Conroe – Walking through the doors of the Honor Café in Conroe, you never have to worry about the service because many of the people in this building have built their lives around it.
Owner Chris Sadler served in the Marines for 7 years. With his wife Mandi by his side, they own operate the Honor Café, a restaurant dedicated to those who have served our country and to those currently serving. “You can look at me and know that I like restaurants,” Chris said. “I like one side of the table a lot, but I didn’t really want to be on the other side of the table. But I felt like God wanted us to do this.”
When Chris first came up with this concept, he didn’t want people to think the food would be based off the bland food he got back in the day, so he created a 5-star menu with things like a big ol’ breakfast quesadilla, crispy chicken sandwiches, and ahi tuna salads. “Whatever we do, we want to do honorably here. Whether it’s making a meal, whether it’s the way we put food down on the table to the way we greet people when they come in,” said Chris.
The stories that are shared here are unique and humbling. From successful missions, narrow escapes, and fallen friends, each veteran that comes in has a special perspective of their time in the service and Chris takes the time to listen to all of them, never knowing what to expect.
At the Honor Café, friends find each other that don’t plan on meeting there. Amazing stuff happens every day, and one of the most unique parts are the walls of the restaurant. Around the entire restaurant, you’ll find thousands of pictures of veterans. In just a few short years, Chris has had his walls covered by friends and family members who wanted to share the stories of their veterans. “It doesn’t take you very long with these walls to understand the cost, the value, and the pride of being an American,” said Chris.
“I think it’s just a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said customer and veteran Mike. “It’s kind of like a living museum where you get to have awesome food.”
Chris commanded me to the kitchen to cook up two signature items at the Honor Café – the Honor Burger and Shrimp and Grits. The Honor Burger consists of a three-meat patty made with brisket, short rib, and ground chuck. It’s put on a half-pound brioche bun with garlic aioli. Lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pepper jack cheese, and avocado are the final additions. A wonderfully meaty burger that would satisfy the hungriest soldier.
The Shrimp and Grits get started with shrimp getting seared while grits get fired up. A lemon butter sauce goes into the bowl, while a spicy sauce with a hint of habanero gets put on the shrimp. The final dish is absolutely delectable.
“If you’re coming hungry, you’ll be served well,” said customer and veteran Edward.
Honoring veterans is a must, but saluting the savory food at the Honor Café is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.
With the Honor Café, the honoring is what matters most. Seeing the pictures of veterans on the wall and their personal mementos of their time in the service is awe-inspiring. There is one display that will always have a special place in Chris’ heart. It’s a shadow box dedicated to Army Corporal Brandon Smitherman – a Conroe native who was killed in 2007 during Operation Iraqi Freedom at the age of 21. “The second Saturday that we were open, I was standing there, and a young lady had walked up and she had something in her arms and she said, “Someone told me that if we brought something military related you’d put it on the wall.” And I said, “Oh, we absolutely do that. What do you have?” And when she gave it to me, it opened up and I saw her son Brandon’s name on it and never had held that Gold Star Mother’s flag.”
Honor. Served in massive proportions at the Honor Café.