July 6, 2017

Meet Brooke Villanueva and Chef Andrew Lobeck of Merlion On 4th

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brooke Villanueva and Chef Andrew Lobeck.

Chef Andrew Lobeck dad opened Bay Thai in Old Seabrook in 1990. After his dad retired in 2004, Chef Lobeck re-opened the doors as Merlion. (2004-2008) After IKE hit and destroyed the restaurant is when Brooke & Ray Villanueva became involved with Merlion. Merlion re-opened (Merlion On 4th) it doors 2 streets from its original location February 22, 2009. We were one of the first businesses to open after to storm. We make each dish to order in a 180 sq. foot kitchen. Each dish is made in its own pan. We do not rush our customers yet encourage them to sit relax and make a night of it. We have won several awards but most recently our 2017 Uncorked Houston Rodeo Best Bites Award has by far been the highlight of our restaurant. One Hundred and eleven Houston Area restaurants participated and coming out on top makes us feel like we are doing something right. We are currently in the process of building back by our original location with the view of the bay. We are a family owned and run business and takes great pride in our business. We have been in Old Seabrook this year for 27 years and are lucky to call it home.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We re-opened in a recession and found it hard to get the business restarted after IKE. Thai food isn’t the first thing people normally shout out for dinner. We wanted our customers to feel a part of our family and have made it a point to make everyone feel welcomed and appreciated. From putting flowers on the table for special occasions and giving out birthday cakes on one’s special day. This helped establish ourselves as a place to come celebrate and relax.

Please tell us about Merlion On 4th.
Merlion On 4th is a place that provides amazing Thai Fusion and an atmosphere of its okay to be an adult. We specialize is fresh seafood and exotic meats with fresh ingredients. We make everyone’s food to order. We are most proud of remaining ourselves. Making food that makes people happy. I think our personal service and willingness to make everyone have a great dining experience sets us apart. No matter if someone spends a $1.00 or $1,000,000 its $1.00/$1,000,000 we didn’t have yesterday. Everyone should be treated the same.

Contact Info:

Address: 1301 4th Street, Seabrook Texas 77586 near future is (December 2017/Jan 2018) 1205 Main Street, Seabrook, Texas 77586
Website: www.merlionrestaurant.com
Phone: 281-385-9975
Email: brooke@merlionrestaurant.com
Instagram: merlion_on_4th
Facebook: Merlion Seabrook https://www.facebook.com/merlion.seabrook