Kat Kearns, co-owner of ShyKatz in Galveston, shows off the restaurant’s Oreo Cake. Photo by Stuart Villanueva

Where everyone minds their biscuits and fried bologna is on the menu

Stepping into ShyKatz feels a lot more like visiting a loved one’s house than stopping at the neighborhood deli. The walls are covered with vintage signs, cutesy cat art and inspirational sayings. Mismatched tables and chairs are laid out in no particular order, like a big family’s dining room just before Thanksgiving dinner.

I noticed a few handwritten bits of wisdom scrawled here and there, like, “Mind your biscuits and we’ll be gravy.” I took the advice.

ShyKatz’s specialty the “Katastophic” features grilled biscuits, eggs cooked to order, sausage gravy, cheese, grilled ham and crumpled bacon. Photo by Stuart Villanueva

The Biscuits-n-Gravy was a winner. A crunchy crust barrier on top of each biscuit keeps the orange-tinged sausage gravy from soaking through. No soggy mess here — just fluffy, creamy and rich — all in their properly designated areas.

Dad got the Fried Bologna and Cheese Sandwich. “That’s old school,” remarked the waitress as she set it down. Dad peeled back the toasted bread to show me the critical notch that keeps the bologna from curling in the pan.

No syrup is needed for ShyKatz’s Berries-n-Cream Cinnamon French Toast. Photo by Stuart Villanueva

A fork cut easily through the Berries-n-Cream Cinnamon French toast, a thick slab of house-baked French bread with a lightly caramelized layer of cinnamon sugar and self-serve dish of fresh whipped cream and sliced strawberries on the side. I didn’t even touch the syrup.

We got a Fat Boi (Born On the Island) Burger to go. A hand-formed patty of never-frozen 80/20 beef from local food supplier D&M was extremely juicy and perfectly cooked to the requested medium. It comes topped with sautéed mushrooms, Swiss cheese and optional pickled jalapeños on a fresh baked bun.

Diners browse baked goods on display at ShyKatz. Photo by Stuart Villanueva

We finished up with a slice of Oreo Cake, one of many homemade baked goods displayed temptingly on the front counter. Owner Kat Kearns sat down with us to share the synchronistic history of the eatery, which has become a beloved fixture of the community.

She and co-owner Shy Leger were on vacation on the island when Hurricane Ike hit in 2008. They decided to stay to feed the hungry and help the displaced.

“I knew we had to help the lost, lonely and needy first, and things just started unfolding from there,” Kearns told us, the fresh tattoo of a stylized cat dancing on the side of her hand as she gestured. Soon after, they connected with Turning Point Ministries, baked a 100-pound bag of carrots into carrot cake, and handed it out with promises of a restaurant.

The rest, she said, was “God in action.”

ShyKatz Deli & Bakery
1528 Ave. L, Galveston
409.770.0500