I have stated ad- nauseam on this site how much I love local food. Most all of my favorite restaurants in Tyler are local examples of regional fare. Travelers who take jaunts across our huge state quickly discover local foods are not unlike the geographical regions of the state, they form a diverse patchwork from one section to the next; Hill Country barbeque, Gulf Coast Cajun and sea food, Mexican / Tex-Mex just about everywhere else. With all the local classics, and the experts to cook them, it’s a wonder to me that corporate and franchise food is eaten here at all.
Over the years the Tyler area has been home to some great local eateries specializing in most of our Texas delicacies. The one greatly missed exception was Cajun sea food. We’ve had a number of such restaurants move in over the years, some great, some just ok, but for whatever reason, even those worthy of a reputation failed to earn one and subsequently closed, leaving a hole in our culinary lives. Things may be changing a bit however. It seems like our area is taking a bit of clue from our eastern neighbors lately, especially when it comes to food. For those of us who love sea food and the gulf coast, this is an encouraging trend. Which brings me to Wade’s Place in Chandler.
I only just discovered this little Texas Cajun hot spot. And based on the crowds patronizing the place, I feel confident that this one will be around a while. Wade’s is everything a small town hole in the wall find, should be: simple, unpretentious, inexpensive and delicious. Inside the restaurant, sports memorabilia from local football and baseball favs adorn the otherwise plain plywood wall; and a couple of flat screen TVs broadcast whatever sporting event happens to be on. The beans are great, the po- boy sandwiches are the best I’ve had outside of New Orleans, and the boudain is incredible, (I must confess to having two). The crawfish were tasty, if a bit small yet. I assume that’s merely because it’s still early in the season.
Wade’s isn’t hard to find if you know it’s there. From Tyler, simply follow 31 west toward Chandler and turn left at the first light, right about the middle of town. The address is 104 E. Main Street in Chandler. They’re closed Monday and Tuesday, and open till 9pm the rest on the week, except on Sunday when they close at 2pm.
I should start off this article by acknowledging that I may in fact, be a latecomer to this subject, but there are a couple of businesses just opened in Tyler to whom I thought I’d offer some free publicity. For the last couple of months my son has watched the development of what he calls Popeye’s “Bacon.” (I’m not entirely sure why he calls it bacon rather than chicken, but he does).