They ran out of the chicken daily special when I had to eat here for jury duty. I had figured out what I could eat for my diet program I am following, got up to the counter and they ran out with the person before me. I had a shrimp salad and it was ok. No one on my jury was impressed. read more

OK, so it was Holy Week and I wanted to have some vegetarian food with a little kick to it, so I ate at The Cloister for lunch. Short version: A quiet cafeteria-style Southern eatery located in the Episcopal Diocese Cathedral downtown with decent food but parking is the pits. Long version: The Cloister (operated by Treebeard's) is only open for lunch Monday-Friday and offers daily specials as well as everyday standards such as red beans and rice, shrimp etouffee and jambalaya. Prices are customized based upon the size of the dish you order. Take for example the "large" red beans and rice, priced at $4.50. It is HUGE! You will definitely fill up on it. The fact that this cafeteria is located inside of a dining hall of a big church, though, was enough to bring back memories of my parochial school education. It wasn't exactly a recipe for a relaxed dining experience. (Those of you who went to private schools will be able to relate.) That being said, the food is OK. It's not fall-on-your-knees-and-thank-Jesus good, but it fills the stomach. The portions were nice and big, too. However, there was something lacking in the flavor department. Both the red beans and rice and etouffee were, well, bland. I mean REALLY bland - to the point where I had to empty half a bottle of hot sauce on them to actually get some flavor. The big winner of the meal was the hunk of jalapeno cornbread. Even though it costs $1.50, it's worth it. It reminded me of the cake-like yellow cornbread that the lay sisters would make at my parochial school back in the 1970s. (Yes, I am THAT OLD, bitches!) NOTE: I'm not kidding when I say that eating in a church cafeteria was enough to have flashbacks to when I was younger. The whole setting turned back the clock for me - and I had this weird feeling that Sister Mary Frances was going to be sneaking up behind me again and poking me in the back, demanding that I "sit up straight." Not exactly the way you want to enjoy lunch. But I digress. Another thing that makes me give this a 3-star rating was the parking situation. If you work downtown, you won't have to worry about this. However, for those of us who drove in from River Oaks or Midtown, the parking is atrocious. You will end up paying $2 for an hour's worth of parking on downtown streets nearly two blocks away - and the food isn't worth the extra cost, in my opinion. Still, the fact that they have daily lunch specials (chicken, fish or meat entree with two sides for $10.50) and freshly cooked vegetables and soups is a redeeming factor for those of us who want a nice healthy lunch without breaking the bank. If you wish to forego the jalapeno cornbread - and may the Lord have mercy on your soul if you do - there are free helpings of sliced French bread, butter, lemons and other goodies at the side tables along with water and iced tea dispensers. Desserts are available too at a reasonable price - get the bread pudding with bourbon sauce at $3.75. You'll thank me later for it. So - would I return? I don't know. If I could combine it with jury duty or an early Astros game, I probably would. But only if I could justify the parking situation. read more

The Cloister - A passel of Southern goodness at The Cloister - including that awesome cornbread! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Houston, Texas

I've been going here for over 20 years for the red beans and rice and the jalapeño cornbread. I love this place. Really casual atmosphere in an amazing historic structure. Staff has been super friendly ever single visit. And their yellow cake with chocolate frosting is about my favorite cake ever. Prices are low and food is excellent. I always get a cup of red beans and rice and ask for a long plate (as opposed to the saucer for the cup) so I can put my cornbread on the plate and then pour the red beans and rice over the top of it--totally awesome combo! Literally been eating it that way for over 20 years and hope to stay on this pleasurable regimen until I die. read more

One afternoon my family and I happened to be in downtown Houston and it dawned on me that my kids have never been here. When I used to work downtown this was perhaps my favorite place to go eat! Treebeards in Christ Church Cathedral. We hit it right at 11 when they opened and even better found a parking spot right in front! Needless to say we were one of the first ones there before the business crowd hit and I remembered that my favorite was always the shrimp etouffee with rice and cornbread. Just the best! And it was. My kids got the gumbo and they loved it! Of course the free bread is always a plus and the dining hall cavernous. Always a great place to grab a bite and if you get there early enough right before they start serving lunch you might get lucky and find a parking spot right in front! Treebeards at the Cloister. A great place to grab lunch if you're ebver in downtown Houston. read more

As much as I have an entirely open and unabashedly deep-seated hatred, distrust, and outright antipathy towards organized religion: I do like food. Christ Church figured out how to stick out a tasty olive branch to me and my stomach - serve Treebeards' delicious food in a large dining hall to me and my friends as we discuss Christopher Hitchens' memoir and other Pastafarian topics du jour. The food is the same as the other locations - but the jalapeno cornbread tastes just a little more satisfying. It must be the holy water used in the preparation, tinged with the tears of the thousands of altar boys who no longer will fall for the priest's request to "please pick that up off of the ground for me." The workers in the food line and the cashier are all kind of grumpy though. I don't get it. Treebeards Tunnel and the real one on Travis all have good employees. It is a short inconvenience though - get through the line and cashier and then you are home free to stuff your face and begin your diatribe about the hypocrisy of the church. read more

This place is an amazing quick lunch. We went a little early (11:30ish) and there was no line. I'm pretty inexperienced with southern food -- so I played it safe with the fried catfish (who doesn't like fried food), jalapeno cornbread (who doesn't like corn bread?) and coleslaw. It was all delicious. The catfish was soft and juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside -- I want to learn to fry fish like this! The cornbread was crumbly and amazing, with the occasional chunk of jalapeno to keep things exciting. The slaw was good, but a little odd -- it had blue cheese in it. I think of it more as a cabbage salad. My only regret is that I didn't get to try the baked goods, I was too full. read more

The Cloister - Catfish, cornbread and coleslaw - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Houston, Texas

As with all cafeterias, I have a system for ordering on the cheap, and here the system plays off wonderfully with red beans and rice with sausage. $3 gets you a link of sausage, a filling cup of red beans and rice, and that delicious free French bread. Corn bread is pretty disgusting, dry and tasteless. Butter for the bread tastes like gelatin. Order just a step too quirky and you're looking at a $15 lunch. Still, this is the place to go, for something quick, tasty, and cheap, all in an interesting setting. read more

My new favorite place in downtown Houston. A Cajun cafeteria within a newer wing of a beautiful old church smack in the middle of Houston. No neon signs, but a nondescript entrance off a quiet courtyard. Obviously serving lots of regulars and only for lunch. Creole, meatloaf, mashed potatoes, red beans dirty rice and hearty salads...mmmmm. Other highlights: huge cake deserts, several types of hot sauce on the vinyl covered folding tables. And today, an olde tyme jazz band, lots of police and a jury on lunch break...life in America. read more

It's kind of like an overpriced Luby's though the quality of the food is a little better than Luby's. If you're looking for a quick and convenient lunch, this is a good place to go. I ordered the chicken, which was dry and didn't have much flavor. Their gumbo was not great either. I did enjoy the red beans and rice though. My wife ordered the fish and said it was good. My actual rating would probably be 2 1/2 but I'm rounding up because of convenience. read more

Mad at myself cause I have a Treebeards across the street from my building but yet I walked 10 blocks to try THE CLOISTER only to find out it's just Treebeards. The food was awesome but not 10 blocks of walking awesome. read more

The Cloister - Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, broccoli and carrots, yellow cake, and root beer - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I've eaten here several times, but for some reason I always take a long time to go back. This is a mistake I'll need to rectify. To experience Treebeards at The Cloister is an amalgamation of several different facets of a good dining experience. The food is really good, but not spectacular. The setting is very interesting, but not in an amazing way. The price is average. The live music, on it's own, may not be the most popular. What makes this Treebeards great is the way all of these factors fit together to make a very relaxing, tasty, fun lunch. The food here is Cajun style, although there are more authentic Cajun restaurants in Houston. Still, the food here is Cajun with a hint of Houston thrown in. It's delicious, and can really hit the spot whether you want red beans and rice or just a salad. Their desserts are delicious, and are far cheaper than most of the places I like to get desserts from. There is also a live band that often plays there, made up of elderly musicians playing primarily Jazz, Swing, etc. It always adds a happy, calming note to the meal. I don't know how old these guys are, but the band gives me the sense that I had better enjoy them while they are still able to perform. The setting is great, it's a church cafeteria, in a very beautiful Episcopalian church. After you eat, if you haven't been there before, go on a tour of the chapel. There is often a person there who can give you an informal tour and provide some insight into the history of this church. Overall, I would say that this is one of the must experience places that defines Houston. It's not that any specific thing is outstanding, it's the combination of all the facets of this eatery that makes it interesting. read more

I get excited anytime someone at work suggests going to "the church" for lunch. The chicken fried chicken is delicious here. The batter is nice and crisp, the chicken can be slightly dry, but still good....and the gravy is, well, gravy (cue laugh track). Their veggie casseroles are good too. My co-workers swear by the red beans and rice, though I've never had it. I just cannot pass up chicken fried chicken. Oh, and the whiskey bread pudding...YUM. So sweet and rich, you almost forget how fattening they are. Until the food coma reminds you. The line can get pretty long. Sometimes the jury from the courthouse across the street come here for lunch, so that can make the line worse. The prices are middle of the road for downtown. read more

Love this place in downtown for a quick meal. This is the second time that I've been here and every dish we had was enjoyable. The chicken fried steak was crispy on the outside and moist, and even comes with 2 sides. had their mashed potatoes, red beans and rice, and their mac and cheese. love their mac and cheese which has little bits of bacon and onion in it and not overly cheesy. All the sides were delicious. We also had their chicken and sausage gumbo and their jambalaya which were great especially with their hot sauce offered on the table. Although I'm not used to eating a un-warmed bread pudding, it was quite enjoyable and moist. read more

This Treebeard's is at a very cool location, instead of being it's own place it has collaborated with a church and serves lunch dining hall/cafeteria style. There's parking along the street, just be sure to get there a little before lunch hour, the area filled up pretty fast when it got to noon. Seafood gumbo - i got the bowl and it was a ton of food, comes with rice at the bottom and plenty of gumbo on top Fruit cup - this was unexpectedly the best fruit cup i've had, it looked delicious and all the fruits were sweet, there was blackberries, cantaloupe, hondeydew, pineapple, strawberries, kiwi There's different specials everyday so keep an eye out for them! read more

Food wasn't bad. It's inside a church. Chicken fried chicken and mash potato was average. Cost me about $12, with water. Line gets long around 12pm. Place looks clean. read more

If you expect a church cafeteria with better than cafeteria-quality food, you may be pleasantly surprised. I wasn't and I wasn't. I had the red beans and rice with sausage, accompanied by an unsweetened tea. They were aw'ight, but not something I would go out of my way to have again. Seating is straight out of middle school: those long tables with the attached benches on each side. Most of the dishes are cajun-influenced. You go through the cafeteria line in the kitchen, point at the metal bin you want a spoonful from and pay in the cafeteria. Pretty interesting mix of clientele: a number of 80-somethings, business people in suits and the random "out of their element" people (waving my hand). Maybe I just don't get it, as the lunch room was filled and the cafeteria line was long. Prices can't be beat, as it ran $10 for a lot of cafeteria food. read more

Home cooking in downtown Houston. Yum! More please! For $10 to $15 you can eat better than anywhere else I know in downtown.

When I ever I get back to Houston (I'm in Chicago now), I try to make it a habit to eat at The Cloister for lunch. I was introduced to it by my father who ate there during his lunch breaks. He took me there when I was working with him during my summer vacations. The restaurant is located within the church property and when you walk in there's a huge dining hall with local art on the walls and a blackboard that indicates today's specials and the menu. I've eaten the Chicken & Sausage Gumbo and Meatloaf plates and was always fulfilled with a hearty meal. There's a basket of fresh baked sliced loaves of bread next to the soda machine with butter slices. I've always enjoyed the flavor of butter on the bread, something about the sweetness of it. The place is only open for lunch so I suspect that's why the food is so fresh. They only cook enough for a 3 hour window. From what I've observed, the lunch rush consists of business people and the occasional jury duty will stop on by and have lunch here. The price is alright, nothing too expensive and like I said earlier you do get a hearty meal. What's great about The Cloister is that it's a place that only exists in Houston. It's a restaurant in a church that serves Cajun-ish food with some live music and local art on the walls. Whenever I walk in, I feel that I'm really home and that I can enjoy my meal in my hometown. read more

Awesome. I LOVE the red beans & rice and their cheesy cornbread is delish! Just tried their meatloaf for the 1st time today.....and it was awesome as well! An added bonus is this great unique location. The outside courtyard is beautiful and soooo peaceful! read more

I found this cool little spot on the way to lunch with my gf. It's located inside a church I think. So I pretty much tricked her into going to church hehe. The food is pretty good. It's super fast because you wait in line kinda cafeteria style and tell em what you want. Very quick and very convenient, but its 11-2 so come quick! read more

The Cloister is basically the Parish Hall at Christ Church Cathedral, which on weekdays at lunchtime becomes a branch of Treebeard's restaurant. However, what I want to talk about is the art on the walls. It also acts as an art gallery, with a new show highlighting a few artists every month. The show this month is the most moving I have seen. The artist is Ed Levy, he is a retired Chem E who has taken up photography, and this exhibit is a collection of photographs he took at the day shelter for the homeless across the street. The title of the show is "Who are the Homeless?". He has taken many close-up, tightly cropped, and really beautiful photographs of some of the homeless clients from the shelter, and many times added snippets of conversation with them. I am not ashamed to say that I almost lost it while walking around the walls looking at the photos and reading the quotes. Art is supposed to move you. I was moved, deeply. read more

I HAVE to go here once a week. The food is wonderful, never had better green, the Jambalaya rocks, and the people are so friendly. Nothing better than community tables to make new friends if you are willing to throw it out there. Plus I was able to go to confession before I ate. read more

Probably my most frequented lunch spot downtown. This place is excellent! It's located in a church cafeteria, which is a cool change of pace from your normal downtown lunch spots. I've been here many times, and never have I been disappointed by any of their dishes. Chicken fried chicken, red beans and rice, fried catfish - it's all good. They've also got gumbo and jambalaya. I couldn't ask for a better creole/southern cooking spot downtown! They've also got free bread and butter - not that you'll be needing it. Everything is already filling enough on its own! read more

I recently served on a jury, and The Cloister was a rare bright spot during that particularly unpleasant week of civic duty. After working in the Galleria area for the past 9 years, I'd forgotten how spot on their cheapness to goodness ratio is (shame on me!). I was quickly reminded how easily you can stuff yourself on generous portions of Treebeard's home cooked deliciousness for under $10 while enjoying downtown people watching at its best. It's a darn good thing this place is nowhere near my office - I would be HUGE in no time at all! read more

Red beans and rice with sausage, cheese, and green onions? Yes please. Oh, and throw in some cornbread, a brownie, and cold Dr. Pepper. Sweet! The Cloister is Treebeard's, a Houston classic, set in the auditorium of church in downtown Houston. The food is great and it's one of the "true Houston" lunch spots downtown. It's the kind of place where you'll run into a judge and trader sitting at the same communal tables. You always see people you know and might even make a new friend. Next time you need a taste Louisiana (and can't get away to New Orleans in the middle of a work day), check out the Cloisters. read more

Great Louisiana style food. Cool homey neighborhood cafeteria athmosphere. Free unlimited french bread and butter. Quick service. Low prices. read more

This place is the 'go-to' place for lunch and is well worth the 7 block hike from the office. When ever I go, and if my wife finds out, I have to get take-out for her dinner. read more

Love love love! A perfect first meal in Houston while on a work trip! Beans and rice rocked my world!!!

Love Treebeards and this location is lovely. It's set up cafeteria style but you can also order food to go. It can get busy, particularly if you get there right when jurors come for lunch, but I've always found it efficient and everyone is very helpful and friendly. read more

Working in downtown for the first time I had no clue where the best lunch spots were so on the recommendation of coworkers I went to Treebeards at this location for the first time. The 2 minute walk and convenience is excellent but that is probably the best thing about it. I ordered the baked fish with etoufee and side orders of mashed potatoes/red beans and rice for about $11. For take out the ordering process is fast and efficient. The staff is friendly and service is excellent. You get your order in under 5 minutes in most cases. For dine in the format is like Luby's with a cafeteria style line where you pick out things and pay at the end of the line. The fish was good but not great and kind of heavy on the oil floating around on it. The red beans and rice is light on the rice and extremely heavy on the salt. Portion size is good and they include 2 large pieces of bread with packets of butter as a part of the order. You can get additional bread free of charge from the table near the cashiers. Condiments and extras like pickled peppers are also free of charge. I discovered they did not include the mashed potatoes after I returned to my office and sat down for lunch. It was not worth the walk back for this but I was disappointed I did not get everything I paid for. Check your order before you walk out. The dine in area of the restaurant is the social hall of the church it operates in. Treebeards is an independent business and not part of the church. The dining area is nice meaning things are orderly/clean and the crowd is mostly working people in downtown. There are no thugs or wannabe gangsters with baggy pants. Since the room is very large and has a high ceiling the noise level even with most tables occupied is really good. You can talk to someone at your table without yelling which is great. Overall, I would not point people away from this establishment but it is just not to my liking for the money and quality of food. read more

I love this place. It's simplicity is brilliant. Small town feeling in the middle of a huge city.

One of the good things about jury duty. I had the trio for $6.95. You choose 3 sides. I got cucumber/tomato salad, red beans & rice and the fruit cup. The fruit was fresh, the cucumber was crispy & the red beans were well flavored. Ate every bite & was full. Great deal for the price! read more

Loved the surroundings and the people working were so helpful and nice. The food was delicious and tasted like eating mom's cooking. Loved the beans and rice and the squash casserole and the etouffee. They let you taste it if you are unsure of what you want to eat. Very casual and so glad that we took the time to try it. read more

This is as good as it gets. If you order "The Rookie" (not listed on the menu), you get two soups/stews of your choosing (jambalaya, shrimp etoufee, chili, beans & rice). I went with the etoufee (best I've ever had) and the chili - piled high with green onions and generous cheddar cheese. Also there is free french bread and great ice. read more

Fantastic! We liked the efficiency and speed of the cafeteria style food service. Lots of seating available. If you like sharing tables then you will like the set up at this Treebeards. The shrimp and crayfish étouffées were so rich and creamy. Delicious! (Don't say cr-ay-fish; the employee who helped us kept correcting us as we ordered -cr-AH-fish). Seafood gumbo was full of flavor. We recommend Treebeards! read more

This is Houston icon for lunch and I have been a regular here for fifteen years. I usually go twice a week. Oddly, I always get the "rookie" plate. It is not on the menu, but you can get a large bowl with two different items by asking for the rookie. My favorite is the shrimp ettoufee and red beans and rice with sausage all the way with cheese and onions. They always remember me and make my order without me saying anything. Sometimes, I change it up and get the chicken jambalaya or gumbo. It's all quite tasty. They do may a good chicken fried steak and baked catish with ettouffee, but it is a little pricey. The setting is pleasant with rotating artwork on the walls. You walk through the courtyard of the old Episcopal church with large magnolia trees and a fountain to get there. If you are meeting someone, it is pleasant to sit outside and in the courtyard while you wait. The large eight person tables make it very accomodating for group lunches. You frequently see jury groups, since it is close to the courthouse. read more