Black Walnut Café

Its good! Needs better waiters !

I wish I could give 3.5 stars. BWC is one of those places where plates can range from okay to good.
Some of the staple items I get are the Frenchy, Asian Salad, Lobster Tacos, or Breakfast Quesadilla. I’ve ventured off a few times wasn’t that satisfied with my food.
The service isn’t ever too bad unless it’s ridiculous packed. They give you a buzzer and it’ll go off when your food is ready for pick up.
If you’re going during a busy time, and with a group of more than 2, I’d suggest some people find a table while the others order food.

Always a good experience. Like this place at all their locations. Food is good. Service is good. Ambience is good. Prices are good. No complaints.

Good brunch, salmon eggs benedict!!!
Go early to avoid crowds, I would give it a 5 star but the fresh squeezed juice is about half the price of our meal so it goes down one for that.

It gets four stars because of the cute atmosphere and because I didn’t have a drink there! If you’re looking for a low key place to enjoy a drink and eat some pretty decent food, this is a good place to go! Not amazing from what we had, but not crummy at all! Do watch out for undercooked meat. My sister had a turkey burger that was undercooked which she noticed after eating most of it, it was unpleasant for her BUT the manager refunded us for it, also offered to make a new one before that but her appetite had been shot plus she had eaten most of it before noticing. We really appreciated the gesture and I’d be willing to try it again!
EDIT: I forgot to put the reason it lacked five stars is that the restroom could use a little more attending to. Paper towels and toilet paper on the ground mostly, and slightly sticky floor. I am a freak about neatness, so don’t think it was horrendous, it was just not tidy. Also by the self-​dispensing soda machine it smelled musty.

I often get breakfast from here once a week or so. Love the omelettes, Benedict’s, and waffles. Great options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Great service, great food, and conveniently priced.

I seriously had high hopes for this place. I wanted it to be the best breakfast place near us but it wasn’t. It was just okay. The ham on my Eggs Benedict were either overcooked or just naturally tougher than it should be, the steak was cold and too chewy. Chicken and waffles were good enough. :) our coffees were served cold. :(i will come back if I had no other option. The coffee was cold but still good.

My best friend took me to lunch to celebrate an occasion and I was excited to try this place; I wanted to like it. Where do I start…
I had a water because I couldn’t fathom a $ 6.50 mimosa made with Brut. We sat in at the bar which is small and set up oddly. I ordered the Pork it over; terrible. I’ve had a better pulled pork sandwich out of a crockpot. My best friend got the Ross Boss (classic burger), which I tried and it was super well done.
We plan to go back and try the breakfast hopefully it’s better.

This restaurant is conveniently located in the Cinco Ranch area, next to Fidelity investments which i stop from time to time to one my old friends. Those who venture around this area know that this half of 1 – 10 and Hwy 99 is the place to be when finding places to eat!
Came here to find a relatively good lunch option. I’ve been to the locations near Rice U, Sugarland and up North. Its pretty large inside so there’s plenty of seating for dine-​in whether inside or out. It’s kept relatively clean.
Ordered the BWC CHICKEN TENDERS BASKET which consists of Crispy chicken tenders, french fries, cayenne ranch and honey mustard sauces. They were made in a timely matter since the buzzer rang like 10 minutes later. Im not sure if the tenders or baked or fried, it just didnt live up to the standards of Popeyes, Bojangles, or Raising Canes franchises. IMO, they are chicken places that are better, but when it comes to franchise, it doesnt cut the mustard for me. Fries offhand are good and crispy, but the tenders are the main dish it just wasnt a wow.
Wasnt not even close to blown away by the experience (not that I was expecting too much) but would come back and order anything expect those tenders.

Freaking love this place. It’s usually a little crowded but love the food.

The dishes we ordered were delicious. We will definitely come back and I will have to save room for dessert!

We used to like this place. My wife likes salads for dinner. She usually orders the Black Walnut salad with grilled chicken. Well, they use grilled chicken that was probably grilled yesterday. It is DRY, tasteless and rubbery. Black Walnut needs to grill the chicken when you order. This is nothing more than a bunch of lettuce with a sliced piece of day old chicken. Pathetic. We waited 30 minutes and they could have grilled a fresh piece of chicken.
We didn’t have the time to go back since we were with our new granddaughter and we needed to attend to her.
Also. They advertise a Urban Hof Reisling on the menu. What you get is a Late Harvest sweet Riesling that does not pair well with food. Late Harvest means sweeter than a good semi-​dry Riesling.
They need to either stock what they advertise or get a different Riesling than what the offer.
It will be a long time before we go back.

First visit at the Café’, will go back again. Walk up ordering, self service for coffee and tea, etc. After you order you receive a buzzer to pick up your food. No waitstaff.
Food was very good, had scrambled eggs and sausage with hash browns and coffee. The eggs were dry, but tasted good and so did the rest of my food. The coffee was really good. The atmosphere was nice and would recommend this to my family and friends.

We finally tried Black Walnut! I’ve had this placed bookmarked on here for a while now. I was up in the air about trying it due to the negative reviews on seating issues.
We arrived around 11AM on Saturday. It was busy and with the beautiful weather, the patio was packed! We decided to order lunch even though the brunch menu was extensive and tasty sounding.
First, I really do not like the overall concept with the order and food pickup process. While we were looking at a menu trying to decide what to order, another diner that was obviously more experienced with Black Walnut’s menu literally jumped in line in front of us. So rude! There’s a helpless/​panicky feeling when you’re wandering around the packed restaurant after ordering searching for an open table. Not to mention trying to balance food/​drink/​silverware/​etc while weaving through the crowd. (There has to be a better way, Black Walnut!) Although, I must say it makes for good people watching once you do get a table.
We ordered the spinach artichoke dip as an appetizer, I ordered the crispy chicken salad and my partner ordered the grilled fish tacos. The app came out fairly quickly and was hot, fresh and delicious. Both entrees were fresh and tasty.
I noticed a lot of people taking advantage of the disorganized chaos of the restaurant… There were several tables of people that had no food but were loitering about, taking up tables. If those people would be called out and asked to either make a purchase or move along, paying customers would have tables to sit at. I mean, there were three women condusting some type of business meeting at a 6-​top that they literally squatted at (seriously, one had a bottle of off-​brand water). The bus boy couldn’t even clean the mess left by the disgustingly messy child that had been there previously. (It was gross: food all over the table, highchair and floor. I felt bad for the guy.)
I do like the food but can do without the atmosphere. Something about odering, then having to pick up my food and haul it to my table is a major turnoff for me if it’s not fast food. Shoot, even Whataburger delivers food to your table!
This will more than likely turn into a takout only restaurant for me.

I’m not a breakfast person, so when I come to these types of places… Usually I opt for the lunch/​dinner selections, just because… Even if it’s 9am! Yes. I’m that gal.
Upon arrival, there was a line out the door. It’s that type of place that you have to wait in line, grab a menu, select what you want before you get to the cashier, place your order and receive a buzzer, pick a seat and wait for your food to be buzzed out. It’s kind of like the breakfast Klub/​Panera bread. Wasn’t too happy about that.
What I can say is, everyone seems to be happy here, especially their excitement with their food. It’s a crowded joint, really crowded. I see why. They have huge coffee cups, (which you can refill) nice dessert selection that includes gelato, Canolis, which are my all time FAVVVVVV, cakes and more. Their menu is huge! So you really can’t go wrong. And for people like me who may want a burger instead of eggs Benedict at 9am, go for it! It’s served all day. I got a Santa Fe salad at 10 in the morning, who cares! Right?
The salad was good, had a nice amount of peppers, mangos, which were not soft they were actually crisp (and I don’t like hard mangos) the chicken was okay, kind of dry, but all the rest was delicious. I tried some of their blackened bacon from someone else’s plate and THAT was delicious. It was nice and thick! Packed with flavor.
All in all, this place is cool. Reason I gave ³⁄₅ stars was because the whole ordering shebang doesn’t fit too well with the environment, seating situation. Same reason I took a star out of the breakfast Klub. Another reason is because of the hard mangos… I just can’t stand a hard mango.
The staff are very friendly from what I can remember, but then again there’s barely any interaction with them.

Black Walnut Café is my go-​to for morning business meetings or times when I want to work outside my home office. I really enjoy their breakfast menu, especially the breakfast enchiladas. They have nice patio seating. My visits have only been on weekdays and not during super busy times, mostly early morning for breakfast. I think this is a good place to go if you have 4 or fewer people in your group. The few times I’ve been with larger groups, it’s been a challenge to find seating. Stop by, have a mimosa and some breakfast, and nourish your friendships!

I love the place and the food in there. The only negative is the crowd. So you have to wait in line for a long time to order and then be chasing a table, which stress me. I would prefer to be seated and just wait to order. It is uncomfortable to be almost on other people’s tables to make sure you get it after they leave. Other than that I love this place, and I will come back in less busy hours or days.

I’ve had better salads at Chickfila. I come here because the patio is nice for catching up with friends. I find the food under seasoned. I would much rather prefer Hungrys café or Café Express but there are none in the area.

This place just does not wow us, at all. I’m sorry, but when you have to wait in a extreme long line, only to sit in a seat that’s been crammed so close to the next person… it’s just not that worth it in the end.
While the food is alright at best. Believe me, we are far from picky. There’s several things to choose from but not one ‘wow-​ed’ me in the best explanation that I can give. It is edible, though.

This is my go-​to restaurant for brunch on the weekends. Not only is it a convenient location close to my neighborhood, but there’s ample parking (if you count the lifetime fitness parking lot that backs up to the rear of Black Walnut).
There is always, always a super long line. However, once you order and sit down (In THAT order people… stop trying to «save» tables and ruining it for everyone else waiting), the food comes out in a timely manner. I always order the bacon cheeseburger eggs benedict, subbing a pancake in for the potatoes when its closer to lunch and im feeling extra hungry. The mango habenero sauce they leave on the tables are GREAT. I need to buy some to use at home. Forreals.
The order has been consistently good and the price is very reasonable. The wait staff are alqays courteous and try to clean tables as fast as possible so that patrons will always have a seat after they’ve made their orders. In the years that I have been going here, I have not had a problem finding a table after we order. This does cause me a lot of anxiety as I wait in line, for whatever reason, but I don’t try to sit down early and ruin it for people ahead of me in line. Nor do I loiter after I finish eating, so that others may have my table. This part of the experience is the only drawback I have about the establishment.

I ordered a triple pepper burger. They didn’t ask me how I wanted it cooked, but at least it didn’t «well done» because I usually order my meat cooked «medium». Anyway the 1^st bite was great. The 2 hamburger patties tasted nice and juicy. Then the peppers started to overpower the taste to the point where all I tasted was the spiciness of the peppers and nothing else even when I drank some tea to help get the spiciness out of my mouth. That’s the reason why I never order stuff that’s too spicy or use wasabi with my sushi. I want to actually taste my food, not mask the flavor. The lightly seasoned fries made up for this.

Second time tried it but pancakes pasty in center and then returned but again pancakes still battery in middle. Too noisy, crowded have to serve self– expensive overall unpleasant.

This is our go to spot for weekend breakfast/​brunch in the Cinco Ranch area. When the weather is warmer, we enjoy dining al fresco on their large patio. Food is always good and the cashier is always courteous and professional. They have a nice selection of different hot coffees and iced teas. Definitely recommend getting there before 9am on the weekends to enjoy a peaceful breakfast and a shorter line to order your food. The décor is nice but since this spot is so popular, it can get crowded and noisy.

Lovely environment, delicious food. The only downside is that it’s usually pretty crowded.

This is the only restaurant I’ve ever been in that I’ve had to actually put salt on things. The seasoning is «inoffensive» in order to appeal to the Lululemon wearing crowd. The food is fine, if overpriced, but non descript. Quote simply, you don’t come here for the food, you come here to meet with someone and chat. If there were no other customers here, there’s nothing that can’t be fixed with salt, pepper, and hot sauce.
While this isn’t necessarily the restaurant’s fault, there’s one reason above all else I groan whenever my wife says we’re meeting here. The actual people ordering food. It’s what you find at Café Express, and to a lesser extent at Torchy’s: people that have been holding a menu for fifteen minutes in line, and yet act like they’re looking at the menu for the first time when they get to the register. However, one thing the restaurant can control is the creation and clear marking of a «lane» or two for people to cut through the line to get to the coffee area or the bathroom. *Every* time there’s a line, people crowd the line nose to tail; busboys can’t get through, and you have to shove yourself through a line of inattentive and inconsiderate customers like you’re moving through a nightclub.

Don’t waste your calories here. I got the «darn good burger,» my sister got the salmon salad and my cousin got the chicken sandwich.
Out of 3 different dishes, none were any good.
My burger meat was super dry and and over cooked. It was a really dark dried out meat. None of out food were hot. It was like eating food that’s been left out for awhile. Barely any sauce inside. I had to add ketchup and hot sauce to help it go down my system. My fries and my cousins fries were soggy and soft. Even McDonald’s fries are better.
I definitely do not recommend the burgers.
I don’t know what the good reviews are for, but I can say the food here are overly priced for what you really get.
The atmosphere on the other hand is really nice.
Can’t say the same for the women’s bathroom. I went in and it had a strong odor of diarrhea. I thought it was just me until I told my sister and she told me the same thing.
You know what they say, you can tell if a restaurant is clean by going into the restroom.

This afternoon I was looking for something different besides the usual Panera etc so I decided to try Black Walnut. I went for a late lunch– around 2– do the line wasn’t long but the restaurant was still packed. I was considering the French Dip, but after talking to the lady taking orders I decided to try Max’s chicken sandwich, which she said was her favorite.
The sandwich was warm served on a baguette with onions, mushrooms and sauce with fries. It was good, but not mind blowing. I liked the atmosphere– great for people watching or just reading my book at the table. Lots of different seating options, only con was tables are pretty close together. Otherwise nice, laid pack place to relax and enjoy a nice meal. Will be back

Noon on a Saturday. Place was packed but we were still able to find seating quickly. Tried the tomato soup again. About the same… bland but made for a great dip for my grilled cheese sandwich. The southwest egg-​rolls were nicely presented and tasty. Just enough Zing. I expected much less considering it was an appetizer. It was definitely a full plate (not that I’m complaining). I love that they have dedicated filtered water fountains at the beverage station.
I’m not a fan of the ordering process. A little too self-​servey for me but it’s not terrible. Place your order at the counter, get your drink and find your seating, wait to get buzzed, go pick up your plates from the counter. The problem is that on a crowded day, if everyone gets up from the table to grab their plate, it would probably get poached (the table… not your plate). I walked up to get my and my dates order and was unable to balance all 3 plates. Staff to the rescue though. Despite how busy they were, one of the staff members generously picked up two of the plates and followed me back to my table. I love it when people in the service industry go above and beyond… keeps me coming back again and again.
I was so proud of myself for passing the sinful desert bar like a warrior. Not so sure that’ll happen again but today I was victorious! :)

Came here for the first time with my daughter on a Sunday afternoon. There were no issues with parking, and we parked right in front of the restaurant. When you enter, please stop at the table and read the instructions on «How to Order.» This is not your typical «please be seated, and a waiter will take your order» restaurant.
The pros: Lots of seating, lots of light from the windows, excellent martinis, fresh coffee and delicious food. I had the Eggs Benedict, which comes with potatoes, and my daughter had the Frenchy, which consists of french toast, eggs, sausage or bacon, and potatoes. Again, the food was delicious!
The cons: We sat in the bar area because we ordered breakfast, and I wanted to be close to the coffee bar for my refill. The bar area was noisy as they were playing the music very loud. I believe the music was only playing in that area, but like I said, it was close to the coffee. Here’s the issue… This is a self-​service restaurant. You get up to get your food when it’s ready, you get up for your refills, and you also get up for your drink at the bar. I wanted to be close to the coffee bar so I didn’t have to walk a country mile to refill my cup, which would have been cold if we would have sat on the other side of the restaurant. I like hot coffee. It’s my personal preference.
We also had the Good Morning martini, which was absolutely delicious. It seemed like it was made with pink grapefruit juice and Grey Goose vodka. This was my first time having this type of martini, and I was beyond impressed. It was everything! Just know that when you place your drink order at the cashier station, you need to check in with the bar to see if it’s ready. You get a buzzer for your food, but not for your drink order. The problem is that your drink is placed on the counter when it’s ready, which can be an issue if it’s crowded that day because you might find someone leaning and talking over your drink. Hopefully, you’ll ask them to make you a fresh one like my daughter did. Lesson learned. They have a full bar with a variety of beer and a wide selection of wine. Whatever your choice of alcohol, it won’t be a problem. Please remember to bring your receipt to bar when you pick up your drink.
I enjoyed dining here, but this will not be my restaurant of choice for breakfast. I like my coffee hot, and I don’t want to get up every time I need to refill my cup. What can I say? I’m funny about my coffee. I have to come back soon because that Good Morning martini is definitely calling my name!

HORRIBLE SERVICE. How can service be horrible if you order at a counter and pick your food up at the counter? Well, they gave me the wrong sandwich, in which I had to wait much longer than expected for the new one to arrive. It never arrived, so I went to the counter to inquire. They brought it out with the wrong salad ordered… so another wait. This was a lunch on a Tuesday afternoon, where it was busy, but not nearly as busy as brunch on the weekends. Hardly an apology was given. They’re lucky there aren’t more options in Katy, otherwise their service alone would keep people away.
The pistachio gelato was delicious. I would NOT buy one of the cakes sitting out, as all cakes from Take the Cake MUST be refrigerated as they contain real butter, not shortening. Take the Cake does make delicious cakes though.

First thing’s first, the menu of this place is gigantic. I came in just before breakfast ended and sat for a good 10 minutes browsing the menu. If you’re a picky eater, Black Walnut definitely has something for everyone!
The café is set up where you order at the counter and wait with a buzzer until your food is ready to be picked up. Finally deciding, I went with the omelette and filled it with spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, and avocado (apparently you can only substitute different types of cheese for the set options :() which came with a side of English muffin or Texas toast. In my opinion, the best part of the meal was the English muffin, toasted to perfection. The omelette was average. There wasn’t anything special about the taste — it was kinda bland — but I guess you can’t expect too much for an omelette.
If you’re looking for a quick lunch, Black Walnut Café could be the place for you. The restaurant fills up and gets a bit loud around noon so it’s best to come early. Food and prices were average, but I’ll come back and check it out if I’m ever in the mood in the future.

Middle of the road and I am being nice.
The atmosphere is okay… crowded with alot of noise. Tough to walk to a table because they are packed in there.
I have eaten here more than 20x since it opened. Of course a new broom always sweeps clean. The bristles are about worn out here.
Over time the attention to detail and the desire to serve quality food with flavor beyond jalapeño heat salt and pepper is non existent.
This place had a good thing but it is for sure dying. Some of the dead giveaways are… high priced sodas, portions that keep shrinking and virtually meatless meat entrees.
I was so thouroughly disappointed, I gave up. I could not stomach it any more. The prices quantity and quality slip hit their limit. No more. I used to love this place but… no more.
I officially quit this place. For ever.

Well this was just amazing. Surprising how I’ve lived in Katy for 3 years but never been here before. Well, better late than never. When I walked in on a Tuesday afternoon and the restaurant was completely full, I knew this was something special. Firstly, the ambience was just perfect. I love how they’re set-​up and it all seemed quite nice.
Secondly the service. Well mostly they are set up as a self-​service kind of a thing but the workers I interacted with were all very nice and welcoming. Then comes the most important part — THE FOOD! Man the diversity in their menu is amazing. I wanted to get like 4 different things but I settled with the Pot Roast — I wasn’t disappointed at all.
All in all it was a terrific experience. I’ll surely be back. There’s so much on the menu I want to try. Kudos!

This place is gorgeous, huge and full of seats. Plenty of space! Only 3 bathroom stalls and one is taken up by baby changing which is disappointing cause people are obviously using it who don’t need to change kids, it would be better if it was separate.
Place your order, pay $ 27 for lunch and sit and wait with a buzzer you forget is in your back pocket.
I got the steak salad, wayyyyy too much dressing and for the price, I’d expect a fair portion of meat, nope, stingy.
Got my baby the grilled cheese and mash potato. While he enjoyed it, I don’t think it was worth the money either.
Staff were lovely though!

I always enjoy my time here, from the time I step in to heading out the door.
Keep in mind that this café is one of the more casual locations if you’re looking for fancy brunch eatery.
I got the Lobster Benedict during my most recent experience and I wasn’t disappointed. The eggs were huge, and they also offered a lot of potatoes to guarantee you an experience exceeding satiation! The only disappointing thing was that the potatoes seemed a wee-​bit undercooked, but that didn’t bother me too much.
I’m not sure why I don’t come here more often since it’s pretty much a walking distance from my house. I’m excited to check off more items from the menu in the near future!
Wait time (line+food) ~30 minutes. But I came on a VERY packed Christmas Eve.