Dandelion Cafe opens new location in the Heights

A popular Houston breakfast spot has opened its new location in the Heights . Dandelion Cafe is now open daily for breakfast and lunch.

Located in the former Kraftsmen Baking & Café space , the new Dandelion offers a number of upgrades over the original location that opened in Bellaire in 2016 . At 3,500-square-feet, it's roughly six times larger than the original with total seating of 75 indoor and 20 on a shaded, dog-friendly patio. The extra space has also allowed Dandelion to add a full time baker to its roster.

"Considering we can probably fit the entire Bellaire location inside of our Heights kitchen, this is a huge and exciting upgrade in growth for us that will allow us to achieve things we've been wanting to do for years like offer market goods and grab-and-go items, and now we can finally do that," co-owner and executive chef JC Ricks said in a statement.

While both the grab-and-go and market items are still pending, diners at the Heights location will already find the full menu from both Dandelion's original Bellaire outpost as well as its recently-opened second location at Rice University. That covers everything from breakfast staples like avocado toast, breakfast tacos, and build-your-own omelets to lunch favorites like a club sandwich and the signature Super Food Salad.

The restaurant's award-winning chicken and waffles.Photo by Becca Wright

Most importantly, the menu features chef Ricks' chicken and waffles that became a smash hit thanks to an appearance on Good Morning America last year. GMA returned to Houston after Hurricane Beryl to present Dandelion with almost $15,000 in financial assistance from the Southern Smoke Foundation and Cash App.

In addition to Ricks and co-owner Sarah Lieberman, diners may recognize the restaurant's general managers. Jeff Buhrer spent more than 10 years working alongside Chris Shepherd in a number of management roles at restaurants including Underbelly, One Fifth, and Georgia James. Rommel Cariño spent more than 20 years working for El Tiempo Cantina.

Considering the Heights location has been in the works for more than a year, everyone involved is excited to finally be open.

"It's a dream come true to expand, connect with even more Dandy fans in a central location, and watch our vision come to life," co-owner Sarah Liberman said.