After 25 years of marriage, Daury and Noel Bender, co-owners of Ocean Boulevard Bistro, are a well-oiled machine. Throughout the years, the Benders have co-owned various businesses together—with the Lake Conroe restaurant being their most recent collaboration, Daury said.
The duo opened Ocean Boulevard in August 2016 to share their love of healthy ingredients and fresh seafood with the local community, Daury said.
“We wanted other people to have options for fresh, wild-caught seafood and [premium] beef,” she said. “That was the kind of eating we liked, so we really wanted to bring that type of food here.”
The bistro serves California-inspired lunch and dinner options, including seafood, steak, stuffed burgers, sandwiches and pasta dishes.
“I know people in the area are starting to catch on to [the distinctiveness of the food],” Noel said. “It’s kind of nice that we’re actually bringing some different chops to the area.”
The couple also hopes to obtain a liquor license in the future, but they do serve complimentary wine and allow patrons to bring their own beverages.
Prior to Ocean Boulevard, Daury and Noel held various positions in the service industry throughout the years, working in the kitchens of seafood and Mexican restaurants. When the Bender family first moved from California to Montgomery in 2013, Daury and Noel worked side-by-side flipping houses in the region.
Using their skills from flipping houses, the Benders transformed a former Subway sandwich shop into what they said is a comfortable, yet elegant lakeside restaurant with patio seating and accessible boat docks.
“I think we have a really great setting that’s a little bit more quaint, a little bit more personable,” Daury said.
On a daily basis, the Benders are cooking food, managing the kitchen and working with two of their children. The family-owned restaurant strives to please patrons every day, Daury said.
“That’s the thing we’ve learned since living in Texas: Everyone really bands together,” she said. “There are great things about California, but the care of the people here in Texas—there just isn’t any comparison.”
Ocean Boulevard Bistro
1200 Marina Drive, Montgomery
936-588-4962
www.oceanboulevardbistro.com
Hours: Wed.-Fri. 5-9 p.m., Sat. noon-9 p.m., Sun. noon-8 p.m., closed Mondays, temporarily closed Tuesdays, extended lunch hours begin in May
