Tricky Fish restaurant is a hybrid. Born of ideas that didn’t fit in anywhere else, it was meant to satisfy a market hungry for complex Creole flavors, while also satiating more delicate palates thirsty for mimosas and calamari. It’s a restaurant that isn’t afraid to step boldly into a saturated market of boring catfish and soggy hush puppies, cracking its knuckles and saying, “Let me show you how it’s done.”
For those who have had the pleasure to visit any of Razzoo’s Cajun Cafe’s many DFW locations, you have unknowingly laid eyes on a piece of Tricky Fish’s conception. Nestled in Razzoo’s menu is the Cajun Tricky Fish, a dish of blackened fish over dirty rice, covered in crawfish etouffée. It’s this dish that gave inspiration to the standalone restaurant bearing the same name. Chris Degan, president of Razzoo’s Brands, which also owns Tricky Fish restaurant, took the name and ran with it. “It’s one of my favorite dishes,” Chris stated. “It was a natural fit.”
Every business owner, restaurant owners especially, knows the pain of having an absolutely fantastic idea that doesn’t fit well within their current mode of operations. For most, this is a mild frustration, but for Chris and his team, this was inspiration. Eventually their figurative mountain of tabled ideas became the catalyst for this new concept. The first step? Dusting off the artwork originally created for the Cajun Tricky Fish menu item at Razzoo’s and making it the new restaurant’s logo.
From the outside, Tricky Fish may seem like a more seafood-inspired version of Razzoo’s, with all the Tony Chachere’s and andouille being tossed around. But keeping an eye on the details is what separates it from the rest. Chris took his issues with other restaurants and laid them to rest at Tricky Fish.
“I look at these fast casual places, and when you first enter you’re like, ‘What do I do?’ We always make sure someone is at the front door to guide and greet you,” explained Chris. Simple things like opening the door for guests, showing them through the ordering process and getting payment out of the way – one of Chris’ pet peeves – set the atmosphere for Tricky Fish’s unique style of dining.
Guests coming in during lunch hours will find themselves being served in what Chris calls a “pause casual” environment, as opposed to the traditional fast casual. Guests enter, order and pay at the counter, then grab their seats. From this point on, they are treated to a full service style of dining. For those taking a quick break from work, this makes Tricky Fish the perfect spot to grab lunch.
For dinner, the restaurant switches over to a full service experience. Guests enter and are immediately seated at a table, while their server takes care of everything. Tricky Fish’s bar is full service all day.
Brunch is where things get really unique. Tricky Fish is nestled in Richardson’s CityLine neighborhood near the State Farm corporate offices, so weekdays tend to be their busiest days, the polar opposite of many restaurants. Because of this, Tricky Fish decided to pull out all the stops and unleash a bottomless mimosa bar alongside a seriously decadent weekend brunch menu. For those in the know, a free Saturday morning yoga class is taught by Reef Point Yoga outside in the CityLine plaza directly across from Tricky Fish, and it just so happens to end right as brunch begins. So go loosen up a bit before diving face first into mimosas and some fried green tomatoes. And if praline pancakes with whiskey syrup and a New Orleans-style benedict aren’t enough to pull you in, half priced wine on Wednesdays may help you get over that mid week hump.
While the Tricky Fish in CityLine is the only location as of right now, there is construction underway for a second, larger location in Fort Worth.
All in all, Tricky Fish is…tricky to put into any one category. Business folks and those looking for a relaxed spot to swing by for lunch will find the service quick, polite and affordable. Those looking for a relaxing meal on the patio with a cocktail and maybe a few fried oysters will be quite satisfied as well. And couples coming in for a romantic night out will have to settle for watching each other inhale redfish and oysters between gulps of craft beer and cocktails. And don’t worry, they still serve the Tricky Fish plate.
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