Brenner's on the Bayou

Return to the Bayou
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Nearly 20 years ago, Don and I brought the kids to this location when it housed, Rainbow Lodge.  We had a memorable feast in the cozy building, set on acres of gardens, within the city. 

Sunday for Brunch

This April I celebrated with an early birthday brunch, when my daughter came to town. Luckily the rain held off as we hiked up to the rambling building, now called Brenners on the Bayou. I have no idea how this restaurant began, but it looked like an old house with numerous additions and renovations.

Old and New

We arrived at 11 and the restaurant was just preparing to open.  It gave us time to look around.  I spotted an old staircase that lead to upstairs bathrooms.  This must have been an old house... but no one around looked like they had time for my questions.  A space to the right of the door, must have been a closet. The mirrored floor and illuminated art felt a little like Alice in Wonderland. I was tempted to step into the art!

Arches & Wood

We stepped into the bar area with some arched woodwork, an old fireplace and vintage windows. An additional room beyond, had large windows with garden views.  

I was having a hard time envisioning the once old home.

The Small Bar

I loved the green walls and colorful art in the smaller, inside bar.  The space looked much cozier than the swanky, Blue Bar at Brenner's, which seemed to wrap around the whole back of the restaurant.

Into the Dining Space

When the hostess was ready, she guided us through the bar, which opened to some elevated seating and a view of glass enclosed tables below.  I looked at the space to the right and remembered eating up in the loft, when the kids were 9 and 11. Our son was excited about ordering the special, which was bison. We were not so excited when the bill arrived and realized his half eaten bison was about half the total of the entire bill.

From Our Table

Our table on the lower level had a view of the patio tables and gardens beyond. We also had a view of the guitarist who played some lovely music from his slightly raised space. His voice and song picks were perfect for a relaxing Sunday morning.  So relaxing however, that few seemed to acknowledge him. I of course spent a few moments worrying about him. Wondering if he was tired from performing the night before... wondering if he hated Sunday brunch gigs.. We made sure he was tipped well.

Attacking the Beast!

There was some confusion over who was waiting on our table. The first guy was kind of annoying, but he did seem to acknowledge we had a birthday to celebrate.

Our second waiter recommended the Colossal Cinnamon Roll with toasted pecans. Usually I would laugh and say no thanks, but you only turn 60 once. We 3 dug into the gooey, warm delight, before   facing our main courses.

Chicken Fried Filet Mignon and Eggs!

We decided one of us needed to try this ridiculous pick, even if the idea was sinful. Usually I don't put anything at all on a filet mignon.  It's good all on its own.  But this baby was fried and smothered in sausage gravy with pickled garlic and jalapenos. Yes, it was incredibly yummy, but I'm thinking it's a one time deal.

French Toast and Omelet

These options were a little more standard, but the French toast was far from ordinary. I could hardly make a dent in the corn flake crusted Brioche French toast, with Chantilly cream! The fresh berries helped ease my guilt.  Don's spinach and provolone omelet was a little on the dry side for my preference. But at least it was a less rich option for the table. 

Photo Time
Our waiter brought our doggy bag and then seemed a little rushed when I asked if he'd snap our photo.  I wish I could say that someone ended up eating the leftover French toast or cinnamon roll. What a waste.

Only later did I see this photo and realize it was kind of odd that there had never been some kind of birthday acknowledgement after our first waiter.  Oh well, thank goodness I don't care about that at all. Maybe our expressions spoke out to clearly...   "We're full.  Don't put anything sweet with a candle on this table!"

Roaming

After brunch, we were delighted the predicted rains had held off. We wandered the grounds a bit.  I don't think we even burned off the first bit of cinnamon roll.

Happy Pic

Heidi was good enough to take a photo of the happy and bloated parents before we headed back.  Poor Heidi had to drive to back to Austin, while Don and I got to spend the afternoon lounging off our glutenous meal.

It was a memorable breakfast, with not the best service. I'll remember the gardens and the odd food choices. And I'll remember the fun of sipping Bloody Marys and chatting with Don and Heidi!