Treebeards

If you were adventurous enough to trek through a somewhat neglected Market Square in the spring of 1978, you might have come across the original Treebeards on Preston street. Our 30 seat café, tucked in between a peep show arcade and a rowdy bar, opened March 1, 1978, in what had been a pool hall. The menu featured many of the same Southern style dishes that we still serve today. Luckily, people did find us and enjoyed our food enough to recommend us to their friends and co-workers. We soon outgrew the original location and made the move to Travis street in June of 1980. Known to historians as the Baker-Travis Building, circa 1861, our current location facing Market Square Park is the second oldest building in Houston. We have expanded over the years and now operate five restaurants in downtown Houston. The Cloister became our second location when we were approached by the clergy of Christ Church Cathedral to operate the food service in the church's restaurant, The Cloister. We began serving Treebeards' menu in the unique setting of the church's social hall and adjoining courtyard in 1981. Our search for a third location led us into downtown Houston's tunnel system. At 1100 Louisiana, we found a previous tenant's vacant employee cafeteria. The setup was ideal and we opened for business in 1990.