BB's Tex-Orleans
 BB's Tex-Orleans in San Antonio | |
| Founded | November 2007 in Houston, Texas |
|---|---|
| Founder | Brooks Bassler |
Number of locations | 13 (2024) |
| Website | bbstexorleans |
BB's Tex-Orleans, also referred to as simply BB's, is a Cajun restaurant chain with multiple locations spread between various cities in Texas. The first location was opened in Houston by founder Brooks Bassler in 2007. As of 2024, there are twelve BB's Tex-Orleans restaurants in operation across the Houston metropolitan area, in addition to one in San Antonio. BB's is primarily known for its fusion of Cajun and Texan cuisines, po-boys, crawfish, and late-night hours.
History[edit]
Before deciding to open his own business, Texas native Brooks Bassler worked as a waiter and was involved in a catering business, which made him gravitate towards a career in the restaurant industry.[1] The first BB's Tex-Orleans was opened by Bassler in Houston in November 2007. A University of Houston graduate with a degree in business,[2] Bassler launched the first location with $310,000 in savings and loans from his parents and the Small Business Administration.[3] Bassler crafted the original menu with help from his mother and grandmother, who originally hailed from southern Louisiana.[1][3] Despite early struggles,[2] the company experienced an upswing in business after a positive review in the Houston Chronicle,[4] and the company became profitable within two years of its opening.[3] The restaurant became acclaimed for its po-boys,[2] crawfish,[5] and fusion of Cajun and Texan cuisines.[6]
Since the first location's opening in 2009, 12 more locations have been opened in Houston and its metropolitan area.[7] In 2021, the chain opened its first location outside of the Houston area when it opened a location in western San Antonio.[8] A second location was opened in San Antonio, which ultimately closed in May 2024.[7] As of June 2024, the restaurant consists of 13 restaurants in Houston, San Antonio, Katy, Tomball, Webster, Cypress, and Pearland. Many of the locations operate past midnight, with all of them remaining open until at least 10 P.M.[9] BB's participates in an oyster shell recycling program alongside the Galveston Bay Foundation, in which shucked oyster shells are collected and placed in the Galveston Bay to help restore oyster habitats; they have recycled over 14 tons of shells through this program.[10]
The Houston Press named BB's as its Best Cajun Restaurant of 2009.[6] Additionally, the restaurant won the Houston Chronicle's Best of the Best Houston Crawfish in 2022, and was a runner-up in 2023.[11] Condé Nast Traveler named BB's Tex-Orleans as one of Houston's 23 best restaurants in 2019.[12]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Star, Alisa. "BB's Tex-Orleans". Bay Area Houston Magazine. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
- ^ a b c Radley, Whitney (27 October 2012). "A budding Tex-Orleans restaurant empire: Coog-powered BB's Cafe plans to expandoutside the Loop". CultureMap Houston. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
- ^ a b c Scully, Sarah (18 May 2015). "At BB's Cafe, crawfish make the cash registers ring". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
- ^ Cook, Allison (13 March 2008). "BB's". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
- ^ "Montrose's king of Cajun dishes on crawfish season and his growing empire, plus Houston's hottest food news". CultureMap Houston. 9 February 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
- ^ a b "Best Cajun Restaurant: BB's Cajun Cafe". Houston Press. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
- ^ a b Scheve, Annasofia (17 May 2024). "Cajun restaurant BB's Tex-Orleans near Brooks closes abruptly". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
- ^ Sauers, Camille (25 September 2021). "Houston chain cooks up Texas-Cajun flavor with debut of first San Antonio location". MySA.
- ^ "Locations". BB's Tex-Orleans. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
- ^ Whitfield, Stephanie (16 April 2024). "Here's how restaurants are helping restore habitats in Galveston Bay". KHOU. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
- ^ Mahler, Pamela. "The Best Places to Grab Cajun Food in Houston". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
- ^ Suri, Chari; Oates, Diana (10 October 2019). "23 Best Restaurants in Houston". Condé Nast Traveler. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2024.