BRYAN, Texas — Three minutes west of downtown Bryan, sitting on San Jacinto Drive, is a small gray building with burgundy trim.
Inside of the decades-old building is soul bigger than the restaurant itself.
“The lord has really blessed Shannon's,” said Tommy Durens, the owner.
Shannon’s Cafe & Catering is three generations deep, beginning with Durens’ grandma buying the restaurant back in 1970.
While employees, names and decoration may have changed slightly, the recipes have not.
“We created a staple of patrons that come visit us that look into the same taste as the food that it was way back in 1970,” Durens said.
It’s the delicious fried chicken, savory oxtail, a side of vibrant orange yams, and more that keeps everyone coming back for me.
“People come [from] out of state, Tennessee, New York, they said he never had nothing like this,” he said with a grin.
So, the saying if it isn’t broken don’t fix it proves true here, because after 52 years of serving up down right soul food, there’s no chance of changing the recipes now.
“They always come back, you know, because they know the food stays the same,” he said.
Durens and his family will keep the legacy going, all of these years later.
"Shannon's been okay,” he said softly. “Praise God for that."
