Down House Coffee Bar and Restaurant, Houston, TX

photo from the Down House website

This weekend was one of the first "free" weekends we had in a long time!  It was so nice to not have any plans!  We had a totally chill weekend and it was great.  We ended the weekend by going to get dinner in the Heights at this wonderful place called Down House.  For some reason all I have been craving recently was a burger, so I looked up a list of Houston's best burger places and this place popped up.  The menu caught my eye and Andrew's - so we decided to give it a try.

The restaurant itself was chill, low lighting inside, great porch outside with lovely green plants all around.  Totally a hipster feel to the whole place...which usually means good food is sure to follow. : )  We were greeted promptly by a very friendly staff and opted for porch seating since the weather was perfect!

Andrew decided to be adventurous and tried a strange cocktail that was recommended by the waiter...can't remember the name, but it had gin, and mint in it.  I took one sip and decided it tasted like Lysol.  Yuck.  Then again, I am the last person you want giving you drink recommendations since I don't really drink alcohol...pretty sure people who like Gin would like it though.   I am recently on a Ginger Beer kick, and was so happy to see they made their own Ginger Beer!  It was so light and refreshing.

Their menu had some Asian, Mexican, and Mediterranean fusions, but the underlying theme was home cooked - old school - deliciousness.  We were tempted by the other menu options like these:  

• Little Gem Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Chevre, Spicy Walnuts, Mustard Vinaigrette 
• Fried Risotto, Butternut Squash, Crispy Okra, Grapes, Arugula, Baba Ghanoush 
• Shrimp and Grits, Poached Gulf Shrimp, Pho Broth, Bacon, Cilantro, Green Onions, Anson Mills Grits 

We decided to stick to the plan and ordered the Lonestar Burger with a side salad and the Kimchi Burger 
with fries.



We were not disappointed.  

The Challah bun was soft and slightly sweet - they try to get their ingredients local - and the bread was from 
Slow Dough Bread Company.

The sharp white cheddar cheese was from Dairymaids.  The Heirloom tomato was thick and hearty, and the 
lettuce in my salad was so tender and light - so fresh!  The meat was cooked perfectly and the lovely meat 
juices tasted so good soaked up into the bread.

• The Kimchi Burger was different, but good!  The best part was the perfectly cooked sunny side up egg...the waiter suggested flipping it over and cracking the yolk over the kimchi.  Yum.  The fries were nice russet potatoes, very earthy and perfectly cooked.
  
  
  
  
  
  We were tempted to try their bread pudding and warm chocolate chip cookies, but we had crave cupcakes waiting in the car for us.
  
  
  Overall we both really liked the restaurant and want to go back and try their brunch out.  The prices were slightly higher than other burger places, but for the high quality of the ingredients - $15/burger was definitely worth it.  The service was great, and our waiter was very helpful and you could tell he wanted us to really enjoy our dining experience.
  
  
  My favorite part was they brought us our check in a book - yes, an actual book.  Now the book choice wasn't my favorite - some weird Darwin book, but you have to love the creative idea even if you don't like the book. : )
  
  
  Nice job Down House...If I had 5 stars to give you - you would have them.  You just gained 2 new happy customers : )
  
  

  

  photo from the Down House website
  
  If you are in the Heights stop by and enjoy a delicious meal!
  1801 YALE STREET • HOUSTON, TX 77008