Little Liberty

Very quaint and colorful lunch spot. Has a very playful café feel to it with Cajun-​like cuisine. I had the gym I but it came with potato salad inside of it. Which is a fun twist, however, being from New Orleans I like my gumbo hot and spicy! Still yummy though, don’t get me wrong. You must try at least once because of the flavor combination. We also had the deviled eggs Dan the grilled cheese sandwich with bacon was delicious! The best thing about this place is the people! The chefs and the staff are so kind, helpful and hospitable. I will definitely come back but will try something different!

Working close by and having friends in the neighborhood I was able to get the inside school that they FINALLY opened!!! Day 7 of being opened and Little Liberty did not disappoint!
There was no social media or buzz the place had opened so we lucked out and for prime parking and were seated right away. I’m quite positive this won’t be so easy soon.
We arrived about 6:15 and it started filling up around 7.
If you went to Ruggles, which formally occupied the space you can see that the booths are still in tact and some things haven’t changed. The décor is rustic sheik, whatever that means… I’m just making it up. But it’s nicely done.
Loads of families, I mean we are in the village, so don’t think you’re headed to Liberty Kitchen for a date night. Totally different experience and concept.
There is seating inside and out so pick your spot.
Little Liberty does not have their liquor license as of yet but our waiter graciously offered us complementary beer. Too bad we don’t drink beer.
Hurry in if you want free beer!
We decided on the queso. We could have seriously licked the bowl of people weren’t sitting next to us! Oh. My. Yum!!! Definitely try it.
My grandmother ordered the Hawaiian Poke Salad and it’s just delicious! The salad is a bit small. Definitely needs to be an entrée portion for $ 13. This was more like a side salad. But so delicious! I am always worried about taking her to new places and I was quite happy when she said that she would order it again. I ordered the chicken sandwich (risky I know). It was just my mood. Side of fries is extra. Both were really good!!!
Other things to note, the wait staff were all just awesome. Just as you would expect from this group. It can be loud inside. Lots of kids. Remember you are in family territory!
Go quick before word gets out they are open!

This is the repurposed Ruggles space in Rice Village. I drive by it every day and eagerly awaited its opening. Our server, Conor, was very friendly. Unfortunately, that was the only good part of the meal. After ordering, it took 45 minutes for our party of four (two adults, two kids) to get our food. Conor apologized (opening kinks which are understandable). My older daughter’s burger needed to be sent back because it was too raw (why cook a burger for a young kid medium?). My Tuna Poke with macadamia nuts ($ 13) was incredibly small, but more importantly had a hair in it. My younger daughter’s pasta also had a hair in it. I asked that her pasta be prepared with everything on the side, which it was — except the kitchen decided it was a good idea to sprinkle black pepper on a kid’s dish. With 3 of 4 of our meals a bust, and an incredibly long wait for our food, it’s hard to justify a higher rating for this place, even though I wanted to like it. The friendly service couldn’t make up for the wait, hair in the food, poor kitchen execution — not to mention prices that, given the quality and portion, seem a little on the high side. The best part of the night was walking over to Cloud 10 for a banana split to redeem our evening.

I was so excited for a new restaurant to open up within walking distance of my office in the village. Tried them for breakfast this morning and was pleasantly surprised! I ordered the breakfast plate and easily substituted greens for the grits. My over-​medium eggs were a bit undercooked, but the flavor was great and the bacon was fantastic. They also have fresh juices available. The beet/​carrot/​ginger is delicious, but the price point is a bit high for just 8 – 10 oz.
As they’re still brand new, they are still training staff and polishing their processes. Everyone was very welcoming and helpful though. They even offered me tastings of their yogurts (the cinnamon/​honey/​almond yogurt — OMGYUM). Love the way they designed the space!
I’m curious to see how things pan out over the next handful of months as they get into a good routine and are more established. Due to the pricing, it’s not somewhere I’ll eat every day, but definitely somewhere I’m going to try for lunch when I feel like a treat!

The newest restaurant from the F.E.E.D. restaurant group, Little Liberty has opened up in Rice Village in the space vacated by Ruggles. The space is nice and bright with a blend of metal and wood that has been showcased in their other restaurants. The menu is well diverse, and Chef Eric Ortega does a great job leading the kitchen. Wanting to get a feel for the menu, we decided to sample a number of items. The deviled eggs are smooth and creamy. When paired with the chili-​coffee bacon jam, the deviled eggs are smooth, creamy, smoky and sweet. The wood grilled & carnita’d pork belly are crispy and savory. Served with pineapple ginger marmalade, it’s reminds me of thanksgiving glazed ham, but with a crispy grilled texture. If soup is more your desire, the Canadian Lobster Stew has a buttery flavor without the heaviness of cream. Combined with the pieces of bacon and the jumbo pieces of lobster, the stew can be a meal in itself. There were two entrees for the evening. The Lobster Tacos are are definite try. Grilled pieces of lobster are combined with a garlic cream sauce pickled carrot, cabbage. When you take that first bite, you immediately get the sweet and sour from pickled carrot. It finishes with a hint of spice that is not overpowering. The tacos are served with Gorilla Fries. Gorilla fries are beautiful combination of fresh cut fries, garlic cream sauce and pork belly carnitas. Make sure to try the Gorilla Fries. The Canadian Lobster Bun is a nice combination of lobster bacon and a very light mayo with hints of lemon and basil. It is a substantial in size but light in texture. The surprise of the evening was the Jumbo Lump Crab cake. It is a huge crab cake that is 95% crab! It is served with a simple salad and some fries. Of all the dishes we sample this evening, the crab cake was our favorite. Dessert was the churros. It is a whole grain waffle batter deep fried and served with chocolate sauce. Make sure to save room for this dessert.
Welcome to the village Little Liberty! We will definitely be back.