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'Crawfish King' Todd Maddox talks time on Queer Eye; honoring late wife with restaurant | Neighborhood Eats

Netflix’s Queer Eye first aired in 2018, and in episode five of season six, Todd Maddox reached millions of people.

CANYON LAKE, Texas — A restaurant in Canyon Lake made headlines across the country after appearing on a famous Netflix show.

"I thank Queer Eye for everything they did for me," said owner of Plookys Cajun Boiling Pot Todd Maddox. "I've got quite a following because of them."

This week on Neighborhood Eats, a KENS 5 original series, we stepped into Plookys on 20085 FM306 to visit with Maddox.

We wanted to hear his amazing story firsthand, and we wanted to sit down for a hot Cajun meal! And of course, we had to know what it was like leading up to his big moment on a huge show.

"They called back and said, 'Hey, we're picking back up and we're going to film, and you're in,'" said Maddox.

Netflix’s Queer Eye first aired in 2018, and in episode five of season six, Maddox reached millions of people.

"We have new people come in and say, 'Hey, I saw your show and had to just come in and check your food out,'" said Maddox.

The sea food is just one of the many things people remember. But, a lot of people don’t know how to get the most meat out of the crawfish. That's when he showed us step-by-step how to maximize the meat.

1. Spread it out completely horizontal between your fingers

2. Twist the tail and pull it apart

3. Suck the juice out of the crawfish head if you like spice

4. Take the first rib off

5. Squeeze the tail and completely pull the meat out

6. Remove the lining along the "spine" area and eat!

Maddox has made delicious food for years. But, keeping up with the actual restaurant was hard after his wife, Jodie, passed away.

"She said, 'Please keep our restaurant open.' And I said, 'Honey, I will,'" said Maddox. "Since Queer Eye came in and did all this for me, it has this influx of new people. I'm now into the restaurant again, and I'm excited about it, and I very much am going to keep it going in her honor."

He's making people happy with every visit.

"You come in a customer, you leave as a friend," said Maddox. "That’s what Plookys is all about is people."

Do you have a restaurant or food truck you want Lexi to visit? Send an email to eats@kens5.com with all the details. You can also contact her through social media:

Facebook: @lexihaz

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