Brunchlust braved some heavy rain conditions in the name of brunch on our recent trip to Houston to check out State Fare for Sunday brunch. We had no regrets.
State Fare is located in the happening Memorial City Mall area. Although my GPS made locating the restaurant MUCH more difficult than it should have been, there is plenty of parking garage spaces available. Trying to avoid the rain, we opted for the complimentary valet that all the spaces out front are dedicated to. We pulled up around 2:30ish and were told that the valet was closed and they were willing to park my car BUT I needed to make sure to return by 4 pm. Otherwise they would close up and I would not be able to obtain my keys. Noticing a parking space open, I asked if I could just park the vehicle myself. Valet says they will have to charge me $20 to do that. Raise your hand if that confuses you just as much as I do.
The valet situation left a bad taste in my mouth but I was determined to set that to the side and enjoy some brunch with a friend. The State Fare space is contemporary with throwback accents like retro hexagonal/subway tile behind the bar, leather seating and antique light fixtures.
Our server asked if we would like to start off with some mimosas. If you know Brunchlust, the answer to that is always a resounding “yes”. We opted for the pineapple mimosa carafe. Again, in Houston, bottomless or cheap cocktail options appear to be unavailable or limited at best. Be prepared to spend $20 a pop per carafe. Nice champs to juice ratio though.
The menu was filled with so many different options. It was hard to choose! Starters included choices like avocado and corn toast, deviled eggs, fruit, queso and guacamole. Brunch plates, bowls, sandwiches, dressed up mac & cheese and salads included pancakes, traditional breakfast combinations, fried seafood, gumbo and hot chicken.
I opted for the Big Tex Grilled Cheese. This was served on texas toast with short rib, gruyere, cheddar & pickled red onion. Maybe the rainy day inspired me, but I also ordered a cup of Jimmy’s Texas Red chili with cheese. Both were fantastic. The grilled cheese was delightfully buttery. And the side of handcut fries was just the right amount of crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. As a Yankee, I would have preferred to have beans in my chili, but it was very flavorful. Could have used a little more spice.
Parking situation update goes here…while we were still eating and on our second mimosa carafe, 3:45 approached. I walked outside to the valet stand with my ticket, grabbed my keys and went back in the restaurant. That was much ado about nothing.
All in all, State Fare offered up a fantastic meal. One of the things I loved so much about this place with the diversity they offered in their menu. Many of their brunch offerings are also available on their expanded dinner menu.
Brunchlust Rating: A State Fare is a solid choice for brunch. That grilled cheese is certainly worth a second go-round, in my book.
947 Gessner, Suite B190
Houston, TX 77024
(832) 831-0950
