Tucked into a corner location in a strip mall, this restaurant was a pleasant surprise. It was very clean inside. There were only a few other customers when we visited around 1:00 p.m. on a Friday. (Note: There was a sign on the door stating new hours--closing at 4 p.m.--so plan accordingly.) My husband had a burger, and it was great. The 2 patties were juicy, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. I went with the fried shrimp--six large, butterflied shrimp in a perfectly crispy coating. They were really nice...tender on the inside, with a golden coating that stayed on with a crunch. We both had fries, and they were thin, crispy, and addictive. All in all, a decent lunch. Good food, friendly staff... worth a visit if you're in the area. read more

Red Balloon Cafe - But - Comfort Food Near Me - Houston, Texas

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If you like chicken fried steak put this place on your CFS list. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that some of the steak was tuff to chew. That can happen but it's easy to detect when a piece of meat is going to be difficult to chew before you batter and fry it so I do have a problem when a piece of meat like that is cooked and served anyway . On the positive side the steak was very thick. It was hand, battered the crust crunchy and the BEST part was the gravy. It was very flavorful made with chunks of bacon in the gravy, which was amazing. I wanted more bacon, which would really make this CFS next level. Never had bacon in the gravy before but sadly very little in my order. Most places go wrong with chicken fried steak because they forget about the gravy. Bland shitty gravy kills a good chicken fried steak. Also I had to add a lot of salt but better to add it cuz you can take it out if too much is cooked in. The sides: The green beans were very good made with bacon. I was not a fan of the creamy potatoes, which were actually like stewed potatoes but that's just my preference. I like mashed potatoes with my chicken fried steak. The roll was small and out of a bag but I wasn't here for bread but nothing better good bread or Texas toast to sop up gravy. I always ask for extra gravy, but I was given a little bitty tiny portion of extra gravy. Overall I'd put this CFS as #2 on CFS and gravy favorite list. read more

Poor service for take out and they did not my senior discount .67 is seasoned enough. Keep your food, change your service, train your staff and smile more so people will not think y'all are so scared of minorities. read more

They claim to have the best chicken fried steak in Houston. This might be true. Now that I think of it, only the big chain restaurants serve chicken fried steak. You have to drive out to the country to find an independently owned restaurant that serves it. Those are always good. Here we have the Red Balloon Cafe in the Spring Branch district of Houston serving it up hot and fresh. We went in for breakfast. I ordered the chicken fried steak with eggs and sausage. Eggs and sausage were good. Now for the chicken fried steak.... the batter was perfect, gravy ok, steak itself was good (some tough parts). The prices were a bit high. Portions were small. I don't think I'll bother going back. I was just curious about the chicken fried steak and if it lived up to the hype. read more

Many thanks to Red Balloon staff for helping us celebrate my father-in-law's 87th birthday tonight. The food was fabulous, as usual and the staff was very helpful and friendly. Thanks to Treebeards for the carrot cake which I brought and shared with the staff. We love Red Balloon for the cozy atmosphere and down home feeling. read more

A nice find! A good menu with fair prices and fresh food. A place I drove by for a long time before finally trying it out and I was very happy with the service and food. I will be back. read more

Ok chicken fried steak. I expected it to be better with the claim of being the "Best". The steak and egg lacked flavor and we had to add table salt and pepper to it. Service was great compared to the food. The. Lady at the counter was nice and friendly. They had Clean bathrooms to wash hands before eating. read more

Red Balloon Cafe - Split ckn fried steak and steak and eggs - Comfort Food Near Me - Houston, Texas

You have to love a locally owned neighborhood spot for dining. I pick up breakfast tacos at least twice a week from here and on Thursdays I take them to my staff who absolutely LOVE them. The chicken fried chicken is amazing and you have to try the home made green beans as a side. Amazing! Absolutely love this place!!!! read more

Their Ribeye was amazing! Christian atmosphere and Christian family. I felt at home and felt like was eating mommas cooking. 100% recommend!

Finally tried out this place for breakfast. Plenty of parking. Clean inside. Very friendly and welcoming. Order at the counter and get your own drinks. Food was great. Of course I had to try their chicken fried steak and it was delicious. Also had eggs over easy with hashbrowns. Will definitely return. read more

I had dinner here last week after having driven by it before and bookmarking it for a future visit. Red Balloon Cafe is located directly on the frontage road and has its own parking lot. There is an uncovered outside dining deck next to the parking lot. Inside the restaurant is vividly decorated remembering the French movie Le Ballon Rouge from the 1950's. It is a table service restaurant with one open medium size dining room. After being seated and presented the one page one sided paper menu, I noticed that most of the entrees are burgers, sandwiches, seafood, CFS, etc. Most of the meals were in the mid teens dollar wise. I chose the regular size Chicken Fried Steak with green beans and fries for $15. I didn't observe any alcohol options to drink and only saw a soft drink dispenser. The food arrived about 10 minutes later. All of the food on the plate was ok taste wise even considering the fries were the standard frozen out of bag type. Ketchup was provided in packets which I don't like in a sit down table service restaurant. The CFS had white cream gravy on top with slivers of bacon mixed in. I give this meal a 3 overall because it was acceptable however I doubt I will be back as the menu didn't interest me in returning for something else. Nothing stood out to me in my meal or what else they offered. read more

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Food and Service by Cynthia outstanding Stopped in for breakfast cut off was at 11 but they kind enough to still serve at 11:30 Service excellent cheerful nice Omelette outstanding Bacon actually hot and cooked most places sever old dried out stale bacon Both scauses aka Christmas tree green and red super I see why they made the list of top 50 5 stars places Bryon P read more

Red Balloon Cafe - Mexican omelette with avocado and chorizo and added feta cheese suggested by waitress Cynthia - Comfort Food Near Me - Houston, Texas

service was very good had the fried shrimp basket FF WERE GREAT NOT SOGGY well cooked read more

Breakfast burrito is great. Service is quick and friendly. Place has been empty whenever ive been there, so i hope it stays open

It was my first time here and I came for breakfast with some friends around 9:30 on a Saturday morning. There is plenty of parking available and Red Cafe is easily accessible off of Beltway 8 and has a beautiful patio that I can't wait to use once it's a little warmer out. We arrived to a waiter who was helpful and friendly. This was the perfect leisurely Saturday morning breakfast place. I enjoyed coffee and the chicken fried steak and eggs; it came with hashbrowns, 2 eggs, and toast with butter and jelly. The chicken fried steak was about the size of my palm and had homemade gravy. It is a little overpriced, but is not a deterrent. I will definitely be back! read more

Everything we ordered was outstanding, chicken fried steak, chicken fried chicken,'catfish filets, oh and if you come here you have to try the green beans! Best damn green beans I've ever had! The food was delicious we had to keep tasting and trying everything! Best dinner I've had in a long time!!!! Customer service was excellent too! Cute little small area, like a Mom and Pop place! I'll def be coming here more often because they are right, the best comfort food hands down!!!!!! read more

The food is so good the fries are nice and crispy and crunchy and the chicken strips too very good and it is like an 1990's aesthetic. The service is always very quick it is like a 3 minute wait and they are very nice! read more

My bacon avocado cheeseburger was really yummy. Cashier and server were really friendly. I love their patio outside, it's so cozy. read more

Red Balloon Cafe - bacon avocado cheeseburger - Comfort Food Near Me - Houston, Texas

The food was excellent. I had the chicken fried steak, and while I haven't had every chicken fried steak in Houston, and can't vouch for it being the best, it was very good. Very tender, with good gravy. And the potatoes and green beans that they recommend with it were delicious. My wife had the fried shrimp, and they were HUGE. She could only eat 4 of the dozen. And they were obviously fresh, with excellent breading. The cole slaw with hers was a bit bland, and we mentioned that to them. They need more drink options, like a root beer, perhaps. But it is BYOB, so I suppose you could bring whatever you like to drink. Don't come for the ambience. It's a basic cafe; concrete floors and basic tables and chairs. There are interesting photos and such on the walls, so it's not just four walls. And we were surprised that it wasn't noisier inside, being right on the toll road, but it was peaceful and quiet inside. They have a nice deck on the side that might be nice in Spring or Fall, but not when it's summer in Houston. Maybe we'll try it in October. All in all, a nice spot for a casual meal. read more

My first clue should have been that there was no one in the restaurant at 9AM on a Saturday morning for breakfast, but OK, I've been there for lunch and it was good. I ordered oatmeal, bacon, and a cup of coffee. The coffee came to me warmish at best, not hot at all. Then the oatmeal comes...It's soup! About 1 cups of warm milk and about 2 Tbls of oatmeal. The cook had no clue how to make it (and it was on the menu). I tried to explain to the very polite service person that it wasn't oatmeal, but I don't think he understood. I think he believes my problem was that it was made with milk, not water, but my problem was that it was soup, not oatmeal. I paid for my meal, but I won't be back, and I will be telling this story for the rest of my life. Owners, I kindly suggest you explain to your cook how to make oatmeal or take it off the menu. Oh, the bacon was good. read more

Great servic, and very flavorful side. None of the iteams on the menu miss. Everything is fresh and delicious !!!

Excellent service, very friendly staff. We have come here twice and both times we have ordered the same thing lol cheeseburger and chicken fried steak. Delish! the FRIES are to die for!!! So crispy and crunchy, the burger tastes like you made it in your own backyard, fresh and juicy. Highly recommend. Coming back for sure! read more

Red Balloon Cafe - Cheeseburger and chicken fried steak. - Comfort Food Near Me - Houston, Texas

I had a small portion of the chicken fried steak meal. The small portion was more than enough for me. The mashed potatoes are made with skin on was buttery. The green beans were made with onions, tomato, and bacon, very flavorful. Nice small clean cafe and easy to get to with a great outside eating area. read more

Red Balloon Cafe - Chicken Fried Steak was good. This was the small portion. - Comfort Food Near Me - Houston, Texas

The food here is delicious..best burgers in houston east side..great service...hidden gem for sure.fries are always crispy and burgers juicy..this is my go to spot when I am on this side of town read more

I was curious about this place since I drive back it every single day. It was a single page menu, and basically everything was over $12 which is pricey for the type of food it is. The cashier was nice, and I ended up paying almost $15 for the meal. For the price, I'd expect either the sides to be bigger or the entree to be bigger. However, it was pretty good. I liked it overall but it wasn't amazing. The potato chunks were too big and the chicken was under seasoned. But, if you aren't on a budget and want some comfort food, you should definitely come here. Atmosphere is really nice. Nicely decorated and light. read more

Red Balloon Cafe - chicken fried chicken with fried onion rings and creamed potatoes - Comfort Food Near Me - Houston, Texas

First of all, love the culinary masterpieces the Chef whips up. Second of all, I love the story behind Red Balloon Cafe. read more

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The food is great here and the service is too! This appears to be family owned because of the care they put into their food and service. It's very kid friendly as well. I had a southwest salad that hit my taste buds in all the best ways. My husband had chicken fried steak, my son had fried shrimp and my little boy had a grilled cheese sandwich. Everything was great! On the way out, my little boy dropped his to-go box and his grilled cheese spilled out. So did the tears. They offered to make another one for free. Just a cool crew over here. read more

I had the small chicken fried steak with green beans and smashed potato's with white gravy. And each item deserved a 5 of 5 for freshness and flavor , each item was seasoned the way welike them. My wife had the poblano soup and it to met her flavor meter, maybe could have had tortilla chips or a fresh corn tortilla. To complete the meal. It was about 50 mins from closing but no problem the staff stayed focused on finishing our service. We will retturn. read more

The food was great but it was a little pricey for the portions they give. Me and husband shared the large chicken fried steak but it looked like the size of the small chicken fried steak from what the cook described before hand. Meat was a little tough but everything tasted great. $24 dollars for the large $1.50 extra to have onion rings as one of your sides. Would go again. read more

Red Balloon Cafe - Large chicken fried steak plate split in two with onion rings and cream potatoes - Comfort Food Near Me - Houston, Texas

This place is easy in/easy out and the food is pretty good. We ordered chicken strips with fries for the kiddo and fried shrimp for me. It's not fancy, and it's pretty child friendly. The service was quick and the staff was friendly. read more

Had lunch here today after driving by on the Beltway many many times. Yes, you order at the counter and they bring the food out to you. I had the grilled SW chicken salad with the lime dressing. It was lite, fresh and well presented. And the chicken breast was nicely prepared and seasoned and served on top. It was a nice "lite" lunch meal. What I didn't expect was how pleasant the service was. And how they went out of the way to take care of several older regular customers with their needs. That touched might heart. Yes - I'll go back and see what else on the menu would be tasty. read more

Chicken Fried Steak was very good. I enjoyed the green beans and potatoes. My friend has chicken tender basket and it was delicious as well. I would definitely recommend this restaurant. We were also greeted by very friendly staff. read more

Red Balloon Cafe - Art - Comfort Food Near Me - Houston, Texas

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If you are looking for a really good chicken fried steak this is the place you need to go. You can actually taste the wonderful, succulent steak with a perfectly done, crispy breading. Red balloon left our neighborhood a few years back and we were really happy to see it re-emerge just inside Beltway 8 north of Westview. Service is great and they have a great outside deck. Inside is fun French memorabilia of posters and wall art. Outside makes for a great place for groups and more of a classy taste on the inside. I am so glad they are back!! read more

Red Balloon Cafe - Chicken fried steak - Comfort Food Near Me - Houston, Texas

I came here not knowing what to expect. However I was blown away on the atmosphere and service they treat everyone with respect, very professional and felt like family not just a business. The food is really good doesn't disappoint, it is rich in flavor and cooked just right and able to make changes however you want. I personally enjoyed the BBQ Chicken Wings, and their Chicken and waffles. I also ate a dessert which was delicious it is a chocolate brownie with ice cream whipped cream, drizzle and a cherry. Great place to take family they have outside patio which is nice. Great place for a Saturday night date night, or a business meeting . read more

Red Balloon Cafe - Chicken and waffles. - Comfort Food Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Red Balloon Cafe tasted exactly how I remembered it but better! My favorite dish was always the chicken tenders and French fries so it was an obvious choice. My husband had the chicken fried steak and his entree was fantastic as well. Truly a staple in the Spring Branch area. The owner, Eric, even stopped by and greeted us with some soup samples. Cant wait to go back! read more

This is my second time coming to this place. I love there chicken fried chicken. You can switch it up with with different sides. I like that the chicken fried chicken is made from scratch. This place is a hidden gem. Chef Eric greeted us with some examples the first time we went. The examples had a great taste in your mouth that you kept wanting more. Great place with excellent food. You won't be disappointed. Will be coming back to try different entrees. read more

Red Balloon Cafe - Excellent food and a great place to eat - Comfort Food Near Me - Houston, Texas

I really love this place! I'm here every week for the tacos special with rice and charro beans. The ladies here are also nice and always give good vibes! 10/10 recommend. read more

Red Balloon Cafe - Comfort Food Near Me - Houston, Texas

First time here since reopening. Eric the owner knows what he is doing. My wife had chicken tender plate which they made fresh. Chicken was juicy and hot honey mustardis made in house. I hade the shrimp bisque that was very creamy and goes toe to toe with Fisherman's Warf in Galveston. And we also got the chicken and shrimp combo. Also very hot and made to order. Restaurant was very clean and the owner him self came and made sure we were ok and food was to par. Can't wait to see what he comes up with next. Highly recommend Red Balloon Cafe. read more

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Red Ballon has expanded its hours and now has breakfast from 7 - 11! Yay - always fresh, hot, tasty food served by the friendliest people in a very clean setting. Can't beat it - best breakfast around - tacos, burritos, omelette, pancakes, French toast, oatmeal - all the essentials served right up in the neighborhood! read more

Absolutely hands down the best fried shrimp, French fries, chicken Caesar salad, chicken strips around. I have not found any restaurant that compares to the Red Balloons fried shrimp and french fries. Fries are always nice golden brown and crispy! The cilantro dressing is my favorite. Staff is like family and always welcoming. Always clean! Just as our grocery prices have risen so has theirs. I will always support a family owned business serving good food and service compared to a chain restaurant. read more