Southern Comfort Kitchen Promises Fast Casual Cajun Cooking

If you’re feeling a strong sense of déjà vu as you drive by the new purple awning at the old Wienerschnitzel on Webster Street, it’s because you might have seen a similarly decorated food truck at South Shore Center’s Off The Grid.

Southern Comfort Kitchen, owned by brothers Brett, Jason, and Jeremy Brill, is the colorful food truck festooned with fleur-de-lis and exuding Mardi Gras vibes. They serve Cajun and Southern comfort food, bringing their Louisiana Bayou roots to the San Francisco Bay. And now, they have opened a new brick and mortar location in Alameda.

Brett describes their food as, “Fast casual, good Cajun cooking.” The New Orleans cuisine they offer is based on recipes that have been passed down from his grandparents and is a mix of Creole, French, African American, and Cajun down-home pot cooking. “You know, stews and gumbos that you cook in a big pot for 6 hours,” he says.

Brett and his brothers grew up cooking in Louisiana with their parents, who were food vendors at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival for 15 years. The family then moved to California in 1987 and started serving their food at street and music festivals such as the Monterey Jazz Festival, Gilroy Garlic Festival, and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. Brett recalls, “I was 4 years old in the booth stirring gumbo pots.”

Eventually, the brothers took over the family business, traveling and cooking at county fairs during the summer. In 2014, they got their first food truck and would pull up to Oakland A’s games and Off the Grid events, sharing their Cajun and Southern comfort food with an even wider audience. They got a second food truck the next year, and in 2017 they opened a brick-and-mortar location in Castro Valley. Based on the success of the Castro Valley restaurant, they opened a Pleasant Hill location in 2021.

The Brill brothers keep things authentic with a unique blend of seasonings they create and by flying in crawfish from Louisiana, shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico, and catfish from Mississippi. The menu features po’boys (shrimp, catfish, oyster, soft shell crab), jambalaya, seafood gumbo, and crawfish étouffée. There is also a mystery item called “Pelican’s Nest,” which is exclusive to Alameda and is part of their secret menu. Order it to find out what it is!

Brett tells the Alameda Post that their most popular dish is the Southern Fried Chicken Sandwich that comes with a side of Old Bay garlic aioli. But when asked what he personally recommends, his eyes light up. “The shrimp and grits! There’s nothing like a good shrimp and grits with New Orleans beer!” Southern Comfort Kitchen’s Blackened Shrimp with Grits features grilled shrimp, cheesy grits, and sauce made from lemon, spices, worcestershire, and a special local ingredient: Abita Amber Lager from New Orleans. A pending liquor license means that soon, diners will be able to knock back cold bottles of Abita to go with their shrimp and grits.

The Brill family is happy to bring Southern Comfort Kitchen to Alameda. “Alameda is awesome! We are so excited to be here!” Brett exclaims. The Brills have received a warm welcome on the island, which is already familiar to them from their days of serving food at South Shore’s now-defunct Off the Grid.

On a recent Friday evening, the restaurant hosted a steady stream of Alameda diners ready to chow down on hearty portions of stews and sandwiches. The bright interior of the restaurant is decorated with vintage posters from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Customers place their order at the counter and can eat in or take out. The sunny, dog-friendly outdoor courtyard that sits between Southern Comfort Kitchen and Subway is available as a dining area. There is a parking lot behind the restaurant and food delivery via DoorDash and Uber Eats is coming soon.

Brett is also excited about the drive-through window that came with the restaurant. “It’s been my dream to have a drive through!” he says. Their food truck menu—a slightly pared-down version of the regular menu—will be available at the drive-through window until 9 p.m. on weeknights. Late-night diners will rejoice at the news that Southern Comfort Kitchen’s drive-through will be open until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. Gumbo at 11 at night? Brett smiles, “We’re here to feed the masses!”

Southern Comfort Kitchen, at 1708 Webster Street, is open Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Their food truck is available for private events.

Jean Chen is a contributing writer for the Alameda Post . Contact her via editor@alamedpost.com . Her writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Jean-Chen .

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