MAIN HOUSE

            The time is clearly 3am you and your friends loudly herd out of the club to your car, when the topic of food is brought to attention, the crowd becomes silent. Everyone looks at each other with a pale “I have just danced for three hours, don’t make me think look” The conversations spark back up as the topic is soon brushed off. The question, “What’s open," is yelled from the back seat and once again the car is silent. As the car takes a right on W.Gray the glare of green lights seems to draw the car like bugs to a zapper. Upon approaching the house W.Gray the car has come to an agree on stopping to eat, soon every one will realize the great food and environment that this Greek restaurant has to offer.

For many of Houston’s night partygoers the search for a place to relax and eat at 3am is a mystery, not much variety can be found at that hour. Just merely taking a trip down Houston’s W Gray will cease all questioning. The parking lot is full and this restaurant is packed of diversity and great food, Bibas is Definitely the place to be when your looking for a meal with great taste in the early AM.

Bibas is a small Greek/American restaurant nestled in the many renovated houses on W. Gray in Houston’s Fourth Ward. An area known as Montrose or simply “Neartown”.  The restaurant is in a large patio'ed two-story house surrounded in the areas shade trees.

The building standing among much of Houston’s history, has much history of it’s own.

Bibas was not always located on W Gary nor was it always a restaurant with two names. Bibas One’s a Meal was in 1998 two separate restaurants serving totally different styles of food. One’s a meal was a fairly small 24-hour diner and coffee shop in Houston’s River Oaks upscale neighborhood, serving a range of American dishes. This diner was known by many for its filling breakfast and juicy cheeseburgers. Large crowds of Houston’s “night owls” would flood into it’s location to escape long nights of partying.

The location was also very popular for the late AM breakfast hours. One’s a Meal has been a business gracing Houstonians with its 24-hour “All American” service since the 1930’s. In the recent growth of Houston’s economy One’s a Meal, due to leasing problems moved to is current location on W Gray.  At that time Greek Village was a small growing Greek restaurant so the owner combined his two companies and there was the conception of now famous Bibas (One’s a meal). In the next couple of years the owner would soon turn the restaurant over to current owner, Lewis Servos and become a Servos family Restaurant.

When you walk into the main doors directly in front of the building, you are surrounded by small tables on either side of you. On the back wall of the front room, a painted mural of Ancient Roman columns and Greek artifacts can be seen. On the wall directly adjacent there is an old wooden wine rack, holding several bottles of different red wines.

Upon taking the stairs to the upper floor you will find a fairly large meeting facility, on any given night you will find one of Houston’s many clubs and organizations utilizing the space.  The meeting room will temporarily house anything from Houston’s Hot Rod Association to Montrose’s many diverse organizations. The non-smoking area of the house is located on the far right of the lower floor; in this area you will find several six-person booths, smaller tables and a range of barstools. Large glass windows line the outer wall as old black and white photographs don those parallel. Each pained glass window is echoed with a picture of a small chef and the Bibas (One’s a Meal) name, all encompassed with outer green neon lighting. The place definitely gives off an essence of old American diner, fused with Modern Greek influences. Regardless of it’s around the clock clientele the large house on W. Gray is always clean and well maintained.  

Bibas has a very busy atmosphere, controlled by a great wait and management staff. Most nights you will find a very nice waitress of German decent, who if time permits is more than willing to share a conversation with your table. Kay Kay is one of Bibas true soldiers, filling the house every weekend with most of Houston’s hotspots and bar crowd. Still the best treat of all is getting John as your waiter, he is a riot. Weather he is cracking a joke or joining the party, he always keeps your table in laughs.  You may also run into one of Bibas alumni, Mary Lou. Mary has worked for One’s a Meal for the last 15 years of its existence bring in some of the restaurant's great history into the mix. 

The greatest part of the Bibas experience, by far is the cultural diversity that is draws. Twenty-four hours a day seven days a week, Bibas is hopping with all types of people. There is never majority of sex, color or creed while the Bibas lights are on. Monday through Friday the restaurant brings in several of downtowns business execs and a large group of students from Houston’s surrounding universities.  On Fridays and Saturday nights is where you will find Houston’s bar crowds pouring into Bibas. They range anywhere from Numbers dark gothic crowd to South Beach and Skybar’s prestigious gay and straight patrons. Dressed in their best duds or just merely draped in tattoo’s, hundreds of hungry souls fill the tables at 607 W Gray all sharing one common goal…enjoying a plate of Bibas delicious Greek food. One of Bibas long time customer stated, “I don’t think there is a type you won’t see on a Saturday night." Many customers will stand for several minutes just waiting for an open table. Bibas customers are sure to pass up an empty seat at IHOP or Denny’s for a small taste of Greece. 

            The deepest thinking at Bibas occurs at 3am when you crack open the Menu. Deciding weather to eat Greek or American is your first decision, followed by what, and how much. Weather you’re in the mood for breakfast, lunch or dinner, Bibas is serving it around the clock. The menu is filled with great choices for all types, from Talamosalata to a Texas burger. If you’re in a mood for great Greek food, the Gyros and Pizza are the hottest items on the menu; there is also Kotopita, and Calzones. For the Americans not willing to budge with taste Bibas offers a variety of hamburgers, sandwiches and yes of course…pork chops. For dessert one of Bibas must haves is the Baklava

A wonderful combination of nuts, sugar and several other ingredients, this tasty dessert will leave your mouth very pleased. One customer stated, “You just have to take a chance on the menu, there are so many great things to eat that I have never heard of yet they taste amazing!” This is a feeling expressed by many of Bibas rookies, it is obvious by the unsure, puzzled looks which tables contain the rookies, yet once the food hits the tongue they will realize that this is the place to be and that this is the food to eat. Regardless of your taste, Bibas is sure to have something on its menu to have you coming back weekend after weekend, claiming a particular booth as your own.

            Whether you’re a Montrose local or just a hungry soul who has danced into the early hours of the morning, the faint glow from the Bibas (One’s a Meal) green neon lights are sure to draw you near. A comfortable environment with much diversity and great wait staff, not to mention the amazing Greek food. Bibas is definitely a place to wind down and relax or for many a place to take the after party. So “take a chance”, gather your buddies, grab a slice of Greek style pizza and a slice of Houston’s diversity…Bias never closes!  

OPA!!!

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