The Blind Squirrel

Specialties

At the Blind Squirrel we pride ourselves on using only the freshest ingredients from local sources when available. The preparation and care from harvest to table impacts the flavor food imparts. To ensure the very best quality of our sandwiches we roast, smoke, grill, and season all our meats in house. All sauces, stocks, soups, and sides are created from scratch too. Most simply put, we believe if you can make it freshly yourself, you probably ought to. But the reason for scratch cooking isn’t just about product quality, it’s about methodology too.

History

Established in 2013.

We’ve all heard the phrase, «History is written by the victor.» At the Blind Squirrel we believe «Food is the language of a history that cannot be re-​written.» The foods we eat, why we cook them in a certain way, and changes in the ways these foods are prepared are all interesting to us. It tells a story about the people who ate and cooked in these ways with reasons that are bound by land and availability. It gives a deeper understanding and appreciation of their culture and uncovers similarities in other cultures across the globe. This is the inspiration behind The Blind Squirrel. We use similar cooking methods from different geographic regions and apply them to foods not native to the area, but similar in characteristic and see what happens. The ways we prepare our food are generally different from anyone else, and so it’s the only way we know to bring you the flavors we love. Of course, we also really just love to play with our food!

Meet the Business Owner

Jack R.

Business Owner

Jack Raia has been involved in the restaurant and culinary industries his entire career. He brings a professional lifetime of experience including over 18 years in various management positions — 12 years as an accomplished chef and 11 years of catering supervision. A graduate of the world-​renowned Culinary Institute of America, Jack has managed, owned or supervised restaurant and catering operations, as well as managed real estate development for small and large companies, including a major upscale supermarket chain in New York City. Jack’s latest endeavor, The Blind Squirrel, located in Round Rock, Texas, is the culmination of his experiences as a classically trained chef and an industry professional. Jack has always been fascinated by the culinary treasures of international peasant cuisines. Since early in his career he was intrigued by the similarities different cultures shared in the preparation of the family meal. Though the ingredients were the similar, the resulting flavors w