Arts & Entertainment
 

Roll the dice at Hungry's

Rice Village bistro serves mixed crowds with mixed attitudes

Feeding frenzy

Bjorn Gudmundsson

Hungry's Cafe and Bistro in the Rice Village has been around since 1975 and is just as popular today with the West University crowd as it ever was. But some glaring inconsistencies make this fixture on the Village dining scene feel like a fledgling eatery with many kinks to work out.

A trip to Hungry's can sometimes be an upbeat, memorable bistro experience; other times, it can turn into a frustrating ordeal.

Housed in a flashy mid-century modern building on the edge of the Village, Hungry's exterior is made up of brightly colored geometric elements. Inside, the restaurant has an Art Deco feel with its white walls, soft lighting and an outlandish pale-green sculpture of three wavy blades of grass.

Service at Hungry's is notoriously unpredictable. There appears to be no middle ground when it comes to the attitude here. Servers have been known to be either remarkably outgoing and prompt or unapologetically sluggish and irritable.

Village shoppers and students crowd the expansive space during the day and early evening. For Sunday brunch, an older crowd of locals in his-and-hers baseball caps don their best tennis outfits to sit on one of the best outdoor seating sections in the area. At night, the dim, elegant indoor dining room is the preferred choice.

The menu, full of avocado, alfalfa sprouts and pasta salads, can be described as being L.A. by way of West U. Featuring foods from many different cultures, the dishes are eclectic rather than fusion. Mediterranean standards like Greek salad and gyros, Italian pasta dishes, vegetarian options and an entire section devoted to Southwestern flavors ensure that there is something available to suit every taste.

Hungry's is quite proud of its heart-healthy menu choices, including some crowd pleasers, like the Tuscan hummus appetizer ($4.75). Creamy hummus enlivened with fresh herbs and diced tomatoes and served with pita bread is a perfect starter to share with a group. Unfortunately for the health-conscious, other heart-healthy options aren't as agreeable.

While a chicken and avocado pita with a side of fresh fruit ($6.95) sounds like a great choice for a healthy lunch, the dish is disappointing. The fresh, pliable pita comes stuffed with grilled chicken and chunky avocado and is topped with shredded lettuce and tomato slices, but those elements amount to little more than a somewhat lifeless chicken taco. Coupled with a tiny saucer of cubed fruit, it arrives swimming in an enormous plate.

Despite its inconsistencies, you might want try Hungry's for a healthy weekday dinner or Sunday brunch. Before you do, however, you might want to ask yourself: "Do I feel lucky?"

Hungry's Cafe

2356 Rice Blvd.

The verdict: It's a gamble, but it might be spectacular.

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