From the makers of the brilliant vegan chefs of Houston Sauce Co.– the new Mo’ Better Brews officially opens today in honor of Juneteenth!
Just think of your wildest vegan breakfast dreams, with a cajun/southern twist, come true and that’s pretty much the menu at Mo Better Brews!
Vegan food entrepreneurs, Chasitie and Courtney Lindsay took their love for breakfast and opened up their first brick and mortar restaurant to provide Houston with a taste of some of their classic favorites, veganized!
This weekend, the couple behind Houston Sauce Co. and other concepts is unveiling Mo’ Better Brews, a vegan breakfast, coffee and vinyl shop that combines their passion for food and music.
“We’re so excited to see Texas embracing vegan food”, Chasitie remarks on how many vegans are in Houston along. “We love seeing the scene grow and support other vegan spots as well.”
Taking some of their best-sellers from their Houston Sauce Co. food truck, like the vegan chik’n-fried ‘shrooms and grits with their infamous spicy vegan remoulode and the monte cristo aka ‘The MoTown Monte’, as well as new items like a Cajun croissant that’s perfectly stuffed with vegan boudin and topped with creamy mushroom sauce. The menu also features some non-breakfast items like flatbread pizza, including the ‘Smokey Rob’ named after Smokey Robinson, complete with vegan pesto, smoked oyster mushrooms, chèvre cheese and truffle oil.
Brian, their sous-chef, picture above, helps take the culinary creations that Courtney Lindsey dreamed up to life for Mo Better Brews’ guests. “We’re happy to bring the authentic flavors with cajun spices and vegan alternatives to these classic dishes”, shares Brian.
The coffee served at Mo’ Better Brews is a collaboration with Three Keys Coffee, a roaster that created a blend specially for the shop. It’s called Bleek & Indigo, a nod to the main characters of Spike Lee’s 1990 movie “Mo’ Better Blues,” which the venue is named after. To-go bags of the coffee will also be available for sale.
“We had an idea of the coffee and vinyl vibe, with me being a former DJ so we’re collaborating with one of our friends Flash Gordon Parks, who curates all of the vinyl collections for people to buy or listen to while they’re here”, shares Chasitie.
There will be a shelf for people to dig through records to purchase. The venue’s walls are beautifully decorated with rare vinyls (some of them will also be for sale), vinyls recorded by local artists, and original flyers from the 1940s and 1950s for shows featuring Houston musicians like Lightnin’ Hopkins.
The idea for Mo’ Better Brews came from the Lindseys when they began their vegan journey five years ago, even before their hot sauce company took off. After they had experience with the success of Houston Sauce Co., they felt ready to tackle their dream with the truly one of kind restaurant.
In 2017, they launched Houston Sauce Co., a line of hot sauces, barbecue sauces and other condiments that is now found on retail shelves across Houston. A year later, they started the Houston Sauce Co. food truck, which serves some of their classics like cauliwings and vegan boudin sushi rolls. In 2019, Sauce Co. Shoppette opened, selling sauces, vegan grab-and-go meals and snacks. When they saw how popular the vegan barbecue was at the food truck, they decided to open a spin-off truck dedicated to it, Houston Sauce Pit, which launched in 2020.
The Lindseys also own and operate a few other vegan concepts, including the Green Zone, the permanent location for their food truck with outdoor seating and a market every Saturday, and a vegan hot chik’n spot in Austin called Big Hots. Mo’ Better Brews is the latest, but won’t be the last: Chasitie teased a vegan cheesesteak business, Trill Phillies, to open this summer in Houston!
Mo’ Better Brews is located at 1201 Southmore Blvd in the Museum District section of the historical Greater Third Ward.
The shop will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., serving breakfast and coffee and selling records, but the Lindsays plan to keep the party going. There will be live music, shows, open mic nights, poetry nights and other events in the evenings, aided by the stage they have on the outdoor patio. The bar will serve beer and wine during these occasions. People will also have the ability to rent the space for their own gatherings.
Mo’ Better Brews is having its grand opening today: Juneteenth — Saturday, June 19th, 2021.
