Stars of A&E reality television show Duck Dynasty Jep and Jessica Robertson are opening their own food truck in Austin. Jep’s Southern Roots will be found on the grounds of Family Business Beer Co., which happens to be run by the couple’s friends, actors Jensen and Danneel Ackles. Both open next week on Wednesday, January 10 in Dripping Springs.
Jep’s Southern Roots focuses on cuisine that Jep knows best since they grew up in Louisiana: Southern and Cajun comfort food. Jep often cooked with his family, and he always desired his own restaurant. “I wanted to take recipes I grew up with, but put a little more modern take on it,” he said.
Take the Cajun bruschetta. It consists of toasted French bread sourced from New Orleans bakery Gambino’s, which is topped with jambalaya, and then topped again with etouffee and blackened shrimp.
The rest of the food truck’s menu includes classic dishes, like jambalaya, po’ boys, gumbo, muffulettas The handheld meat pies, which make use of handmade crust by Jessica, includes chorizo for Texas flair. For desserts, they’ll make sweet versions of the pies with fillings like apple and cherry. Eventually, they will host crawfish boils when the season approaches.
The couple will cook out of the renovated Airstream featured on their A&E spin-off series Jep & Jessica. It will serve the same hours as the brewery:
Eventually, the plan is to move Jep’s Southern Roots into the house that is on Family Business Beer Co.’s property (which is supposedly haunted). That second phase will add what Jep refers to as more “upscale” offerings, like steak dinners and lobsters.
Before opening, the Robertsons competed in food truck competition Trucklandia as a last-minute entry and came in second place. They also served during Round Top’s antiques week.
This isn’t the first time Duck Dynasty stars have ventured into food. Willie Robertson opened comfort food restaurant Willie’s Duck Diner in Monroe, Louisiana in 2013. Kay Robertson, aka Miss Kay, has written several cookbooks.
Jep’s Southern Roots’ Menu
Homemade meat pies with remoulade
Boudin balls
Cajun bruschetta
Shrimp etouffee
Jambalaya
Fried or blackened shrimp po’ boys
Muffuletta po’ boys
Fried or blackened shrimp salad
Specials:
Gumbo
Cajun beans and rice