My DAIQUIRI Brand: PART 2 — My Southern Brand

Similar to margaritas, daiquiris (historically comprised of lime juice, ice, rum, and sugar) have been around since the 19th century. With an origin in Cuba, the popular alcoholic drink had become extremely popular in Louisiana in the early 1980s. The state had taken its own twist to the frozen slushy: ice, artificially fruit-flavored syrups, and cheap liquor. Due to its strong cultural ties with and proximity to Louisiana and New Orleans, Houston started to see a surge of daiquiri shops in the 2000s, and they are opening more and more currently; you know I had to participate in the surge. As a result, I’m taking you on journeys to these businesses and compiling my favorite drinks from each into a series of single posts dubbed My DAIQUIRI Brand. Get ready to pull out your I.D.s! Let me take you on a journey to these D-Shops…

Krab Queenz

Popularly known as “TiTi,” his comedic fictional female character, Kway opened up Krab Queenz, a Cajun and Creole restaurant with Baton Rouge origins, in the Westchase district of Houston. Almost anything that’s located on Westheimer Road is sure to be a great experience and to be some of the best that Houston has to offer; Krab Queenz is no different. Krab Queenz is located off Westheimer Road past the Beltway across the street from the Target shopping plaza. It’s surrounded by several minority owned restaurants and businesses that add to the diversity that makes West Houston popular. Oh yea, this restaurant’s location couldn’t have been better! It is definitely becoming a popular foodie destination, since Kway, who has over 3 million followers on Instagram, has been heavily advertising the restaurant on his platform and has been at the restaurant greeting and serving fans and patrons alike.

Krab Queenz has great daiquiris, so y’all know I got a daiquiri. LOL. I got the “MVP,” which is a suicide that includes “420,” “Aderal,” “Novakane,” “Bi Polar,” “Forbidden Fruit,” and “Snow Candy.” All of the respective flavors are in-house flavors that include strong liquor. Yes, I did have a buzz, as a result of consumption, but the concoction was one of the best daiquiris I’ve had in Houston!

Lastly, The “MVP” (16 oz) was $7.25. Due to the fact that the drink was outstanding, I’m for sure giving Krab Queenz 5 stars (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)! I will patronize this place again fairly soon!

Level 10 Daiquiris

One thing that I love about Houston is the fact that you can stumble upon hidden gems, in terms of restaurants and daiquiri shops, in several areas of the city; this keeps the food journey exciting! Level 10 Daiquiris is one of those special hidden gems that is on the road to becoming one of the best daiquiri shops on the Southwest side! The D-shop, which has been opened for a couple of months, is located on Braeswood Boulevard right next door to one of Houston’s popular Cajun restaurants, Lotus Seafood. It is definitely located in the perfect spot for patrons to grab a daiquiri after grabbing food from Lotus. The mixologists at Level 10, especially Malonna, are very friendly and will provide samples for inquiring minds. Because I’m very indecisive when it comes to choosing the best daiquiri flavor and mixture for my taste pallet, I had to try all of the flavors during my visit. LOL

Here’s the part for which you’ve been waiting: my daiquiri of choice. After further deliberation, I’d finally chosen a green apple and watermelon mixture; I was really close to choosing just the Gucci flavor, which is their top seller that is an in-house flavor. It’s something about green apple and watermelon being mixed together; the flavors together are impeccable! The watermelon flavor is pretty sweet, while the green apple flavor is sharp and sour. Of course, I know it sounds like a fruity drink, but it will have you feeling tipsy quickly! I normally get the medium size for $8.25, and I’m always satisfied with it.

I give Level 10 Daiquiris 5 stars (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)! I’m thrilled about its future!

Padna’s Cajun Eatery

Now, y’all know I love patronizing new black-owned and other minority-owned businesses and restaurants; Padna’s Cajun Eatery was no different. The restaurant is located in Houston’s Montrose neighborhood on Westheimer Road. Montrose is going through horrible gentrification, which tragically affects the local and authentic dining scene. However, Padna’s focuses on traditional Cajun cuisine that is enjoyed by Houstonians and Louisianans alike! Everything from Crawfish Lafourche to BBQ shrimp can be ordered here!

Additionally, I had no idea that Padna’s served daiquiris, and when I looked towards the bar, I got excited. LOL. They have a few in-house daiquiri flavors like “Blue Hawaiian,” “Liquid Mary Jane,” “Oreo Dreamz,” “Padna’s Hurricane,” and “White Russian.” Of course, I sampled all of the flavors and didn’t know which flavor(s) to chose for my drink. The friendly mixologist was very patient and pleasant, as I pondered indecisively. As a result, I told him to just mix up something because I couldn’t chose. LOL. Ladies and gentlemen, he did! He mixed the “Blue Hawaiian,” “Liquid Mary Jane,” and “Padna’s Hurricane” flavors together; these flavors were unbelievable together. The mixture was not too sweet, and it had the right amount of alcohol, which did creep up on me as I’d gotten up to leave. Because I was casually dining in with friends, I didn’t get my drink to-go, so it’d come in a nice sized plastic margarita glass; the drink mixture was $8.00.

My first visit to Padna’s Cajun Eatery was pretty cool. Even though I didn’t eat, I did enjoy my daiquiri. Thus, only due to the daiquiri, I’m going to give the restaurant 4 stars (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) because the daiquiri did get a little watery fast, despite its being pretty tasty. Next time I visit, I’m going to dive into the food menu!

Mardi Gras Chill Spot

Mardi Gras Chill Spot is the top D-shop on the Northwest side; it is accessible to all of my Katy and Cypress residents, since it is located on the border of the two respective areas. The D-shop’s home is in a small strip center near Planet Fitness along FM 529. The space is a nice size and includes a long bar for people seeking convenient bar service; there is also music playing as soon as you enter, and on any given day, there’s a DJ spinning bounce music and rap songs to entertain the crowd. The D-shop has great customer service that includes waiters, waitresses, and mixologists who are friendly and accomodating. Too, Mardi Gras Chill Spot serves Creole food, ranging from seafood platters (catfish, shrimp, and catfish/shrimp) and poboys (catfish, shrimp, and hot sausage) to New Orleans style gumbo and shrimp pasta. I love a D-shop where I can eat and drink at the same time.

Next, let me share about my favorite daiquiri from this place. At first, the mixologist suggested the “Bomb Pop” (blue raspberry, margarita, hurricane), but I wanted something a little stronger yet good enough to drink. As a result, I’d chosen the “Now n’ Later,” which includes mango, strawberry, and watermelon. Oh yea, it does sound “weak,” but this drink definitely did sneak up on me; I felt really good after consuming. LOL. The 20 oz ($6.75) was just enough for me.

For me, Mardi Gras Chill Spot is extremely far, but for my western suburbanites, this place is pretty convenient and is extremely satisfying. Despite its being far for me, I still give the D-shop 5 stars (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) for its authenticity, its service, its liquor level, and its flavors.

Nawlins Dshop

Located in Houston’s South Union neighborhood, Nawlins DShop is owned by a New Orleans native who felt that the immediate area was deprived of good daiquiri shops. The D-shop is located on Martin Luther King Boulevard among places like Medi Grill and the House of Wings; it definitely puts on for Texas Southern University (TxSU), since the owner is a graduate of the institution, and it’s a stomping ground and hangout spot for several legal TxSU students. The space is set up similarly to a small club with a little dance area to turn up while drinking a daiquiri. Also, it’s a place where friends can get together, while drinking daiquiris and smoking hookah, to play games like Spades, Uno, Dominoes, Taboo, etc. Occasionally, Nawlins DShop serves Cajun favorites like crawfish and fried catfish!

Of course, you know I had to come here to taste the daiquiris. Nawlins DShop did not disappoint the multiple times I’d patronized. There’s a huge chalkboard with several flavors and daiquiri names on the wall. It’s something about mixing green apple and watermelon together that I like; I wanted to keep my “traditional” flavors, but I did add another flavor, piña colada, to the mix. Even though the respective flavors are regularly sweet, the overall daiquiri was stronger than it was sweet; this may be a plus for my people who like the “feeling” over the actual taste. The daiquiris here are very strong, but hey, the owner is from New Orleans; what more do I expect? All in all, I could only handle the medium size, which costs $6.00.

Nawlins DShop is definitely a D-shop that has strong daiquiris! Not only does it serve daiquiris, the owner is big on community service and helps the greater community during holidays and other occasions. As a result, I give it 5 stars (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️). Nawlins DShop is my go-to spot before venturing off to the nearby BYOB after-hour spot.

As you can tell, I love daiquiris. I was compelled to create My DAIQUIRI Brand, and I will continue to share with y’all my favorite daiquiris from across the Greater Houston area. If you have any recommendations, then please comment below! In the meantime, stay tuned for Part 3 and DRINK RESPONSIBLY!