Little Liberty, the newest concept from F.E.E.D. TX Restaurant Group, opened at the end of January, and it really does feel like a little brother to The Heights’ Liberty Kitchen. The cafe atmosphere (with counter-service during breakfast and lunch) lends itself to a restaurant that’s a bit more casual and relaxed.

The location near the Medical Center and West U also adds to its breezy vibe. Little Liberty over took over the space in Rice Village where Ruggles Cafe & Bakery once operated. It’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, and you’ll observe many folks in yoga togs or scrubs, as well as regular street wear.

During the week, Little Liberty opens at 8 am and serves breakfast until 11 am; then lunch service kicks in and is available until 2:30 pm. There’s a pause in the kitchen as they switch over to dinner service, which begins at 5 pm. During the kitchen’s downtime, you can order pastries, coffee, freshly-squeeze juice, a selection from their Greek yogurt bar or even a cocktail. On the weekends, the breakfast/brunch menu is available until 2 pm.

At lunch, choose from soup, salads, build-your-own poke bowls, oysters, sandwiches, entrees from the grill and pizzas. There’s also a children’s menu.

We started with the beets and avocado salad ($10, photo above) with arugula, smoked salt almonds, goat cheese crema and red wine vinegar dressing. The beets are definitely the star of this salad – the other ingredients were a bit scarce. The salad, beets included, however, lacked the punch of flavor we anticipated and was screaming for salt. If beets are your thing, we suggest you instead order the red goddess juice, made with beets, ginger, kale and orange.

We opted to build our own poke bowl ($12 basic, $1 add-ins, photo above) with tuna, tamari (gluten-free soy), rice, avocado and grated ginger. Each bowl comes ready-dressed with sweet onions, scallions and sesame seeds. It’s fun to break open chopsticks at a non-Asian restaurant, but we thought this dish also could also have benefited from some extra salt – the gluten-free soy didn’t add enough for us.

Hickory-grilled shrimp and pork belly carnitas ($14, photo above) come with Irish-buttered heirloom cheesy grits and a side of simply dressed greens. The grits – which were nicely salted – were cooked al dente with a nice bite, and the three medium-sized shrimp and pork belly boasted a crusty char.  Textures were on point, but the dish lacked oomph, both in flavor and presentation.

All told, our first meal experience wasn’t very compelling, but we feel there’s more to be enjoyed here. The menu is intriguing and the space inviting.

Little Liberty, 2365A Rice, 713 807-7224, littlelibertyhouston.com