My husband’s eyes lit up when he realized, on arrival at Kray Cray Cajun House in the 5 Corners Improvement District, that we were going to eat at a restaurant that shares a wall with a gas station convenience store.
The last time I brought him to such a place, we feasted on Thai food prepared by a chef who had just won the James Beard Award.
Perhaps Kray Cray Cajun House, located at a Shell station complex along the Sam Houston Tollway, hasn’t been given any coveted chef awards — yet. However, if there was an award for portion size, price, taste and restaurant cleanliness, Kray Cray would walk away with a trophy for sure.
Prepared according to Houston’s Vietnamese-Cajun tradition, with lots of garlic butter, the seafood at Kray Cray gets plenty of accolades in online reviews.
“I got the oyster po-boy and it was really dang good! Perfect amount of fry with a ton of fresh veggies,” said one reviewer. “10/10 will go back.”
“A small slice of deliciousness. Great food and service. Always fresh and hot, because it’s made as ordered. A must try,” said another.
And, one more: “My go-to is fried shrimp and gumbo but everything else I’ve tried is amazing also.”
My gumbo-loving husband concurred with that last review, and I can attest to the delicious shrimp. Our son, visiting from out of town, gobbled up the chicken wings before diving into some of my fried fish. The portion size was so large, I hardly noticed. Also, I was too busy enjoying my hush puppies, which were cooked to perfection.
The restaurant located next to Singh Mart is spacious and convenient. The drive-through was closed that day, but parking and walking in to order were easy. We ate in, but numerous people came through to pick up orders to go.
They have crawfish, of course, but — in the off-season — there are plenty of other things to choose from, including linguine with Cajun or Alfredo sauce and chicken, sausage, shrimp or a combination.
The Kray Cray Platter offers a nice sampling of fried seafood, including fish, four jumbo shrimp, two oysters and a crab. Be prepared for leftovers.
Chicken wings come seasoned with Cajun spices, as most other things are on the menu, or you can choose from buffalo, mango habanero, garlic parmesan, honey BBQ or lemon pepper.
Planning a party or a game watch? Massive family packs, ranging from five fish and 12 shrimp to 15 fish and 50 shrimp and 50 wings, can easily feed a crowd for a good price.
I suggest bringing the crowd to the restaurant, though, and saving yourself the cleanup. The dining room has plenty of space and large televisions tuned to sports.
Also, if dining in, you can order more hush puppies if you run out.
Kray Cray
4160 S Sam Houston Pkwy. Ste 200
Houston, TX 77053
713-413-9999
— by Dorothy Puch Lillig
