Following Messy Disputes, Former Turkey Leg Hut Co-Owner Opens Oyster Hut South of Houston

Lynn Price is seemingly starting over, with a new brick-and-mortar in Louise, Texas, that will serve Turkey Leg Hut menu items

Following months of legal disputes and an ongoing divorce, Turkey Leg Hut’s former co-owner Lyndell “Lynn” Price is officially doing his own thing, with a new restaurant slated to open today, Friday, August 16.

Price is opening a brick-and-mortar location of his pop-up, the Oyster Hut, in Louise, Texas at 701 FM 1160, according to Price’s recent Instagram post. The entrepreneur says the new restaurant, which is around an hour away from Houston, will have a full kitchen, three different bars, a parking lot that can accommodate 150 cars, and a live stage for performances with a focus on country and zydeco music. Price also hinted in a video posted to his Instagram stories that Oyster Hut has an impressive barbecue pit area. The restaurant will work to serve Louise’s surrounding areas — 10 small cities and towns, in particular, including Hillje, Ganado, Edna, Victoria, Bay City, and Wharton.

“I will do what I have done in the past with this first location and that’s cater to the customer and give them an experience out this world with my hospitality,” Price wrote on his Instagram. He later added: “The 2nd location will be in Houston shortly, so stop complaining about the drive.”

As for food, no dishes have been specified yet, but it’s likely that chargrilled oysters, grilled seafood, and possibly steaks — menu items of Oyster Hut’s past — will grace the menu. Price’s spokesperson Tiffany Parker told the Houston Chronicle that Oyster Hut will also serve traditional Turkey Leg Hut menu items, but did not specify which.

The Chronicle reports that the Oyster Hut concept kicked off following a failed partnership with New Orleans chef Royal “Tiger” Bellock, which was launched across the street from the Turkey Leg Hut. Price soon after launched his separate Oyster Hut venture. Still, drama ensued when the Turkey Leg Hut team, led by his estranged wife Nakia Holmes, banned the Oyster Hut from operating there or using any of the restaurant’s branding. Soon after, Price took the new concept to other Texas cities and neighboring states like Louisiana and Mississippi.

Price tells the Chronicle that he’s using the pop-up to move on “as best he can” following his ongoing divorce and legal issues with Turkey Leg Hut.

Price and his now-estranged wife Nakia Holmes originally opened the Turkey Leg together in 2015, hosting it in the parking lot across from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. They later opened their first brick-and-mortar in the Third Ward, which became a mainstay for many local celebrities and a pit stop for tourists.

In February, however, Price posted — then deleted — a letter of termination that declared him fired from the Turkey Leg Hut and banned from being on the premises. Holmes filed for divorce in May 2023 and alleged in a post on social media that Price had been mentally and emotionally abusive. Holmes later filed a restraining order against Price, alleging that Price had taken money and her car keys from the restaurant and had committed “family violence.” Neither Price nor Holmes responded to Eater’s request for comment.

Price and the Turkey Leg Hut have both seemingly been plagued by drama and legal suits. In March, both Holmes and Price were ordered by the court to pay more than $900,000 to a former business partner after reportedly failing to pay out his shares. In April, Price was charged with misdemeanor assault stemming from an incident in February; a warrant was issued for his arrest for the brawl, which left a man unconscious and with an injury to his knee. In 2021, a man accused Price of assault with a deadly weapon, alleging that he hit him in the head with a gun following a heated argument (Price’s attorney says the incident was “not as it seemed”). In November 2019, a group of Third Ward residents filed suit against the restaurant, claiming that the smoke used to cook its famed turkey legs resulted in breathing issues and other health concerns in the neighborhood.