Reviews & Ratings for Hobbit Cafe

Pleasant low-key environment

by canwetalk

I enjoyed a leisurely Saturday lunch with friends. We sat outdoors. Unfortunately, the heat lamp over our table did not work, so we had to wait to move until another table was available. Restauranteurs, when things don't work, please fix them! The service was good; prices reasonable. The food wasn't outstanding, but we were just having lunch. Parking is a huge problem, as three restaurants share the limited parking space, and there isn't much street parking. I had a broccoli & cheese omelet, which included toast & potatoes. I would have preferred the option of fresh fruit. All in all, pleasant but not remarkable.

Best Sandwiches In Town

by Moishe1

All the years I've been going the Hobbit Hole and all of it's successors, I have never had a bad experience.

Best egg salad and tuna salad sandwiches in town. I just love this place.

Cozy Restaurant with Always Fresh Food

by AlainHarvey

This cozy restaurant located in a Tudor cottage surrounded by a white picket fence has been around since 1972. The mystical art from Middle Earth adorning the interior creates a somewhat Bohemian atmosphere in which earthy fare is served in a forest-like setting.

Not technically a fully vegetarian restaurant, in its present incarnation the Hobbit Cafe offers many vegetarian selections and is a perfect place to stop for dinner during an Upper Kirby pub crawl. I wasn't aware Tex-Mex and Caribbean inspired foods were the preferred cuisine of Middle Earth, but I do know that Hobbits enjoy their drinking… and the Hobbit has a limited, but great beer menu, including several Texas craft beers on draft.

Soups and salads are the specialty here. Some suggestions to try include their black bean nachos (Monterey jack cheese, pico de gallo, jalapenos and sour cream). The amazing salads like the tropical chicken salad (fresh Spring mix, fruit, toasted almonds tossed in a tropical yogurt dressing topped with jerk chicken and toasted coconut).

Gandalf lives, at least in his namesake sandwich (avocado and mushrooms under melted cheese). So does Thorin Oakenshield and the Strider, in various combinations of tabouli, egg salad, sprouts, tomatoes and guacamole on thick slices of whole wheat bread. Other suggestions include the avocado burger, buffalo burger and black bean burger that are all very tasty. Try the Caribbean salmon, grilled with spices and topped with jerk sauce, mango salsa and toasted coconut, steamed veggies piled high over brown rice and beans. The veggie burgers are as charming as the mystical décor. The fresh fruit-of-the-season smoothies are simply delicious.

A few unhealthy menu options are available such as a hefty hamburger—but vegetarian choices like the spinach and mushroom enchiladas are the true crowd-pleasing items. Other excellent vegetarian choices include soothing homemade soups, enchanting sandwiches and bountiful salads.

The Hobbit Cafe also has a well-deserved reputation for serving delicious desserts, including moist carrot cake and tangy key lime pie.

Outside dining on the shady deck is extremely popular in fair weather.

My very favorite veggie restaurant.

by linnerlulu

I first fell in love with The Hobbit Hole (as it was called then) about 30 years ago when it was located on Shepherd. I still mourn the ambiance of the old place, but the "new" location on Richmond is great in its own way, too.

It was the first place I was introduced to Smoothies, and wonderful vegetarian sandwiches on home-baked breads ... the freshest sprouts, cheeses, vegetables and avocados. And it was always fun to order my sandwiches and Smoothies known by the names pulled from the Hobbit books ... The Bilbo Baggins, the Gandalf, the Mithril Mix, etc.

The service has always been friendly, if sometimes a bit uneven. These are usually young people, often college students working their way through school, and so I feel comfortable "giving them a break" if the service is sometimes a little slow. I don't go there for Fast Food, I go there for the delicious, unusual dishes and the relaxed, laid-back atmosphere.

Unfortunately, I moved from Houston over a year ago, and dearly miss the place, the food, and the people. If you have the chance to visit The Hobbit Cafe, as my rating indicates, "Run, don't walk!" If you give it a chance, you will love it.

Response to They Lost My Credit Card

by MissyJ1964

You sound like a real "c" word. Do everybody a favor and stock up on ramen and tv dinners that way you can stay away from people. If I had been at the Hobbit and heard your rant, I would have clocked you. It's people like you that make a waiter/waitresses job a living hell. Drop dead, a-hole. Oh, and you know where you can stuff your credit card!

Healthy, Delicious Food!

by TeresaMo

I go here once a week more or less. Here's why:

*good service

*DELICIOUS food. My boyfriend and I try to eat healthy vegetarian and cook for ourselves mostly. We don't like going to restaurants where everything is bathed in grease. We don't like going to restaurants where it's healthy but doesn't taste good. We are both on a student budget and we love this every time.

*Good beer selection! ('nuff said)

*fantastic brunches! you can get mimosas too.

I don't think we've every walked out of here unhappy. We have eaten most things on the menu and it's delicious. You can definitely make this a one dollar sign sort of restaurant, also. I think their fish tacos are some of the best I've had. When people visit me from out of town, we come here every time.

Comment to "They lost my credit card" review

by rainorshine33

To start, the heading is misleading as we did not lose your credit card as it was found later, which you stated in your review.

I was working there the day of the incident and I would like to comment on a few points in this review.

First of all, we are sorry this incident happen. The waiter made a mistake. Since when do you think that people don't make mistakes at work. Have you ever worked in a customer service profession? If so, am I to assume you never made a mistake? What about in your current profession, have you made any mistakes there? if so, am I to assume that when you do make that once in a blue moon mistake, do you expect to have someone yelling and breathing down your neck like the mistake was the most horrific of errors? The waiter/manager in question has been working there for more than 7 years and he is very good at what he does. This is the first time something like this has happened to him. I can say from personal experience that I have never lost a credit card in my few years of working in the restaurant business. Although the credit cards do sometimes fall off the tray they are usually quickly recovered and we have never had a problem with people stealing credit cards. If one is found by an employee and the customer has already left, we put them in a secure place and return them to the customer if/and when they come to claim it.

Now on to your points:

First, my husband has lost and/or had to replace his credit card a number of times and his credit score is in the excellent category. If it was not found, although an inconvenience, a simple call to the credit card company would have them cancel the card (thus no chance of fraudulent charges) and send you a new one in the mail causing loss of use for less than a week. We would know because we have had this happen to us before at other places and although upset, I knew it was a simple mistake and dealt with it like an adult and did not act in this manner.

Second, from what I saw, you were getting in the face of the hostess while she was trying to get others to look for the card and interact with other customers. Again, I understand the annoyance of the situation but why could you not simply ask them to look for it and wait patiently while they do? Where does your behavior get you or what does it accomplish? Nothing. It makes you seem immature and rude and puts you in the category of the inconsiderate customers that we as waiters have to put up with from time to time.

Finally, you mention no pros but yet what about the quality of the food? Was it not good? If so, that is a pretty big pro because it can be reasonably assumed from the other reviews and experience working there that this mistake does not happen everyday yet our food is consistently rated excellent. Although I know this left a bitter taste in your mouth I hope you decide to come back and enjoy our establishment again. If not, I respect your right to choose where you eat. But I hope you choose to act differently if this situation happens to you in the future at another establishment. Thanks again for taking the time to read this.

• Pros: Everything
• Cons: None

Worth questing for

by treehugger86

This resturant is completely epic; if you don't like it then...well frankly then you're just a terrible person.

• Pros: Awesome food, cheap prices, hobbit theme
• Cons: none

THEY LOST MY CREDIT CARD

by gte096v

After brunch the waiter asks me where the credit card for the bill is. Having already given him my credit card, I ask him the same thing. Turns out that he lost it! THE MAN LOST MY CREDIT CARD! I should also tell you that this waiter also happens to be the MANAGER. The manager of a restaurant has lost my credit card.

The staff is in a panic, I'm beside myself envisioning my credit score going down the drain and having to argue with the credit card company about phantom purchases. My guests and I go inside to be in the air-conditioning while we wait out the credit card hunt. The hostess inside is rude to us and tell us in a snotty voice to “just be patient” and that "everyone is looking for it." The woman who I'm assuming is the assistant manager is telling me that no one has ever stolen a credit card before but that they do sometimes fall off of the tray. THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE? Then why not get some credit card holders that don't result in temporary loss of card?!

In the end they finally did find my card (it was underneath a refrigerator in the back) and I am slightly amazed to tell you that they did charge me and my guests for the meal and that I subsequently paid for it with my lost-but-now-found card.

I do not appreciate being snapped at by the hostess and I don't appreciate that I was made to feel like the bad guy. You guys lost my card, this is my credit score on the line, this is potentially hours of hassle on my part to cancel a card, dispute fraudulent charges, and then wait for a new card to come in the mail. I will never go to this restaurant again. If you decide to brave it, for heaven's sake pay in cash.

• Pros: none
• Cons: they lost my credit card, rude hostess

I was REALLY impressed!

by magnoliasunshine

I visited the Hobbit Cafe back in the 70's when it was known as being a vegetarian place for the most part. It's hard to believe that I had to be told by my son who wasn't even born in the 70's that I need to try this place again. I had read the online reviews and went with an open mind. It is tucked away. The parking is very tight. We went on a Tuesday early evening and were able to park right in front, but like I said - it was a tight squeeze and the last spot left.

We ate inside. I think on cooler days, I would like to sit outside though, and there was plenty of room to do so. Our waiter, William, was absolutely wonderful - a very personable guy. Three of us ordered burgers and were all very happy with them. Another ordered the spinach enchiladas with a side of guacamole and it looked very appetizing....I heard no complaints from anyone. The fries were good as was the salsa and chips.

I had the merlot wine which was wonderful. I made sure to find out the name of it so I can purchase some myself.

So, my first re-turn visit to the Hobbit Cafe after 30+ years was a good one. I will definitely go back.

• Pros: great burgers - great waiter - good wine
• Cons: parking was tight