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    Cafe Express

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

    Order Cafe Express Takeout or Delivery

    Cafe Express Photos

    Business Info

    CAFE EXPRESS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Cafe Express

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    Reviews With Photos

    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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    13 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Business owner information

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    10 years ago

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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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    11 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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    11 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

    Ask the Community - Cafe Express

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    Honestly, the wait was worth the 30+ minutes it took to order and receive my food. I came back…read moreafter trying Cheba Hut at work for lunch, and I enjoyed my sub so much that I had to come back. Now, I thought I could just stop by and grab my order in about five minutes... that was not the case. It took well over 30 minutes. However, I do want to recognize the customer service, especially the gentleman in the red shirt who was running the cash wrap. He was very attentive and made sure orders were moving and getting out to customers. When I followed up on my order (about 20+ minutes in), he let me know there were about 9-10 subs ahead of mine due to a lot of online orders. Once I got my food, I thanked him and let him know next time I'll definitely be ordering online. If you're planning to grab lunch and not dine in, I highly recommend ordering ahead to save time. Now, the food... the sub was 10/10 amazing. I got the Jamaican Red Buffalo Chicken. Highly recommend. The only thing I want to point out is there was a guy working with bell peppers who came to the front line and started handling food for customers. He had on gloves and headphones, but when a customer asked him a question, he used his gloved hand to move his headphones, then went right back to handling food without changing gloves. Other than that, I'll definitely be back!!!!

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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.

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    Local Foods - Crunchy chicken

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    Inside

    Local Foods - My fave, crunchy chicken with potato chips & kale salad

    My fave, crunchy chicken with potato chips & kale salad

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    World Famous Second Slice Sandwich Shop - Mexican hot dogs & elotes

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    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.

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    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.

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    Henderson & Kane - We'll handle all the setup for you, keep the line stocked, and clean up when you're done.

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    4.6(363 reviews)
    1.5 miSixth Ward
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    Family-owned & operated
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    This place is great and it has a small neighborhood vibe! Raw Steaks for sale along with a bunch of…read moregoodies, but I came here for the barbecue. Atmosphere was perfect for Texas BBQ. I ordered the ribs in the jalapeño cheddar sausage, but got the brisket with sausage.. very happy they mixed that one up because the brisket was extremely juicy tender and had a great flavor on that bark. They did it perfect! The jalapeño sausage was a little dryer that I like it to be especially for having cheese in there. Still ate it and it was great.! So good I forgot to take a picture We'll definitely be going back to this place!

    We were looking forward to trying this restaurant while staying at a hotel in Houston for medical…read moretreatments. We had it delivered to our hotel and sadly it wasn't the best experience. When we got our order to the room we were missing one side that we ordered. We got Mac n cheese, green beans and potato salad with a brisket/smoked chicken combo and a brisket/ribs. I was shocked to see two pieces of brisket and a chicken breast for $28. Maybe it was an off night but the quality just wasn't there. All the food was cold (our fault bc we ordered it for delivery) and was lacking flavor. Overall, we'd rate it like this: Brisket 3/5 Chicken 2/5 Mac n cheese 1.5/5 Green beans 3/5 Ribs 3/5 Potato salad 2/5 Maybe they were having a bad night but I wish our experience was better.

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    Henderson & Kane - We can provide specialty set ups to fit your catering package.

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    Order for pick up

    Cafe Express - sandwiches - Updated May 2026

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