Bakeries pages sponsored by Ruggles Cafe Bakery Reviews Menu Profile Empire Cafe   1732 Westheimer Rd Houston TX 77098 713.528.5282 You might also be interested in these:     American Food    Bakeries    Outdoor Dining    Sunday Brunch    ZIP 77098   Add Review       MY REVIEW: god this place has gone downhill fast. the old staff and managers have been replaced by snooty managers that don't care about your experience. now that the last of the nice staff has moved on, i do believe i will as well. the food or coffee is not good enough to keep me there. sorry empire cafe. it's been a good run. i'll miss ya. NAME: flippity do da SUBMITTED: 4/9/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 4/1/2008 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: This is a great place to chill out and relax with your friends. The coffee is good and the food is better. Prices for the food are kind of steep, but its definitely worth it. NAME: BassMan SUBMITTED: 2/3/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 02/2008 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: Boston Cream-pie Cake!!!!!! I think me and my girlfriend are addicted to this cake like crack...too bad they only carry it in the display very seldomly. I think this is going to be my wedding cake! Food is always great, fresh and hot and tasteful. Brunch is the best at this place, and coffee is great! True roasted beans ground for their house coffee and you can't forget the Milky Way. I got my girlfriend on the Decaf Milky Way. Great place for a date. The Atmosphere is just right. I try to come here several times a month. NAME: mo4sho SUBMITTED: 1/15/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 01/14/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: I had the eggplant panini, which was horrible. My friend had the chicken panini, also horrible. The foccacia bread was very big and dry, and the sandwiches had not been grilled. They were room temperature. The eggplant sandwich filling tasted like it had been sitting around for at least a few hours. Another friend ordered the Chicken Roulate, which was wonderful. All three meals came with the same roasted red potatoes, which were overcooked (dry). Their toll house cake was good. The ambiance outside was good for people watching. I wish they had turned on the heat lamps though, as it was chilly outside. I liked the order at the counter service. I would definitely try this place again. Please do not get their paninis! NAME: Christina SUBMITTED: 12/29/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: December 07 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: The Italian Toast is amazing. The mimosa brunch is great to celebrate a Birthday and you get to sit outside- love it! NAME: Michelle SUBMITTED: 12/13/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 9/2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: Great Service wonderful food, we had lunch and split a plate of chicken stuffed with mushrooms and spinach with fontina cheese, it came with potato's and veggie of the day, we added a soup, and salad, and got an extra cup of soup because the day's soup was potato and leek. This food was outstanding. I must say having been to a very expensive place for dinner that was just "good" the night before, NOW I truly wish we had come here. NAME: beeva and durd SUBMITTED: 11/8/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 11/7/2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: I love this place. My boyfriend and I seem to go there about once a week now. Strong points: Coffee drink, cakes, cesar salads,oatmeal and waffles. I love how they add two little sugar cookies to their hot teas and coffees. Weak Points: I think tha the grilled potatos that the seve with omlettes should be seasoned a bit more, but other than that, not much else to whine about. One more thing...even though I don't eat much meat anymore, I highly recommend their peanut chicken appetizer. Super tender chicken strips served on a bed of red leaf lettuce, garnished with diced tomatoes with the BEST peanut dipping sauce. I eat it as a main course. NAME: Anjie SUBMITTED: 11/5/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 10/2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: i'd have say empire cafe is an excellent choice for dinner. i love their food, especially most of their daily chicken specials. their cakes are HUGE and the staff is friendly, especially if you go in the evenings. i would suggest to be prepared to wait if you go during the weekends, namely sat/sun brunch but the italian toast is well worth it. NAME: relax frankie SUBMITTED: 6/22/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 06/05/07 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: The cake, the cake, the cake..........hands down the best cake in town. The food is mediocre at best, and the service is terrible. Years ago, this place was hip and fun. Now, the staff consists of salty, smart ass kids. It's unfortunate, but I still go by to get my cake to go. NAME: Steve SUBMITTED: 4/28/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 4/20/07 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: This is a great place to eat! I love their broc and cheese soup! They serve it with a wonderful focacia breat. Their sandwiches are good, but their panninis are not hot or cooked with a weight, but still tastey. Good prices and seating inside and out. Good point: you order at the front so you save some cash. Great waffles too! NAME: dilly SUBMITTED: 12/13/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: Dec 2006 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: Great food but their best dish is the shrimp bisque which they never have anymore. Most people that used to go there just for the shrimp bisque have stopped going all together because for some reason (or bad decision on managements behalf) they have stopped serving it or they only serve it once a week. NAME: corey SUBMITTED: 11/15/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: this month FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: The place had a long line when we walked in, but it ran pretty quick. I rarely drink coffee, but they have the best coffee I've ever had. Better then Sta****cks. We both had the eggs Benedict. I love breakfast served with fresh fruit. The only thing is you have to get up and serve yourself water, tea and coffee. There was a such crowd. I was fearful I would spilling my hot coffee on someone or myself. I wll defintely be back. Next time for lunch and dinner. NAME: Lo H SUBMITTED: 11/6/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 1/06 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: I like this place a lot. I like coffee and food they serve. I had their cake just once (chocolate one) and thought it was way too sweet. I couldn’t eat dinner that night because of it. But I am still willing to try a different cake of theirs. I like this place that much. NAME: Adam SUBMITTED: 9/23/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: September/2006 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: When my husband and I found this place in our last week in Houston, we couldn't stop going back. Finally, a perfect iced Americano! Love the salads and pastas. Brunch was great. What I'll miss most about Houston! NAME: ddrewbamboo SUBMITTED: 8/25/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: August 2006 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: We went to Empire Cafe for breakfast this morning. The coffee was great, the food was good, the service was slow, but I would go back and give it another try. NAME: HREK SUBMITTED: 7/1/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 7/1/06 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Love the decor and the menu selection. Also, they have BIG slices of cake, but the quality is inconsistent, sometimes great, sometimes completely bland. However, for their salads, their creamy rosemary is amazing. Outside, they have a good size patio, but they would do well to landscape better, as the constant motorcycles wizzing by and homeless guys coming up to your table gets a little old after a while... NAME: Bettty SUBMITTED: 3/12/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: March 2006 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: Empire Cafe creates a relaxing place to go for a warm cappucino and yummy cakes. They also have tasty dishes ranging from light pastas to salads. Prices are very resonable especially if you're a college student or just want to be conservative without sacrificing a good dining experience. Outside they have heating elements that make any evening chill less noticabe without feeling uncomfortable if you're too close to one. Can be a bit crowded, but that's usually a good sign! NAME: jessxicalizz SUBMITTED: 1/5/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 01/2006 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: WOW! What a great place to eat brunch for my birthday. My daughter attends Texas A&M in College Station and frequents your establishment because "IT IS AWESOME MOM." The Hazlenut CAP is sooo tasty, warming, and beautifully prepared. I enjoyed the scrambled eggs over spinach along with the best Hash Browns I have ever tasted. De VERAS! The staff was friendly, informative, and dined at the establishment on their break. I will have some cake next time, I just couldn't that visit because I ate all of my entree and had no more room for birthday cake. The ambiance was eclectic. Rita Hayworth was a nice conversation piece as my Aunt bragged about being her look alike back in the 40's. (SHE REALLY DID resemble her.) Please know that I will highly recommend this restaurant to all of my friends. It was worth the trip from East Texas. Thank you daughter for a wonderful treat! You have great taste. "I'll BE BACK!" NAME: Pamela Del Rosario SUBMITTED: 11/1/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: October 25, 2006 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Great atmosphere, pretty good food, nice people watching, great atmosphere... Just had brunch there, the food was surprisingly healthy (lots of fresh fruit) as well as filling. Love the no-hassle, self-service free iced tea and coffee refills. Food is a little overpriced for what you're getting but it's artfully presented and the location is superb, perfectly on a nice day. Parking is a challenge as you'd expect, but hey if that's the price for NOT being in some sterile strip mall in bufu nowhere suburbia I'll gladly take it! NAME: eduardo nietzsche SUBMITTED: 5/30/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: May 05 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Every time I go to Empire Cafe I am impressed by its relaxed and almost European-like atmosphere. The food there is good because of their proper choice of spices and flavors and not because they simply lay some bacon or cheese on top of everything like most franchise establishments. I am willing to bet that it is healthier than most restaurants in Houston, even including a healthy portion of their decadent cake. It is best in the summer so you can sit outside. NAME: SkiDude SUBMITTED: 2/11/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: Jan 2005 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: Food is pretty good but overpriced but is my favorite place to sit and type on my laptop or read a book for hours and don't get asked to leave. DELICIOUSLY EXPENSIVE RICH CAKE. It is well worth it, though. NAME: Frequent customer SUBMITTED: 2/4/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: January 2005 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: This is absolutely my favorite place to go for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert! As a law student, I love that i can stock up on cheap coffee (less than $2 for a bottomless cup of really good joe). You can sit inside or outside, making it easy to avoid crowds if you are there solo... However, I also think its a great place to go with friends. The waitstaff is awesome - in my opinion they go beyond to make sure i have what i need. Food is reasonably priced, and portions are huge. For lunch, there is usually a split soup and salad option (or soup and sandwich) that always fills me up. Dinner entrees are easily splitable, and there is a nice selection of wines, reasonably priced by the glass. Breakfast is probably my favorite part... They serve frittata's all day, but come early for some awesome waffles! As other's have mentioned, at peak times, there is a little wait at the counter to order, but it is well worth it. Also, parking is sometimes a hassle, but there is a lot across the street that usually has some spots. This is an EXCELLENT spot! NAME: lizlee SUBMITTED: 1/25/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 1/2005 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: OUTSTANDING food, reasonably priced, and a VERY interesting atmosphere. We travelled from Tomball to eat here with our daughter - hoping it would be a good experience - and it was. The only negative we experienced was the difficulty in finding a parking spot and waiting in line for about 10 minutes before giving our order. Once the food was delivered to our table, though, it was worth the wait. Each of us had a different menu item, and each was very tasty. The "house blend" coffee was great, too. In spite of the VERY hectic morning activity, the "manager" took time to talk to us and express his appreciation for our lengthy trip to his establishment. We will DEFINITELY go back to this restaurant. NAME: FolksFromTomball SUBMITTED: 8/9/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 08/04 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: EMPIRE CAFE IS MY FAVORITE CAFE. My friend and I love going here cuz of their great white cakes and purified water!! We also enjoy eating the minestrone soup and I usually eat the rustica pasta dish. It's DELICIOUS!!!!!! NAME: KutieKelly SUBMITTED: 7/25/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: June 2004 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: I was just sitting here in Austin thinking about what I missed about Houston & the Empire Cafe came to mind. (Also a D*enny's commercial got me thinking of those pancakes!!):) NAME: RockStar SUBMITTED: 4/21/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: Too Long FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... More reviews If you don't agree with these comments, agree with them or have additional comments, click here to Add Your Review. Restaurant Owners & Managers Curious about your Activity and Ranking on b4-u-eat? Want to Create or Update your Free Profile Page? Click here to Login. ©Copyright 1991 - 2008 B4-U-EAT.COM. All rights reserved. Design and database by B4-U-BUY