This is what Houston Life's Brunch Bunch has to say about Eado hotspot, Indianola

This diverse team of food lovers is on a mission to find the best brunch spots

HOUSTON – Houston, get ready to brunch! KPRC 2's Houston Life has assembled a team to taste-test and review some of our city's top brunch spots. First up: Indianola.

**Click here to meet the Brunch Bunch**

Indianola is a modern American restaurant in east downtown (or EaDO), serving brunch during the weekends, and lunch and dinner during the week.

“Indianola was a major port entry to hundreds of thousands of people when this country was being founded," said executive chef Paul Lewis. "I think we are definitely trying to tell that story through food and what we see as American food today. We’re bringing flavors together, we’re bringing people together to have conversations and enjoy each other’s company and just celebrate life.”   

After seeing their diverse menu, the bunch decided on the following dishes, as described by chef Lewis. 

THE DISHES

Moroccan Eggs:

Spiced tomato ragu, garbanzo beans, English pea falafel, fried eggs, sumac – garlic yogurt, toasted sourdough.

"It's really based on a classic dish called a shakshuka. It’s stewed tomatoes with chickpeas and hard spices.  It's one of our most popular items and my wife gets it every time she comes in for brunch."

Crispy Duck Rice:

Baked eggs, tamarind sauce, Fresno chilies, spiced peanuts.

"Our crispy duck rice, it's a tamarind glazed duck with a ginger rice topped off with two farmer’s eggs."

Chicken Biscuit:

Buttermilk biscuit, smoked cheddar cheese, bread & butter pickles, spicy mayonnaise.

"Our chicken biscuit is a buttermilk biscuit we make here in house with some fried chicken, some smoked cheddar cheese, bread and butter pickle and spicy mayonnaise."

Eggs Benedict:

Oaxaca cheese pupusa, turkey sausage, poached eggs, salsa roja, cilantro lime crema, curtido. 

"This is not a traditional eggs benedict in any way. This is our interpretation of eggs benedict. It's kind of an El Salvadorian-style. We make them with pupusas which are at the base of the plate, topped off with some turkey sausage that we make, some poached eggs and our salsa on top."

THE REVIEW

So, what did the Brunch Bunch think of Indianola?  

 

The Atmosphere:

“I thought the atmosphere was pretty chilled, it was very bright, open. I like the greenery on the ceilings. To me it was a place that made it comfortable and we felt relaxed. I can see myself hanging out here,” said Dom McGee.

“The first thing we noticed about Indianola is the beautiful space.  Generous seating and high ceilings splashed in blush pink, brass fixtures and the perfect harmony of retro diner meets contemporary minimalism,” said Derrick Shore.

Food Quality:

“The crunch in the chicken was good. The flavor bounced all in my mouth, so I mean, well-seasoned.  I’m a foodie, so I know what I’m looking for. The butter, from the pickles,” said Monica Lewis.

“I ordered the crispy duck rice and It was amazing. Looking at it at the menu, I was kind of questioning, but once I tasted it, I was like, ‘Oh this is something that I would eat again and again,’” said Darian Lewis.

“Honestly, I was very happy and really surprised, like, the flavors, the way it looks… I had the crispy duck rice. To me it was the perfect brunch item... It’s everything you need. Think about after you’ve had a fun weekend or a night out you want something that’s everything in one bowl that you need, the fatty goodness, the crispiness, and the flavors. It was perfect” said McGhee.

Drinks:

“I ordered the Miss Carrousel. I thought it was the perfect Houston summer cocktail, it was citrusy, it wasn’t too strong, it was a pretty balanced drink,” said McGhee.

“I ordered the gin and tonic, which I really loved, because it was a refreshing drink. The gin is a strong drink, but I think it was perfect for the brunch because it was very balanced and the gin felt very subtle,” said Beatriz Oliveros.

Family-Friendliness:

“I think its family friendly. I think it can work for families,” said Darian.

“We have a two-year old and I know she probably wouldn’t behave here, because you are going to have to have a coloring mat, you know. But for my nine and thirteen-year-old this would be great for that age group,” said Monica.

“I do consider it to be family-friendly. I think the fact that they have booths, you know how they accommodate a lot of people. When we arrived we’ve got to hear a little bit of the music and we noticed that it wasn’t loud or a place where you can’t have a conversation with your children," said Beatriz.

WOULD THEY COME BACK?

“I would definitely come back to Indianola, I liked the experience, I liked the food, I liked the fact that it was a different twist on a classic dish,” said Beatriz.  

“Indianola it’s such a gem, I loved every bite, a loved the atmosphere, I loved the service, and it’s just down the road from where I live.  So I would be coming here constantly,” said Derrick.

“I would definitely come back because the food was a nice portion and flavorful, so, I’m all about the food and the ambience was great,” said Monica.

**To see the full review, watch the YouTube clip below.**

 

HERE'S A LOOK AT INDIANOLA'S BRUNCH BY THE NUMBERS:

 

!function(e,t,s,i){var n="InfogramEmbeds",o=e.getElementsByTagName("script")[0],d=/^http:/.test(e.location)?"http:":"https:";if(/^\/{2}/.test(i)&&(i=d+i),window[n]&&window[n].initialized)window[n].process&&window[n].process();else if(!e.getElementById(s)){var r=e.createElement("script");r.async=1,r.id=s,r.src=i,o.parentNode.insertBefore(r,o)}}(document,0,"infogram-async","https://e.infogram.com/js/dist/embed-loader-min.js");