Review: Dandelion Cafe brings brunch to campus

By Aleena Ahmad     1/16/24 10:01pm

Rating: ★★★★

The second location of the Dandelion Cafe, a Houston-based restaurant, is now open in the O’Connor Building for Engineering & Science. Described by Good Morning America as having one of the best chicken and waffles in Houston, the cafe is known for its variety of brunch options. While the Rice location only offers a smaller selection of their normal menu items, the variety of non-servery options, comforting atmosphere and acceptance of Tetra is sure to make the Dandelion Cafe a hit on campus. 

Placed on the first floor by the entrance, the cafe looks out on the engineering quadrangle, and the space has decent seating and a calm environment. While people may want to try venturing here for a study spot as opposed to Coffeehouse, their “soft opening” are currently only 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays.

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The cafe on campus offers a smaller version of their star item with a six-inch waffle and a piece of chicken. An employee at the Dandelion Cafe said that the breakfast tacos are one of their most popular menu items, as well as the variety of chicken sandwiches they offer. She also added that everything is house-made fresh every day.

In addition to food, they offer classic coffee drinks and house-made syrup flavors like chocolate, caramel and cinnamon. They even use coffee ice cubes in their iced coffee to prevent the dilution of your drink as it melts. They also offer multiple milk options including whole, 2%, skim, oat and a house-made almond milk, though their alternate milks come for an additional dollar.

I decided to try their honey butter chicken biscuit. It was massive, with a price tag to match, coming in around $10. I could hardly unhinge my mouth enough to take a bite. The biscuit was a sight to behold, and as a baker myself, I was thrilled by the sheer number of layers present. The chicken piece was a decent size, though there could have been a bit more honey butter — the flavor was overshadowed by the chicken’s mild spice. Regardless, the chicken was well-cooked and had just the right amount of fried coating. The richness of the biscuit, the slight spice of the chicken and the occasional honey sweetness all blended well together.

To accompany my morning biscuit, I also got an iced vanilla matcha latte for $5. It was just alright. While the flavor was nice and earthy, the matcha taste wasn’t strong and overall a little watery. With the added flavoring  it wasn’t overly sweet, and the specks of good-quality vanilla bean gave it bonus points.

The details are what make Dandelion Cafe — their homemade touch is especially present. Overall, it tastes comforting and high quality, but it does cost you. I spent about $15 on this excursion so, lest my Tetra dry up by February, I might save my next visit as a treat next time I’m fighting through exams. Still, I will be thinking fondly of that biscuit next time I’m subjected to servery breakfast.

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