Four Houston Restaurants to Visit for Fresh + Inventive Shrimp Dishes
Frank’s American Revival is a regional comfort food restaurant that serves wholesome dishes, using many ingredients sourced from local suppliers and farmers—like Lil Emma’s shrimp. Owner Michael Shine has been in the restaurant business for 40 years. Shine works together with his two sons, Colin (head chef) and Chris (operating manager and level-one sommelier) at family-run Frank’s American Revival in River Oaks, where Houstonians regularly indulge in two of their most popular dishes: New Orleans–style BBQ Shrimp and the Gulf Shrimp & White Cheddar Stone-Ground Grits. Colin said these two dishes go hand in hand—once people order the BBQ shrimp as a starter, many end up wanting more and order the shrimp & grits for seconds. The family was raised in Beaumont and grew up enjoying Gulf seafood. Today, Colin creates his own dishes, using fresh Gulf shrimp from the 50-pound shrimp order that Lil Emma’s delivers every week—“it’s as fresh and local as it gets.” If you find yourself in River Oaks soon, be sure to try their savory BBQ shrimp, available and enjoyable year-round.
Antone’s Famous Po’Boys
More than 50 years ago, in 1962 Jalal Antone made his Houston debut, opening the family-owned Antone’s Market. Locals quickly fell in love with their original po’boy classics, like The Piggy and Pimento Cheese Po’Boys. Today, Antone’s is a landmark. Today their most popular dish on the menu is Shrimp Po’Boy, featuring jumbo, wild-caught fried shrimp from the Gulf that is dressed with lettuce, tomatoes and their homemade spicy remoulade. When it comes to po’boys, bread is just as important as the shrimp. The restaurant receives regular deliveries each week from Houston’s Royal Bakery to ensure their po’boy is as fresh as possible. The shrimp, of course, are locally sourced Gulf shrimp. If you want to try one of the city’s best shrimp po’boys, look no further! Take in Houston’s history and bite into freshness at their location in Uptown for your next lunch adventure.
Low Tide
Harold’s in the Heights’ owner Alli Jarrett teamed up with Chef Russell Ascencio to bring you delicious, upscale seafood dishes straight out the Gulf to the heart of Downtown. Low Tide is located at the center of Finn Hall, a new concept featuring a collective of high-quality restaurant options in one building. Alli grew up going to Pawley’s Island in South Carolina where she enjoyed seafood of all kinds. Her family also owned and operated a fishing tackle company for 52 years. She shared fond stories of slipping on boots and grabbing a net to go catch shrimp in the creek during—take a guess—low tide. This whimsical town where seafood was a staple truly shaped her appreciation for the cuisine— as well as the experience she delivers at Low Tide. Stop by Low Tide in Finn Hall off of Main Street to taste some amazing seafood and meet Chef Ascencio. Try, for instance, the seafood platter with fried-to-perfection Gulf shrimp and equally perfect hushpuppies, with a mouthwatering cane syrup butter on the side inspired by Alli’s grandmother’s recipe, or any of the featured daily specials.
Ninfa’s
I finally got to try the decadent and delicious Diablo Shrimp, a staple dish at Ninfa’s for the last 45 years. The dish features jumbo Gulf shrimp wrapped in thick cuts of applewood bacon, stuffed with pepper jack cheese with pickled jalapeños and a lemon-garlic butter dipping sauce on the side. Head Chef Alex Padilla says he loves the clean taste of Gulf shrimp. Along with the hearty size, Gulf shrimp are rich in minerals, compared to farm-raised shrimp that are given an array of mystery meals to be produced and packaged. Gulf shrimp thrive in environments full of life and nutrients, and that clearly translates to the taste as well as the vibrancy of their appearance. In addition to the classic Diablo Shrimp, there are other dishes that feature their jumbo shrimp, red snapper, oysters and other seafood straight out the Gulf of Mexico. Stop by Ninfa’s on Navigation to meet the chef and try the Diablo Shrimp or any of his other seafood creations that feature the freshness of seafood from the Gulf.
Family-owned and operated since 2000, Philly Seafood catches and distributes some of Texas’s finest Gulf shrimp. I met with Regina (Gina) Garcia Peña and her daughters Priscilla and Ellaina, who also work with her, at their office in Sugar Land. Regina shares ownership of the company with her brothers and father, Edward “Lalo” Garcia Sr., who started this legacy after becoming a boat captain at the age of 13! Gina explained that when she was growing up in Palacios, the town was full of shrimpers until the 1990s when the energy industry started to boom in Texas. Only a few families stayed in business, and the Garcias were one of them. In Philly’s early days, Gina used to load her car with freshly caught shrimp and deliver to clients in the area (with her daughters right alongside her, of course). She would also drive down to Houston, knocking at the doors of different restaurants knowing they would eventually bite—and they did. Gina explains that their shrimp is as fresh as it gets, with a boat-to-bag production cycle—and her father, age 90, leading quality control every day on site as he unloads and inspects every catch in Palacios. Today, you can find Philly Seafood at H-E-B, Kroger, and some of your favorite local restaurants, including The Original Carrabba’s and Roka Akor
