Catfish and grits at the Breakfast Klub are calling
Long lines of Houstonians queueing up for Southern comfort foods are a daily scene at the Breakfast Klub in Midtown.
Restaurant founder Marcus Davis says the string of people wrapped around his colorful restaurant is not a line but a “fellowship.”
And it is as diverse as anything put together by J.R.R. Tolkien. On the morning of my visit, there were two suited businessmen, a couple of coeds in flip-flops, a family with two fidgety tots and several well-dressed women in red. Like many visitors to Houston, members of Delta Sigma Theta — in town for their convention last week — made the pilgrimage to the Breakfast Klub.
Time passes quickly for patrons here. Conversations that begin on the sidewalk often continue in the small dining room. It’s all very convivial.
Patience is rewarded with heaping plates of the restaurant’s signature waffles and wings. You can’t help but smile when the gloriously colorful plate is put before you.
This day, however, I tried Davis’ other claim to fame: catfish with grits.
A golden slab of breaded catfish — a perfect ratio of crunchy breading to fish — anchors the plate. A crater of grits with a lake of melted butter at its center invites you to dig in.
A request for the two eggs to be cooked over-easy resulted in a warning. “It’s gonna be runny,” the cashier said, looking sternly in my eyes. Gotcha. Runny.
Runny eggs are exactly what I want for their perfect biscuits. (The only thing I was missing was some fig butter. I may BYOB next time.)
A caveat: Catfish and grits was one great dish but not one I would recommend unless you have a couple of hours to nap it off. Trust me.