The secret ingredient to the success of Honore’s Cajun Cafe is rooted deeper than the establishment’s tastebud-pleasing array of Cajun signatures. It’s the story of the family that opened the doors to this Manvel favorite in 2017.

“Growing up, my father Bruce Honore would have my brothers and I make boudin links in order to make money to go to AstroWorld,” says Brook Honore. He and his wife Sherry were inspired by his Lafayette, Louisiana, heritage when considering taking on the restaurant world. “Childhood friends refer to me as the ‘Boudin Man’ because I would take boudin links to school and sell them.”

Whether zydeco runs through your veins or not, you’re bound to leave Honore’s with a full stomach, and with a new phrase on your lips: “Ça c’est bon!”

Known for its perennial, fresh-from-the-bayou Louisiana crawfish (and its one-of-a-kind post-crawfish washing station), the kitchen at Honore’s Cajun Cafe provides Houston-area diners with plenty of opportunities to indulge in the cuisine of the Acadians, including traditional dishes like oyster po’ boys, crawfish étouffée, and catfish atchafalaya.

Its gumbo—both the chicken and sausage and the seafood varieties—recaptures moments that many local Cajuns will recognize, like the memory of dark-roux gumbo bubbling in their family’s ancestral Magnalite. And Honore’s red beans and rice is almost as comforting as when it comes from Grandma’s kitchen. Almost.

“Long before Honore's opened its doors, we catered countless crawfish boils and events, and always dreamed of opening a store of our own,” says Honore. “My goal for Honore's is to feel like home for everyone who walks through the door.”

Be ready for a line if you plan your visit during peak weekend hours; Honore's had to expand its seating for a reason, but if you view the wait as simply extra time to peruse the expansive menu, you won’t mind much. The extra effort will certainly be worth it if only for its expertly crafted boudin (with the traditional side of crackers, of course).

“In addition to providing authentic Cajun food, providing exceptional customer service is of utmost importance to us,” says Honore. “We train our staff to treat all guests like family, and to make sure they leave with a smile on their face.”

Don’t let the construction on 288 keep you from savoring a little joie de vivre as crawfish season ends, or any time, really. Happy tails, to you.