Tag Archives: SETX food review

JuJu’s Cajun Crawfish; A Novice Foodie Review • 2 Comments

Kristi Burden • 13 March, 2015

Jason and I checked out JuJu's Cajun Crawfish in Fannett. He's mostly done the review part while I walk down memory lane. I need to walk. I ate a lot of crawfish.

A word from my guy:

Since Kristi and I started doing these Foodie Reviews we've recieved some great suggestions for out of the way eating places. We're working our way throught the list so if you haven't seen one you've told us about, it's coming.

This morning, we headed out for Ju Ju's. Check them out on Facebook and give them a Like. We heard about them just this past week.

I don't know how we've missed this spot for the past 4 years. This is legitimate South East Texas Cajun food.

Guess what they serve: Crawfish.

You can have it with Corn and Potoatoes or you can have it by itself. You can have it mild or spicy. You can have it with one of three dipping sauces (I suggest the pink sauce).

When you cook only one thing, you better cook it well.

Ju Ju's delivers the flavor!

We ordered ours spicy. Can you feel the heat coming off of this picture?

Kristi and I always check the Internet to see when a place opens its doors. We like to eat early on Fridays to avoid the lunch rush. We didn't beat anything this morning. The locals were way ahead of us and lined up at the door. We were fortunate enough to be one of the first dozen or so patrons. Beyond that they run out of seating.

If you get there after the rush has already hit, don't go in the door. They have a system. They'll take your phone number, send you back to your car to wait, and call you to come in when there's space. This isn't McDonald's or Burger King.

The crawfish are plentiful and BIG this year. I've heard from many that this is going to be one of the best seasons for Mud Bugs.

Check them out sometime. You can find them at:

18277 FM 365, Fannett, Tx

On a side note, if you're in Nederland on a Friday night in the Spring of the year, Butcher's Korner is serving up the Mud Bugs hot and fresh. You can dine in or have him fill up your cooler to take home with you. Check out their Facebook page as well.

-Jason

Now here's my memory walk and more about JuJu's:

Today we ate at JuJu's Cajun Crawfish in Fannett, but my thoughts drifted west and back a few years to my dad's filter shop. I worked there several years growing up. His shop is still in business today manufacturing air filters that are much better than the filters you get anywhere else. While the filters are the best in the business, his little shop is a bit on the run down side. If you could see the walls, you'd see taped-up pictures drawn by employees' kids. You'd also see dates marked in permanent black ink with the number of filters made that broke the record of some other prior date. That wouldn't be only place you'd see his handwriting on the wall.

Juju's is much the same. A cardboard flat where soft drink once were stacked now serves as a sign telling customers what kind of dipping sauces are served. Other handwritten signs on copy and notebook paper remind

Keep door closed.

Do not block area.

Do not enter kitchen area.

Do not rush us.

Please. Do not rush us.

There was a window unit whose vent was stuffed underneath with napkins to manipulate the direction of airflow also reminding me of my dad and his philosophy that a permanent marker, hot glue and masking tape can fix just about anything.

You won't find a welcome mat at either place. Just like my dad's establishment has always been focused on filter-making and little else, Juju's is serious about serving good crawfish. And they succeed.

You'll find three card tables and three picnic tables inside. The "porch" has about eight chairs in a circle for those waiting to get in. It's cozy inside; so much that I was able to notice the hands of the couple beside us. I asked them how they kept their hands so clean being that my crawfish eating gets pretty messy. They told me, "Well, we eat here twice a week so I guess we've got it down". I'd say that's a good plan.

A Novice Foodie Blog: La Salsitas’ Mexican Food in Beaumont

Kristi Burden • 27 February, 2015

Jason sent me a text meant to provoke jealousy this past Wednesday. The text came alongside a picture of a bottled coke and a delicious-looking plate of assorted tacos. Though envious he was eating without me, I remembered why I love that man.....and tacos.

He brought me back today. Salsitas is an authentic Mexican food joint at 3297 College St. in Beaumont.

For those of you seeking the real deal, instead of describing my plate with sense-inducing language, I'm sharing ten ways I knew this place was legit.

1. A telenovela (Mexican soap opera) with a scorned woman was on the tube.

2. You can count on fresh lime wedges and homemade tortillas coming with your meal.

3. Mexican blankets pair as wall decoration and curtains.

4. There was something creepy on the menu that I wouldn't eat, suggesting that this place serves cuisine beyond the amateur list of nachos and burritos.

5. They serve six kinds of tacos including pastor and azada. (Burger King isn't the only place that lets you have it your way).

6. We had to use part of napkins to blow our runny noses caused by truly hot salsa.

7. You can enjoy your meal with an Orange Fanta or Coke in one of those tall, thick glass bottles.

8. There's a taco truck outside with Christmas lights. I can't explain, but that feels authentic.

9. You get more cilantro with your dish than you do lettuce (the non-tasty filler).

10. The menu is in Spanish and you find yourself making sure you know what a ceviche tostada is. "That is fish, right?"

Here's Jason's foodie review to go right along with my ten reasons:

I had a lunch plate of Chile Verdes on Wednesday. This stuff was good. They have all the food stuff made up and on a steam table so you can see what's fresh and what's not. Since I was there around 11:30 both times this week, everything was fresh. It was raining Wednesday so there weren't any other patrons coming through the door, but the drive through line was steady.

The Chile Verdes was tasty, they were spicy and they were filling. That's what I'm looking for in a lunch plate. I also ordered a Taco Azada. I don't even know what that is. It's some king of delicious beef thing. Don't ask too many questions. Just enjoy.

Since it's Friday, I took Kristi back with me so we could have a lunchtime date. I was just a little disappointed. Instead of ESPN Desportes playing on three TVs and turned up loud enough to drown out a freight train, they had, as Kristi alluded to above, some telenovela thing going. It was like watching Days of Our Lives, but in Spanish. It didn't take away from the ambiance. I was just sad I didn't get to hear the announcer of the soccer game yell "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOALLLLLLLLLLL!"

Anyway, I figured since the one taco I ate on Wednesday was good, why not order 4 more. I did two Azada, one Barbacoa, and one Carnitas. That's Spanish for Tasty Beef, Delicious Meat, and Heavenly Pork.

These Tacos are simple and savory. Load them up with lime juice and hot sauce and you have the makings for a face full of flavor. I'm still sweating from the red sauce. Go with the green for a milder kick, but you will still be kicked!

Kristi went out on a limb with the Cameron Tostado. When I see and old food truck, my mind doesn't immediately say, "I wonder what their seafood tastes like?" No, far from it. But she was bold today. And this was one of those days where boldness paid off!

This was sheer goodness on a crunchy shell. She let me have a bite, and when I wanted to go in for a second bite, it was already gone. Add this to your "To Get" list if you get the chance to dine-in. If you're ordering out, it might get a little messy when you try to sneak a bite on the way home. It's piled high with Pico, Shrimp, and Avocado.

She also snagged a Chicken Taco. That was about the only English thing on their menu, but it was served up with full Mexican flavor.

I don't know why we love to take pictures of our food so much. I love taking pictures of Kristi taking pictures of her food.

On the way out, Kristi took a shot of this:

I don't know what it is. I'm sad that I didn't order it. This is my reason for going back sometime in the future.

If you're in Beaumont, anywhere near 3297 College St., not far from Baptist Hospital, stop by. You'll fill your belly without emptying your pocketbook.

If you've enjoyed this, let us know about other food spots you'd like us to try out. Also, make our day by subscribing to the email list. You can do that by entering your email in the block back at the top of this page.

Check out Jason blog at www.PastorBurden.com.

Here are some of the other spots we've been to:

Tracy's Seafood in Port Arthur

Abbie's Specialty Foods

Bruce's Seafood Deli

A Novice Foodie Mission: Tracy’s Seafood Deli

Kristi Burden • 24 January, 2015

Fridays are my favorite day of the week; Jason and I are usually both off work. So we have a thing where we try and find a new eating establishment. Apparently the extent of our sense of adventure includes nothing more than a fork, but I dig it. Jason posted a picture of yesterday's day's eating joint. The picture didn't do the place justice. Here it is in case you missed it.

Nothing says appealing like a hot pink wave wall painted with pale yellow and turquoise geometric shapes and a nice fake potted palm tree/ivy. That's why we felt obliged to write a quick post about yesterday's cuisine.

Here's our shared blog about the experience:

I'll let you in on how I found out about this joint. I've been in physical therapy for three weeks now because it seems when I behave myself (instead of freaking out under stress) the stress just builds up in my neck and shoulders. It makes me wonder if behaving myself is good for my health. The stress had been so built up that I ended up having daily headaches, half of a hand going numb off and on and the feeling of creepy crawlies all over my head, all the time.

Anyway, Dr. Hunt here in Nederland is fixing me up. He and his ladies are helpful and super friendly. If you have neck or back problems, go see him.

That being said, part of my therapy includes doing these gosh-awful exercises for my neck and shoulders, usually three sets of twenty. I have to count for myself so I can't talk. Others that have been at this a while are pros and can do their exercises and talk at the same time. One guy mentioned last Wednesday that he got the best chicken wings "from the hood" a few nights before. He said the place was named Tracy's and was on Gulfway. I did my best the rest of my time to count my neck tucks and remember where Jason and I needed to go on our next Heyday Friday.

Yesterday was wet and cold but there was sunshine in my soul. I had my favorite food cooked just the way I like it. I would say I love oysters, but my great-grandmother always told us not to say we love anything besides people. She was THE boss and I'm still afraid to not do what she says. Fellow oyster-likers can see how big and juicy and 'not ruined by too much crust' these oysters are (I hate having to peel off superfluous crust). Fries are usually just a filler in my opinion, but these fries were fresh and well-seasoned. They paired well with the homemade tartar sauce which I normally never eat.

I've used more than the reasonable word limit and Jason ordered a couple of things so here's the low down from Jason on the rest of our experience.

There are so many great eating spots right here in Nederland, that we haven’t ventured out lately. When Kristi overheard some folks talking about this seafood place in Port Arthur that served up some serious chicken wings, I was immediately interested. We had a little time on our hands this past Friday and a few dollars burning a hole in our pockets so we ventured into the heart of Port Arthur to check out Tracy’s Seafood Deli.

Where Is It?

I’m not far off when I say Tracy’s is in the heart of Port Arthur. It’s a convenient location to anyone working at the Motiva plant. I’m sure I’d be there as often as I could if I was nearby at lunchtime every day.

What’s It Like?

At some point in the past, Tracy’s was a Burger King. They have maintained some of the furnishings, but nothing of the menu. This might be the best repurposing of a fast food place I’ve ever experienced. Don’t come here expecting napkins and silverware on the table. This is a place for hungry people to fill their bellies with fried, boiled or grilled seafood goodness.

What We Ate.

I couldn’t just order one thing. I was hungry for seafood and for their chicken wings. I checked out the menu online before going in. I thought the pictures on their website were a little too good to be true. The first image I was really interested in was a platter of jumbo shrimp that were large enough to live up to their oxymoronic name. The shrimp I saw on their website could have been saddled and ridden by small children. I was expecting to be underwhelmed, but I was pleased to find there is still some truth in advertising. Check out this plate of bad-boys I put down.

When I saw the price for the chicken wings, I was a little taken aback. I didn’t scope these out on the web first so I came into Tracy’s expecting the WingStop or Buffalo Wild Wing variety. 6 wings for $10.39 was overcooking my grits, but I didn’t come all this way to turn down a culinary adventure. When they came out of the fryer, my financial frown was turned upside down. When you eat wings at Tracy’s, don’t think about wing pieces. Think about the entire wing, except feathers. This was simple, tasty goodness.

I actually had leftovers! I brought the box home for the kids to enjoy. They ate everything but the salad. I’m afraid they even ate the bones.

Kristi is an oyster fanatic. If a place has fried oysters, that’s her first stop on the menu. She picked up half a dozen with fries. There are usually pitfalls that we watch out for when ordering fried oysters. The first is over-breading. When a restaurant is serving up pre-made, stale-off-the-truck, variety of oysters, it shows up first in the breading. The breading can drown out the natural oyster goodness. The next pitfall is the size of the oysters. We’ve been to places where you had to search through the breading to even find an oyster. We don’t go in for the tiny ones. If we can eat an oyster in one bite, it’s No Bueno. Third, it should not be overcooked. These delicate sea goodies cease to be good if they are left in the fryer for too long.

I’m glad to report that Tracy’s gets 5 stars on all fronts of their oyster prep. Their oysters were HUGE. These were two, or three, bite delights. They were lightly breaded. They were not afraid to let their oysters speak for themselves. The cornbread breading was just enough to make it interesting, but not so much to take away from the oyster experience. Finally, they were cooked just long enough. We like them raw, so undercooking should rarely be a problem. These still contained significant, natural oyster brine oozing out after every bite.

Conclusions

If you have a little time on you hand and a hankering for goo seafood, try out Tracy’s Seafood Deli.

I’m looking forward to trying the Boiled Crawfish, Crab Legs, and Vietnamese Egg Rolls.

Give them a try and let them know what you think.

Dr. Jason Burden FBC Nederland www.fbcnederland.com