Café Mezza and Grille, as its name suggests, draws on Mediterranean themes to bring to Houston some creative American fusion cuisine that hits the spot!
Located in the Galleria area near Tanglewood, the term ‘Mezza’ means ‘appetizer’ in Arabic, and Syria-turned-Houston-native, Mike Tibi, owner and executive chef on his first solo venture, seeks to bring that flair to all his cooking. Tibi’s dishes are thoughtful and flavorful, with homemade dressings and sauces. His Mediterranean dishes stand alongside mouthwatering burgers, some of the tastiest tacos in town, pastas and desserts.
For example, we’ve all come to expect chips and salsa or bread and butter as standard fare at most Houston restaurants, however, at Café Mezza this little detail of the meal tweaked to fit the flavor of the restaurant—their seasoned, crunchy pita chips with olive oil and a signature spice blend is definitely tasty and interesting. In fact, I’d go so far as to say Café Mezza and Grille has no weak dishes on the menu that I’ve personally tried to date. It’s safe to say that I’ve personally tried over 70% of the menu in the years I’ve been having casual dates, business meetings and family get-togethers there.
The salads come in HUGE portions, so possibly get the dressing on the side so you can save it for later. I am very experienced in the joys of leftovers—and with most of the stuff offered on this menu, you’re going to have leftovers. My favorite salad is the “Grilled Chicken Salad,” which sounds fairly generic until you order it and realize that it’s the only salad you’ll ever love: peanut vinaigrette (which you should obviously avoid if you are allergic to peanuts), candied walnuts, shredded Granny Smith apples and carrots with bleu cheese crumbles. This is a salad to end all salads.
The Almond Crusted Brie with Jalapeno’s Pepper Jelly is also so completely ridiculous, so you should just order it and hand it immediately over to me! It will change your life for the better as it completely satisfies your taste buds! I also frequently order their Shrimp Tacos and bypass the Mango Chipotle Sauce (which is very good) for extra of their creamy Cilantro Ginger sauce (which is outstanding). I always order extra and dip my sweet potato fries in it—if ever anyone could beat the delectable Hobbit Café fish tacos (it’s going to be these. For me, they’re the best in Houston). Honorable mention in this post for foods I love at Café Mezza and Grille are the Mezza Cheese Raviolis, decadent, cheesy… and adorned with Caramelized Onions that are so sweet, so delicious, they should be served as a main course.
To say that I love Café Mezza and Grille would be an understatement: consistently, Tibi has produced some of the best food in Houston that’s health-minded and affordable. Next time you’re in the area, try it!
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