Angelica Noyola (center) says her team members, Pat Muehr and Freddy Garbin, are as much owners of the restaurant as she is.[/caption]
After months of closing to the public to focus on the catering arm of the business, Snapper Jack’s Seafood is back at a new West Road location.
The restaurant initially opened in 2005 at Jones Road and Hwy. 290, but when construction came into the area seemingly overnight, the seafood spot was forced out.
“Due to high prices on the lease and the construction, we had to move,” said Angelica Noyola, who took over the business from the original owners in 2009. “It was very difficult to find a place. We focused on catering because we couldn’t afford to open the restaurant again.”
Over the summer, the staff was able to reopen at a small site on West Road. While the restaurant is not as big as the original location, Noyola said customers are delighted to learn that the same staff is still serving the same food and even has the same decor.
Although there is no shortage of seafood restaurants in Houston, Noyola said people choose to frequent Snapper Jack’s because several menu items are not available elsewhere. Classics such as gumbo, fish tacos, coconut shrimp, fried catfish and po’boys are all on the menu alongside more unique items like the pecan-crusted fillet and Asian shrimp wraps.
The pecan-crusted fillet is hand-breaded, deep fried and topped with small shrimp sautéed in a special sherry cream sauce, served with two sides ($12.99).[/caption]
As the sole owner, Noyola spends her days checking inventory, ordering food and working to sign catering contracts with corporate entities and school cafeterias. However, she said experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen is what she enjoys most.
When catering events such as weddings, she is willing to think outside the box. She said if a couple loves Chinese food, she is up for the challenge of creating something new.
Noyola, who joined the staff as general manager in the restaurant’s beginnings and quickly worked her way up, has big plans for future expansion. She said she would like to address the challenge of having limited space by expanding into the neighboring property. She said she is also working to obtain a beer license.
Noyola said her ultimate dream would be to open two more locations in Katy and The Woodlands.
“The reward is seeing our customers come back and be happy that we’re here because we love what we do,” she said. “In the end, people don’t just follow the food. They go wherever they feel comfortable.”
11422 West Road, Houston 713-983-8222 www.snapperjacks.com Hours: Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Closed Sunday
