Crafting Home style Memories for Four Decades
The journey of Seabrook Classic Cafe spans almost four decades. We have wholeheartedly served our community with love and dedication throughout this time.
A few words about our beginning and history. In the spring of 1985, I was working at my restaurant the 402 Main St. Grill in League City. The original OG sailor hangout. Also, at this time By Baldridge and I were roommates, when he called me and reported his family had sold Lakeside Yachting Center to Dr Hebert an Oral surgeon. I immediately call him to see what he was going to do with the Southwest Nautical building, were the Baldridge’s had their marine hardware store. He said he had no plans and I told him I wanted to build a restaurant there and the rest is history!
We open in September of 85, after two or three months of build out. Thanks to Bill Daniels are lead carpenter. When we opened Paul Prudhomme, K Paul from New Orleans was trending there was nothing more popular than Blackened Red Fish, also, By, my partner went to college at Tulane and Judy Young, Byard’s former bookkeeper and now ours, was born and raised in New Orleans along with her husband OJ all had influences on our original menu. Our menu was heavily influenced with Cajun food but our bread and butter was and still is Fried Shrimp, Chicken Fried Steak, and believe or not a Chicken Garden Salad. All these dishes are still our best sellers.
The restaurant did well from the beginning we were heavily dependent for lunch anyway on the Nasa crowd from Johnson Space Center. Had actually made friends with Astronauts Dave Walker and Rick Hauck, from the Apollo Missions and recall late night wine tastings where they help solidify our wine menu. Scary though the Shuttle explosion happened shortly after I was very concerned about the future of our space industry and my lunch crowd. We obviously survived.
In the years following By Baldridge was extremely active in sailing events all over the world. He was part of the America Cup crew in 1992, when the USA defeated Ital in San Diego. I myself got involved in local politics and was Mayor of El Lago for ten years 2000 – 2010.
The restaurant has involved over the last 38 years and we have handled all the food trends coming and going. The one thing I am most proud of besides consistency, (the most important ingredient in a successful restaurant) are my long-time tenured employees! We have several who have been here 15 to 20 years and a few 25 to 30 years which is amazing. We have legacy that consist of mother and daughters and even Grandparents whose grandchildren who work here now!
A special thanks and gratitude to our Regulars and you know who you are we couldn’t have done it without you guys! The great song writer Paul Simon in the song the Boxer wrote “After changes upon changes we are still more or less the same” That’s Seabrook Classic Café 2511 A Nasa Parkway! -Brad Emel