As Featured In: Beaumont Enterprise

BB’s Tex-Orleans, the Cajun seafood restaurant known for bold seafood boils, live crawfish, and fresh seafood prepared daily, marked a homecoming this spring with the opening of its newest location in Beaumont. For founder Brooks Bassler, it’s more than an expansion. It’s a proud embrace of his family’s deep roots in Southeast Texas.

“My grandmother, Maw Maw, grew up in Winnie,” Bassler says. “So much of my love of Tex-Cajun comfort food and warm Southern hospitality comes from her. In a huge way, our story starts here.”

Maw Maw, born Wanda “Jeanie” McAdams, and her sister Rosemary had quintessential Southeast Texas childhoods, anchored in learning the value of hard work and caring for neighbors. Their parents, Wanda and Garrett, owned and operated The Winnie Inn. Both girls graduated as valedictorians from East Chambers High School, but not before they helped lead their basketball teams to back-to-back state championships. Jeanie’s and Rosemary’s formative years in Winnie laid the foundation for the women they’d become: strong, loving, resilient, and kind.

Jeanie was just 17 when she fell in love and married Travis Nicar, a hard-working kid who earned the nickname Big T. The two moved to Morgan City, Louisiana, where Big T chased his dreams in the oil patch. A classic Southeast Texas woman determined to take care of her people, Jeanie taught herself how to cook Big T’s favorite south Louisiana dishes, from étouffée and gumbo to fried alligator.

As time went on, Jeanie became a beloved mother of four, and then a grandmother known to everyone as Maw Maw. Along the way, she became an excellent cook who instinctively combined the Texas flavors of her childhood with the south Louisiana cuisine that defined the region where she raised her own family. Maw Maw’s kitchen became a source of comfort not just for her husband, children, and grandchildren, but for her entire community.

Growing up in Rockdale, Texas, Bassler spent summers in Louisiana, fishing, hunting, and gathering with cousins around tables piled high with Maw Maw’s signature dishes: platters of creamy fettuccine alfredo topped with crawfish and shrimp, or giant helpings of grillades and grits.

When he decided to launch BB’s in Houston, Bassler knew exactly who to call.

“I went to Maw Maw and my mom to talk about recipes. They were so supportive and thrilled for me, but Maw Maw patiently told me, ‘Oh, honey. We don’t have recipes,'” Bassler says, laughing.

Maw Maw and her daughter Kathie, Bassler’s mother, offered something even better than written instructions. The two headed to Houston to help Bassler teach his kitchen staff how to recreate the meals he’d grown up on. Almost 20 years later, BB’s guests can enjoy many of those dishes, including Maw Maw’s Gumbo and Morgan City Pasta, alongside boiled crawfish, po’boys, and more.

“BB’s calls our food Tex-Cajun, and to me, that’s exactly what the Golden Triangle is,” says Bassler. “Beaumont, Winnie, and the entire region are a beautiful crossroads of cultures and cuisines that are different, but complementary. BB’s wouldn’t be what it is today without our Southeast Texas roots. Serving people just down the road from where Maw Maw grew up is something that’ll never stop making me feel grateful.”

BB’s roots trace back to November 2007, when Bassler opened the original location in Houston as a nine-table, late-night po’boy shop, committed from day one to fresh seafood prepared daily and bold Cajun flavor, what BB’s proudly calls “The Freshest and The Bestest.” That same commitment now lives on in Beaumont, just down the road from where Maw Maw grew up.

BB’s Tex-Orleans Beaumont is located at 2325 Calder Ave., Beaumont, TX. View the Beaumont menu and hours or find your nearest location at bbstexorleans.com/locations.

About BB’s Tex-Orleans

BB’s Tex-Orleans is a Cajun seafood restaurant known for bold seafood boils, live crawfish, fresh seafood prepared daily, and Southern-style classics. Founded in Houston, Texas in 2007, BB’s now operates 11 Houston-area locations plus its newest location in Beaumont, with continued growth planned across Southeast Texas and beyond.

FAQ Section

Where is BB’s Tex-Orleans located in Beaumont, TX?
BB’s Tex-Orleans Beaumont is located at 2325 Calder Ave., Beaumont, TX. View the Beaumont menu and hours.

What inspired the BB’s Tex-Orleans Beaumont menu?
The Beaumont location honors founder Brooks Bassler’s family heritage in Southeast Texas, rooted in recipes passed down from his grandmother, Maw Maw, who grew up in nearby Winnie, Texas.

Is BB’s Tex-Orleans a family-friendly restaurant?
Yes. BB’s Tex-Orleans is a family-friendly Cajun seafood restaurant, good for groups and families, with dine-in and takeout available.