Having lived in Montgomery County for a few years now, it is safe to say that quality dining options outside of chains and casual establishments are few and far between. Some great restaurants have opened in The Woodlands over the past few years, but in surrounding cities like Conroe — not so much. 

Remarkably, I recently learned that there is indeed a new Conroe restaurant, and it’s even named for the town. Conroux is located inside the new Hyatt Regency Conroe, is a new Gulf-Coast-leaning restaurant that features seasonally changing plates and cocktails. 

The space itself was bright and airy, with private booths and elegant light fixtures over the open kitchen. For starters, I opted for the crab cakes and Crawfish Fritters. The crab cakes were served with a Meyer lemon aioli and fennel salad that really brought out the flavors of the crab without stealing the shine. The crab cakes were definitely more crab than batter, and I enjoy it when the seafood does the talking. The Crawfish Fritters were served with cilantro-corn remoulade. 

For those seeking a light bite, the soup, salad and grain options include corn chowder, ancient grain bowl and house Caesar, but my companion and I opted to go with the blackened redfish and the steak frites entrées. 

Redfish suits the Gulf Coast menu theme perfectly and was one of the best preparations of this fish that I have had in some time. The almond gremolata encrusted the fish perfectly, and the sautéed spinach and tomato-caper sauce further accentuated the flavors of the dish by adding a nutty texture to it. The other main course, the steak frites, was a 10-ounce New York strip doused in red pepper and garlic butter and served alongside a heaping portion of Parmesan French fries. I asked for medium-rare, and the steak came out a bit overcooked but nonetheless was an above-average iteration of the French bistro classic.  

My guest and I passed on dessert, but the menu had some appealing options such as Fried-Bourbon Apple Turnovers and Chocolate Mousse Crunch. The cocktail menu from the neighboring Avenue A bar also offers refreshing options such as Rosemary Citrus Gin Fizz with Hendricks gin, fresh grapefruit juice, rosemary syrup and club soda. Other cocktails on the menu include spins on martinis, margaritas and bubbly mocktails. On another note — the pillowy Crawfish Nuggets were great bites to pair with the Oak Ridge Cucumber Gimlet cocktail. 

While Conroux’s cuisine is not pushing the envelope, sometimes all you need is some good ol’ Bayou comfort food and friendly service.  The restaurant is open daily, with breakfast offered from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m., lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Reservations are available online.

Sean Hekmat

Food, fitness and family are the pillars of my life. Growing up in a Persian household, my mom instilled a love of cooking and food in me and that has continued as an adult. I love traveling, trying new cuisines/dining out, cooking at home and hosting dining parties, collecting cookbooks and learning more about all the facets of food in general. I have lived in Texas and the west coast and just recently settled down in Houston and am loving it.