Houstonist Bites: Beignets

After Krispy Kreme donuts left the Houston market early last year, finding a satisfying piece of fried dough got a little harder. Enter the beignet. Now, we’re not saying that the beignet is a substitute for the Krispy Kreme. Nor is the Krispy Kreme a replacement for the beignet. But if you happen to crave something sweet, doughy and fried, the beignet fulfills all three requirements.

In a perfect world Café Du Monde would expand it’s New Orleans roots to open a Houston franchise and shower us with the favorite Cajun cravin'. However, a couple of substitutes provide Houstonians with their fill of fried goodness…but alas and alack, it’s just not the same.

Crescent City Beignets on Westheimer used to be the premiere beignet café in Houston. In recent years, customers have experienced a continuous decline in food, quality and customer service. On a recent visit we waited a remarkably long time for our order – not surprising since there were only three people working the entire restaurant on a busy weekend night. The café au lait (hot milk with a rich, chicory coffee) was weak in the coffee department, absent in the chicory flavor and finished with a strange aftertaste. The beignets were even more disappointing. We were looking forward to the crisp exterior and the soft, airy and chewy interior. What we got was reminiscent of a hockey puck with a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

Shy of making the pilgrimage to Café Du Monde, Chez Beignet on Buffalo Speedway and Bissonnet has an exponentially better beignet than Crescent City. This little neighborhood cafe is run by a German couple who often play Vietnamese music as they serve their French coffee and New Orleans donuts. The donuts are fried to order and come out light and fluffy with a hint of nutmeg (though on occasion the nutmeg can be a little overwhelming). The chicory coffee is also good. Out-dated posters in cheap frames and plastic chairs don’t contribute to a cozy ambiance, but Chez Beignet has a strong following of regulars who crave the satisfying square puffs of fried goodness.
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Crescent City Beignet: 3260 Westheimer Rd (713) 520-8291
Chez Beignet: 5243 Buffalo Speedway (713) 592-9777