BEST OF HL: Put this old-fashioned general store in the historic Sixth Ward on your Houston bucket list

HOUSTON – If you’ve ever wanted to experience the nostalgia of an old-fashioned general store, we know just the spot. Nestled in the historic Sixth Ward neighborhood is a community gem boasting tasty bites and more than 200 locally sourced products. Henderson & Kane General Store is a family run shop with husband and wife John and Veronica Avila at the helm, and Veronica’s younger brother Jesse Gallegos manning the kitchen. Together, they specialize in top notch barbecue and of course, supporting dozens of local small businesses.

“Henderson & Kane General Store is really just a mom-and-pop-shop right smack in the middle of old historic Sixth Ward neighborhood,”said Veronica. “We’re coming up on our three year anniversary, but the idea started about eight years ago when I first met my husband.”

Veronica recalled when John first brought her to the vacant storefront. As a former architect, seeing old buildings and their potential is always a win for her. Though, when John expressed his desire to turn it into a barbecue shop/general store, Veronica had her doubts

“I looked around and I thought, ‘Well, this is going to take a lot of money. I don’t know that this is going to work,’” said Veronica.

The project was sidelined for several years as John moved to New York to open a barbecue restaurant. When he returned to Houston, the two eventually found their way back to the storefront and got to work on making their dream a reality.

“My husband runs the pits every day, and my little brother Jesse pretty much runs the rest of the kitchen,” said veronica. “Sometimes I feel like we’re just at home entertaining or playing together when we’re here in the kitchen. It’s very comforting.”

And aside from offering killer barbecue, pastries and coffee, Henderson & Kane is a purveyor of hundreds of carefully curated locally sourced products. From grocery staples like milk, eggs and bread to unique finds like Golden Milk Turmeric Latte mix and brisket tamales, it’s a one-stop-shop for high quality goods.

“One of the things that just stays in my head more than anything is the diversity in the products that we carry. Just so many female-owned businesses, minority-owned businesses,” said Veronica. “When you’re in this store, you find that the customers have really grown to trust you and trust what you’ve selected to be on the shelf.”

Building those relationships with both vendors and customers has become Veronica’s passion. As the shop keep, she takes pride in discovering small businesses, getting to know the owners and supporting them by carrying their products in the store.

“You find people trying things that they may never have tried before, and they really come in here with an open heart, which is pretty incredible,” said Veronica. “It’s really allowed a lot of those businesses to flourish, I think.”

Many of Henderson & Kane’s customers are first won over by their delicious food offerings. Chef de Cuisine Jesse Gallegos shared their recipe for cream corn, a tasty side dish that is perfect for your next barbecue backyard cookout.

HENDERSON & KANE’S CREAM CORN

Ingredients:

  • 4 oz Butter
  • 10 oz Cream Cheese
  • 1 diced jalapeno
  • 1 diced poblano
  • 1.5 cup Milk
  • 1 tsp White Pepper
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 6.5 cups corn

Directions:

  1. In a medium pot, combine, cream cheese, milk, jalapenos, poblanos, white pepper and salt; raise to low-med heat
  2. Once cheese has melted and is warmed through, add corn
  3. Mix well to combine corn through cheese mixture
  4. Continue to heat and stir for 25 - 35 minutes until corn is heated fully through
  5. Taste and adjust salt if necessary
  6. Transfer to a pan and serve!

In celebration of its three year anniversary, the team at Henderson & General Store are putting on a fun scavenger hunt that showcases some of their products and vendors.

  • Henderson & Kane General Store 715 Henderson Street, Houston, TX 77007
  • Friday July 9 - Tuesday July 13
  • 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

For more information or to connect with Henderson & Kane General Store, visit their website here.


About the Author:

Olivia Kolanek is the Features Producer of KPRC 2's Houston Life. She joined the KPRC family in the summer of 2019 after working in non-profit communications for three years. She is passionate about creating content that features good people, good food or a good story. Olivia is a University of Houston alumna, Audible junkie and scuba novice.