Members of the Bryant Chamber of Commerce gathered on Thursday, Oct. 14 for a ribbon-cutting at the new Cajun Eatery in Bryant.
By Martin Couch
Van Choate has owned as many as seven restaurants in and around Beaumont, Texas, but took one look at the location and place of a former eatery in Bryant and sold off his chain to come here.[more]
"Seven restaurants was way too much for me," Choate said. "A man and a lady that go to Geyer Springs church has family here and they were moving here. He told me about it and I said thank you, but nicely, no thanks. But my curiosity was up and when I peaked in the windows of this place, I fell in love and knew this was the place I would retire."
The Cajun Eatery is just off the westbound I-30 at the 123 exit. It is the first restaurant anyone sees before Wal-Mart. They offer a southern Cajun cuisine with fresh garlic, bell pepper, onion, made-from-scratch gravy, chicken and shrimp gumbo, crawfish, and many other delectable choices.
All of the fried shrimp or fish is in canola oil.
The restaurant's lunch prices daily are $7.99. Monday through Thursday in the evenings, dinner is $9.99 with ribs and stuffed crabs as an additional choice. On Friday and Saturday the mega-buffet is $14.99 and includes quail, frog legs, stuffed crabs and, for an additional $5, crab legs.
"It's accepted really well," Choate said. "People are coming in here and their taste buds are getting individual treatment. Everything is individually seasoned and made in house."
Choate also brings a tale of a miracle to Bryant that he is proud to tell anybody.
"My son was born deaf and, at six years old, our church prayed over him and his hearing improved overnight," Choate said. "Clayson is also a nationally-ranked dirt bike racer. He was 21st out of 12,000 at the Loretta Lynn Ranch event which is held every year. I had never witnessed a hands-on miracle like that. I even took him to Children's Hospital the next day and had him checked out."
