Named after The Drunken Clam, the bar frequented by the main characters of the animated TV show “Family Guy,” Drunken Oyster on Louetta Road serves seafood in a family-friendly atmosphere, owner Lucky Nguyen said.

“Growing up, [we ate] crawfish and crab [at a big table] during family get-togethers,” Nguyen said. “Seafood is more of a social kind of food.”

True to its name, the restaurant serves beer and daiquiris as well as oyster, fried catfish, snow crab and a variety of other seafood. The menu items are based on Nguyen’s own recipes and draw inspiration from his Vietnamese heritage as well as where he grew up near Louisiana in Port Arthur, Texas.

“My family worked on a shrimp boat [they owned]—so I always grew up around seafood,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen said Cajun and Vietnamese flavors are similar because Cajun flavors have French origins and Vietnam was a French colony from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s. Some of the items on Drunken Oyster’s menu—such as crawfish or shrimp—can be prepared using a blend of Louisiana-inspired spices or a garlic butter sauce with Asian seasonings.

Nguyen has added several items to the menu since it opened in 2013, including charbroiled grilled oysters topped with cheese, butter and seasoning as well as the Creole rice, which is similar to a stew such as etouffee or bisque, he said. Nguyen said he plans to add more grilled options as a healthier alternative to the fried entrees.

Nguyen was a mechanic before he opened Drunken Oyster, but he said he dreamed of opening his own restaurant. It took years of saving before he said he could afford to become a small-business owner.

“You want to do certain things in life and follow your ambition and your goals, and if you keep saying it and don’t do it, you never know if you can make it or not,” Nguyen said. “So, I took a chance and I gambled and believed in myself, and we’re still here after five years.”

Drunken Oyster
7110 Louetta Road, Spring
832-843-6196
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun. noon-9 p.m.