REVIEW: Houstonians abuzz over popular cafe bakery
Tout Suite Cafe, a relatively new restaurant and bakery located in EaDO (east downtown Houston), is a trending “must go-to” spot.
The cafe is located on 2001 Commerce Street and is only a few minutes away from Minute Maid Park and Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) Stadium. Upon arrival in the area, expect to see a mix of newly built condominiums, run-down industrial warehouses and railroad tracks. The exterior surroundings do not do justice to the restaurant’s interior design. The parking in the front is relatively sufficient with more spots in the back.
Once through Tout Suite’s doors, however, the atmosphere of the room instantly captures the true essence of the hip, industrial-chic EaDo culture. The large, spacious dining area has two levels and features concrete floors that extend to high walls and countertops. Exposed steel piping runs along the edges and corners of the ceiling while large, bottom-to-top windows let in natural light from either the sun or the moon.
There are suitable seating areas that range from large, wooden community tables and bar stools on the upper level to smaller two-top and four-top tables on the bottom level. Beware, however, as the unisex restrooms may be hard to find thanks to a uniquely camouflaged sliding door.
The decor is kept minimal with only a few tiny succulent plants on each table top, and industrial lights and terrariums hang from above. On the walls, blackboards display written quotes and sayings that promote eco-green awareness.
During weekend brunch hours, expect it to be loud with the amount of studious patrons and music playing overhead. It takes a few minutes to acclimate to the noise lever, but the music helps to tune out other conversations and is actually great as background noise.
For first timers, placing an order may be a little tricky. There is a bakery line on the right, a barista in the middle, and the daily menu line on the left. Menus are hang along the walkway and long lines accumulate quickly, but the employees are courteous and available to answer questions. The cashier line can be slow – there’s only one or two cashiers to take on a fleet of guests.
Baked fresh daily, Tout Suite’s sweet section is filled with an array of cupcakes, truffles, cakes, danishes, parfaits, cookies and macarons. Many of the ingredients used are organic and locally grown. The cafe also has a selection of gluten-free edibles.
The popular go-to desserts are the macarons. Tout Suite’s bakers have perfectly mastered the combination of egg whites, sugar and almond to form a wonderful morsel of heaven — in cookie form. The light, airy texture of the cookie united with the richness of buttercream filling creates a delectable, must-have dessert. A word of caution: the tiny morsel of heaven will cost you $2-$3 each.
Tout Suite Cafe is able to combine the ambience of a trendy, sophisticated cafe with a quaint, cute bakery into one place. There is free wi-fi and a number of outlets to charge devices. The lines may be long, but the macarons are well worth the wait. Tout Suite’s local, organic ingredients and eco-friendly environment sets it apart from many other cafes and is sure to keep guests buzzing for quite some time.
