The recent renovation included several small enhancements that refreshed the overall ambiance, such as new tile, tables and chairs. (Courtesy David Aguilar, Meek Monster Media)
A decade after planting roots in The Woodlands and weathering everything from devastating floods to the upheaval of COVID-19, Houston-born seafood destination Truluck's Ocean's Best Seafood & Crab is charting its next chapter. The restaurant was recently renovated in The Woodlands, and a new location is planned to open this year in Town and Country, operating partner Chris Davis said.
Known for its pristine stone crab from the Florida Keys, its approach to tailoring each location’s design, and pairing polished service with a commitment to community, the homegrown brand is continuing to build a presence while celebrating its newly revamped location.
What's special about it
With 12 operating locations, Davis said each location boasts unique design features. Founded in March 2016 and celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, The Woodlands location is located at Hughes Landing on a waterfront property with a 360-degree view of Lake Woodlands that can be enjoyed through its window-lined dining room.
Truluck’s serves a variety of steak dishes butchered in-house. (Courtesy Truluck's)
Davis said the recent renovation included several small enhancements that refreshed the overall ambiance, such as new tile, tables and chairs, updated lighting fixtures, and the addition of fresh flowers and candles.
Beyond its ambiance, Truluck's prides itself in its fresh quality seafood including its seasonal stone crab available from October through May.
“The core identity is going to be the ocean's finest seafood. We know how competitive the seafood market is and how difficult it is to provide quality seafood, because it's very perishable. It's very delicate.” Davis said. “And so where we focus from a food perspective is on fresh ingredients, globally sourced sustainability is incredibly important to us, and the limited use of plastics.”
The fresh Florida stone crab claws are served chilled, pre-cracked and with house specialty mustard sauce. Sizes vary from medium ($12 each), large $20 (each) and jumbo ($39 each). (Courtesy Truluck's)
Staying local
While focusing on seafood with seasonal flavors such as oysters, salmon and seabass, Truluck’s also offers a variety of steak options butchered in-house, Davis said. This summer the eatery plans to offer snow crab and dungeness crab.
To pair with its dishes, Truluck’s serves signature cocktails made with its own barreled bourbon and tequila. Along with a wine wall containing over 2,300 red wines, the eatery boasts thousands of wine bottles sourced globally with bottles running from $50-$1,500.
Truluck's offers a variety of specialty cocktails. (Courtesy Truluck's)
To support its community, Truluck's donates $1 for every coffee or espresso martini sold to Camp Hope, a nonprofit organization that aids military combat veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.
As a company focused on community, Davis said Truluck’s partners and supports several local organizations including Yes to Youth and Interfaith of The Woodlands.
“Being privately owned allows us to make really specific decisions that keeps us hospitality focused,” Davis said.
