Memorial Park Adds a New Healthy Eating Restaurant — Vibrant Takes Root at the Running Complex

Next time you tie on your Nikes and head to Memorial Park to run the loop, you might want to linger afterward to refuel at the new Vibrant restaurant at Memorial Park’s Running Complex. This programmatic hub and access point on the South side of the park debuted late last year.

Located Southwest of the Kinder Land Bridge and the Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff Prairie, the Running Complex was designed as a central gathering spot and serves as a new gateway to enjoy the Bayou Wilds trails of Memorial Park.

Fans of the budding healthy Montrose restaurant mini chain, owned by Houstonian Kelly Barnhart, know that Vibrant’s mission is to craft anti-inflammatory dishes that are nutritionally complex, pure, functional and rich in superfoods. The Vibrant menu features from-scratch dishes that are free of gluten, dairy, refined sugars, peanuts, soy and GMOs. Instead, they utilize sustainable, pasture-raised meats and eggs and organic and locally sourced ingredients.

The all-day menu includes heirloom masa pancakes ($17) with whipped coconut probiotic cream, blackberry compote and maple syrup; a sweet potato noodle stir fry ($18) with chicken sausage crumble, bok choy and butternut squash with a butter tamari sauce; and beef tacos ($8 for one) made with braised short ribs and a mole poblano with roasted squash and avocado.

Vibrant’s menu is available for both dine-in and takeout. Diners can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner complemented by a full-service organic coffee program, freshly made pastries and bread, natural wines, and specialty retail products.

Designed by Schaum Architects, an award-winning Houston firm, with interior elements curated by Vibrant’s founder, the new Memorial Park cafe’s light-filled space reflects the natural aesthetic of its surroundings, creating a seamless integration with the park’s native landscape designed by Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects. Inside, the dining room features a vaulted ceiling wrapped in glass with a neutral palette of blonde wood, stainless steel and cream colored tile.

Strategically placed mirrors create the effect of being totally surrounded by the park. In fact, there’s an operable glass wall that can be opened for a seamless indoor/outdoor dining experience, while the outdoor porch is shaded by a 30-foot-tall cantilevered roof.

“For the elevated casual interior, I wanted a quiet material palette, where the focus is the beauty of nature beyond the windows,” Barnhart notes.

Vibrant Memorial Park offers fast casual counter service from 7 am to 8 pm seven days a week. Hours will adjust seasonally to coincide with daylight hours.