The scent of smothered oxtails, red beans and rice drifts from Esther’s Cajun Café & Soulfood, drawing regulars and newcomers alike to a place that feels more like home than a restaurant.
But behind the booming flavors is a deeper story of family, resilience and generational legacy. At the center is Chef Esther Lewis-Bernard, a mother of six, grandmother of 14 and the proud matriarch of this food empire.
Lewis-Bernard, affectionately dubbed Houston’s Queen of Cajun & Soulfood Cuisine, opened her first restaurant in 2008 in Independence Heights, a historically Black, tight-knit community known as the first Black municipality in Texas. She aims to serve her community soulful Southern food rooted in the traditions passed down through generations of Lewis women.
The tradition of soulful cooking runs deep in Lewis-Bernard’s lineage. Her great-grandmother, Mary Lewis, was revered for her country-style dishes and resourcefulness, living off the land. Her mother, Gladiola Lewis, mastered Cajun cuisine and ensured her children inherited not only the recipes but also the values of care and tradition that infused every dish.
“My mother was a band mother and grocery store owner, who also provided food for the Booker T Washington High School band members,” Lewis-Bernard said. “My mother’s dedication to community and giving back was evident in her willingness to feed the community. She would carry chicken in her purse to church and would feed us. She always gave back.”
Family photos and decorative heirlooms collected from her parents’ home line the walls, infusing the space with nostalgia. A vintage cast-iron stove, once used by Lewis-Bernard’s mother, sits in the back as a symbol of humble beginnings.
“This is more than a restaurant,” Lewis-Bernard says. “This is a legacy.”
“This is more than a restaurant. This is a legacy.”
Chef Esther, Owner, Esther’s Cajun Café & Soulfood
Lewis-Bernard worked for Center Point Energy for 25 years before retiring and investing her 401k in the business. She opened her first 1600-square-foot location at 5204 Yale Street and expanded into a second spot at 5007 N. Shepherd Drive, only a mile away.
“The beginning was very stressful. It was tough to hire staff. Sometimes I would hire people in the community who needed jobs,” she said. “I tried my best to help my kids and put them through college, and they helped me out so much, and they still do to this day.”
That legacy is now being stewarded by three of her six children, including her daughters, who each bring their unique strengths to the family business.
Glashanda Lewis, Lewis-Bernard’s oldest daughter, has been by her mother’s side since day one.
“From the beginning, physically, mentally, spiritually, I was willing to be there,” she says. “I wore every hat. I was a server, cashier, business consultant, whatever was needed.” Lewis said. “We are here from sunup to sundown.”
Lewis ran her own business while raising her two sons. Today, she oversees internal operations full-time, implementing standard procedures, drafting handbooks, and ensuring the restaurant is organized and compliant.
“We needed structure,” she explains. “I told my mom that if we want to grow, we have to be able to scale. That means systems, visual training guides, operations manuals. We’ve come a long way from just working off instinct.”
She also led the restaurant’s transition into the digital age, transforming a business that once relied on newspapers, flyers and word of mouth into one with online ordering, social media marketing and digital customer engagement.
The restaurant introduced an online ordering system, replacing traditional call-in methods where customers had to visit or call for orders,” said Lewis. “This change allows customers to place orders and stay updated on the restaurant’s activities through social media, enhancing customer satisfaction.”
The family wants to launch products and merchandise to bring their flavors into homes nationwide,
The flagship location on Shepherd Drive features a full-service bar with Southern-themed cocktails, boozy Kool-Aid, New Orleans classics, and frozen drinks. The restaurant also offers an extensive menu of beef tips, lamb chops, turkey necks, oxtails, garlic-roasted chicken, cornbread dressing, shrimp and banana pudding, crawfish etouffee and tea cakes.
For Lewis, who first learned to cook chicken, rice and corn on that stove as a child, the work has come full circle. Now her young son helps out at the restaurant, just like she did in the beginning.
“My mom taught me how to cook. I had dinner ready by 6 p.m., the house clean and I helped raise my siblings. That stove is where it started. Now my son sees it and is part of this legacy too.”
