To indulge or not to indulge is the decision that customers must make when heading to the new Saints & Sinners Cafe near the Texas A&M University campus on Texas Avenue in Bryan.
With a unique menu, the cafe offers two food styles: those which are sinfully indulgent and those that are more healthier for "saints". From their signature item of chicken and donuts to the more tame avo toast, owner Joey Todd says there is sure to be something for everyone.
“We were going through recipes and were talking about how we cook and eat at home,” Joey says. “It was like, okay, well, last weekend, we roasted vegetables, but this weekend, we're doing some brisket or fried chicken or whatever. So, that's kind of where the whole concept of the food and the split between the menu being healthy and unhealthy and the saints and sinners came from.”
The idea for the restaurant came from a trip to Vegas a few years ago, where Joey visited what he thought would be a bar that served donuts. Although it turned out to be just a donut shop, the idea stuck with him and, after some setbacks, eventually evolved into something much bigger.
“We started looking at donut shops in Houston that we could convert into a bar that serves donuts and beer, but the pandemic canceled that plan,” Joey says. “Then, we were going to go the food truck route, but the guy never delivered the truck. We eventually made the decision to open up something here after running across this place.”
After living in Bryan/College Station for a while, Joey began to see more and more chain restaurants enter the area and he knew he needed to open something local, but the most important factor was finding something that was unlike anything else in town.
“We knew we wanted a place that had food and an atmosphere that didn't really exist here,” Joey says. “As far as I know, we're the only place in town that does fried chicken and donuts. We have our own special recipe for the chicken and then the two donuts are pretty good sized donuts that are shaped like an S for Saints and Sinners.”
Saints & Sinners also has non-alcoholic CBD or Delta 9 cocktails available for those
who are 21 and older, which he says are perfect for taking the edge off without the worry of a hangover the next morning.
“If somebody is looking to come relax but not drink, this is an awesome alternative,” Joey says. “The CBD will make you relax, it’s a body relaxer — you can feel it in your joints and muscles and you just feel less tense.”
For those apprehensive of CBD beverages, the restaurant also offers a selection of local craft beers, though Joey encourages people to not fear the legality of the drinks because they are indeed legal in Texas.
In addition to the quirky food options, Saints & Sinners also hosts weekly events including trivia, hosted by Aggieland Trivia, on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. For car enthusiasts, cruise on up to the restaurant’s car meet every Wednesday night at 7 p.m. to get introduced to different car and motorcycle clubs.
“Everyone just brings their cars here to hang out,” Joey says. “If you like cars, it's really cool. We have vintage cars, new cars, exotics; there's all kinds of stuff. We have motorcycles show up and guys bring their custom trucks.”
As Saints & Sinners continues to grow and add activities to the calendar, Joey encourages people to make the restaurant a place where they can hangout and stay awhile.
“I would love to see 15 to 20 people in here at all times,” Joey says. “From the time we open to the middle of the afternoon to the evening, I want people to come in to study, have a beer, hang out or eat.”
Saints & Sinners is located at 3700 South Texas Avenue in Bryan and is open on Monday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Tuesday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 pm. For more information, visit saintsandsinners.cafe or call (979) 399-2929.
