Suh and Ha

This summer, celebrity chef Christine Ha, known as the Blind Chef, unveiled her new sandwich shop concept, Stuffed Belly, at 8133 Long Point Rd. in the Spring Branch Management District.

It sits in the same shopping center as Ha’s other relatively new Spring Branch District restaurant, The Blind Goat, which features her modern take on Vietnamese food.

In contrast, Stuffed Belly, a joint venture by Ha and her husband and business partner, John Suh, features “wholesome” American sandwiches.

By all indications, the sandwich shop — with a drive-through window and a simple, pared-down menu of just a few sandwiches — appears to be a hit with diners.

“We wish there was a Stuffed Belly on every corner in Houston,”
Houstonia Magazine editor Emma Balter wrote this week.

If there is a petition going around to put Stuffed Belly shops in more places, my daughter would like to know where to sign. For the vegetarian home for the summer before her junior year in college, Stuffed Belly’s grilled cheese sandwich was worth raving about to her (also vegetarian) college roommate.

The sandwich, called “Triple Cheese, Please,” features cheddar, provolone and American cheeses on buttery Texas toast with a surprising addition: tomato confit.

Vegetarian roommate now wants to visit for spring break to check it out. She should probably use a form on the restaurant’s website to join the “Belly Club” to stay on top of all the latest Stuffed Belly news and specials.

A former MasterChef champion, New York Times best-selling cookbook author and James Beard-recognized chef, Ha said she and Suh had a vision for a quick service restaurant with sandwiches inspired by her childhood favorites.

“I’ve added my own fun personal twist on some of the sandwiches and kept the others simple and straightforward,” Ha said. “I don’t believe in making everything over the top. If the classic is great, keep it that way. They’re classic for a reason.”

Stuffed Belly offers something for everyone. While vegetarian daughter twinned the grilled cheese with a side of tater tots, carnivore husband went for the “Belly Burger” — two smashed, all-beef chuck patties, caramelized onions, American cheese, pickles on a toasted potato bun with a special “Stuffed Sauce.”

I scarfed down the Sichuan Hot Chicken (buttermilk fried chicken with Sichuan mayo) sandwich, and, with that, we basically crushed the entire hot sandwich lineup. For another time, we saved the two cold sandwiches — Humpty Dumpty Egg’wich and Tuna Crunch, both served crustless.

At the opening of Stuffed Belly, Ha hinted that the sandwich menu would be expanded. And, in fact, the eatery has started doing limited runs of special sandwiches, starting with a Korean BBQ Bulgogi Cheesesteak — a twist on a Philly cheesesteak with Korean grilled beef flavored with soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, caramelized onions, provolone cheese and pickled Calabrian peppers on hoagie bread.

Stuffed Belly also has a happy hour, with new refreshing drinks available at a discount just in time for August weather. Strawberry Fizz and Blackberry Lemonade are made in-house using 100 percent fruit.

Also part of happy hour from 3-6 p.m. Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, get free Cinnabelly Dippers with the purchase of a sandwich, side and drink combo.

What’s a Cinnabelly Dipper? Ask my family. I barely managed to snag one of the cinnamon bread pudding bites served with vanilla glaze for dipping. The dessert was a brand new menu addition the day we visited, and the friendly staff behind the counter enticed us to try them despite our already full (yes, you can say stuffed) bellies.

It was a rainy day in the Spring Branch District when we visited the Spring Branch Village shopping center, so we lingered inside the shop, sitting at the counter where there is only enough seating for a handful of people. The seating provides a view across the parking lot of The Blind Goat storefront.

Stuffed Belly can feed a crowd regardless of the limited seating. They offer sandwich party platters for office gatherings, parties, picnics and potlucks.

Said Ha, a Spring Branch resident: “Sandwiches are some of our favorite comfort foods, and we want to share our own take on them with our beloved hometown of Houston.”

Stuffed Belly
8133 Long Point Road
https://www.stuffedbelly.co/

— by Dorothy Puch Lillig