Snookie's Fish Camp & Grill owner Racheal Holyfield wanted to bring an Alabama tradition to Tomball—a simple and casual fish camp restaurant where residents can dine on all-you-can-eat catfish and bottomless hush puppies and coleslaw.

She opened the restaurant across from the Historic Tomball Depot a year ago, serving a mix of fish, hamburgers and steak in a laid-back, rustic atmosphere.

Holyfield grew up in Tomball and still lives in town, but her extended family is from Alabama, where fish camps are popular. The restaurant is named after Holyfield's grandpa, who lives in Alabama and whose nickname is Snookie.

Holyfield's family helps her run the restaurant and her employees are friends.

There are two items on the menu that only the family makes—the coleslaw, which is from a more than 100-year-old family recipe, and the Snookie sauce.

"Originally the Snookie sauce was just for the Po Boys, but it's become a huge hit," Holyfield said.

Holyfield focuses on quality food made with fresh ingredients from scratch. In addition to managing the restaurant, Holyfield also works as a cook and server.

"The food takes a little bit longer here than your average sit-down restaurant," Holyfield said. "Everything is hand-breaded when you order it. The food is cooked to order. It may take a little longer, but it's as fresh as possible."

In addition to a large dining room, Snookie's also has an outside patio area, and it offers live music most Saturday nights. Snookie's also offers catering.

"Business has been good," she said. "The festivals definitely help us. We are hidden, so we have to do extra marketing. People stumble upon us all the time."

Homemade sauces:

• Snookie sauce
• Ranch
• Thousand Island
• Blue cheese
• Tartar
• Cocktail
• Honey mustard

Houston Texans specials:

• Buffalo bacon and blue cheese burger: half-pound burger with bacon, blue cheese crumbles, ranch and buffalo sauce, served on a jalapeno sweet roll. $8.99
• Battle red chicken sandwich: hand-breaded chicken breast, lettuce and topped with buffalo sauce and ranch. $8.99

Specialties:

• Shrimp and grits: Southern-style grits topped with grilled popcorn shrimp, shredded cheddar cheese and chopped bacon. $8.99
• Alabama Round Steak: thick deli-sliced bologna pan-friend with a fried egg and cheddar cheese, served on a jalapeno sweet roll with Snookie sauce. $7.99
• Seafood platter: Two catfish strips, four butterfly shrimp, three fried oysters, one stuffed crab and onion rings. $16.99
• Gumbo: Louisiana-style gumbo loaded with shrimp, crawfish, sausage and chicken. $4.99 (cup), $9.99 (bowl)

Weekly specials:

• Tuesday: Kids eat for $1.99
• Wednesday: 2 for $20—one appetizer and two entrees for $20
• Thursday: All-you-can-eat catfish. $12.99
• Friday: Surf & Turf, 14-ounce choice rib eye with four butterfly shrimp, baked potato and Texas toast. $22.99
• Saturday: Boiled shrimp with potatoes and corn. $15.99
• Shrimp trio: Four of each: blackened shrimp, fried shrimp and boiled shrimp. $14.99

Snookie's Fish Camp & Grill

106 Market St., Tomball 832-559-8862, Hours: Tue.–Wed. 5–9 p.m.; Thu.–Sat. 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m.–3 p.m., www.facebook.com/fishcamping