Seafood in the Texas Hillcountry: “The Reel” Deal

A few months ago, The Reel Seafood and Grill opened in New Braunfels. Even though New Braunfels has a plethora of good restaurants, seafood options are limited. When my grandma heard that it had opened, she was excited, so my mom and I decided to take her to the restaurant. The Reel is located in the same shopping center as the new HEB, which is accessible from Loop 337.

         The exterior follows the same style as the rest of the shopping center, with an olive green, sloping roof and a rocky façade that covers about half of the beige walls. The royal blue sign rests in the middle of a small tower at the top of the building.

            When we entered the restaurant, we were immediately greeted by the hostess, who placed us at a table in the corner by a window. Through the windows, we could see the patio, which was lined by an assortment of colorful potted plants and was enclosed by a black trellis covered in leafy vines. The black wicker furniture on the patio gave the patio an elegant, yet inviting feel. The atmosphere inside was pleasant; I could hear The Beatles in the background. Our waiter was very polite and offered many suggestions about the selections on the menu. Once he saw that I was taking pictures of the food, and I explained to him that I was taking them for a class, he suggested that we try the crème brulee for dessert because it was the “prettiest” dessert.

            The Reel offers a wide selection of seafood, from fried fish and shrimp to seafood enchiladas. For an appetizer, I ordered a cup of lobster bisque. The bisque was unique in that it was not cream based. It contained tomatoes and onions as well as a few large pieces of tender lobster. They also brought us three rolls with butter. They were slightly crispy on the outside, but soft on the inside.

        I ordered their Friday lunch special, which is stuffed flounder with jambalaya and creamed spinach. My mom ordered pan-broiled trout with the Thibodeaux sauce, and my grandma ordered the New Orleans Combo, which is described on their menu as “Blackened tilapia served with crawfish etoufee and jambalaya topped with a zesty Zydeco butter sauce.”

      Resting on a bed of spinach, fresh tomatoes, and jambalaya, my flounder was served as a roll with a center of crab stuffing. The dish was very rich, and the sauce had a hint of butter. The flounder was moist, and the stuffing contained crab and breading in equal proportions. My mom’s trout was cooked well with a light breading on the outside and smothered in a creamy white sauce with spinach and shrimp. The sauce that accompanied Grandma’s tilapia was a little too spicy and peppery for me, but she enjoyed it. 

The Stuffed Flounder

Trout with Thibodeaux Sauce

The New Orleans Special

 We barely had room for dessert, but we decided to follow our waiter’s suggestion and split the crème brulee. I was expecting a small bowl, but it was huge. The brulee was smooth and creamy but not as heavy as pudding and was dotted with tiny specks of vanilla bean. It was topped with a crunchy layer of caramelized sugar and a mountainous garnish of whipped cream raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. A sprig of mint rested on the summit.

      Some entrees are more expensive, but for the amount and quality of food that we received, I would say that it is a fair price.  My flounder was a “reel” deal, only $9.95. I’m looking forward to a return visit.

Creme Brulee