro food, but at Cheesecake Factory prices. You can’t go wrong!

When we first were seated (which was immediately), we received this:

Delicious breakfast pastries instead of a bread basket! They were good, but I tried not to eat much because I didn’t want to get full before the food arrived.

For our appetizer, we split bacon-wrapped quail on a bed of stone-ground jalapeno cheese grits:

Really, really good. The quail was prepared perfectly, the bacon was savory, lightly crisped, fatty and juicy. The grits were amazing! They were coarsely ground and the jalapeno and cheese weren’t overdone. I want to taste this dish again and again.

Jason’s dish: shredded pork and potato hash with poached eggs, avocado, and tomatillo salsa:

This reminds me: potatoes in Texas taste far better than any potatoes I’ve ever had anywhere else. I usually don’t like potatoes (for example: I don’t like CA burritos), but every potato dish I’ve had in Texas has had what I claim are the best potatoes ever. I don’t know what it is - I think they’re a different type of potato. They look like Yukon golds, but I have no idea what they really are. For some reason, they taste like the best things ever. I have become a potato-lover in Texas, but now I have to remember to not eat potatoes anywhere else if I want to avoid an unpleasant surprise. I wonder if Texans eat potatoes in other places and think, “Oh, these must have gone bad…”

My dish: Bistro Breakfast - grilled 4 oz tenderloin served with two poached eggs, rosemary potato cake, spinach and tomato hollandaise:

When I first saw the plate, I thought, “Aww, this looks like a miss.” But then I tasted it and was in heaven. Again, the potatoes. That potato rosemary cake was unbelievably delicious. The tenderloin was perfectly prepared (I asked for it rare), and while the asparagus was a little tired, I thoroughly enjoyed my dish. The eggs were nice and yolky and had a slow run to them, more goop than liquid (which was a good thing!). But my favorite part of the plate was the rosemary potato cake.

I will return to this place, as I was delighted with the food. I will warn you that the food takes a long time to come out. This may be because each dish is made to order; it can also be due to the fact that this place gets crowded quickly. The coffee was all right - our waiter was too harried to refill our cups, and the coffee wasn’t as good as the kind at Raven Grill. I forgot to mention that at Raven Grill, the coffee comes with tiny house-made cookies!

Backstreet Cafe

1103 S Shepherd Drive

Houston, TX 77019

713.521.2239