Elandon Roberts: UH Alum, Superbowl Winner
We are thrilled to be partnering with Elandon Roberts: University of Houston Alumni and 2017 Superbowl Winner! Roberts was drafted to the New England Patriots as a Linebacker and helped the Patriots clinch the win during one of the best Superbowl games in the past decade.
This summer, you can order “The Elandon:” grilled redfish, cilantro rice, a chicken skewer and stuffed shrimp. With each order, you’ll be entered to win a pair of tickets to any Texans game plus airfare and hotel for two. And, $3 of each order will also benefit the Elandon Roberts Foundation for Heart Disease research. DO GOOD, EAT GOOD! But, hurry! The contest ends August 24th at 2pm.
Where to Eat Crawfish in Houston RIGHT NOW
Thanks for the LOVE, Houstonia!! We were featured in their March issue that was ALL BOUT THEM BUGS!
“Every spring, Houston goes crawfish crazy—and with good reason. Thanks to our unique confluence of cultures, there’s no better city in the United States in which to enjoy the fiery red crustaceans. Whether you’re seeking Cajun-style boils, Vietnamese-style smorgasbords or even Pakistani, Japanese and Tex-Mex twists on the mudbugs, Houston has it all, and Houstonia has your comprehensive guide to making the most of the season—which, lucky you, now lasts all the way into the summer.”
We are still serving up our Tex-Orleans style Crawfish! Come on by any of our 7 locations to try them out for the first or 50th time! YUM YUM!!
We’re EXPANDING!
Thank you, Houston Chronicle and Culture Map for sharing our good news! We are opening TWO MORE BB’s Locations in the Houston area this year and we couldn’t be more excited.
We LOVE our customers and we couldn’t do this without you! Stay tuned on our social media accounts for more info as we have it!
Crawfish is Back!
We are thrilled to tell you that it’s finally time for Crawfish at BB’s! The bugs are ready, so we are ready! BB’s Tex-Orleans Crawfish is back starting January 16th!
Let’s Kick Hunger!
We are ready to KICK HUNGER! And you’re helping the cause–just by eating at BB’s! We are participating in the Flavors of Houston Championship–a Houston area-wide restaurant fundraising initiative supporting Taste of the NFL’s Kick Hunger Challenge to promote awareness and action to end hunger in America. All proceeds raised in Flavors of Houston Championship, Hosted by Sysco, stay in Houston and support the Houston Food Bank. With every order of produce we place with Sysco, they are donating 0.50 cents and providing 1 and a half meals to The Houston Food Bank! So, eat your veggies, Houston–you’re helping Kick Hunger with every bite!
BB on Chefs Coast to Coast
Brooks Bassler, aka BB, was interviewed on a podcast hosted by native Houstonian, Lauren Ignited. Her podcast, titled Chefs Coast to Coast features Chefs from the Gulf Coast to the Gold Coast with the aim of sharing their stories with the customers who love their food! We were happy to be on the show and had a blast doing it! Take a listen to the episode here:
Cajuns & Cajunistas! Ask for this one BY NAME!
Did you know?! We have an OFF THE MENU Po’Boy for all our Cajun Kings & Queens! The deliciously decadent Royal Street Secret is loaded with Turkey, Ham, Sautéed Shrimp, Mushrooms, Tomato, Mayo Relish, and melted Swiss and American Cheese. Just ask for this Boy by name–you won’t find it on the menu!
Customer of the Month: Holly C.
Holly is a loyal fan of BB’s after being introduced to our restaurant by a friend. We are lucky to have you as our customer of the month, Holly!
What is your Houston story? Did you grow up here, or move here as quick as you could?
As a kid I used to come down here to visit family every summer and every Christmas holiday. I always knew that I would eventually end up a Texan, even though I was from the south side of Chicago. My mom told me one hot summer day that she would be selling the house and moving to houston. I later followed her to Houston and have not looked back since! It’s been 10 glorious years!
If you could steal the recipe to one BB’s Dish, what would it be and why?
I would steal the recipe for the crawfish! What is in the seasoning?!?! My mouth waters just thinking about it!
What does Tex-Orleans mean to you?
Tex-Orleans means big plates, big crawfish, big drinnks and big southern-creole accents!
We are thankful for all of our customers–we love every one of you! To show our love, we will continue to highlight one customer each month who exhibits a certain joie de vivre. If you haven’t yet, join our Krewe of Cravings mailing list for news, deals and more. XOXO – Stay tuned for more!
Fried, Delicious and Back by Popular Demand!
Our highest sellin’ OFF THE MENU boy is back by popular demand! It’s only featured for a short time so come and get it while you can. Two soft shell crabs dredged in seasoned flour and lightly fried. It’s a Po’boy you won’t want to miss!
Customer of the Month: Tina N.
Tina has been a long-time supporter of BB’s and we are so excited to share her BB’s story as this month’s Customer of the Month!
What is your Houston story? Did you grow up here, or move here as quick as you could?
I was born in Denver, Colorado and moved to Houston, Texas with my family over 45 years ago.
If you could steal the recipe to one BB’s Dish, what would it be and why?
After working in the corporate world for almost 30 years, I decided to retire and raise my family in Pearland. My husband and our four children moved to Pearland, Texas eight years ago. I soon realized that Pearland was lacking in the finer Restaurant’s and night life. Since we were somewhat new to the area, I decided to create a group page on Facebook called Pearland Eats. This group page allows members to post their reviews of restaurants, new restaurants that are being built in Pearland and how to get other establishments to come to Pearland. Over a year ago, I had the pleasure of eating at BB’s in the Heights and I could not stop thinking or talking about it. I soon took to your social media page and begged you to open a restaurant here in Pearland. I’m not sure if this is how it all came about but I’m sure happy it did.
I am also on the volunteer committee called Economic Development committee of Pearland. This past year we tried to get the liquor law passed here but we were just short a few hundred votes. We hope to get it passed this next time around. After retiring I found that I am able to be more involved in my community and love the foodie world. I also created a blog and facebook page “What’s for dinner? Mom” which has over 60 thousand followers. I’m not a professional chef at all but I love cooking. If I had to choose a dish that I would love to steal the recipe for, it would be BB’s Shrimp and Grits!
What does Tex-Orleans mean to you?
Tex-Orleans means the spice of Texas Heat and the New Orleans creole and Cajun cuisine. The two combinations are like yin and yang; can’t have one without the other. As Emeril always says you have to “Kick it up a notch” and that’s what Tex-Orleans means to me.
We are thankful for all of our customers–we love every one of you! To show our love, we will continue to highlight one customer each month who exhibits a certain joie de vivre. If you haven’t yet, join our Krewe of Cravings mailing list for news, deals and more. XOXO – Stay tuned for more!
New Orleans Style Murals at BB’s!
When BB’s Chief Brand Officer, Maricela Bassler, was looking to add murals into the BB’s locations she knew just who to hire! Maricela’s brother, Marco Hernandez, just happened to be an artist and a very good one at that. The only problem was that he had never done a mural before. Marco’s work up to that point had been strictly on canvas. But, Maricela knew that he could paint just about anything. She had grown up with him, after all, and watched as his self-taught and truly God given talent evolved into masterpieces and commissions. She asked him to paint a mural that was significant to the culture of 
NOLA. She wanted BB’s customers to feel as though they were taking a stroll through the French Quarter in the Crescent City! To help spark his ideas, Marco was provided photos of artists, musicians, and architecture that she had taken during her research trips to New Orleans.
Marco’s first mural went up at the opening of BB’s Cafe in Katy (pictured above) in 2015. Marco completed three ten foot walls in just four days and it looked fantastic!! A year and a half later, Maricela fou
nd herself standing in the middle of the newest BB’s Cafe location in Pearland and realized that a swampy Louisiana scene would be perfect to complete the space. She called Marco right away and flew him in from their hometown of McAllen, Texas. He completed the mural in three days and just in time for the Grand Opening! Marco’s artistic style is extremely different than what he is usually commissioned to do, including the murals at BB’s. Marco refers to his personal style as Contemporary Figurative. Check out Marco’s murals at BB’s Katy or BB’s Pearland next time you are dining with us!
Goodtaste with Tanji
We are thrilled to have been featured on Goodtaste with Tanji! Tanji came to our Montrose location and chatted with BB and Maw Maw about our Tex-Orlean story. Watch it here!
Customer of the Month: Marc & Kiley S.
We are so thrilled to feature Marc & Kiley S, long time fans of BB’s Cafe, as this month’s Customer (couple) of the Month!
What is your Houston story? Did you grow up here, or move here as quick as you could?
Kiley: I grew up right outside New Orleans, and my husband grew up in Houston, so BB’s is a natural fit for us. Marc and I met at the University of St. Thomas when I was 19 and he 21. Early in our dating days, BB’s on Montrose quickly became our go-to late night spot. As we grew older, the White Oak location became our “Sunday Funday” spot. And now after the birth of our son, the Richmond location has morphed into our “let’s get the baby out of the house” spot.
If you could steal the recipe to one BB’s Dish, what would it be and why?
Kiley: Without question Maw’s Maw’s Grillades and Grits. So good.
Marc: I would steal the recipe for the Tex-Cajun Virgin Fries. Mainly because it’s a perfect blend of fries, queso, and roast beef–need I say more?! But, also because it takes me back to my younger days when the only BB’s available was the Montrose location and we needed a good late night restaurant that wasn’t fast food. That meal was our go-to late night dish that we would share. It’s got a special place in my belly.
What does Tex-Orleans mean to you?
Kiley: What does Tex-Orleans mean to my husband and I? The perfect blend of Creole flavor served up big with a healthy amount of queso. Sort of like our marriage.
We are thankful for all of our customers–we love every one of you! To show our love, we will continue to highlight one customer each month who exhibits a certain joie de vivre. If you haven’t yet, join our Krewe of Cravings mailing list for news, deals and more. XOXO – Stay tuned for more!
Beyonce Dined at BB’s!
We are still floating on cloud 9! Queen B, Jay-Z and Beyoncé family stopped by BB’s Upper Kirby after slaying her performance at NRG Stadium on Saturday, May 7th in Houston! We are thankful for her visit and proud of our staff for being respectful and courteous to our super star guests. Safe travels on your world tour, Bey!
KHOU Channel 11 stopped by and the Houston Chronicle wrote an article. Thanks again, Beyonce and Mrs. Knowles!
Photo courtesy of @thebeyonceworld
For the Love of Tex-Orleans
Many may not know this. BB’s Cafe didn’t start out with a “Tex-Orleans” menu. In fact, the Tex-Orleans concept is one that was developed over time as the BB’s brand, and menu, began to take shape as a reflection of our influences and surroundings.
From the start, Brooks Bassler (aka BB) knew he wanted to create a restaurant where Houstonians could enjoy Cajun food late into the night. Being raised by a Cajun mother, Brooks has a deep love for the city of New Orleans and is passionate about the city’s iconic dishes like Grillades and Grits, Gumbo, Roast Beef Po’Boys and Daiquiris. Looking around Houston, he was shocked that there was not a place where the community could go for late night Cajun Po’Boys. So, after graduating from The University of Houston, he opened one: BB’s Cajun restraunt on Montrose Blvd.
BB’s Cajun Cafe wasn’t strictly Cajun food. Yes, it included all your favorite NOLA dishes like the ones listed above, but it also included Mexico City Street Tacos and Shrimpaladas! It was Cajun food with a Texan Twist. Cajun with a Tex-A-Mexican passion, even. And above all, BB’s never claimed to be authentic Cajun food.
As BB’s continued to grow, more and more research and development field trips were taken to ensure that the food on our menu reflected NOLA, but also had our unique twist. After each trip to New Orleans, we worked closely with our Kitchen Manager to develop our own version of what we had tasted (and LOVED) in NOLA. A great example is our Chicolean the Machine Po’Boy which features chopped fajita chicken, queso, peppers, onions, avocado and tomato on a Leidenheimer Po’Boy bun.
As we continued to develop new recipes, we realized that we had developed “Tex-Orleans.” Our recipes are inspired by Louisiana, Brooks’ Maw Maw, Cajun culture, and Mexican culture but also from where we live: Texas. We are inspired by our surroundings, the people of Houston and their love for spicy flavors.
We count ourselves lucky to live in Houston and have such incredible customers. And we are so happy that Tex-Orleans has developed into a concept that our customers know and love as something that is distinctly BB’s. We asked a few customers to tell us what Tex-Orleans meant to them, and we were overjoyed with their answers.
Tex-Orleans is here to stay; it’s the BB’s way!
Customer of the Month: Craig Hlavaty
Meet the very first Customer of the Month: Craig Hlavaty! When he’s not writing for the Houston Chronicle or Filming ‘Between the Lines’ on CW39 NewsFix, he can sometimes be found protecting his wife’s shirt from Crawfish paste or downing a few drinks at BB’s.
We asked Craig a few questions about Houston, what he would steal and how he feels about Tex-Orleans! Read what he had to say below and keep your eyes peeled each month–the next customer of the month could be you!
What’s your Houston story? Did you grow up here, or move here as quick as you could?
I grew up in Pearland and migrated to Houston in my middle twenties, but I spent most of my teens in Houston proper causing trouble at concert venues and record stores.
If you could steal the recipe to one BB’s dish, what would it be and why?
The Bullet for the King is my favorite thing that’s not crawfish. I get it on your sweet burger bun from the Montrose location, usually late at night when I should be in bed. If I had a cooking aptitude, that’s what I steal from you guys.
What does Tex-Orleans mean to you?
I sort of feel like I spent a few former lives in New Orleans. Whenever I visit the city I feel at home and I don’t want to leave. The buildings, the smells, the emotions all come over me like a wave. A meal at BB’s Café seems to satisfy that part of my soul.
We are thankful for all of our customers–we love every one of you! To show our love, we will continue to highlight one customer each month who exhibits a certain joie de vivre. If you haven’t yet, join our Krewe of Cravings mailing list for news, deals and more. Keep up with Craig’s shenanigans around Houston by following him on Twitter. XOXO — stay tuned for more!
Photo Cred: Craig Hlavaty
Top Ten!
Paper City named BB’s Cafe as one of the Top 10 Restaurants in Houston who “Do Mudbugs Right!” Thank you, Paper City and THANK YOU, HOUSTON! Come visit us at our selected locations and enjoy our crawfish.
No Bull! They Love Our Crawfish!
Nick Russo, radio personality for The Bull 100.3 FM, put together a listing of his favorite Crawfish spots in Houston. Thanks for including us, Nick! We are glad you are enjoying our bugs!
Image courtesy of Getty Images.
What’s the Dealio with BB’s Crawfish?
Crawfish season is in full swing! We have had comments, questions, likes, and dislikes but mostly rave reviews on our new crawfish operations. In light of the new Facebook worldwide launch of Reactions (with more ways to express yourself), we wanted to clarify a few facts and provide answers to some of your questions we have been receiving. Most of all, though, we want to thank you all for being receptive and showing us so much LOVE at the start of this crawfish season. It has been epic so far, and the bugs aren’t even their best yet! So what’s the Dealio?
What’s the Dealio about BB’s Paste?
BB’s Crawfish Paste is a hot commodity. Our paste is a special recipe, and we have put a lot of love into our recipe and our operation of crawfish over the years. We feel that our improvements have been well worth it. These improvements were all made with YOU, our amazing customer, in mind. The results of developing our crawfish recipe and putting more into our operation mean that the recipe is expensive to make. We place the special paste in every single batch of crawfish ordered, so rest assured–you’re getting the paste. If you have had our crawfish, you know that we aren’t stingy with this paste, and it’s always plentiful and flavorful in each batch of crawfish we sell. But, in order to estimate how much we would need on hand to sell to customers, we would have to put it at a price point that we wouldn’t feel good about passing on to the customer. Most importantly, BB’s Cafe has no desire to sell this paste at this time. We do, however, have crawfish seasoning and crawfish dippin’ sauce available for you on the Crawfish menu as add-ons. We promise it’s YUMMY and if you really love dipping your tails in the paste, there is plenty at the bottom of each crawfish order.
What’s the Dealio about BB’s Corn & Potatoes?
We noticed last year that more often than not, corn and potatoes were left behind on the crawfish trays. So sad! So, we decided this year to put corn and potatoes on the add-on menu to reduce the footprint of waste left behind after the season. Additionally, there is a great corn shortage across the United States this year, making it a little more difficult to find and reasonably source corn. We are always conscious of the cost to our customers, so we ensure we are in-line (or under) with our competitors on the pricing of our add-ons. We did extensive research to find out what other restaurants we love in Houston are doing when they serve their crawfish, and they too are charging for add-ons and sides. We promise we would never compromise the LOVE you have shown us by being unfair in our pricing of a-la-carte items and/or sides.
What’s the Dealio about BB’s Crawfish Prices?
We store, boil and sell 20,000 to 25,000 pounds of crawfish per week at BB’s (location-wide). It’s a challenging program to store thousands of pounds of live crawfish. Can you imagine what to do with all those bugs?! We have storage lockers for the live crawfish at each BB’s location where we keep the bugs until it’s time to boil em’ up! We are always conscious of the cost to our customers, so we can assure you we are in-line with our competitors. BB’s Cafe also has a three-process system where we not only have seasoning in our boil, but we add dry seasoning and our special paste to each order of crawfish. We treat our crawfish like gold! We promise. We also don’t charge you more when the product changes at BB’s which means bigger bugs for our customers. That hasn’t happened yet since the three fronts came in but soon we’ll be able to serve you a more quality bug. We’re just waiting on our vendors to provide the product! We also added three pounds and five pounds options to our menu this year so if you order more than one pound, there is a price break for you. Crawfish season isn’t a lucrative program for BB’s–we do it for the love of crawfish, baby!
We love you Houston, and we enjoy boiling up our special Tex-Orleans Crawfish for you every year! We love hearing from you and discussing your questions. We hope this post has answered most of the questions we have received. So what are you waiting for? Visit any of our restaurants and enjoy the best crawfish in Houston TX. Much LOVE!
Check out this video at our Heights location from the Houston Press about sucking heads and see if YOU, our amazing customer, made the cut! Thank you for everyone who participated while dining.
To Suck or Not to Suck
The Houston Press recently dropped by BB’s in the Heights to chat with customers about their crawfish eating preferences. Watch this short video to see how they answered the question, “Do you suck the head?”