At Esther’s Cajun Cafe & Soulfood, you know exactly what you’re getting. It’s in the name. Less visible, however, are the stories on each plate served at the Northside restaurant. Every flavor is rooted in recipes that have been passed down for generations in the Lewis family.
While Esther Lewis opened her namesake restaurant nearly 15 years ago, the menu stretches back decades further. It began in the kitchens of her mother and grandmother—one who crafted classic Cajun cuisine, and the other who boasted herself as a master of country-style cooking. It wasn’t until years later, in Lewis’ retirement, that she discovered her own culinary skills and decided to open a restaurant featuring a blend of those familiar flavors she grew up with.
“She didn’t know she had a hidden talent. She didn’t know it, so she stepped out on faith…she took a chance, took her 401k money and opened a restaurant and here we are,” Lewis’ sister and bar manager, Jodie Hawkins, told Chron. “It’s a blessing, so I’m amazed. It’s amazing to be here with her and to help her out.”
Esther’s originally opened its doors in 2008 at 5204 Yale St. In 2021, after outgrowing the space, the family-owned restaurant (staffed with several of their relatives) relocated to a bigger building about a mile away at 5007 N. Shepherd Dr.
Since then, the restaurant—which prides itself on seasoning everything, even cocktails— has been a flourishing spot in Houston’s food scene for a taste of soul food and Cajun food like fried fish, fried chicken, gumbo and grilled creole patties. But the most popular dish, by far, is the oxtails smothered in a homemade brown gravy.
“You have a restaurant that’s going to sell Cajun food or soul food, but you haven’t heard the two combined,” Hawkins said, even adding that nearly everything on the menu is a recipe from their mother and grandmother.
Keeping the family’s legacy alive, Esther’s daughter will be starting a new chapter for the business and opening up an elevated version of the restaurant called Esther’s 2.0. An official opening date has yet to be announced but it’s expected to open in Houston’s westside sometime in May.
Dining and Cooking