Serving up coffee, brunch and vinyl, Mo’ Brunch & Brews constantly elevates the bar on the typical brunch experience with its music-themed vegan cafe.
Located in the Houston Museum District, Mo’ Brunch & Brews’ eye-catching appearance is a delightful contrast to the dull gray of streets and concrete walls. Its uniqueness does not only stick to the outside. Once inside the establishment, prepare to be welcomed by the rich sound of music and conversation.
What sets Mo’ Brunch & Brews apart from other brunch spots is the deep intertwining between music and food, particularly those surrounding Black culture.
Mo’ Brunch & Brews is a Black-owned business that creatively cultivates vegan versions of iconic southern dishes such as shrooms & grits, a vegan alternative to shrimp & grits, and the results are nothing short of amazing.
Vegan spots are somewhat difficult to come by in the Houston area, even more so to find one with such profound cultural roots. The deep blend between vegan food and southern Black culture is what makes foodies such as Emmy-winning actress and social media personality Tabitha Brown praise yet another example of the cultural hotspot that is Houston.
I came to Mo’ Brunch & Brews after a back-and-forth conversation with one of the owners of the place, Chasitie Lindsay. Knowing she was looking forward to my visit, I felt even more excited to come in and explore Mo’ Brunch & Brews.
Stepping into the place, I was welcomed by a friendly waitress and the sweet croon of a woman singing through the speakers. I felt comfortable taking some pictures of the place, enamored by the wooden walls and how there was something new to spot in every corner. After waiting for a bit to meet Lindsay, she met with me and told me to also say hi to her husband and co-owner, Courtney Lindsay.
The couple is truly a team to behold. I saw Courtney Lindsay, owner and executive chef, sitting in the common seating areas of the restaurant, talking to his wife. The head chef in the kitchen approached him with a small cup of what I assumed to be a sauce for Courtney to taste. It is admirable to see business owners be at the place they built together, constantly hands-on and communicative with customers and employees alike. It is unlike any other restaurant I have been to before, much as the food itself.
It was my first time having a fully vegan meal, so my curiosity and excitement were through the roof. I started with the Boudin Balls, which my friend Ethan recommended I try as it is a staple in his hometown, along with a refreshing Arnold Palmer. They were perfectly crispy and flavorful, and the remoulade sauce on top added that extra punch of flavor and depth.
I couldn’t be more pleased until I tried the chicken-fried shrooms and grits. I was curious about the taste of all the sauces the cafe offers with the shrooms and grits, so I ordered the shrooms and grits flight, which is a sampler of the shrooms and grits with three different toppings: hot honey, Cajun remoulade, and their Cajun cream sauce.
My mind was completely blown. I never had grits before, but I knew I would not be able to find better ones anywhere else. The mushrooms were fried to perfection, and each sauce added a different personality to them. The grits were immaculate and tasted so much more different than what I expected but in the best way possible. I was absolutely floored.
In the distance, I saw Courtney and Chasitie Lindsay conversing with one another, and I wondered if they truly knew the mark they made within the city with Mo’ Brunch & Brews, especially within the Black community. Mo’ Brunch & Brews, as I see it, is an ode to southern Black culture, the food and music that came out of hardship and strife, and the relentless pursuit of creative freedom and artistic expression.
As we celebrate Black History Month, it is important to recognize the role of food within Black history.
“I think food is a labor of love, especially food inspired by the Black experience,” said Courtney Lindsay. “Food speaks to our experiences and to our culture which we created in America.”
If you want to support Black-owned businesses this month, simply come out and explore restaurants such as Mo’ Brunch & Brews. Chasitie adds that websites such as Black Book Houston provide a database with hundreds of Black-owned businesses to support year-round.