Treebeards

Treebeards in downtown Houston is an absolute institution, and for good reason. It's a no-frills, counter-service spot that serves up some of the best Southern comfort food you'll find anywhere. The atmosphere is bustling and lively, especially during the lunch rush, and the classic decor gives it a homey, timeless feel. The menu is simple but perfectly executed, with dishes like their famous red beans and rice, fried chicken, and shrimp étouffée that are rich, flavorful, and incredibly satisfying. The food is consistently outstanding, and it feels like a comforting, delicious taste of Houston's history. It's the perfect spot for a hearty, traditional meal.

Love this place! Everything is good here. From the chicken fried chicken to the blackened catfish with some mashed potatoes, to the gumbo and chili, even their salads are delicious! You must try their butter cake, yellow cake, chocolate cake, all the cakes!! 😜

Inside the church. Quick lunch with coworkers always good to hang out at this place. Foods are decent taste, need some improvement on the taste. Proce is ok for downtown area. We will come back.

The gumbo and seafood gumbo are outstanding. I could eat Treebeards' gumbo everyday. The food, service and atmosphere can't be beat for the price in downtown Houston.

Excellent food and service. I have not been to this restaurant in 20 years. I enjoyed everything.

This restaurant offers a great variety of food options that are both delicious and satisfying. It’s a perfect spot for lunch—casual, welcoming, and with plenty of seating available, so you rarely have to wait. Whether you're dining solo or with a group, it's a convenient and enjoyable place to grab a bite.

The service is always fast and friendly. Everyone I visit I craving home cooked food and you deliver. I recently celebrated my birthday there just because the food is excellent. You guys are wonderful.

Jose runs this place like a tight ship - I always order here for my mom and I - and he ensures every order is right and will always fix it when it isn't. Consistent quality - really enjoy/recommend the fried catfish, red beans, chili and yellow cake. Order early - they do sell out. For improvements - I would say - please ensure the greens & vegetables used in the garden salad - stay fresh. Great location by the way - if you enjoy cathedrals...gothic architecture, the pointed arches thru the hallways and stained glass windows are worth lunch and a visit. Also, I wish this location offered some of the selection that the Bunker Hill location has, but alas Treebeards' downtown brick and mortars are lunch, cafeteria style only.

This is the OG Treebeards in downtown Houston. A cafeteria style (literally) establishment, you walk through the courtyard, go in the cafeteria line, get your food, pay, and then find a table to go eat. Pretty simple and convenient. The inside feels like a church / cafeteria hall and is actually quite spacious with tons of tables and seating room. Lots of white collar and blue collar workers during a weekday lunch hour. Prices are between $10-20 depending on what you get, portions are standard. I got the chicken fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, a side of gumbo, and a side of jalapeño cornbread. Is it super gourmet and the best Creole in town? Nope, but it is an interesting dining experience and will fill you up for a reasonable price (compared to other options in downtown). I have no idea how the food is at their other locations in the tunnels but this is definitely the legit location to give them a try.

Great cafeteria in the heart of downtown Houston. The line moves quickly and the staff are a pleasure. My favorites here are the following, although some may not be available every day of the week: 1. Shrimp etouffee with rice 2. Red beans and rice 3. Chicken fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy They've also got some great sides: 1. Steamed broccoli and carrots 2. Squash 3. Bread and butter (next to the water machines behind the cahiers) The chicken fried chicken is available on Tuesdays. The other two are available every day from what I have noticed. Great place for groups most tables will seat 8 and if you are a smaller group, you may end up sharing ends of a table with another small group. It's a sit where you like situation so don't wait to be seated after making your way through the line.

I am happy to say this time was better than my last visit one year ago. I wasn't a Yelper at that time, but I did lots of Google reviews. I went back to see what I posted from my last visit - 2 stars. Yikes! I will have to update my review on that platform. Treebeards is a walk-up order type restaurant. They ask for a tip on the payment screen even though you get your own seat, your own utensils, drink, etc. Not a fan of that concept, but it seems to be the way lots of establishments are headed. I decided to try Treebeards chicken fried chicken. I typically get the gumbo, but after my 2-star experience last year, I decided to try something new. They have a daily special with 4 oz chicken fried chicken and 2 sides. I opted for the mashed potatoes and green beans. I wasn't super impressed with my meal. It was enough food, but very much lacking in taste. I expected the seasoning to be fuller and richer. It was pretty bland. I get the allure of the space and the location, so maybe that's why people seem to enjoy it. They have plenty of seating with large booth options and regular tables with chairs. They also have a bar area and an outdoor area. The parking is both right in front of the restaurant and they also have a small garage parking area for overflow. I will be back for ONE more try when the weather is colder, and I need my gumbo fix. The gumbo from the downtown location who used to cater an oil & gas company I worked for was AH-MAZING! Over 40 times in my 3 years with the company and never anything but over the moon happy with the food. I never went to the actual restaurant since we had it brought in for catering our clients. I keep hoping my visit will be like the downtown location, but I have yet to see this happen. One last shot, y'all. I hope it gets better.

Oh, Treebeard's how I've missed thee. 20+ years ago, when I worked in downtown Houston, we often visited this place for lunch. It is located in the church cafeteria. The food is delicious. The staple here is red beans and rice with sausage. If you are a fan of red beans and rice with sausage, this place will not disappoint. However, today, I decided to try the baked fish topped with étouffée along with a side of black-eyed peas and a slice of jalapeño cornbread. Over the years of coming here, I have never been disappointed. Apparently, now they take all major credit cards. Bottom line - If you are in the area for lunch or possibly staying across the street at the Magnolia Hotel, I recommend giving them a try. They have limited hours and are only open for lunch. The Southern style food, and/or creole food is worth trying. I think you will be happy that you did. Bon appétit, y'all.

A touch of homemade soul food. Amazing. Quick turn around. Receive your order within 5 min of placing order. Great lunch stop. Thank you.

I had such a great first experience at Treebeards that I have already been back for lunch since then. The location I was at is located inside a church downtown with a buffet-style set up for the food and plenty of seating. I ordered the red beans & rice with sausage both times, and both times it was delicious - some of the best red beans & rice I've had. The jalapeño cornbread was also great, but the meal already comes with white bread which might be enough depending on how hungry you are. Also, you can't forget the butter cake! It's like a blondie cake batter hybrid - not sure exactly how to describe it, but if you are a fan of sweet desserts then this is a must try.

Always consistent with the quality of the food- been going for many years and love their daily specials. The sides are my favorite, including the salads and desserts! Sad that their Travis location closed, but glad the Christ Church location on Texas is still open.

All around great Cajun cafeteria style food. Try the sausage red beans and rice, and gumbos.

I saw this restaurant on Food Network and wanted to try it. My friend and I sought it out and neither finished our food. There are certain flavors I expect with Cajun food. But a bland shrimp etoufee? Unseasoned greens? Watery veggies. I threw it away and ordered from a place across the hall.

I dined at Treebeards at the 1100 Louisiana location on Nov 9th 2023 at approximately 12 pm. I ate the red beans/sauage rice and cornbread. The beans were not warm enough and tasted just ok. A few hours later all hell broke loose. I had contacted food poisoning. Left over beans were probably added with maybe newly cooked beans. Be very careful eating from this establishment. In addition i spent $23 for a bowl of beans, 1 piece of cornbread , a slice of cake just to be food poisoned. LD

Everything is so good! I feel like I'm in New Orleans having lunch. The butter cake is outstanding!

Really nice restaurant tucked away in the middle of houston. I didn't expect to find it so charming. The food was delicious and the ambience was delightful. One of the bartenders was really nice and the manager Eddy was really, really nice. I will definitely be coming back and try some other food and wine.

Yummy food! Will go again! Great location and easy to access! Friendly folks and easy going atmosphere!

Consistently good food and service. I LOVE the chicken fried chicken and bread pudding. YUM!

I stopped by Treebeards for lunch on a Monday. I hadn't checked out this location (they have three downtown) since 2011 so it had been quite a while. Since this is downtown, your best bet is finding street parking. Treebeards is cafeteria-style. You grab a tray, pick your meal, and pay for it right then and there. I beat the lunch rush but if you arrive right around noon, expect a 10-minute wait or so. While the menu changes, Treebeards is Cajun so they often have etouffee, jambalaya, etc. I went with their chicken fried chicken special which came with two sides. For my sides, I opted for the mashed potatoes with gravy (can't say no to this when you're having CFC) and the mac & cheese. Plus, an Arnold Palmer. The meal itself was a hit and a miss. Good portion size as I had to take some of it to go. They also have complimentary bread and butter. It's just sliced French bread but I'm always a fan of complimentary items! The chicken and mashed potatoes were good but the mac & cheese was bad. Flavorless and some of the worst mac & cheese I've had in a while. Overall, Treebeards is an average spot in my mind. They're only open for lunch so make sure to stop by early if you want to give them a try.

So my daughter and I went to have lunch together. We each got the spinach salad with shrimp and I got a cup of gumbo. We were both very disappointed in what we got. The salad looked like they just pulled it out of a container that you find at the grocery store and threw a few mushrooms on it with whole cherry tomatoes. The shrimp were not even grilled they were just cheap cocktail shrimp that were not even deveined (Yuck!!)and to top it all off the so-called vinaigrette was so gross and not like any vinaigrette I have ever tasted I couldn't even put it on my salad. I ended up eating the gumbo it was thick and just mediocre but the rice in it was crunchy. The hibiscus ice tea tasted like water with food coloring in it. So overall for two salads and a cup of gumbo, we spent nearly $60 bucks and it was gross!!!! The only reason I even gave it a star was the bartender that welcomed us in was super nice!!

Popped in this hidden gem for lunch and sat at the bar with David. Service was impeccable, drinks were amazing! By far the best mimosas I've had in a long time! Food came out super fast and was very tasteful.

My favorite spot downtown!!! Great food Fast Friendly I go for jambalaya or sometimes gumbo

It breaks my heart to have to demote a previous review so much. The chicken fried chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy was bland and nothing special. My whole meal seemed like a notch up from Luby's. Don't get me wrong--I LOVE Treebeards, but something's was missing. I didn't see whole lot to choose from. Where was the meatloaf I loved before? Where were the gumbos they had last time? The beans and cheese was a good side dish, but that even that wasn't all that tasty. The employees are wonderful. I just didn't think it was special enough to drive halfway across Houston to eat there.

I eat here alot downtown and the price increase it out of line. $12.00 for a trio plate! I know things have increased everywhere but this is crazy.

The food is great but i just bought this watermelon at pennzoil location for $6. Clearly it is not good. Why would you even sell it? I didn't pick up because if it was me i would not have taken it.

One of my co-workers suggested this place for lunch a few weeks ago and I'm SO glad they did!!! It's inside of the church cafeteria so for me, that's really refreshing. The amount of food you get for the price is almost unbeatable downtown! Let me rephrase, the amount of food + the actual taste of the food is unbeatable! Their fried catfish on Fridays is my go to! Their mustard greens & red beans & rice are equally as good! Everyone working their always has a smile & they're extremely welcoming which is also refreshing in itself being downtown during lunch rush! OH AND DON'T FORGET DESSERT!! My cheat days are any day that I make my way to Treebeards because I absolutely HAVE to have a piece of carrot cake or Italian Cream Cake!

Are used to frequent this place a lot but due to Covid I haven't been working in the office as much. This location is walking distance from my office and it's very convenient. The food there is great I always order either the country fried chicken, the shrimp Étouffée, or the Fry fish. Everything that I've tried has always been good the employees there are nice. The seating is plentiful and this location is always clean. I love their cake and it is made fresh daily.

I love Treebeards, it is SO good! Today I ordered catering and everything went perfectly, food was great, delivery was on time, and April was very helpful. It is some delicious food for a business lunch or whatever. Thanks Treebeards!

My publicist was in town with his friend staying around the corner at Le Meridien. I figured we try this place given the 4 star rating and location. Had the establishment not been physically inside of a church cafeteria I would have asked for my $86.00 back for the three of us. We may have well gone to Luby's to eat bland food. Catfish filets were large but no flavor. Shrimp ettoufee was more vegetables a very few small undeveined shrimp where you can taste the grit in the shrimp. Gumbo taste like can chicken and sausage gumbo. No true cajun flavor at all. Sweet tea wasn't sweet. Two slices of cake was $12...that was the only thing worth eating as we ended up leaving the majority of the food there. If you're from Louisiana or been to a true southern creole restaurant I'm warning you not to waste your time. Atmosphere reminds me of going to the cafeteria at the hospital where all the staff sits on plastic chairs and eats with dollar store silverware. Totally disappointing for downtown...

A great lunch spot downtown. My husband used to work in at least three different buildings within walking distance from Treebeards. He was a frequent lunch customer and always loved it. I'm glad to see that the speed and quality haven't waned over the years. I met some lovely friends here for lunch recently over the long weekend. Yes, Treebeards has incredibly short hours (closes at 2pm on a weekday), but it would be dead after that time anyway. I ordered the shrimp etouffee and my husband got the red beans and rice with lots of cheese on top. Both of our meals were delicious! We also indulged in the buttercake (OMG! completely addictive!). They also have self serve bread area after you pay. You can take all the bread you want, but only two peppermints per person! So strange! We sat upstairs to accommodate our large group. There is a TON of seating here and is very large group friendly. On a regular workday, this place is bustling! Be warned, it is cafeteria style. As my mother always says "I want to be served", so just know you'll be going through a line and carrying your own tray, possibly up a flight of stairs. 4 stars for cheap fast food with lots of group seating and a convenient downtown location.

This is my favorite lunch spot in the city for jambalaya. If it's not the insane crowds, then it's their limited hours - I wish every single time that I wanted to eat here my schedule cleared before the time they close their magical doors that transport you into tasty paradise, like a palantir would have done if Sauron's mommy hugged him more often as a child. I have missed a lot of meals here over the years because of how limited their hours are. I am aware that they have other stuff on the menu, which I have tried at the Tunnel location because they don't have it on the Tunnel menu, but the only thing I get here is the Jambalaya and it is incredible. It is a huge order. It is very tasty, there is never a dull forkful. The flavor explodes in your mouth like a party where everyone has been invited and everyone is still behaving themselves like adults. When you have timed your schedule to be able to eat here you see a big crowd snaking through the "ordering" area but the workers move quick and get everyone their delicious food before you have waited too long. The cashiers are also friendly and work quickly. This place is awesome. I am now hungry after writing this review, but guess what fam, they are not open right now :(

I've seen this place many times, and I finally got a chance to try it for lunch on my off day. The food is authentic and the staff is very friendly. I was surprised to see a cafeteria style presentation, but who doesn't like an opportunity to see your food and know exactly what you're getting? It totally worked for me! M Red beans and rice are delicious and so is the chicken fried chicken! The only downside is that you have to find parking and that can be... complicated... downtown.

Treebeards is one of those restaurants that Houston needs more of. It has character,comfort and casual while providing a simple menu with good food. I haven't been to all of the treebeards in the downtown area; however, I would suspect that there is a similarity but a uniqueness to each one. Treebeards, harkening back to days of being a soup kitchen for the homeless, serves red beans and rice with sausage and a number of solid but simple meals for the southern pallet. All are served cafeteria style. Don't worry there is plenty of seating and don't forget the bread pudding with bourbon sauce. It's one of their specialties and people come from all over to have the bread pudding. It isn't downtown oasis of comfort and reasonably priced food.

When I worked downtown I would eat here at least once a week. I really enjoy the duck gumbo that they serve on Monday only and of course the other items are well prepared and vary enough to warrant a second visit during the week. Now that I live and work in West Houston, I usually make it a point to visit every other month.... and especially since today is Monday, I'm on my way for some duck gumbo as soon as I finish this quick review. Limited hours, super busy during the peak lunch time hours... no evening hours and closed on Saturday and Sunday. Yep, you've got to be slaying them at lunch to support a business on those type of hours.

Baked chicken with broccoli cheese soup and tomato cucumber salad. Nice low carb but filling meal for afternoon jury duty. Chicken sauce was surprisingly good. Love the complimentary bread

I was doing some training a block or so away from here and a few coworkers and I decided to make the walk over and try Treebeards out since it has excellent reviews. It is an ideal spot for a quick, affordable lunch without alot of hassle. It is a cafeteria style set up, so you pick what you want and eat. Easy! I went with the red beans and rice with link sausage and a side of jalapeno cornbread. If you claim to be a Cajun restaurant, you gotta make this dish good. Well they definitely do this good. The red beans and rice was perfection and the sausage complimented it well. The corn bread was great and had a slight kick to it. We hit the lunch crowd right at the beginning so seating was not to hard to get. People that came after seemed to get hit with a bigger crowd. Overall, an enjoyable lunch. There are a bunch of items on the menu, along with their daily specials that I can not wait to try. I imagine when the lunch crowd really hits, you might expect a little bit of a wait to park and or sit.

I live for their cornbread. I could eat it all day every day. I stopped by in the afternoon and picked up a bunch of cornbread from the office - everyone definitely voted me best coworker.

I'm not one of those people who loves sausage, red beans and rice, but when my coworker picks up Treebeards for lunch and the smell just waifs in the air, I give her a hard time for not asking me if I wanted to order anything. So finally after suffering a year, we make it to Treebeards. Located right across from Market Square Park, Treebeards is known for their Southern food, especially their red beans and rice. They are only open during the weekdays for lunch and are a popular lunch spot for people who work in downtown. It's a cafeteria type set up. The lines are long, but move quickly. The salads looked amazing. I had cheesy grits, sausage, red beans and rice. The cheesy grits were awesome. I added cheese to my red beans and rice and it was pretty good. Sliced French bread was complimentary and soft. One of my coworkers had the carrot side dish and raved about how great it was. I also got a brownie, but apparently I should have spent my calories on the chocolate or Italian cream cake, which are supposedly amazing. Service was friendly, food was good and prices were reasonable. Overall, I really liked this place though I wished they had better hours.

Party time for a wedding party dinner upstairs. Good variety of food. Etoufee, red beans and rice with sausage, gumbo, jambalaya, salad,. Good creole cooking in a nice atmosphere.

Use to know the previous owners ,asked the new owner price of food, he intentionally walked back and forth to a paper on the back wall to get the price of side orders and main bowl of gumbo four seperate times * and he sets the price. this practice is done to show you that if you have to ask the price we dont want your bussiness its also discriminatory in nature ,the final blow is when i asked how much the can cokes were and he said " a dollar and something" i was DONE and left and was laughed at as i walked out .i wont be back and recco the same for you.

I have a love-hate relationship with this location because while I love the food because it's amazing. The majority of the time I'm getting takeout, and if you have gotten take out here you'll know what I'm talking about. This location needs to invest in spill-proof containers rather then always warning their customers to keep the box even so it doesn't drip out. I'm not sure if they haven't realized they are downtown and in Houston, but traffic is not kind, especially if you have to go 5 mph with your hazards on just to avoid spillage in your car. There are ramps, people braking suddenly and bumps anyone has to go over while driving away from there. And no matter what I do (bring extra boxes, blankets or tarps, bungee cords to strap down....I always end up with something spilling into my car. So part of what you pay for is on the interior of your vehicle. So I highly suggest to not get takeout unless you are prepared and don't care about losing a little of your order or just always dine in. So while I LOVE the shrimp etouffee, I HATE smelling it in my car for the rest of the day. Please invest in spill proof containers, I have a feeling this will alleviate some concerns and worries for everyone.

The prices on their website do not match what is charged in the restaurant. Ordered a Lg. Jambalaya and a side green gardern salad. The web site has them listed as $6.95 and $2.50 respectively. However, upon check out the priced charged is $10.00 and $4.00 respectively. Nearly a $5.00 difference. I spoke to the cashier and he said they would update their website. What a disappointement.

The only reason this is not getting five stars from me is because of parking. I was about to drive off to another restaurant because I drove around and around and around to no success and then got lucky and found someone leaving. Parking is a nightmare. The food is excellent. I had the red beans and rice with sausage with the cornbread. My guest had the baked fish. It is cafeteria style where you wait in line, pick you food and pay at the cashier. The line was at the door when we got there about 12; however, moved quickly. Yet it was busy there were plenty of tables to sit and eat. I did enjoy the food and the people serving the food were very nice. Overall a good spot just the parking is a nightmare. Because it was a business lunch did not look to see if there was any eye candy. Sorry.

Always friendly fast service. They hire great folks, please keep Them. Creature of habit- fried chicken and the pear walnut salad are my favorites oh and butter cake.

This is one of the best places to eat in Houston! It's a must visit if you are looking for some good down home southern/creole cooking. My favorite thing to get is the red beans & rice with sausage(it's spicy) which they top with shredded cheddar cheese and green onions. They have several other items including vegetables, etouffee, gumbo, cornbread and the list just goes on and on. Notes about going: Unfortunately, they are only open during the week for lunch. It gets very packed around 12, so go early. Food is served cafeteria style and then you seat yourself. There is bread and crackers available after the checkout line. Meter parking is available on the surrounding streets and there are some lots as well. The staff is super friendly too! Love this place!

Treebeards has some mighty DELICIOUS food!!! The shrimp etoufee is my favorite. We had an event there today in their semi-private room and the staff was AMAZING from start to finish. They were extremely accommodating when I needed an extension cord. And, since I was moderating the event and didn't eat with everyone else, they kept checking on me to make sure I ate before leaving. They even made me a to go plate. On my way out with all of my equipment, they even offered me a cart to wheel it out with. If that isn't too notch service, I don't know what is! KUDOS Treebeards! You have a fan and a customer for life.

Hmmmm this was different. My hubby and i were on a lunch date and decided to stop in. It was 35 minutes until closing and the place had cleared out. Only a few remained. So it was cool. It's a Cafeteria style situation and that threw me for a few minutes. But again it was cool i didn't mind at all. The guy serving in the line had a Louisiana accent for sure so i trusted his suggestions. I can definitely say this spot is more Creole than Cajun. I enjoyed everything but felt like it was missing something. My greens were extra fresh it wasn't bad just not enough seasoning. I would definitely return to get something else so I can accurately give an account.

This is a great venue for a wedding reception and the food is awesome. We had our wedding there on 11/5/16 and it was spectacular. April was wonderful, the whole staff was awesome! The price was amazing and I highly suggest this venue for your wedding reception. It will give you great memories and you will have a wonderful night

I've been going to Treebeards over 30 years and the food and service has always been great. I called to get curbside pick up from the 1117 Texas St. location known as the cloister location and even though they advertise it they said 'they would not do it because they were too busy.' So they do curbside delivery when they feel like it. I called the order in at the 1100 Louisiana location and they were happy to comply. I will never use 1117 St. location again.

II haven't been here since I retired. It was well worth the drive. Everything tastes the same & hasn't changed, Great food wonderful taste! .

Treebeards is a must stop when downtown. Unlimited French bread, great red beans and rice, great etouffee for catfish....just excellent!

This place is right on point best place for a business lunch downtown...Also, the best cajun creole food in Houston...Great concept to use the parish hall of a cathedral to provide a very open cafeteria style lunch...I have a good friend that we meet up for lunch a couple times a month and this is our go to spot...The prices are bad and the service and flavors are all on point...During peak lunch hour the line can be very long, but it moves fast and you will be in and out in no time...Best fired Catfish in Houston....Check it out...You will not be disappointed

This spot is wonder, staff is genuine, food is ok 7/10 great price for what you get! More than anything I love their delicious desserts!!