Seafood, eat food

Houston restaurant royalty serves up Goode news for The Woodlands dining scene

Goode Co Kitchen and Cantina campechana extra

Goode Co. has long been known for compelling seafood dishes.

Courtesy of Goode Co

Goode Co. has good news for The Woodlands. The popular restaurant group will replace its shuttered Goode Co. Barbeque location with an all-new seafood concept.

Slated to open in the spring, Goode Co. Fish Camp & Oyster Bar will occupy the barbecue restaurant's former space at 8865 Six Pines Dr. Details on the design have yet to be revealed, but the renovations will include the addition of an outdoor patio.

While most of the details are yet to be revealed, Fish Camp appears to be a more casual concept than Goode Co. Seafood, the company's Cajun/Creole-inspired restaurant that's a little more refined in terms of service and presentation than siblings like Goode Co. Barbeque and Goode Co. Taqueria. As Goode Co. chef and president Levi Goode explains, the restaurant takes some of its inspiration from the dishes he cooked with his father, legendary Houston restaurateur Jim Goode, at the family's fishing cabin near San Luis Pass.

"We would spend the mornings at the break of dawn wading the sandy shorelines. Many of the nights were spent gigging for flounder or fishing for speckled trout under the lights on our deck," Goode said in a statement. "Over time, these long days deepened into an appreciation for all aspects of the process: the excitement of the catch, the satisfaction of harvesting and cooking the fresh catch, and the ritual of coming together to enjoy a homemade, hard-earned meal."

In that spirit, the restaurant will serve seasonal fish dishes alongside an extensive selection of oysters. Diners will be able to pair their meals with well-executed cocktails.

“Goode Co. Fish Camp & Oyster Bar will be another snapshot in our Goode Company photo album,” says Goode. “This means fun, fresh-shucked oysters, and great music in a lively and vibrant environment.”

Fish Camp isn't the company's only project under development. This summer Goode Co. announced that it will open a new restaurant in the former Down House space in the Heights. A representative was unable to provide CultureMap with any new information about when that restaurant might open or what kind of food it will serve.

Founded more than 40 years ago, Goode Co. is known for its Texas-inspired fare. Its restaurants include Goode Co. Seafood, Goode Co. Barbeque, Tex-Mex restaurant Goode Co. Kitchen & Cantina, and Armadillo Palace, a comfort food restaurant and live music venue.

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J.J.'s hot takes

Texans legend J.J. Watt drops 'controversial' crawfish take on soccer podcast

Courtesy of FIFA World Cup 2026 Houston Host Committee

J.J. Watt discussed Houston's food scene on Men in Blazers.

“If you’re checking your watch, I’m on food talk now, so we’re going to be awhile.”

With that comment, former Houston Texans star and future Pro Football Hall of Famer J.J. Watt launched into an epic tribute to Houston’s dynamic food scene. Speaking with host Roger Bennett on the globally-renown soccer podcast Men in Blazers, Watt spent about 15 minutes introducing the show’s audience to many of the cuisines and restaurants that Houstonians love.

“When you look at this singular city, at Houston, what is it in your mind that makes it great — that the world is going to see this summer,” Bennett asks at approximately the 1:45 mark.

“Food,” Watt replies. “Truthfully, we have great, great food. I have always said that Houston is one of the most underrated food cities in the world. People that come here are going to get fatter.”

Encouraged by Bennett to “go deeper” into the topic, Watt offered more than 20 suggestions for restaurants to try. They included:

Breakfast tacos at Island Grill and Pappas Bar-B-Q
Barbecue at Killen’s Barbecue
Burgers at Becks Prime, The Burger Joint, and Killen’s Burgers
Seafood at Pappadeaux

Watt told an entertaining anecdote about Trill Burgers, the smash burger concept from Houston hip-hop legend Bun B.

“Trill Burgers, they put something in there that can’t be legal,” Watt quipped. “I’ve talked to Bun B. It’s like crack, okay? He gave me one of those burgers. When I came back from the Ring of Honor at the Texans, they put Trill Burgers in our suite. There were six, and there were 12 people in the suite. I had four of them. Everyone else had to fight over two burgers.”

Asked about crawfish, Watt dropped an opinion that he acknowledged would be controversial. “You’re not going to like,” he told the 300-person, sold-out crowd.

“That’s a lot of work. Then they tell you to suck the head. I’ll be honest. Didn’t do a lot for me,” Watt stated. “Look at this [points to himself]. The amount of crawfish you have to break and eat. When they dump it all out, I have to have my own 9-foot table. Nobody has the time to break that many crawfish open and suck the heads on every one.”

Watt appeared on the show as part of its Houston episode that marked 99 days until the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Houston Rockets icon and Basketball Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon also appeared on the show, which was recorded at Rice University.

Houston will host seven matches from June 14 - July 4, including five in the group stage and one each in the round of 32 and the round of 16. Find more details about the tournament and local celebrations at the official FIFA World Cup 2026 Houston Host Committee website.

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