The Minds That Brought a Memphis Barbecue Icon to Houston Have a Cajun Restaurant in the Works

It looks like the minds that brough Memphis barbecue stalwart Corky’s BBQ to Houston are finally opening an entirely new restaurant — in Houston’s inner loop.

Last week, Squealing Pigs LLC, which brought the Corky’s franchise to Houston, filed an application with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for a permit for a restaurant called Acadian Coast at 2929 Navigation Boulevard. That’s across the street from El Tiempo and next to taqueria Villa Arcos in a neighborhood that has seen increasing growth since the Houston Metro’s light rail line was expanded east of Downtown.

CultureMap reports that the location was originally supposed to house an outpost of Corky’s, but the franchisees changed their minds after seeing flagging success at the Corky’s outpost in Katy, which closed its doors after just 10 months of operation. Permit applications filed with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts indicate that Acadian Coast’s sales tax permit is set to become active on September 1.

Corky’s was first founded in Memphis in 1984, where barbecue is more focused on pork than Texas’s beef-obsessed barbecue scene. The restaurant’s expansion to Texas was announced two years ago, with the first location opening in 2019 in Katy. A second location, in Cypress, is still open. The new restaurant will focus on Creole cuisine with French influence and tons of wild game, with dishes in the works like a “hybrid of traditional gumbo and chicken and dumplings,” according to CultureMap.

Acadian Coast is set to make its debut sometime this fall. Stay tuned for an opening date.

• Tennessee Chain Will Try to Make Memphis-Style Barbecue a Thing in Houston [EHOU]
• Creole-influenced seafood restaurant sails into Houston’s Second Ward [CultureMap]

Update, 10:03 a.m.: This story has been updated to include additional details about Acadian Coast.