Once the the blue/green shade of paint hit the Sunset Grove Country Club the rumors became true. Tia Juanita’s Fish Camp will soon open their fifth location in Southeast Texas right here in Orange off of Sunset Dr.
“We’re looking at opening in December,” said owner Ricky Martinez. “The building had a little damage from the hurricane. We’re also making some changes on the inside, complying with the Covid rules and adding extra parking.”
With locations in Beaumont, Lumberton, Port Arthur, and Winnie, Martinez said he’s been looking at the Orange area for a while and working with Ross Smith (majority owner of the country club) on the location has made it a great fit for Tia Juanita’s.
“Ross has been great to work with. We didn’t have to talk long to realize how much he really cares about the community and how much he wants Orange to grow.”
Martinez said he hopes to hire close to 100 people.
Tia Juanita’s Fish Camp is a mixture of Cajun and Mexican food. The menu features grilled boudin quesadillas, gumbo, fish and blackened gator tacos, shrimp and grits, BBQ shrimp and more.
“We’re also known for our charbroiled oysters,” Martinez said. “We’ve studied it and made it our own.”
Martinez honed his skills years ago when he ran El Chico’s Restaurant. He also spent a lot of time learning the cuisine in Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas.
Tia Juanita’s will also keep you busy with walls filled with unique nostalgia. “I like to think of it as a pop art museum,” he said.
Live music is also a part of the Tia Juanita’s experience. Martinez hopes to have live music several days a week.
And the adult beverages includes the popular Pleasure Island Deluxe Frozen Cocktails which is a row frozen concoctions with names like Bomb Pop, Grapezilla, and of course Margarita.
“We want people to enjoy the food, the service and the entertainment,” Martinez said. “When people come in from out of town we want the people in Orange County to say ‘Hey we have to take you to this great place we have in Orange called Tia Juanita’s’.”
-Gary Stelly, KOGT-
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