On any given morning, before most of Houston has had its first cup of coffee, Captain Fred McBride is already on the water.
Not in a metaphorical sense—but literally. He’s casting lines, checking traps, pulling in blue crabs and fish that, just hours later, could land on someone’s plate in the very neighborhood that raised him.
For years, McBride has caught fresh seafood and sold it to local notable chefs in the area. Now, he’s decided to do it for himself, bringing his new fast-casual concept to life with Captain Mc’s Seafood.
“I’ve been fishing full-time for five years, where I really kind of had to perfect learning how to catch this stuff at a big scale, so that my eventual goal was to open up my own place,” McBride said.
A different kind of leap of faith
Long before he was known as Captain Fred, he was “Mr. McBride” in the classroom.
For 18 years, the classically-trained McBride taught orchestra — violin, viola, cello, and bass — at Houston schools, pouring into students the same discipline and creativity that once shaped him. A graduate of the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA), now known as Kinder HSPVA, McBride shared his passion for music with countless area youth as an orchestra director for North Forest ISD and Houston ISD.
But somewhere around year 15, something shifted.
“I loved the student growth that I saw in teaching, but in 2019, I sort of had a midlife crisis,” said McBride, reflecting on the moment that would quietly redirect his life. “I started asking myself what it is that I truly love to do.”
The answer had been with him since he was four years old. Fishing, something that had been introduced by his grandfather, an educator himself who spent more than 40 years shaping young minds.
“My mother would sit in her car and read while my brother and I went fishing,” he said. “She knew the importance of it and that it, in addition to our music, would keep us out of trouble.”
Drawing encouragement from his wife Juliet, McBride did something most people only talk about: He followed his dreams.
Learning the water, the hard way
Transitioning from a structured classroom to the unpredictable world of commercial fishing wasn’t easy, and there was no blueprint.
“Probably the greatest challenge I had was just the learning curve,” he said. “There was no example for me.”
Still, the teacher in him never left. McBride studied, watched, learned, then adapted.
“I’m just hoping to invest in this community, which is the community that I grew up in.”
James McBride
Eventually, a seasoned fisherman took him under his wing, giving him just enough guidance to help him see what was possible. From there, McBride did what he had always done best: figure it out.
Within a few years, he wasn’t just fishing — he was supplying. His catch — black drum, flounder, sheepshead, blue crabs — started landing in the kitchens of some of Houston’s most respected chefs.
“If I can sell it to them,” he said, eventually starting to think, “I need to be trying to sell it to myself.”
That idea would become the foundation of everything that came next.
Sea-to-table, for real
At Captain Mc’s Seafood, the concept is simple, but almost unheard of at this scale.
McBride is the fisherman and the restaurateur. He catches the seafood himself — often in Baytown and Galveston — and brings it straight to his kitchen, sometimes within hours of it being pulled from the water.
“Our diners will have the real possibility of eating a fish or blue crab that was caught early that morning and fried up just in time for dinner,” he said.
In a city where seafood often travels hundreds — or thousands — of miles before reaching a plate, it’s a game changer.
McBride is intentional about what he serves, too. Everything is wild-caught. The difference, he explains, is in the diet—and ultimately, the flavor.
Wild-caught fish, feeding naturally in the ocean, carry a taste that simply can’t be replicated.
“That’s why seafood in Galveston tastes different,” he said. “Because it’s wild-caught.”
Now, he’s bringing that same experience inland.
Coming home to build something bigger
The restaurant sits on Griggs Road, not far from where McBride grew up.
“I grew up straight down that street,” he said, recalling the businesses that came and went long before his own dream took shape there.
Now, he’s adding something new to that story.
“I’m just hoping to invest in this community, which is the community that I grew up in,” he said.
In a part of Houston that hasn’t always been first in line for high-profile culinary investments, Captain Mc’s is quietly shifting the narrative while demonstrating alignment.
Taking what you love, what you’ve learned, and where you come from – and building something that honors all three.
“I wanted to leave something for my son, that’s how I fell into fishing. When you do something, and you spend a lot of hours in it, you’d better love what you do,” he said.
Chef-driven, community-rooted
While McBride supplies the catch, he’s not building this alone.
Behind the menu is a culinary dream team, some of Houston’s most respected chefs lending their expertise to elevate every bite.
- Chris Shepherd crafted the remoulade
- Chris Williams developed the crab cake sandwich
- Lucas McKinney contributed to the seafood program
- Matt Staph helped perfect the batter and hush puppies
- Joe Cervantez created the tartar sauce
Together, they’ve built a menu that feels both elevated and familiar—an “ultimate fish fry” experience that’s high-quality and accessible.
“It’s amazing what he’s doing. If you’re buying local, Capt. Fred is your guy,” said chef Chris Shepherd.
Meals are expected to come in under $20, combining fresh seafood with Southern sides in a way that doesn’t price out the very community it’s meant to serve.
“This has been the ultimate labor of love, and I couldn’t be more excited to share what I catch daily and share it with my Houston community,” McBride
Captain Mc’s is located at 5055 Griggs Rd, Houston, Texas 77021. Hours of operation are Thursday – Sunday, 11 am-8 pm (Dining In) and 11 am-11 pm (Drive Thru). Visit www.captainmcs.com
