If you’ve been in Houston long enough, you’ve learned that some of the city’s most beloved restaurants have found new lives in unexpected places—former grocery stores, pharmacies and even houses. The same rings true for Treebeards, a longtime Houston restaurant that got its start in a former pool hall and now operates its oldest open location inside a historic church founded in 1839.
As Houston’s first religious congregation, Christ Church Cathedral at 1117 Texas Ave. has long welcomed worshippers for Sunday services and weekday prayer. But for nearly 50 years, Treebeards has carried in a weekday draw beyond its congregation, bringing in office workers on lunch breaks, regulars and takeout customers for affordable Southern comfort food.
Inside, the expansive space is filled with rows of tables beneath high ceilings and tall windows, while a cafeteria-style serving line is tucked into a smaller section of the room, where guests make their selections and pay for their meals.
While it may be a tight squeeze, it’s packed with classic comfort foods, from fried meats and gumbo to hearty sides and sweets, all for less than $20. You can find a lot of the same menu items as you can at its sister locations, but it has a different lineup of daily specials served with a choice of two sides…