Jenivi’s Seafood Shoppe & Restaurant

This is probably top 3 crawfish spots to go to in Houston. I prefer the garlicky, sweet/​spicy Vietnamese style crawfish, and this place is in between that and regular Cajun style. The owners and staff are friendly. She likes to takes pictures for her Facebook page. Haha. The fried catfish is REALLY good here though. I don’t usually like catfish, but the dry cornmeal batter is delicious!

Not the best crawfish places in Houston, but I gave 5 stars just for the size of their crawfishes. They have 2 sizes: regular and jumbo. Their jumbo is not the regular jumbo at other places or in Houston markets, but Louisiana jumbo size. Yes, they are huge!
They have only one flavor with lemon pepper, cajun and butter garlic all combined.
Sweet potato fries (⁵⁄₅): are the must, very crunchy and addicting as always
Fried oysters (²⁄₅): aren’t so good, they used frozen ones
Fried calamari (³⁄₅): I didn’t like it here
Cajun wings (²⁄₅): tasted exactly like buffalo flavored wings
Btw: the sign «Jenivi» fell off :)

THIS IS THE BEST PLACE TO EAT CRAWFISH HANDS DOWN! I would drive an hour plus to eat here! I believe they add garlic and lemongrass. Their fried flounder is so crunchy. Their staff is always nice. I would recommend this place to everyone!

Don’t let the building deter you. The food is really good. Being from Louisiana I was reluctant to try it. I played it safe and tried the fried catfish plate. It was fried perfectly and well seasoned. They have a special crawfish sauce that is amazing with fried food. Also the gumbo isn’t too bad. I’ve had better, but you lower your standards when you’re in Houston. Next time I will try the boiled crawfish

Came here around 2pm after lunch hours so it was not as busy. The location is not that hard to find if you know where Lucky Village and Taco Bell are on Westheimer near beltway 8.
***Take note, when ordering the Crawfish, special request the corn to be «fried» they batter it up like hush puppies and it’s definitely a game changer.
I started off with the hush puppies as a side order. Came out sizzling hot, fresh with plentiful of flavor. For $ 1.60, you get about 8, which is enough as a teaser before the main dish. My fried corn came out during the same time and I think that this was probably the highlight of the meal. You’re getting a nice crunch with the batter, yet still give a sweetness to the corn. It compliments the Crawfish very well.
The wings came out next, which I choose to do the creole batter so it would taste like the Crawfish. Each bite was sizzling hot, and has a mix variety of flavoring. It’s definitely not an everyday buffalo wing, I do recommend trying these out, it’s a nice appetizer that gives you a teaser of the Crawfish.
Finally, the main course. The Crawfish. I recommend ordering the Crawfish platter, it gives you two pounds, two potatoes and a corn for $ 19.99. There’s three different types of spices, mild, medium, and spicy. Take note that the medium has plenty of kick in it if you enjoy spicy. The Crawfish came with this special made garlic Butter dipping sauce that made the Crawfish so much juicier. They came out fairly large sized so I got my money’s worth.
Overall an enjoyable experience, wouldn’t say it’s the best Crawfish in town, but definitely in the top 3 – 4 at least. For those that really enjoy the creole and Cajun seasoning, you’ll definitely like this place. It’s not your typical Asian Crawfish places that gives you a bag full of saucey Crawfish.

I LOVE THIS PLACE!
Currently my most favorite crawfish place to go in Houston. The owners and wait staff are always so sweet and attentive, and most importantly the crawfish flavoring is ALWAYS consistently bombbbbb. What I also enjoy about this place is that they give every order or each person a side of the seasoning sauce to dip in for extra flavoring. Love me some saucing so I think that’s what gets me craving it often. I just wish they were closer to where I live but it’s worth the drive.

I’m always on the hunt for good fried fish. Since I don’t know the seafood places in that area on to my trusted Unilocal for suggestions. There were some other possible choices around that I will get to soon enough but this one was on the way home.
I ordered the fried catfish which came with fries w/​Cajun seasoning, hush puppies, and corn on the cob. There were 2 large fish fillets well seasoned and fried with cornmeal. Fries were okay but that corn… not for me. It was fried, corn on the the cob, fried. It just didn’t work, the textures, juicy corn and grainy cornmeal. I think they should give you a choice of regular or fried. Also the piece off French bread that comes with it should really be toasted, not just buttered.
I’d like to try it again and maybe taste the gumbo or fried rice.
BTW…how long has it been since this place changed names? The building still reads Seafood Shoppe not Jenivi’s.

Great Fish at every visit.
Crispy and season well like a «New Orleans joint», and I’m very critical of H-​town seafood places since I’ve been here in Houston.
Oh, and Very good prices.

I wasn’t impressed.
As a continuation of our best crawfish in Houston mission, we tried the Seafood Shoppe.
We waited for about 20 min. No problem. It’s a smaller restaurant so expect to wait a bit. We got there around 6, but it got busier as we left… at 8pm.
We started with the gumbo. The flavor was good, but they give you these big pieces of Dungeness crab that you really can’t do anything with. Don’t try to eat the body, it’s not like soft shell crab and you’ll be chomping down like a cave person. Anyways, flavor was good, but we only had a spoonful of rice in that mix and it was stuck together. They also bring you a plate of bread and it would have been good, but it was dripping with oil like they toasted it and then dipped the end in garlic and oil. Too much.
About 50 min later came the crawfish and snow crab. That’s a really long time to wait for boiled food. If they had set that expectation to begin with, MAYBE, but super long wait.
Crawfish — order the mild. The medium was so spicy that I almost coughed up a lung. It ranges from mild to extremely hot, and I can’t imagine what the extremely hot is like. Don’t do it though. It hurts enough on medium. My biggest peeve with the crawfish is that they weren’t properly purged, which means you end up with crawfish with a lot of poo in them. Crawfish is supposed to be purged. Also, there were a few giants in there, but overall they were small and undercooked. It was tough to crack them open. They were just ok.
The snow crab had some big claws, BUT THEY WERE so hard! The scissors couldn’t cut through and you could crush them with the crab cracker, but they were also overcooked because the meat wouldn’t come out.
After 2 hours of being at the restaurant, it felt like overkill for what we had. We had heard great things, but The Boot or BBs (on westeheimer) are both significantly better.
For a cup of gumbo, 6lb of crawfish, and 1.5lb or snow crab, the bill comes out to about $ 100. The prices aren’t bad really, but if you know crawfish… this isn’t the best. I won’t be coming here again.

The crawfish was huge and juicy. The mild flavor had just the perfect tinge of spicy whilst the buttery garlic did not overwhelm. I couldn’t say this was the best crawfish I have ever had, or even had recently since I honestly have not been my usual seafood connoisseur self, I have nothing to compare it to. However, it was still pretty good. The service was as slow and terrible as any Asian marking of a fantastically flavorful restaurant. The only question remains, was the crawfish worth the two hour wait? Probably not next time.

After three years, still my go to crawfish joint! Largest crawfish I got all year has been here consistently without even having to order the jumbo. They pride themselves in only providing quality crawfish and will close up when they run out so check ahead before heading there.

Ehhhh, I don’t like the crawfish here vs. other crawfish I’ve had. I prefer Asian-​style crawfish such as Crawfish Café in Houston. (If you want garlic butter as your sauce, go to Crawfish Café instead of here.)
But I will give them the spicy factor! I ordered the spiciest option (I don’t remember their scale). My friend also ordered the spiciest and his nose was drooling the whole time we ate hehe. The waiter did warn us it was spicy but that’s what we came for — spicy crawfish.
Lots of seasoning; however, I didn’t enjoy their seasoning as much as I had hoped. Still, it was an overall okay visit. I probably wouldn’t come here again but it’s my friend’s favorite place for crawfish in Houston so it’s just preference!
The workers here are so friendly so that’s a major plus :)

Crawfish: Extremely big and spicy! Perfect.
Service: They are very nice and friendly, but forgets your table here and there.
Time: Extremely long, but worth the wait.
Will I come back? YES!

Too spicy for me.
The shrimp are prawns.
Fresh.
I prefer smaller size.
Great service
I cant taste it, my lips are numb!

Jenivi’s gets five stars for their creole sauce alone. It’s a buttery blend of garlic and high octane spice that will melt your face. Finished with a hint of lemon citrus, the flavor profile is absolutely electric.
I’ve had a lot of the menu including alligator wings, chicken tenders, gumbo, boiled shrimp and the special seafood soup. It’s all good, but the crawfish are the headliner. They are always fairly large, and smothered in the creole sauce, they are easily my favorite crawfish anywhere. It’s a little pricey but the bugs are consistently fresh and that sauce is worth its weight in culinary gold.
Yes, it’s small, yes you may have to wait and yes the service can be slow. Friendly but slow. If I was going to knock a star off my rating it would be for the atmosphere. It’s anemic and lacks a Zydeco party vibe. Play some Clifton Chenier for fuck sake.
In any case, these are small concessions in light of the sauce. It’s all about that sauce.

We walked in and it was pretty busy but they were able to seat us at the small counter by the cash register where we had a little conversation with the owner as well, he was very polite and there are two Hispanics works here on the floor one lady one gentleman and they both were so polite!
Food was damn damn damn and we will definitely come back, their sauce is very delicious!

Had 2lbs of regular crawfish and 2lbs of jumbo crawfish to share with my husband and the amount was perfectly fine to be pleasantly full.
The crawfish was delicious. Their seasoning was a mix of garlic butter and cajun and we ordered a spiciness level of medium which was just right amount of spiciness for me because I don’t like it if it makes my nose running while eating crawfish. Jumbo crawfish were certainly better than the regular ones and worth the amount of money we had to pay, but the regular ones were pretty good in size too. Adding a corn was a kick because their corn is delicious and bigger than the other crawfish places.
Having been to crawfish & noodles in bellaire, I personally liked c&n’s seasoning slightly better but being able to get the jumbo size here is a huge plus.
Despite the fact I loved the food here, i took out two stars because of the opening hour and the slowness of the service. It opens at 1pm, which is a bit late to eat lunch. Also, the service was pretty slow and I had to wait a while to get what I want. But seeing that there is practically one woman doing all the work, I didn’t want to nag her because she was very nice and willing to help.

I will probably modify my review after the next visit. The three stars is for the incredibly long wait for my to go order. Went there on a Saturday night and place was very busy. Ordered my food and sat in the bar. The wait was so long that by the time i got my order, a few tables were now empty. I feel like the sit in diners were a higher priority than me.
In terms of food, the fried catfish was great but I can name a couple of other places that are better. This is not a put down because I will come back and try their crawfish soon and get more catfish then too.
Staff was nice enough and offered me a drink while I wait. While waiting, I did notice diners enjoying their meals so I’m hoping the next trip will have better results.

I decided to try this place out. The crawfish style is different from what I am used to. Someone is always stopping by the table to see if I needed something, This place is packed. They know what they’re doing.

It’s been months I’ve been here, my taste glands miss the crab here. I’ll be back!

I am a new comer to Houston Texas, a co worker who is awesome sauce invited me out to eat crawfish. I have never had crawfish … This was truly a new adventure!!! I arrived about 20 minutes late due to traffic, rain and overall being unfamiliar with the area. The waiter in my opinion was rude, I didn’t like the service he provided and felt his behavior was less than exceptional … Overall the food was good, yet the service is the reason I won’t be returning… No tip for after spending $ 62, and the service was poor, I opted to keep my money in my pocket

Stellar. Superb. Delicious. Incredible. Get a boil and get the medium sauce. It is mindblowingly hot. Can’t imagine the spicy. Great place run by an El Salvadoran family. So nice and serving amazing food.

Best seafood I’ve ever had. I don’t even like catfish and theirs made me change my mind! Everything is so delicious.
The only problem, it’s so busy! During crawfish time, my boyfriend and I were trying to eat there, but they had a 45 min wait at 7pm. So we went at a different time (not crawfish season) and totally understandable why it was packed.

I have been going here for yearsssss and I used to go once a week, okay, fineeee, twice a week here but for health reasons I made myself cut back to once or twice a month. I LOVEEEE this place. Okay, infatuated. The crawfish is seasoned well with not being overly seasoned. I appreciate the fact that they give you the sauce that they cook the crawfish in so that you can dip the crawfish you just peeled just incase you need more flavoring. That’s me… I literally dip my crawfish in it because I loveeee me some garlic! And they actually make my cf extra spicy… just the way I like it!
Try the fried corn. Game changer.
What I appreciate about this place is that if you don’t want to get your hands dirty with opening a crab, you can get the crab clean… basically, they open and clean out the guts and glory for you. Me, I like to do it myself because all of the insides are rich and buttery! Another reason why I have to stop myself from coming here.
Mouth is watering as I type this.
They’re always so welcoming! Service has it’s moments because guess why??? Yup, they’re ALWAYS busy. People keep coming back for the food and I sure will. I have waited 30 mins and then an hour before for my crawfish but I do not mind because the cf is that delicious to me. Even if they hire more people you’ll still have to wait for crawfish. Crawfish takes time to cook so that the insides are nice and soaked with flavor. People always want to complain about something. If you want spectacular service, do yourself a favor and go to a fine dining restaurant.
For the people complaining about this place not opening until 1pm, guess what? Bellaire crawfish places don’t open until 3pm. Did you ever think this restaurant does not want to cater to the lunch crowd? Thus opening at 1 or after… Food for thought. Rant over.

Do not be afraid to ask to see the size of the crawfish before you order. These were the smallest I have ever seen served and a total waste of $ 27 for 3lbs.

I’ve been eating here for more than 10 years. I’ve seen several owners come and go, however the recipe remains.
Everything is great but there’s no need to get fancy. Just get some extra spicy boiled blue crab, boiled shrimp and a bucket of Dos XX.
Shoppe = my happy place.

Amazing food and exceptional service. The owner is always there, super sweet and remembered us after just 1 visit.

Can’t believe I’ve never given a review for this place. I’ve been coming here for YEARS.
The staff is amazing. Customer service is perfect. The food is out of this world! This was the place where I first tried crawfish, my friends spoiled me rotten with that. Every where else I go in Houston for crawfish DOES NOT compare to this place.
Crawfish are divine. Especially when they have jumbo available. I always order spicy, and trust me, they’re effing spicy. Suck the head! So damn good! The shrimp, the gumbo, the crabs, the fried seafood… THE EVERYTHING here is 100.
I LOVE YOU SEAFOOD SHOPPE.

Went to this place because of the Unilocal reviews and I have to say I enjoyed it. Went there to get some inexpensive seafood. This place did not disappoint.
Coming from a family whose history is deeply rooted in southern Louisiana, Creole-​Cajun history. I can be EXTREMELY critical of anyone who cooks Creole-​Cajun food. I was pleasantly surprised. I did stay away from the Etouffe, because that is not a dish to be played with unless you know what you are doing. Here is my review:
Fried Oysters gets 5 stars This is one of my favorites and they did them as good as you can do them.
Gumbo gets 3.5 stars. It was good, but the seafood didn’t appear to be fresh. It wasn’t bad, but like I said, I was raised on food that was borderline divine, so I can only use that as a reference point.
Grilled Trout gets 3.5 stars. It was good, could have been better. But for the price, it was more than adequate.
Hush Puppies gets 4 stars. They were pretty good. Nice and spicy, not too dry.
Garlic Bread gets 2 stars. I could do better at home with little effort.
Corn On The Cobb gets 3 stars Sufficient, but nothing to write home about.

The jambalaya itself should get 5 stars! HUGE pieces of shrimp, spicy sausage and crawfish meat. They are not shy or stingy about the meat portions in their jambalaya. The over all flavor of the fish is outstanding ! The 2 pieces of grilled tilapia were well seasoned, though they were a bit dry. Great bang for ya buck. Comparable to Pappadeaux with a better price!

So I’m kinda of a snob when it comes to Cajun food. I’ve passed this place a million times. I happened to be on this side of town for training today so I thought I’d try this place for lunch. Two thumbs up! The catfish is made like Granny used to make it, with cornmeal batter. Great Cajun flavor. The fries are seasoned to perfection. The bread is buttery with a garlic flare. The shrimp weren’t over cooked. I was very very pleased!

I had no idea this place existed even though I used to live just right down the street from it. It’s a little divey feeling but they have good crawfish. I always end up getting a couple pounds with a side of sweet potato fries to help cool down my mouth when it’s on fire from the spiciness (ya, I’m kind of a wimp).
It might not be the cheapest but always been happy with the crawfish here. Plus, it’s actually open for lunch (most of the ones down in Chinatown open later in the day).

Crawfish were buttery, garlicky, and spicy. It was a good burn. The size ranged from medium to large but nothing huge like I’ve had at other places. Even though the spicy burned my lips, I couldn’t help but keep dipping in the sauce. So addicting!
Wings are a bit on the small size. Fries were crispy and hot with good seasoning on top. The drinks, fries, and wings came out quickly but waited a long time for the crawfish to come out. Besides the long wait for crawfish, service was on point with refilled drinks and clearing the table of excess stuff.

Ever since crawfish season started, I’ve been here at least once a week (my wallet is frowning). It’s always packed with seafood lovers and it’s noticeable they have repeat customers occupying most of the tables.
Their crawfish seasoning tastes like a mix of garlic butter, cajun, and pepper with a citrusy finish. It’s delicious and unlike any other place I’ve been to. Every time I’ve been, the crawfish are medium to large sized and perfectly cooked — the skin never sticks to the shell! Their spicy brings a punch to your lips that will linger even after your meal so order accordingly! Crawfish is $ 7.99 lb over 5lbs and $ 8.99 under 5 lbs, jumbo is $ 10.99when they have it!
They also have other items on the menu if you’re not looking to get your hands dirty that include po-​boys, seafood platters, and gumbo. I want to be greedy and say please don’t come here but you’ll be missing out.

This could’ve easily been a five-​star rating… and it WOULD have been except the wait time on the particular Saturday that we went was beyond RIDICULOUS. Though they probably won’t admit it, the restaurant ran out of crawfish (and they likely had to use the nearby HEB or another market to bring more in using the back entrance). How else would you explain a 45 – 60 minute wait (which is doable when you know you’re in for some good food), plus an additional seated wait of about 45−60minutes? That was just for our party of four. I can’t speak for those who were there before us.
When we arrived, tables that had been seated for 30+ minutes still hadn’t received their food. The to-​go orders seemed to be backed up, as well. Plus, around 8 p.m., they had to post a sign that said they were closed for the night and start turning patrons away. Now, that’s a mess! In addition, they likely rushed through cooking those last crawfish batches because I heard a few patrons, who arrived after we were seated, complain that the taste wasn’t as good as usual.
Despite, the fact that they were ill-​prepared that night, the food was actually really good! We ordered cups of gumbo as appetizers, four pounds of the crawfish in medium spicy and the fried jumbo shrimp with fries. Make no mistake, the medium spicy IS spicy and may burn your mouth if you’re not used to it, but it’s not unbearable. (And the hot will have even the veterans blowing their noses). The gumbo was flavorful, had a nice, dark roux (like my maternal side does it in Nawlins) and had jumbo shrimp and blue crab. And though crawfish season wasn’t quite in full swing, they were a decent size.
I can see why the food was in high demand that night. However, heed my warning, and arrive early (before 6 p.m.) if you can and expect to wait. Maybe bring a snack in case your glucose levels drop. :-/​
Since the location is convenient, I will return and expect to have a better experience.

I look forward to crawfish season more than I do any other time of year. This trumps Christmas, Thanksgiving, and my birthday (since my birthday falls just outside of crawfish season). If you are a true lover of the crawdads, then you must know that the season has started early this year. Whether you’re on the hunt for incessantly tasty crawfish, or you are a crawfish hater (a.k.a. not a friend of mine) who just wants perfectly fried seafood, then Jenivi’s is the place to be.
The crawfish aren’t huge yet, but they certainly show promise for a season full of big ones. No other sauce compares to their succulent relish. Unlike the exhausted garlic-​butter slatherings found in every other Vietnamese crawfish joint, Jenivi’s boasts a complex sauce that I can’t dissect. Is that celery salt? Maybe some Worcestershire? My taste buds are stupefied in the best way possible. For those who love spicy, get the medium. For those with a death wish who want their a’holes to be on fire while keeling over in agony, get the spicy. And as for what to do with the magical sauce — I like to order some mayo, limes, and butter, and then alternate dipping between all four. You can even pour the sauce onto your crawfish if you are into a more sloppy, up-​to-​your-​arms-​in-​flavor experience.
The fried seafood is equally perfect. Someone here has certainly mastered the art of cornmeal frying. The seafood is always fresh, never fishy, never oily, and simply heavenly. And once you take a bite of the fried corn, you will question how you ever stomached that boring ol’ corn on the cob. Don’t be afraid of dipping anything and everything into the aforementioned sauce. Dip your fries. Dip your hush puppies. Dip your hands. You’ll be doing the dip more than Freak Nasty did in ’97.
The icing on my craw-​cake is the remarkable staff at Jenivi’s. They clear the tables quickly and unobtrusively similar to Fogo de Chao. On the other hand, you would think you’re dining at a friend’s house because of how kind, funny, and vibrant these characters are. Unparalleled crawfish, flawless seafood dishes, and genuine hospitality make Jenivi’s an all-​star player in the crawfish game. Note that after mass consumption of the crawfish coated in their sauce, your fingers may tingle and burn (and possibly even become numb) for days after. Well, folks, true love hurts — and I can honestly say that I am cray cray in love with every bit of Jenivi’s Seafood Shoppe.

When I walked in the door today for lunch the first thing I noticed was a strong aroma of diluted Lysol!!! I almost left. I asked the waitress about it and she said that she couldn’t smell it but I sure did. I guess after a while you get used to it.
I ordered a small gumbo and their shrimp po boy that comes with fries dusted with cajun spice.
First came the gumbo and it was good for $ 5. It also came with some buttered French bread. My only complaint is that the gumbo had some crab shell in it. I like to eat crab meat but I am not a fan of having to pick crab shell out of my mouth. I wish they didn’t do that. The gumbo was a 3.
The po boy was big and good. I enjoyed and considered it a good sandwich and gave it a 3.5. The fries were your average frozen fries with a dusting of cajun spice and was barely a 3. The cost was $ 8.50 which was very reasonable.
My table service was good and I give the overall meal a 3.
Not sure if I will return. The meal was ok but nothing is pulling me back. I also noticed that several of the menu items were more expensive than I thought they should be. The crawfish was going for $ 7.99/lb.