The Broken Spoke

Don’t be surprised if you see lots of bikes parked outside The Broken Spoke (1809 Washington, 713-863-7029) — that’s what the racks are for. Owner Ray De La Garza has always enjoyed biking and believes that the “bicycle cafe” will be a trend. “A bicycle cafe is a neighborhood place where people can ride to on their bikes,” he says. “With gas prices increasing and urbanization continuing, more people are opting to ride bikes.”

A lunchtime visit to the Broken Spoke found a simple menu of sandwiches and burgers. We chose the house special, the Broken Spoke Burger, which is topped with onions, mushrooms, jalapeños and pepper jack cheese. “We specialize in gourmet burgers and sandwiches,” says De La Garza, “and all our burgers are fresh, never frozen, hand-formed patties.”

There’s artwork on the walls and ceiling, and De La Garza plans to feature local artists and change it up regularly. This is his first venture in the restaurant business. “It’s way more work than I ever imagined,” he says, “but I’m already planning my second place and will learn from the mistakes I made on this one.”