Late Lunch at Tiny Boxwoods

You know when you see a place on Instagram and you’re like “OMG, I have to go there!” Well this was my coworkers reaction to Tiny Boxwoods. Technically, I had already been there.

Disclaimer: I will never be able to be a food critic or food photographer and I’m not trying to claim to be with these “food reviews”. They are more location reviews, so keep that in mind! I am way too picky of an eater, and with the exceptions of desserts, I want to chow down as soon as food is put in front of me. Sometimes sweets are too sweet for me so I’m able to have some self control in that department.

Price

I always get an uneasy feeling when I search for prices online and can’t find any or only certain things have prices. It’s further intensified when I actually make it to the restaurant and there still aren’t prices on the menus. I’m always mindful of how much I’m spending and when the prices are nowhere to be found in the restaurant, I tend to look towards cheaper sounding options on the menu aka sandwiches. Which if I’m being 100% honest, is why I went with the grilled cheese ($13 says the online menu that has some prices listed). I also got a cookie and the mint lemonade. I love a good lemonade when I’m sitting outside. All of this plus a few dollars of tip totaled $24.91. Not too bad I guess, but the price will probably turn others off. (I purposefully saved all of my receipts from my lunches in June to break it down for my readers, but of course the one place without all the prices listed is the one receipt I can’t find!)

Atmosphere

The atmosphere at Tiny Boxwoods is hard to beat. Right next door is Thompson + Hanson a cute little boutique nursery and store. (So when you’re done with your food walk over and take home a plant!)

Tiny’s staff were all pleasant when we went, which was around 2:30 p.m. on a Tuesday. There were a surprising amount of people sitting inside and one couple out on the front patio. I had a pleasant interaction with the guy taking orders, I had asked how minty the lemonade was, which to me was completely missable and he said was just a hint. I also wasn’t judged as I took pictures of my delicious chocolate chip cookie when my meal was brought. We had also commandeered a table across from us to take pictures at and there were a couple of times we would look up from the viewfinder to check the screen and notice a staff member waiting to walk between us and our shot. Which was super nice and they always smiled and never looked put out. All of which was the opposite of some reviews and blogs I had read!

Travel Tip #6: Lunch Time & Seating

In my opinion, if you want to cause the least disturbance and still get good pictures, you should consider going late to lunch. My coworker and I tend to sit outside to limit disruption to other’s lunches and to get the best possible lighting. We also go after 2 p.m. to avoid larger lunch crowds, again wanting to limit the people we annoy with our picture taking! I think this also helps with the waitstaff’s reaction/perception of us. They are less busy and usually in a better mood.

Food

Now the part most people will want to know about. Was the food worth the price I paid? Yes and no. Since I don’t really know the price of the lemonade and cookie, I have to give a little disclaimer with each item.

The grilled cheese was great, I used the dipping sauce they served with it a little bit. The homemade potato chips were also good, and after having some recently at Local Foods Upper Kirby, I have to say they were the better of the two. But was it better than the homemade grilled cheeses my mom makes with Wright brand bacon? Sorry, no. It was super filling, however I probably wouldn’t order it again, but if you like grilled cheese, give it a try! (The little stick of bread and goat cheese in the picture is from my gluten-free friend’s Salmon Provencal dish.)

The lemonade was really refreshing and honestly I wish it had come with free refills! I’m not a big mint person unless it’s Andes mints or Girl Scout cookies, so I was a little wary until I had the conversation with the guy at the counter. I would definitely order this again (assuming it’s less than $4)!

Now on to that delicious, dreamy cookie (follow me on Instagram to see). How do they bake this thing? Is it just their recipe that helps it get that nice golden color and shape, but somehow keeps that ooey gooey center? I may have been baking cookies wrong my whole life. Clearly there’s a certain point where I would draw the line for my cookie price, but the cookie was amazing and I would definitely recommend it!

Do you have a favorite lunch time spot inside the 610 loop in Houston? Let me know in the comments so I can check it out! Also, be sure and follow me on Instagram to see more pictures from my time at Tiny Boxwoods!

– Texan Travels

3 out of 5 would visit again.