Happy's Fish House - Happy Happy, Joy Joy

Happy's Fish House



Happy's Fish House is a relatively new place that I have been meaning to try for quite some time.  I finally got a chance to check them out for a friend's birthday.  They are just inside the loop off of 5th street.  There have been several failed restaurants in this location, hopefully, they can break the curse.  They did a great job with the decor inside the building.  It is strewn with "Lousiana/Cajun" decorations and whatnot.  It has a fun, party atmosphere to me.

The spread:  They serve a Cajun style menu with appetizers ranging from fried pickles, various shrimp concoctions, and fried green tomatoes.  They also have oysters on the half shell.  The entrees include poboys (chicken shrimp, oyster, fish, roast beef), some pasta dishes, and fried/grilled platters (shrimp, catfish, whitefish, chicken, etc).  They also offer a Cajun menu to include gumbo, etoufee, shrimp and grits, red beans and rice, etc.  They also have a decent beer selection.

The verdict:  Well I had a shrimp poboy, some gumbo, some red beans and dirty rice and a couple of onion rings.  The gumbo was the best I have had in a long time.  You can tell they make their own roux (or sure know how to fool me) and aren't afraid to use a little spice.  The shrimp poboy had perfectly cooked, fresh shrimp, my only complaint is that the bread choice wasn't that great.  I would have preferred a fresh french baguette.  The red beans and dirty rice also tasted great.  They had a deep rich flavor that can only come from someone who carefully cooks their food from scratch.  Overall, its the best Cajun I have had in a long time and I am sorry I waited so long to try them out.

Edible Tyler Roses 5 out of 5, Go on now, don't wait, give them a try!

Razzoo's Cajun Cafe - is it worth the wait?

**UPDATE:  Tried Razzoo's out again the other day.  The spectacular catfish we had on our first visit is no more.  The catfish we had was fishy, muddy and just awful.  There were some pieces that were simply inedible.  My wife ended up throwing up afterwards.  The fried pickles and green beans also weren't as good.  I had a redfish special which was overcooked and not fresh.  Overall, the food quality and attention to detail were abysmal.  Additionally, maybe I didn't notice last time, but there were several waitresses that were wearing shorts that were so tiny, they would make a Hooters girl blush.  I may be overly harsh, but we won't be returning.  That said, the place was still packed on a Sunday afternoon.

Razzoo's Cajun Cafe



Razzoo's is a new place just off 69/Broadway south of Grande, just south of the Walmart in the building that Carretta's used to be in (Carretta's closing wasn't a surprise - see my previous review).  They put a lot of time, money and effort turning this place into a unique, bright, vibrant, visually appealing space.

The spread:  They are Cajun themed as the name implies with a menu to reflect.  The appetizers range from gumbo, fried pickles, popcorn shrimp, stuffed jalepenos, boudain, etc.  The entrees range from poor boys (shrimp, catfish, chicken), red beans and rice, etoufee, shrimp creole, various combinations of fried fish/shrimp/crawfish, shrimp creole, pasta, ribs, etc.  The have a full bar with a decent selection of draft beer as well as some desserts to choose from.

The verdict:  Well, my first impression of the place was that there was a lot of flash/marketing and not a whole lot of substance.  The outside decor is very eye catching and if you have tried to eat here, you have more than likely had a long wait.  We fortunately were able to be seated right away.  The service was friendly, if a bit young and inexperienced.  The food had some high points and low points.  We tried the fried pickles, seafood gumbo, catfish platter, shrimp poboy and crawfish etoufee.  The crawfish etoufee was nearly inedible, there was some background plastic flavor that was simply disgusting.  Next worst was the seafood gumbo, as the roux base was watery and bland - no depth of flavor from a genuine gumbo.  The shrimp poboy was fairly good with nicely cooked shrimp and great bread (key to any good poboy).  The fried pickles were also very good and were well seasoned.   The jalepeno hush puppies were also very good.  In the end the Cajun food reminded me of Joe's Crabshack - commercialized, bland, dumbed down with the caveat of outstanding catfish.

Edible Tyler Roses:  0 out of 5, skip the "Cajun" food, real problems with consistency.

Fat Catz Kitchen - pricey cajun.

Fat Catz Kitchen
Southeast Crossing Center
3320 Troup Highway, Ste. 170
Tyler, TX 75701
(903) 593-1114
http://www.fatcatzkitchen.com/



Fat Catz is a "Cajun" restaurant located just north of the loop off of Troup Highway. The location is one of my favorites because there are five or six decent restaurants all within a stone's throw of one another. Fat Catz has a relatively unassuming exterior that leads into a nice interior space. They have a cozy bar area and an open dining room.

The spread: The menu is Cajun/seafood based. The appetizers are unique to Tyler ranging from fried alligator, fried frog legs, fried calamari, fried shrimp, fried pickles, fried okra, fried jalapenos, boudain, crawfish (fried, boiled), and seafood fondue. They also offer several kinds of salads and a couple kinds of gumbo. The entrees are also somewhat unique with a wide selection of poboys, myriad of fried seafood/chicken, and items from the grill - steaks, chicken etc. They also offer some more Cajun inspired dishes such as red beans and rice, jambalaya, etoufee, etc. I didn't go for any desserts, but they range from pecan pie, beignets, and bread pudding to name a few.

The verdict: Well, I was disappointed. Perhaps because I have a high standard for Cajun food, I expected a lot from this place (given we are only two hours from Louisiana). The food was average to slightly above average. The fried items were pretty good, cooked right and served hot. The seafood gumbo, etoufee and jambalaya were all disappointingly bland. Perhaps I just got them on a bad night, but their "Cajun" food was lackluster. Perhaps my biggest complaint was the prices for the quality. I am not sure, but the seafood tasted like Sysco pre-frozen stuff. Plus, a Poboy cost 10 bucks!!! The place has a nice 'party' atmosphere and the staff was attentive, but nothing makes up for bland, expensive food.

Edible Tyler Roses: 2 out of 5; If you go, stick to the fried items and beer.