BEAUMONT, Texas — In addition to good music and company, unique and delicious food can be found at Cracklin Kings located in downtown Beaumont.
“We got the etouffee,” Prentiss Semien, owner of Cracklin Kings, said. “We got the creole shrimp pasta”
(Editor's note: The above video is from an October 7, 2022 newscast.)
Before opening the restaurant, Semien spent time in Europe playing basketball. During his time overseas, he learned the language and savored the food.
“I was out there for seven years, and when I was in Germany, schnitzel was one of my favorite foods,” Semien said. “So, you know, we brought it back here.”
Semien is using those years to bring a different taste to Beaumont, hoping to share his experience with all of Southeast Texas.
Semien had a trailer at Oktoberfest and a slew of German items sat around it. From the trailer, they sold schnitzel, bratwurst, and more.
Semien hopes Southeast Texans get to experience the food and culture for what it is.
“Just straight up eating, going to the beer garden, and getting lit, and that's just what it is,” Semien said. “And you kicking it back. You jamming to the music.
Semien hopes the very thing that allowed him to blend his past with his present will propel him into his future.
“I want to have my Cracklin in every store in America,” Semien said. “That's why I play basketball too. Because on the court, that's where my mind was free. You know, and when I'm making Cracklin, my mind is free.”
In the meantime, he will continue to serve his loyal customers.
“I think he's a very stand-up person, and that's half of the reason that I come,” a customer said. “The other half is really good food.”
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