Look at this thick bisque. The flavor reminds me of a cheese dish my mother made -- Welsh Rabbit. This is one of many great dishes at the Reel. Spring Branch is slowly acquiring a cache of really good restaurants and this is one of them.
The Reel Is found on TX-46 about five miles east of US-281. The owner was in partnership with McAdoos in New Braunfels before taking his act to the west. And we are grateful.
I like bread and butter:
The Reel bakes its own bread and at times flavors its butter with garlic. Great starter for a fine meal.
Crawfish Bisque:
This is a cream bisque with cheese, tomato, and (my guess) a hint of Worcestershire Sauce. The owner-chef can correct me if I'm wrong.
Creole Gumbo:
Nice thick gumbo with shrimp. Stewed down in tomatoes. This is really good stuff, and spicy. Yes, very spicy. Usually, I add Tabasco or Louisiana Hot sauce to my gumbo, but not here.
Lunch Trios:
This is a fun offering the Reel does. Pick three items and they serve small portions of each on one plate. Above is the crawfish bisque, crawfish po-boy, and catfish fillet.
Here's another trio: shrimp po-boy, shrimp taco, and shrimp gumbo. I was in a shrimp mood. The Reel calls their trio: Create Your Own Catch.
Seafood Cheese Enchilada:
The picture says it all. The Reel has been able to combine both Tex-Mex and Louisiana cuisine for a bang-up dish. This is my favorite!
Blackened Drum New Orleans:
The reel used its Mahi-Mahi dish to make drum. Whenever Gulf drum is on the special board, I don't look at the menu. The drum was blackened and topped with a Zydeco butter sauce. This dish was served with a mixture of jambalaya and crawfish ettoufee. I love drum any way it's cooked.
Fried Shrimp Plate:
Their fried seafood plates include shrimp, crawfish, oyster, and catfish. All are perfectly deep fried.
The Po-Boys:
This is a meal. Either eat it with a fork or as a sandwich. This is the crawfish po-boy.
Here is my favorite -- the oyster po-boy, and look how big the oysters are. This was a mess of food and a messy sandwich. Just order extra napkins and enjoy.
Finally, the shrimp po-boy. If I leave anything on my plate, it's the fries. The shrimp is history as soon as the plate is served.
Crawfish Platter:
Here's where it's at if you're a crawfish lover. Crawfish ettoufee and fried crawfish tails. If you can't eat the whole thing, finish the fried tails and do takeouts with the ettoufee. Ettoufee reheats better in the microwave than the fried crawfish.
For more info on the Reel and their menu go to http://www.reelseafoodhouse.com.
