That’s a Raising Cane’s joint going up at 3007 Ella Blvd. just north of 610, soon to become the closest location of the Louisiana-born chicken fingers chain to Houston’s Inner Loop sanctum. Formerly on that site: the Ella Square Apartments; the city forced the owner of the derelict apartments to tear them down 2 Decembers ago. Next door to the Raising Cane’s construction site is the just-opened Carl’s Jr. built on the north side of the same property. Not enough Oak Shepherd Forest drive-thru action for you? They’ll be joining the McDonald’s, Taco Bell, KFC, Burger King, and Popeye’s already on that short stretch of Ella south of Stonecrest.
Photo: DC from Houston, via Swamplot inbox
LoL you guys really get excited about a fast food joint huh . . . How about some actual development news. . .
Also on that stretch of Ella: Facundos, El Rey and Shipleys.
Im pretty sure the majority of the article was sarcastic in terms of excitement over a new fast food joint
Annnd that’s not Oak Forest. Shepherd Park Plaza is the adjacent subdivision if mammary serves me correct.
Thank you Swamplot, I was wondering what they were developing in that lot!
@John this article was less about fast food and more about the history of that property. it’s one of the rare cases where a series of fast food joints is actually better than what they replace.
Ndm, oak forest is correct. Shepherd park doesn’t start until north of 43rd.
Honestly, being from baton rouge where Canes started, and being an alum of Auburn U, home of Guthrie’s, the restaurant Canes blatantly copied (crinkle fries, sauce and all), I was pleasantly surprised to see this. I just noticed it going up yesterday! I have eaten many a chicken finger.
But seeing as I gave up fast food years ago I’ll just drive by it like I drive past just about everything else on Ella. Well, except for El Rey.
No offense to your “mammarys” NDMNTX (sorry, couldn’t resist) but that part of Ella is in Shepherd Forest. Its my ‘hood. And (printable) words cannot express how excited I am to have more fast food in the area. Sigh.
@NDMNTX, you’re close, but on the wrong side. Shepherd Park Plaza is north of Oak Forest. The long, narrow subdivision with Stonecrest, Wilde Rock, W.30th and other streets is called Shepherd Forest.
Not to be a pedant, but the expression is ‘raising Cain’. Perhaps the name refers to sugarcane (raising ‘cane) or summoning major storms (raising ‘canes), or preparing to thrash a young whippersnapper (raising one’s cane). I am open to suggestions.
To Brian. The alternate spelling of Cane’s in the article headline refers to the name of the restaurant.
Popeye’s yard bird > RC’s “tenders”. Bring the hate.
…actually, ella lee forest is north of oak forest, as is candlelight estates & candlelight place. shepherd park plaza is east of oak forest, north of 43rd, as is candleight plaza. garden oaks is east of oak forest south of (and a tiny bit north) of 43rd.
the correct neighborhood adjacent to all these fine establishments is shepherd forest, which has some cool, funky houses in it.
Too bad RC’s isn’t as good as it was when it started in Baton Rouge in 1996. Then they gave you an additional strip and the strips were bigger. Now the chicken strips have shrunk and are somewhat rubbery (maybe they didn’t adjust the cooking time?). But that is some dang good sauce!
@Brian – The story is that the name refers to the founder’s dog who was named “Raising Cane”. No idea why he named the dog that.
http://www.raisingcanes.com/about/why_the_dog.html
It’s the name of a dog…
And before long, Houston will return to being the fattest city in America.
What we really needed was a CHICK FIL A! Carl’s Jr. Has got to be the WORST fast food! The Big Carl, 930 Calories- 1390 Sodium! WoW-don’t eat that stuff!
I “second that emotion”, CoralieKilgore! Chick-fil-a all the way! Was so hopeful that Carl’s was going to be one. I try to avoid a lot of fast food, but I have a weakness for pizza of any kind and CHICK-FIL-A! Something about that silly buttered bun and pickles (extra, please).
Naturally, I don’t consider El Rey OR Little Bitty Burger Barn fast food! :oP
while i don’t personally eat at chick-fil-a due to my religious beliefs (or lack there-of), there is a standalone one being built on sawyer across from target. Raising Cane’s is awesome because they almost always stay open late. I remember partying in Lafayette one time and it was almost 3AM and everyone wanted to go to Raising Cane’s, I assumed it was another bar. We got there and I remember thinking “fast food… chicken strips??? We can go inside still???” Good times.
RC makes a mean chicken strip but where the heck is the country gravy? I have to take out from RC’s, come home and whip up some McCormick’s to get my gravy fix – guess that keeps me from soaking up their AC and all that wonderful sports bar-esque “flair” all over the walls at their restaurants.
I always knew that Layne’s in College Station was a blatant, rhyming rip-off of Cane’s, but had no idea that Cane’s was itself derivative.
At least there’s some SEC solidarity in fast food.
might want to check your facts Rob, Laynes started two years before RC
I stand corrected. It is Shepherd Forest, not Shepherd Park Plaza. I knew it was Shepherd something, but most certainly not in Oak Forest. I lived in Oak Forest for 17 years. I’ve always gotten the two Shepherd names confused. Yes, Shepherd Forest does have some funky casas there, but the plaza trumps it bigtime. It will be interesting to see how the McMansions being built on demo lots in Oak Forest influences what is done with said “funky” casas in Shepherd Forest. The lots that are generally being demo’d for these big McMansions in Oak Forest are typically the large sq footage ones and the average Shepherd Forest lots aren’t all that much larger than normal, but closer to the loop/Heights/Timbergrove, while also further away from the annoying RR tracks so near the new McMansions. Does this subject matter bring the thread back closer to the real estate theme?
@caneco either you are intolerant, athiest, or both no? glad you brought religion to a real estate discussion. We’re dying for that (RELIGIOUS PUN).
@mek ju Read up on Chick-fil-A.
Short story: Chick-fil-a is amazing, and they could shoot my dog and I’d still get their cookies and cream milkshake.