In Houston, East Downtown, better known as EaDO is a hip and growing millennial hub where you'll find no shortage of spots to eat--from poke to Vietnamese food, to soul food, and bistro-style American restaurants. I made the long trek 10-minute drive the other day to try out something altogether different with a group of girlfriends now known as the Black Blogger Clique: Cajun Tex-Mex from EaDeaux's Cajun Cocina. I've never tried this type of fusion fare but, while exciting, it felt very familiar. Let's get into all the details.
It was hot-hot when we visited EaDeaux's, so we ate inside nearby East End Hardware and cooled off with their boozy sno balls. I got the Jon Sno-Cone because I love gin and it was advertised to have a lot of it. It did. And it was delicious. 🙂 We quickly got to eating, starting with appetizer platters filled with grilled boudin links, shrimp and sausage boil, cracklins, pico, and the best white queso I have had anywhere!
You might wonder what sparked the idea for Cajun and Tex-Mex fusion. The reason is two fold. Owner/operators Jason and Starr Harry are HBCU graduates who hail from New Iberia, Louisiana and Phoenix, Arizona, respectively, and drew from the foods that feel like home. Additionally, with EaDeaux's home base being situated between historically black (Third Ward) and majority Hispanic (Second Ward) areas, they felt their menu would resonate with the surrounding community.The artwork on the side of the truck pays homage to the Cajun roots of EaDeaux's offerings, Acadiana, which is a region in Louisiana where the food is done a little differently than what you might find in New Orleans.
We also tried gumbo, etouffee, okra, and a range of tacos and nachos featuring veggie, gumbo, beef, boudin, crawfish, chicken, and beef options. Whew! The portions were generous and the southern hospitality was real, y'all. Tequila shots were also on the menu that day but I couldn't hang. By the way, if you're used to Houston boudin, you might be a little thrown (in a good way) by EaDeaux's boudin. Theirs is made in the Acadian way, which has a very high meat to rice ratio. Ours tends to be more rice heavy.
The Harrys opened EaDeaux's as a food truck after operating their other business, EaDo Hand Car Wash, for a while and receiving constant questions from customers about where they could grab a bite while having their cars detailed. At that time, eating establishments in EaDo were limited. Since they're on wheels, they pop up at different spots around town throughout the week, including The Davenport on Mondays and Bar 5015 on the weekends.
In addition to EaDeaux's and EaDo Hand Car Wash, the Harrys have full-time careers in engineering and human resources! I don't know how they balance it all but I'm so glad we can enjoy their vision. I highly recommend swinging by EaDeaux's at your very earliest opportunity. More on my local faves here. Thanks for reading!
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