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    Cafe Express

    3.1 (185 reviews)
    ModerateSandwiches, Cafes, Salad
    Closed 10:30 am - 10:00 pm

    Order Cafe Express Takeout or Delivery

    Cafe Express Photos

    Business Info

    CAFE EXPRESS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Cafe Express

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    Mark W.

    One of the better fast casual concept that started in Houston, the food here is Mediterranean flavor. You order at the front and they will bring the food out to you, you will get your own drink and the free olives, garlics, and pickle, and your silverwares. The food comes out pretty fast. The price for the quality of the food is on point, I usually get the Cafe Duo combo, you choose a sandwiches and a soup or a salad. Creamy Potato Soup and Half Chicken Pesto on Ciabatta are my favorites so far here. The cafe feels like you are at a coastal town in the Mediterranean Sea.

    Tania M.

    So I got hungry after a morning of running errands and stumbled upon this place. I had such a good experience. A quiet delicious lunch. Simple but great. I had a BLT and let me tell ya. The bacon was a thick girl!!! The orzo soup portion was perfect enough. The wait staff was so good they anticipated patrons needs from what I observed. Great experience with a smile and a gentle greeting. Definitely my new soup and sandwich spot. Though a little on the pricier for that selection.

    Mediterranean Salmon
    Joseph M.

    I come here after my workout at least twice a week and haven't had an issue until I tried their new salmon item. I was served a slab of salmon that was still raw in the middle, and only realized after I had already eaten some. I brought it up to the staff and they solely recooked the plate and served it back to me. Unsanitary and unsafe for those with sensitive stomachs. I should not have to worry about my food being half prepared with how high their prices are. Additionally, their salmon had many bones inside which made it annoying to manage. Unfortunately, I do not wish to comeback solely due to their quality of food. Two stars.

    Jando S.

    My initial experiences with Cafe Express were not great, mainly due to lackluster food and service. However, I'm all for second (#1) chances and wanted to give them another shot for their seasonal menu, family style packages, and slightly renovated interior. The good news is that the food has improved but the bad news is the service is still a total crapshoot. The casual format is still the same: order in the front, get a number assigned, and someone will eventually bring over the food. The parking is a shared lot with ample spaces and the interior is clean with plenty of natural lighting. There's a lot of room to stretch since it's so spacious, there's a lot of room for all parties from solo diners to large groups. While the food is still very much of the cafeteria style quality that others have noted, it is at least improved as compared to the stuff I had before. Their sandwiches are basic, but the toasted turkey club ($11) i a solid pick as is their classic tuna sandwich ($9). The salads have fared better for me personally, as I've enjoyed their shrimp + avocado ($16) and triple deli ($16) which combines tuna salad, chicken salad, and pesto pasta in one single bowl. Many of their entrees have chicken and salmon, so for anyone looking for something different might enjoy their angus cheddar burger ($14), which comes with fries. The staff is usually very young and not the most personable group. I've been served someone else's order several times and the cashiers are usually a bit disconnected with the interaction. This varies from day to day of course, but I think this is their biggest area of improvement. Overall, I've been here for WiFi work lunches as well as easy meetings over food when in River Oaks. It's still a solid casual option where the buck doesn't break the bank, but hoping the service will kick it up a notch. __________ (#1) Or in this case, fifths*.

    New Mediterranean Chicken Bowl
    Lucía B.

    So delicious! The seating area was nicely decorated; I loved the natural lighting coming from all the windows. We received our food fast and the Mediterranean bowl was really refreshing.

    Triple deli salad
    Rebecca B.

    Clean, fresh, delicious! Open and airy atmosphere with friendly and laid back staff. My new go to spot since Zoe's Kitchens closed down. Will be a new regular at this classic and redefined casual yet classy establishment.

    Basil Pesto Chicken
    Noah H.

    Great experience. Walked in, guy at the register was ready to help, I asked him some of his favorites, ended up with the basil pesto chicken with garlic mashed potatoes and spinach. Well priced. Food came out in about 5 minutes. Super tasty. They also had a sort of bar for extra flavors so I grabbed some olives and giardiniera. Was in and out in 15-20 minutes. The place itself was busy as well as this was peak lunch hour. Really impressed w just how fast everything was but still great quality. Ambiance was bright, open design. Cant complain about anything, 5/5.

    Edward E.

    A few weeks ago, I took my residents from The Landing at Augusta Woods (a Frontier Senior Living community in Spring) to this location, before a show at Stages. I was VERY hesitant to take them here, as I know how busy the shopping center gets - and taking a bus full of seniors doesn't sound like the easiest thing to do, especially around 5pm!! However, I was COMPLETELY wrong! EVERY team member there went ABOVE AND BEYOND with all of us - holding the door for us, escorting residents in wheelchairs, cracking jokes, etc. My residents truly felt spoiled and part of the family. The team definitely provided AMAZING service! "What did we do to deserve all this attention?" One of my residents asked me. Thank you Cafe Express for providing such a joyous and memorable evening

    Inside Cafe Express
    Kerry C.

    I love what the remodeling folks at the Cafe Express on West Gray in Houston did to the old place. It's new, bright, spacious, and very user friendly. Condiments are great, the salad bar even better but what really stands out most of all is the Manager, Josh and the customer service by attendants Diago, and Samuel. Beautiful outdoor/indoor seating! Power outlets! Only downside is -- no coffee! But they are working on that! I love going to this place now. It puts Panera Bakery, Corner Bakery to shame. You'll thank so too.

    What order looked like on their website

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    13 years ago

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    7 years ago

    yummy! clean restaurant as far as i can tell. prices are reasonable, but that's across the board with cafe express.

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    14 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Business owner information

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    Jesse Z.

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    12 years ago

    Easy parking and a nice patio to eat.

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    10 years ago

    Love the food here. I always get the pasta dishes. Omg...and i add a few condiments with the bread sticks. So good i crave this place. Lol

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    10 years ago

    Had lunch combo. Petite tuna sandwich and Greek salad. Salad was swimming in dressing; therefore couldn't eat. Sandwich was good.

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    12 years ago

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    14 years ago

    Rude manager at breakfast. Don't come if u want good service.

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    12 years ago

    The place is a little dark, the staff is friendly and polite. The food is good, drinks are ok. Overall the place is ok.

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    Page 4 of 5

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    Abdallah’s Lebanese Cafe

    Abdallah’s Lebanese Cafe

    4.6
    (101 reviews)
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    We came here for an impromptu lunch after running weekend errands nearby at Total Wine and Home…read moreDepot. I had heard great things about the cafe at this new location, and had even tried their former location on Hillcroft a couple years ago as part of TooGoodToGo. While the concept is casual, the restaurant itself is very polished and feels like an upscale cafe. There is plenty of seating indoors as well as a huge patio outdoors. We opted to sit on the patio on a (rare) nice Houston day. The tables were spacious and the patio seating was very comfortable. We ordered the Kofta Kabob and Chicken Kabob specialty platters. These platters come with your choice of two sides - we went for the Fried Cauliflower, Tabouli Salad, Hummus, and Muhammara. The meats were so good and hit the spot. The Kofta Kabob had a complexity of flavor to it; so many spices that blended together really well. I will say that the post-meal burps of these spices were...smellier than usual. The Chicken Kabob was also flavorful and had a nice smokiness to it from the grill. I liked the slight crunch provided by the char along the edges. If I knew how to make chicken like this, it would be my daily meal prep! The Fried Cauliflower had a nice sear to it with lots of flavor. The Tabouli Salad and Hummus were comparable to those I've had at other Mediterranean places. The Muhammara was my favorite of the sides! It is a dip like hummus but also incorporates tomatoes, red bell peppers, and onions, among other spices; there was so much flavor to it and I could snack on this all day. The included pita bread was large, fluffy, and piping hot - perfect for dipping between the two side dips we got. Service was quick and friendly. The employee taking our order behind the counter was friendly and gave us the recommendation for the Muhammara - great rec. When our food was brought out and we had questions on some of the ingredients, the staff was very knowledgeable and knew right away what everything was.

    What a delightful surprise on our first visit to Abdallah's after having so many bland,…read moredisappointing meals at some other Middle Eastern places in the Heights area. The food is flavorful and seems more authentic as it's family owned and staff is very welcoming, helpful and friendly. We went on Saturday, got two Combo Dinners as you choose two mains and two sides. My husband got chicken and beef kafta with sides of hummus and fried cauliflower and I had beef kabob and beef kafta with sides of baba ganoush and greek salad. Upon delivery to our table (you order at counter) I was pleased to see the generous portion sizes then as we dug in, the flavors were yum! Even though there with many people there, there was plenty of seating and a nice sized patio we should have sat and enjoyed the cool breeze as it's on the East side of the restaurant. I don't think beer/wine or available so it's probably BYOB, didn't ask. The sweets looked really good. Abddallah's will certainly be one of our regular dining spots from now on. We should have tried it sooner!

    Photos
    Counter area
    Counter area
    Kibbe balls, Chicken Shawarma Plate, Baklava, Pita Bread, Fries Large, Fattoush Salad, Grape Leaves, Fried Cauliflower Small
    Kibbe balls, Chicken Shawarma Plate, Baklava, Pita Bread, Fries Large, Fattoush Salad, Grape Leaves, Fried Cauliflower Small
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    Local Foods

    Local Foods

    4.5
    (458 reviews)
    2.1 mi
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    Came here for brunch on a Sunday. I am a huge fan of Farm…read more44 beef got the steak and eggs! Potatoes and fried hard eggs plus sautéed spinach was delicious. Spoke with Bobby about the char being a little much he accommodated me with a steak cooked on flat top rather then open flame. Absolutely fantastic!!! I will be back service was amazing line moved fast. This place is busy on the weekends! Strawberry lemonade was delicious!! Amazing ambiance and super customer service. Once again Bobby was such a kind soul and made sure everything came out perfectly!!! Thank you local foods

    This is a top favorite of mine,I've been a regular for over a year and they never disappoint I…read morebring my friends and family and they've all loved it, I love that they use local and fresh ingredients and you can tell in the quality of the flavor and the richness. The drinks are also good coffee and the bar section is solid. I used to finish my running (walking trail right in front) and stop by for a coffee or full breakfast. The patio area is my favorite if Houston's weather is blessing us I'm always sitting outside I usually get the CRUNCHY" CHICKEN sandwich with either side of Pozole or the chips so crispy and made in the moment. I've had other items the burger the salad the salmon they've always been fees and flavorful, I cannot recommend one thing because everything tastes great! Best place for a cute date or get together with friends family this place has it all! Check out their seasonal items they're always changing and they absolutely worth trying ****** GREEN POZOLE!!' I was surprised on how good it was sorry for doubting it's now my too favorite pozole in Houston ****** (approved by a Mexican ajuaaa )

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    My fave, crunchy chicken with potato chips & kale salad
    My fave, crunchy chicken with potato chips & kale salad
    Avocado and egg toast with a side of potato salad

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    Avocado and egg toast with a side of potato salad
    World Famous Second Slice Sandwich Shop

    World Famous Second Slice Sandwich Shop

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    3.7 mi

    The best sandwich I've had in a while! It's counter service and looks pretty no-frills, but the…read moreItalian Club was super flavorful and perfectly toasted with melty cheese...yum! It's in a cool multi use building with pretty easy parking.

    I wish I can give zero stars for this place because they deserve after this experience. It was a…read morebusy day at Iron Works and we wanted to grab something to eat. My partner wanted to grab lunch here so we tried for the first time this place. We got a simple sandwich and elote which the staff said it should take 15-20 mins. We waited and waited it past 40+ mins and I went to ask. - First was that they lost our order number and they couldn't find it. - Second the manager began to say our order was taken by someone else and then that my partner grabbed it. Switching her words back and forth and not believing what we had said. I asked how did we grab our stuff if I still have the device to notify when our food is ready. - Third she completely stopped talking to us and went to go help at other customers. I told her we want our money back and she said, "well I'm not going to refund for the drinks you had". Ma'am, that's not how you run a business. Just admit you messed up and take ownership of your mistakes to help a customer out. - Fourth she mentioned that other tickets have been lost today and other foods have been stolen before. This just shows how disorganized this placed is. We were able to ask for our money back but it was a battle about it. I was disappointed because we wanted to support your business but at this service? Heck no! Do not come here. And from reading other reviews now we did not miss on the food.

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    Second Slice
    Second Slice
    World Famous Second Slice Sandwich Shop
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    Fiora’s Bottle Shop

    Fiora’s Bottle Shop

    4.8
    (35 reviews)
    0.8 mi

    This is a nice spot in the Montrose collective! Wine selection is excellent, I really enjoyed the…read moreSavignon Blanc that I had. Beet labneh was tasty! Sandwiches took awhile to come out because there was a kitchen issue (something about the gas not working so they were dealing with slower electronic equipment) but they warned us about it. Only one guy working the room but he was hustling! The sandwiches were tasty but kind of tiny, you would definitely need more if you wanted a full meal.

    Wow I'm really impressed…read more Cute spot, nice location. Able to snag some outdoor seating and people watch. Delightful wine menu. Wines I have never heard about, so I was able to venture out... not the typical "Duckhorn" which seems to be everywhere lol. The interior is finely decorated. Much character throughout the entire restaurant including the restrooms. I love when there is some much thought put into a lavatory. It's picture perfect - selfie perfect. Had a small menu, but what I tried for happy hour was very appetizing. I stuck with the hummus, I'm not a meat eater and couldn't do the dairy in the Beet Labneh. The hummus was AHMAZING. I could have licked my plate. Where am I? Heaven. Staff is super nice and attentive. Owner or Manager (?) came out several times for small talk. Anyways. I will be back. With friends. Before I wrote this reviews I checked in with friends and let them know how my adventure went. We are securing dates and times. Do yourself a favor and just visit!

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    Venue
    Venue
    Fiora’s Bottle Shop
    Fiora’s Bottle Shop

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    PrimoHoagies

    PrimoHoagies

    4.1
    (96 reviews)
    1.1 mi

    One of my favorite sandwiches in all of Houston. PrimoHoagies is my kryptonite. I can't tell you…read morehow many times this place has been my cheat meal. My order is perfection: Italian with vinegar & oil, mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and hot peppers. The Italian comes with prosciutto, hot capicola, genoa salami, and provolone cheese. The signature seeded bread is tasty all on its own, but also crusty enough to hold up to the mayo/vinegar/oil situation happening inside. Adding hot peppers gives it just the right amount of kick to keep things interesting. And even though the sandwich is basically as long as my forearm, it never feels overly heavy or dense while you're eating it. I always tell myself I'll just eat half. Next thing you know, I've devoured the whole thing and I'm sitting there pretending to be shocked. Their sandwiches are simple in the best way. No gimmicks, no unnecessary frills, just good bread, good meats, and the right balance of oil, vinegar, crunch, spice, and salt. Houston has plenty of great food, but a proper hoagie is not always easy to find. PrimoHoagies scratches that itch perfectly. If you're in need of a proper hoagie, how can you go wrong with a place literally called PrimoHoagies?

    Sandwiches are kind of soggy. The bread could be a bit crispier to be able to hold the ingredients…read moreof an italian sub, which tend to be wet (oil, vinegar, mozz, pickled veggies, etc. The brocolli rabe is overcooked and not fresh. The location itself is clean. It's kind of an in-and-out vibe, very straightforward. The mozzarella cheese is good, and the service is friendly and quick.

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    PrimoHoagies
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    Ike's Love & Sandwiches

    Ike's Love & Sandwiches

    3.7
    (366 reviews)
    2.6 mi
    $$

    I'm glad we have Ike's Love & Sandwiches all the from San Francisco in Houston and wouldn't mind…read morehaving more locations in town. This is the one and only location here and a great stop for all kinds of sandwiches. Their menu includes innovative offerings and iconic flavors, essentially the best of both worlds. If you're craving a classic or simple sandwich, you can get that. However, if you're looking for something special or out of this world, you can also get it. Ike's specializes in sandwiches with their Dutch Crunch bread and Dirty Sauce, both unique in its own way. Whether you're a meat lover, vegetarian, vegan, or on a gluten-free diet, their menu has it all. I personally am not a super fan of the Dutch Crunch bread since I find it a bit too harsh on the palate and somewhat dry, but love the Dirty Sauce (make it extra or on the side). I enjoy subbing the Dutch Crunch with either French or Sourdough. With over 300 unique sandwiches on the menu, there's a sandwich for everyone. My favorites have been the Menage A Trois (halal chicken, honey mustard, BBQ Sauce, real honey, pepper jack, swiss, cheddar), Ike's Reuben (pastrami, mack Sauce, purple slaw, gouda), Joker (all beef meatballs, fried zucchini, Ike's red pesto, ranch), and Grant Pinkerton, a Houston exclusive (Pinkerton Brisket, pastrami, BBQ aioli, provolone). All of my sandwiches have been stuffed and tasty, worth it! However, I find some menu items to be subpar in quality and flavor (chicken strips). The service is typically quick, efficient, and friendly. There are more than a handful of tables inside and some out on the patio. The shared parking lot can get very crowded as it is packed with lots of other businesses.

    Here's a polished Google review version that keeps it honest but ends strong:…read more Review: I've been an occasional customer since this place first opened. Honestly, in the beginning it was pretty rough, slow service, incorrect orders, and the sandwiches just weren't as good as what I was used to getting in California. That said, I kept coming back every now and then hoping things would improve, and I'm glad I did. My last few visits have been great. The sandwiches have been fresh and really tasty, and the customer service has been solid. I also spoke with Jose, and he mentioned he's been working hard to turn things around, and it definitely shows. Not sure why they don't have more locations yet, but I hope they expand soon!

    Photos
    Ike's Love & Sandwiches
    Ike's Love & Sandwiches
    Ike's Love & Sandwiches

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    Cafe Express - sandwiches - Updated June 2026

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