Baba Yega
American restaurant · Montrose ·
Garden cafe with veggie/vegan options, burgers, and brunch
Garden cafe with veggie/vegan options, burgers, and brunch
"A longtime Montrose establishment known for vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free dishes, Baba Yega was taken over by the Sharifi and Nowamooz family in 2016; after a massive fire in 2018 it closed, but I was told it is expected to reopen soon." - Brittanie Shey
"After the family took over Baba Yega in 2016, I knew the longtime Montrose cafe for an extensive vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free menu featuring dishes like seitan “steak” on ciabatta, vegetable stew with eggplant and split peas, veggie-packed grain and lentil bowls, and a vegan brunch with fruit-smothered buckwheat waffles; the cafe has been closed since a massive fire in 2018 but is expected to reopen by the end of the year." - Brittanie Shey
"Longtime Montrose cafe Baba Yega will reopen this fall, almost three years after a fire destroyed the historic bungalow that houses the restaurant; permits filed with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and a representative for the owners indicate the restaurant is aiming for a Fall 2021 return, though no specific date has been set. The restaurant has been closed since the evening of December 7, 2018, when a fire broke out near the front entrance around 9 p.m., causing extensive roof damage while the restaurant was still serving customers; no one was hurt and a cause has not been named. Rebuilding progress has been slow but steady — blue tarps once covered the roof and fire-damaged debris was piled in the parking lot, then more recently the exterior has appeared to near completion with tarps replaced by a construction fence — and an earlier target to reopen in 2019 was pushed back, likely because of coronavirus-related and construction delays. Opened in 1975, the bungalow was known for boozy brunches and a shady back courtyard with century-old oaks, fountains and fish ponds. The restaurant was sold in 2016 by longtime owner Sidney Hakim to Fred Sharifi and Ashkan and Sue Nowamooz (who also own Rice Village brunch spot Hungry’s). In 2018 a manager filed a lawsuit alleging she was shut out of important meetings and fired after reporting discriminatory practices — including use of ethnic slurs, sexual-orientation–based slurs, racially discriminatory comments about customers, and age discrimination — and the new managers denied those allegations; after a trial concluded in October 2019 the court found the firing retaliatory and awarded the former manager more than $30,000 in back pay and compensation." - Brittanie Shey
"At the Montrose bungalow, Baba Yega was the subject of a lawsuit from manager Christine Nugent, who alleged she was fired after reporting discriminatory and harassing behavior by co-workers and employees she supervised, including the use of "ethnic slurs," "sexual-orientation-based slurs," "age discrimination," and "racially discriminatory comments regarding customers." She says the owners "pointedly ignored her," retaliated by excluding her from important meetings and lodging unfounded complaints about her performance, and ultimately fired her in 2017 saying she was "not on board" with planned changes. The suit also alleges the owners engaged in discriminatory practices such as firing a longtime bartender because they "wanted someone younger in the position," hiring only males to work in the kitchen because "men are better at that work," and paying Nugent less than a male counterpart. A Harris County jury found Baba Yega fired Nugent "because of [her] opposition to a discriminatory practice" and recommended $27,000 in back pay and benefits plus $5,000 in compensatory damages for emotional pain and suffering, inconvenience, mental anguish, and loss of enjoyment of life. Baba Yega was forced to close after a December 2018 fire; according to the restaurant's Facebook page, the owners planned to rebuild the space and reopen a "bigger and better" restaurant sometime in 2020, and when reached for comment the owners—who also operate Hungry’s, Upstairs Bar and Lounge, and NextDoor Bar & Lounge—declined to comment on the lawsuit." - Amy McCarthy
"A Montrose restaurant was forced to close after a weekend fire that reportedly began near the entrance, prompting staff and diners to be evacuated from the dining room at about 9 p.m. on Friday; the owners—Fred Sharifi, Ashkan Nowamooz, and Sue Nowamooz—have vowed to repair the damage and reopen in 2019." - Amy McCarthy
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