Chef Bryan Caswell is a true Southerner who was born in Lafayette, LA, and spent most of his youth hunting, boating, and fishing along the Gulf Coast. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Bryan went on to work for Jean Georges Vongerichten in New York, Hong Kong, Barcelona, and the Bahamas. He pairs a passion for exceptionally fresh fish with bold flavors and local produce.
Houston’s culinary scene was immediately elevated with the opening of Bryan’s first restaurant, Reef. At Reef, Bryan has translated his love of fishing onto the plate by featuring less commonly known fish and rotating the menu constantly to introduce diners to more than 87 species from the Gulf Coast since opening the restaurant. Open since 2007, REEF has received rave reviews from critics and helped Bryan earn several prominent culinary awards. Bryan went on to expand his Houston culinary empire with Little Bigs, a casual restaurant featuring a variety of sliders and milkshakes, and El Real Tex-Mex Café, featuring vintage Tex-Mex cuisine. Rarely seen without his signature orange Astros baseball cap, Bryan’s favorite project may be his partnership with the Astros and Minute Maid Park where he opened smaller versions of Little Bigs, two El Real Tex Mex Cafés, and the Caz. In 2015, Bryan partnered with noted pitmaster Greg Gatlin to open Jackson Street BBQ, located near Minute Maid Park.
Bryan competed on season 3 of Food Network’s The Next Iron Chef and has appeared on numerous television shows including Bizarre Foods, Top Chef: Texas, Simply Ming, and The Today Show.
When he’s not in the kitchen, Bryan spends his time on the water. He is an avid fisherman, planning his day so he can fish from one of his boats in Galveston, Matagorda Bay, or Surfside Beach. Bryan lives in Houston with his photographer wife, Jennifer, and their four kids, four chickens, two dogs, and two ducks.
