The Lunchbox Cafe

I absolutely LOVED this place, so sad it closed.

What a weird place! I could eat there again, but it was weird. It is off the main tourist drag in Galveston TX, Houston’s little cousin on the Gulf of Mexico, and where shops off of covered sidewalks dominate. The Lunchbox Café is immediately south of this street.
It was weird because of the artsy-​fartsy chalkboard menu, the funky menu items with weird/​healthy pesto/​cranberry/​chutney sauces and whatnot, and the server with a sullen attitude. It was an anomaly in «howdy» Texas. Who knows? Maybe the heat in Galveston is stifling. Maybe they don’t like people who wear polo shirts. At any rate, the service was sub-​par and the food was somewhere between interesting and good, but a repeat visit is iffy. This is a tourist town with a lot of history and now it’s even a cruise terminal, seeing that a Carnival liner was in port. Many years ago, I found an awesome place that served up a ton of shrimp but I couldn’t find it, so I ate at the Lunchbox Café. If in Galveston again, I think I would continue to look for another place to try. But if you like the funky vibe, I would recommend it … again, to those who like a funky vibe.

I grew up in Houston my whole life and knew Galveston only for their murky waters and sea wall. And never, ever for their food. A lot of growth has happened though and there are now believe it or not quite a few good eateries in the G-​town! If you’re a sandwich-​lover, you have got to at least try this place. And if you’re an iced-​coffee lover, this is a must-​have! Yes, possibly worth driving 1+ hours for that cold cup of iced Toddy!
They serve Katz Coffee, freshly dripped each day. Nutty flavor, strong enough so the ice doesn’t dilute it, and absolutely perfect with soy (must get soy!) and some sugar.
As for the sandwiches, they use really freshly baked bread, which was a plus. Different types you can choose from. The meat was a tad dry and could have used some juices to weld the ingredients together, but overall pretty creative sandwiches with fresh ingredients.
Again, the iced Toddy had me at the first sip!

My wife and I shared two sandwiches, chicken salad and turkey with cranberry-​pecan pesto. The bread was kind of dry and chewy (are those simultaneously possible?). The field greens were a little overwhelming to the overall taste, and I was wondering «where’s the beef?» Rather, «where’s the turkey?»
We started with some pimento cheese and store-​bought pita chips. Yeah, I’m not sure why we ordered that either.
Overall, the Lunchbox is a neat little spot and the staff seemed cool enough. This is kind of a hipster spot you might expect to find in Austin, but with food that could use a little improvement.

We live in Austin but went to Galveston for a family trip. My boyfriend and I got coffee at another café on the strand but the service was pretty rude, so we decided to walk around the strand for a bit. Turns out nothing is open that early (9:30 a.m.). Fortunately we stumbled across Lunchbox Café and I decided it was time for more coffee anyway.
The server was bright, cheerful, knowledgeable, and greeted everyone that walked into the café. My boyfriend got the kalamata sandwich for breakfast and loved it. My iced toddy was delicious, and my bagel was great. We are used to supporting local places so this was a pleasant surprise for us in the hustle and bustle of tourist land. Whenever we head back to Galveston, this will definitely be our café to go to.

Their Hillcountry Turkey sandwich on baguette and spinach feta cous cous are the best thing since sliced bread! I usually order togo since I work downtown but they have a cute atmosphere if you want to eat in.

This place is very cool! Being from Seattle, Washington, I love organic fruit and vegetables and fresh food– and art =)
This place reminds me of home, without all of the rain =/​
I had the turkey and cranberry sandwich on rye (not sure exactly what it was called) — but it was amazing. The turkey was fresh, as well as the mixed greens and cranberry spread (?). The rye bread tasted homemade and was very soft.
Pretty cool staff and local art on the walls. The espresso is the best I’ve found on the island so far.
I highly recommend this place for a casual lunch, although it does get pretty loud with everyone talking in the small dining area. Nice outdoor seating area.

Are you tired of fried fish and shrimp? This is the spot for you! Fresh Salads, Fresh Greens, Fresh Sandwiches, Fresh homemade cookies.

This is my kind of sandwich shop. Healthy sandwiches. Mostly made with local farmer’s ingredients sandwiches. No unnecessary additives to mask mediocre ingredients sandwiches. Lots of daily made sides and cookies and bars to go with your sandwiches sandwiches. Well, the Zapps chips aren’t made in house, but their damn fine chips.
I tried a few sandwiches here, and they were all hits. Oh, no, first let me mention that they have a chalk board across from the counter with a list of items that they get from local farms. I was pretty excited as many of the same farmers hit the Houston farmer’s markets and I actually buy from those farmers, as well. Eggs, greens, basil, and a few other items that have escaped my mind due to end of vacation blues.
Back to my sandwiches. I’ve had the egg salad on a bed of mixed greens (I strayed from the traditional bread offering) as I was also toying with the notion of dessert at lunch. Slices of Hatterman’s farm eggs, just enough mayo and aioli, carrots, and a bit of dill. It was so pretty, I couldn’t imagine hiding it away in between bread slices. A bit dry if you’re not used to actually fresh, but it was full of flavor and devoid of quite a bit of fat. I washed it down with a vegan chocolate chip cookie, which tasted like a vegan chocolate chip cookie made with carob, perhaps. Here’s my advice with the cookie, just get a real one, unless you’re a vegan. It was good, but the chips had that aftertaste to them.
I went back the next day (thanks to Nina W’s review) to get a sandwich to take to the beach. Stellar advice, Nina! I got the Veggie sandwich and added oven roasted turkey. They roast the turkey, then slice it so it was über fresh and sans sodium. All this was held together by a baguette. A pumpernickel baguette. Then wrapped up for the beach.
It wasn’t until I’d situated my beach umbrella and beach chair, donned my straw hat, and ran through the Gulf’s waves for one minute that curiosity got the better of me, and I headed back to my temporary beach home base to unwrap my sandwich and discover the fabulous pumpernickel surprise. It tasted so good that I just scarfed the entire sandwich in one go. Snack for later? Pshaw… I was living in the now. Mixed greens, carrots, avocado, (missing?) beets, cucumber, pecans, and turkey. It was brilliant, except for the errant beets.
I also got a side of Dad’s Pimento Cheese. It was okay, but not really *my* thing. Shredded cheese, pimentos, and dill. Very simple and clean; also not very wise to take to the beach. I wasn’t thinking clearly.
There was also an counter full of scones, muffins, cookies, and bars. And a fridge full of fruit salad, potato salad, cole slaw, and couscous. Oh, and they make their own lemonade with fresh lemons and agave nectar.
Again, this was my kind of sandwich shop.

I live in Austin but make it to Galveston 1 – 2 times per year. I really enjoyed stumbling upon this place in the midst of Mardis Gras back in March. I was able to enjoy something really healthy that I could feel good about. Great ingredients, service, atmosphere and they did some tweaking/​accomodations for my picky kid (and husband ahem). Next trip to Galveston, we will be back for sure!

Turkey and Brie sandwich from heaven.
I love this place because it’s all local stuff. From the eggs to the bread all local.
You can even come here to buy local made goods, like eggs and honey. They have a board posted with where things came from.
The Pimiento (sp?) cheese is made fresh there! I mean who really makes their own pimiento cheese? The Lunch box!
They people here know their stuff and are super friendly and willing to answer any questions about the menu.
Right now it’s kinda hard to find because of the construction but it’s still open!

I just went here for the first time today since moving to this new location… which occurred years ago. I went one time to their original location on 22^nd Street, but I wasn’t a fan. At that location they just sold everything pre-​made and in cellophane. I also previously had a limeade. That was horrible because they used syrups for flavor and not real limes. I think this is what they still do, so I skipped that this time.
Today I only had the Hill Country Sandwich… turkey, cheese, avocado, lettuce on a honey wheat bun. And it was made fresh right there. I will give this place another try in the future.

After spending many more hours than I intended at the nearby Offshore Drilling and Oil Rig Museum, I was starving and needed something quick. The Lunchbox Café just happened to be the first place I came across. I really like the look of this place with the exposed brick walls, stained concrete flooring and vibrant color scheme. By this I mean, I like the fact that someone really put in some effort to create a nice place and not just another typical boring sandwich shop.
I went with a ham sandwich, which let’s face it, is pretty difficult to mess up and not a true testament of ones culinary mastery, but the bread that this ham and cheese sat upon truly was. I am not sure if they’re making it in house or buying it from a local specialty bakery. That said, the bread is definitely is not being purchased down the street at the local H-​E-​B (I am speaking the local grocery store lingo like a native here) or wherever. I am not normally a sweets type of guy, but in this instance, the brownies on the counter were just too much to pass up and after all, I was on vacation. The brownie was on the money.

I came here once on a Sunday to see what items were selling at ‘The Farmbox Market’. There I sampled Nisha’s Quick N Ezee Indian Food. It was all so delicious that I had troubled picking out what I wanted to buy. In the end I went home with homemade spinach parathas and paratha dip.
Today, I decided to stop by the Lunchbox for a sandwich. I chose the roast beef with bleu cheese. Everything was very fresh tasting. I wouldn’t say that it was perfect…(it could have used some more condiments or toppings), but it was enjoyable.
The fact that this restaurant uses locally grown food will definitely keep me coming back for more.

Love this place. It reminds me a bit of Snow City Café in Anchorage. I chose this place based on the price rating it was given, but it delivered on many more levels. The setting is spot on. The handmade drinks hit the spot. BTW, I had a coconut limeade. All of our sandwiches made us happy. If there was something that needs to change about this place, I don’t think I found it on my first trip.

We recently dropped in for a late lunch on a recent sunny day to find a small contingent of a half-​dozen of our acquaintances enjoying the fare. It looks like folks have already rediscovered the place.
The Lunchbox proprietors pride the place on healthy foods in creative combinations. In that vein I ordered a Cape Cod Salad, a scrumptious mélange of organic mixed field greens, red onion, toasted pecans, dried cranberries & feta cheese with a light vinaigrette dressing. The greens were perfectly fresh. The onion gave a bit of a bite to the mixture, and with the feta provided a nice counterpoint to the sweet-​ish cranberries. I could live on such salads! And the colors on the plate were beautiful to behold. I had a glass of refreshing hibiscus mint tea to accompany the meal. My companion, ever the carnivore, had a Turkey & Brie sandwich. He enjoyed the smoky turkey, slices of apple, and tasty brie on a dark honey-​wheat roll, a satisfying sandwich that provided a pleasing combination of tastes.
We enjoyed our meal, and also relished the peaceful surroundings. The new place is open, light and bright with nice color accents and familiar music. Running into so many friends was an added bonus. The owners are to be congratulated for their goal of being earth-​friendly, in their use of biodegradable drinking cups and take-​out boxes.
It is a pleasure to support Galveston businesses at a spot as enjoyable as the Lunchbox.
Located in the Strand Historic District on Tremont Street, the Lunchbox starts the day with muffins, lox and bagels and granola. The lunch items, including side orders of salads, fresh fruit and brownies, are available daily.

This is a decent little sandwich place on the island. When we lived in Galveston, my husband and I visited once in the old location and once in the new location. We didn’t visit more because it’s only open for lunch, and at least at that time it was only open on weekdays.
The flavor combinations they have on sandwiches aren’t as interesting to me as those at the nearby Eat Cetera. But the sandwiches taste good and are probably fairly healthy. I have also tried some of their sides and desserts, and those are also okay but not great, and perhaps at prices that are a bit high for what you get.
All in all this is a reasonably good, inexpensive lunch choice in the Strand area. We probably won’t be going back simply because we no longer live on the island, so will probably be sticking to more interesting places during our infrequent trips back to Galveston.

I have been enjoying the sandwiches here for about a year and a half without a single disappointing experience. It’s a great place to bring visiting family or friends as there is something for everyone to enjoy. Laura, Daya and staff always serve fresh, delicious sandwiches and sides in a relaxed, comfortable setting. Also, the farmbox market on Saturdays allows you to get some nice local produce to take home.
Recently I’ve discovered a new reason to make this a frequent stop — the coffee. The espresso and coffee drinks here are among the best in town, and I’ve never encountered a long wait in the mornings. I LOVE the Lunchbox Café.

Creative sandwich options, really fresh (likely organic) ingredients, and great service.
We order from them all the time for school events and meetings, so I assume they also do take out. When we get these box meals, they usually include a cookie or brownie, chips or something like that. I really like the taos valley chicken salad sandwich, which is chicken salad w/​breast meat, green chiles, cilantro, red onion, and a garlic aioli which brings it all together. The kalamata club is great also, which is black forest ham, mesquite turkey, red onion, and an olive tapenade. Next time I go I will try the TLT, which is one of their veggie options with smokey tofu (like bacon, I presume), lettuce, tomato, and avocado.
This is a great option if you happen to be in the Stand area and want to grab something for eating on a bench on the street, or over by the pier. It would also be a good place to grab a picnic-​type of lunch to take out with you to the beach.

Hurricane Ike can’t stop a great little sandwich shop!
Four months after Ike slammed into Galveston forcing many businesses to close temporarily (some permanently), The Lunchbox Café has finally reopened in a new location, but still near the Strand.
Now when I go to Galveston, I usually think to get some kind of gulf seafood. So when a coworker suggested we hit a sandwich shop on the Strand I was a little wary at first. She’s pretty picky so I knew it wouldn’t be bad, and I was not disappointed. Their specialty is gourmet sandwiches made from quality, fresh ingredients. I’ve decided my favorite is the made from scratch Dad’s Pimento Cheese. This one tastes nothing like the yellow stuff in a tub you had as a kid. It’s full of cheddar, mozzarella, pimento with great garlic kick. I haven’t tried them, but there’s a whole line of veggie sandwiches that fit right in with the eclectic atmosphere of the café.
So maybe when you’re cruising the slowly recovering Strand, skip the seafood and grab an excellent sandwich for lunch. Call or check the website, the Lunchbox Café operates during the day only and haven’t opened for weekend business (yet).