Since then, even amid a pandemic and, most recently, a severe winter storm that crippled most of Texas for several days, Billiot said OMG has maintained its customer base.
A Louisiana native, Billiot said he grew up in foster homes throughout New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Houma and Ruston. After a brief stint in the military, he began a 13-year career in the restaurant industry, with his latest endeavor being OMG Seafood.
“I started working in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and I was there for years doing this,” he said.
After a prolonged period of flooding there prompted him to move to the Houston area and set up shop there.
Most recently, his foray further west into Bryan and then San Marcos has proven a winning formula for Billiot.
“I opened the one in Bryan, and I saw how well it did being next to [Texas A&M], and I started coming out [to San Marcos] ... and I noticed the people were extremely friendly.”
His interest in expanding grew, and he said that after finding an ideal spot through a real estate app he used, the San Marcos location was born.
Perhaps best known for its crawfish, OMG’s other popular fare includes catfish and shrimp.
“The popularity has been growing, for one, because it’s a good product, and it’s more of a rare product ... because it’s so far from the source,” he said. “I have my own van, and we pick up our own crawfish.”
Because of his Louisiana pedigree, Billiot said he will put his cajun seasoning recipe against any other similar restaurants.
A key method of yielding OMG’s unique flavors and textures for crawfish in shrimp lies in the boiling, he said.
“We let the crawfish and the shrimp soak, so the spices marinate into the meat,” he said. “We don’t have to put any spices on top of the shrimp or the crawfish or shrimp because it’s going to be spicy the way it’s marinated.”
The catfish also involves spices and breading through a recipe he cultivated in New Orleans, he said, adding the gumbo at OMG is also one of the eatery’s most popular items.
But there is also another element of OMG Seafood that Billiot said cultivates a loyal following.
“We try to treat customers like family,” he said. “Our southern hospitality—our Louisiana hospitality—it’s our culture.”
OMG Seafood
205 Moore Street, San Marcos
512-667-6224
Hours: Mon.-Sun. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Facebook: OMG Seafood San Marcos
