Two titans of the Houston food world have teamed up to make dining in Sealy a whole lot better. Let’s talk about Wolf Pack, an established restaurant that’s recently undergone some major changes.
Open since 2021, BB’s Tex-Orleans owner Brooks Bassler acquired the restaurant and its property in November 2023 from founders Derek and Alexa Lechler. As he decided what to do — he knew it wouldn’t be a new location of BB’s — he recruited James Beard Award winner (and CultureMap wine columnist) Chris Shepherd to consult on the project and help upgrade the restaurant’s operations.
Courtesy of Wolf Pack
Bassler says his pork chop competes with anyone's.
“It’s one of those places, when you walk in, you fall in love with it. It feels like it’s been there a hundred years,” Bassler tells CultureMap. “It’s an old feed store they redid — original hardwood floors, wood plank siding walls, huge bar, stage. It feels super homey and comfortable. As soon as I walked in, [I realized] it needs to stay exactly what it is, but the food needed elevation.”
Prior to taking over, Bassler says Wolf Pack’s menu consisted of primarily fried items and other comfort food like the signature Lone Wolf burger, a bacon cheeseburger that’s topped with a fried egg and onion strings. He wanted to keep the dishes that worked, upgrade some that didn’t — like the frozen chicken fried steak — and installing a wood-burning grill to build on the restaurant’s popular steak night.
To help guide those changes, Bassler contacted Shepherd. The two had recently reconnected when Shepherd ordered a BB’s fried turkey for a segment on KPRC’s talk show Houston Life. They quickly agreed to work together to get Wolf Pack on track.
“[Shepherd] sent me a contract. He said, ‘whatever this says, you’ll get a lot more.’ He was right. His two days a week turned into five,” Bassler says.
“I like Brooks, and I want him to succeed,” Shepherd says. “I drove out to Sealy. I thought, ‘what the hell am I getting into?’ I walked in, I thought this place is nice. It’s a big front room, lots of cool stuff. The kitchen staff is awesome.”
Once Bassler and Shepherd tasted through the menu, they knew certain things had to go. Canned green beans were out, as was the aforementioned chicken fried steak. A turkey club, using turkey smoked in-house, replaced a fried chicken sandwich. Each week, the duo would replace another couple of items. Pretty soon, they’d upgraded the entire menu.
“I think Brooks was very conscious of what was happening. He didn’t want to be the big city guy coming in and taking over the small town restaurant. Changing prices, changing this and that, making it a different experience. It’s the same experience, just better,” Shepherd says.
As part of the changes, Shepherd reached out to Bellville Meat Market for better quality ingredients. The 40-year old, family owned business now supplies Wolf Pack with fresh chicken fried steak patties, steaks, pork, and chicken.
“That move changed it. Before, there was something wrong with the chicken fried steak. We went to Bellville, it was night and day,” Shepherd says.
Using upper-two-thirds USDA Choice graded beef makes the restaurant’s food prices competitive, too. Wolf Pack sells an 8-ounce sirloin with a salad and a side for $22. A 14-ounce ribeye is $37. Previously, Sealy residents who wanted a steak had to drive to Katy or even farther east. Now, Bassler hopes he can lure Katy residents to drive west.
“Even in Katy, you can’t really get that in terms of the vibe and atmosphere,” Bassler says. “The big patio up front with the private room, you just don't get that kind of space. You can see the potential for making it a destination.”
Wolf Pack built a following for crawfish under its previous owners. Since Bassler knows a little something about that, he’s enhancing the offering with upgraded equipment. Diners have the choice of Wolf Pack’s New Orleans-style “soaked” crawfish or having them tossed in BB’s signature spice blend. They’ll be available after 4 pm Wednesday-Friday and all day on the weekends throughout crawfish season.
Shepherd lent his expertise to the wine list, too. That’s reflected in the $38 bottle of Austrian Gruner Veltliner that will pair nicely with any of the menu’s fried dishes or the redfish on the half shell. For those looking to splurge a bit, Shepherd added Taittinger champagne and Caymus cabernet sauvignon. Not that he expects to sell a lot of either, but he knows that some of the restaurant’s customers moved to Sealy from central Houston and might be interested in treating themselves to a nicer bottle.
So far, the regulars have responded enthusiastically to the menu, Bassler says. Given that he operates 14 locations of BB’s in greater Houston and San Antonio, it seems natural that Wolf Pack could grow, too. He acknowledges he’s contemplating the idea, especially in other places like Sealy where buying the land makes the restaurant both a viable business and a long term real estate investment.
“We think we can prove the concept and look in these outlying areas like Brenham or Magnolia or La Porte. These suburbs that are Texas to the bone,” Bassler says.
