From watching his mother and grandmother cook to creating dishes for presidents and captains during his time as a chef in the military, Kenneth Rector Jr. has always had a passion to be in the kitchen. In 2016, Rector Jr. opened food trailer Rec’s Hushpuppie Heaven to launch his dreams of owning a business.

The restaurant now operates out of a brick-and-mortar location in Pflugerville, where community members can indulge in specialty cuisine and hushpuppies.
Owner Kenneth Rector Jr. has a range of culinary experience from cooking throughout childhood to being the captain's chef in the military. (Courtesy Rec's Hushpuppie Heaven)
Owner Kenneth Rector Jr. has a range of culinary experience from cooking throughout childhood to being the captain's chef in the military. (Courtesy Rec's Hushpuppie Heaven)
What to know

The restaurant’s menu consists of seafood platters, philly cheesesteaks, hushpuppies and more. Customers can look forward to specials, which change weekly including Rec’s Seafood Lover—a dish of rice with cajun sauce, pico de gallo, crawfish, grilled shrimp and blackened catfish.

The dish behind the business name are the hushpuppies, which can be filled with macaroni and cheese, shrimp, jalapeño and bacon, and brisket on Wednesdays. Rector Jr. said the recipe for the menu item was developed when he and his wife were cooking and they shared a variety of hushpuppies with family members to taste test.

“That’s the one thing that’s made our restaurant what it is—the hushpuppies,” Rector Jr. said. “A lot of people have never done anything with hushpuppies. We do a variety of different kinds of hushpuppies and that’s what brought everybody in.”
The restaurant originally operated out of a food trailer before opening its brick and mortar location in 2020. (Dacia Garcia/Community Impact)
The restaurant originally operated out of a food trailer before opening its brick and mortar location in 2020. (Dacia Garcia/Community Impact)
Rector Jr. was born and raised in Greenville, Texas, but after enlisting in the military in 1990 his parents moved to Pflugerville. Ten years later he moved to the town to be with his parents and put down roots.


“Pflugerville has always been my home,” Rector Jr. said. “I always wanted to raise my kids here. I love the community.”
The restaurant offers weekly specials including Rec's Seafood Lover, a dish with rice, cajun sauce, pico de gallo, grilled shrimp, crawfish and blackened crawfish. (Dacia Garcia/Community Impact)
The restaurant offers weekly specials including Rec's Seafood Lover, a dish with rice, cajun sauce, pico de gallo, grilled shrimp, crawfish and blackened crawfish. (Dacia Garcia/Community Impact)
The impact

Since its opening, the restaurant has been welcomed by community members. Rector Jr. said he experiences people talking about his business throughout public places including football and basketball games.

“The main thing for me is to help our people in the community when they need it,” Rector Jr. said. “I’m donating a lot to schools out of my own pocket. It’s about helping the community and if you help them they’ll help your business grow.”
Brisket hushpuppies are available on Wednesdays at three for $11. (Dacia Garcia/Community Impact)
Brisket hushpuppies are available on Wednesdays at three for $11. (Dacia Garcia/Community Impact)
For Rector Jr., the goal of the business has always been to connect with the community. He said he wanted to create a space for individuals to come together and he hopes to continue impacting customers’ lives.

“We have a lot of faithful customers and that’s what really means more to me than anything,” Rector Jr. said.