Founded by longtime friends Hung Le and Jay Nguyen, Shrimp Daddy Burgers specializes in shrimp patties, bringing a new twist to the traditional burger experience.
To understand the origins of Shrimp Daddy Burgers, it's important to consider Hung Le's upbringing in the small town of Venice, Louisiana. Located at the southeastern tip of the state, where the Mississippi River meets the Gulf of Mexico, the town lies in the heart of Cajun country, a region where fishing reigns supreme and local seafood is abundant.
"I was just immersed in it," Le says. "My parents immigrated from Vietnam and we moved from San Francisco to Louisiana. It was definitely an adjustment. But looking back at it, I grew up to love it because the food down there is so unique,
everything is grown there, and a lot of the food we eat is seafood. My dad was in the seafood industry — fish, shrimp, crabs and oysters. All of this fresh catch was within walking distance."
Le continues, "You know the saying, 'You don't really miss something until it's gone'? When I moved out here, I was just craving seafood boils, crawfish, crawfish etoufee, red beans and rice, jambalaya, you know. They don't have food like that out here. A big passion of mine has always been cooking so I was just like, I bet I could bring something to the table that nobody else has. I pride myself on trying to be original."
In the midst of the COVID pandemic, Le found himself cooking more than ever and recalls thinking, "What would I sell if I had a food truck?" Although the obvious answer was something with a Cajun influence, Le wasn't sure what that would be, so he began researching.
After quickly discovering that barbecue, tacos and burgers were among the most popular items for food trucks, he knew he wanted to create something that would set him apart. "What's different? What's home?" he recalls thinking. "It's shrimp. Louisiana is the number one place where people consume shrimp. ... I thought, what if I did a shrimp po'boy. But I realized it's kind of what everybody else has been doing."
Sticking with the shrimp theme, Le wanted to create something different but he knew it needed to be fast, efficient and delicious. "For months, I'd go home, peel shrimp, devein shrimp, mince shrimp, adjust seasoning and consistency, and finally, develop a patty," says Le.
After months of trial and error, he perfected his shrimp patty, a labor-intensive creation made with minced and roughly chopped shrimp blended with bell peppers, onions and carrots, then lightly breaded with panko for a perfect crunch. To bring his vision to life, Le reached out to Nguyen, who he met over fifteen years ago while working at a restaurant during college in Louisiana.
"I was just like, 'Hey man, I got some money saved. I could be buying a house, buying a car, whatever, but I really believe in this. I can't do this by myself. I need somebody who's going to back me up,'" Le recalls telling Nguyen who agreed, packed everything up and moved from California to Colorado. The two officially launched Shrimp Daddy Burgers on June 14, 2024.
Shrimp Daddy Burgers offers a concise menu, with each dish crafted to showcase the star ingredient: shrimp. The Classic features the made-from-scratch shrimp patty topped with house-made tartar sauce, American cheese and tangy pickles on a toasted brioche bun. The Deluxe adds lettuce, tomato and onions. Fans of spicy fare gravitate toward the Nashville hot chicken-inspired Hot Daddy topped with tangy coleslaw and spicy oil.
Then there's the Shroom Daddy, a crowd favorite born from a customer's suggestion for a catered event. This shrimp burger combines melted Swiss cheese with garlic butter sauteed portobello mushrooms and onions. "In my head, I was like, I'm not sure if this is going to go well with a shrimp burger. But this is what she wanted for the event. We made it. And honestly, people loved it," Le says. "I loved it. I couldn't believe how good it tastes. ... Between that and the Hot Daddy, it's pretty neck and neck as the most popular items."
The menu also includes waffle fries and mozzarella sticks as side dishes.
Le continues, "You know the saying, 'You don't really miss something until it's gone'? When I moved out here, I was just craving seafood boils, crawfish, crawfish etoufee, red beans and rice, jambalaya, you know. They don't have food like that out here. A big passion of mine has always been cooking so I was just like, I bet I could bring something to the table that nobody else has. I pride myself on trying to be original."
In the midst of the COVID pandemic, Le found himself cooking more than ever and recalls thinking, "What would I sell if I had a food truck?" Although the obvious answer was something with a Cajun influence, Le wasn't sure what that would be, so he began researching.
The Hot Daddy, a play on Nashville hot chicken, is one of Shrimp Daddy's most popular menu items.
Chris Byard
Sticking with the shrimp theme, Le wanted to create something different but he knew it needed to be fast, efficient and delicious. "For months, I'd go home, peel shrimp, devein shrimp, mince shrimp, adjust seasoning and consistency, and finally, develop a patty," says Le.
After months of trial and error, he perfected his shrimp patty, a labor-intensive creation made with minced and roughly chopped shrimp blended with bell peppers, onions and carrots, then lightly breaded with panko for a perfect crunch. To bring his vision to life, Le reached out to Nguyen, who he met over fifteen years ago while working at a restaurant during college in Louisiana.
"I was just like, 'Hey man, I got some money saved. I could be buying a house, buying a car, whatever, but I really believe in this. I can't do this by myself. I need somebody who's going to back me up,'" Le recalls telling Nguyen who agreed, packed everything up and moved from California to Colorado. The two officially launched Shrimp Daddy Burgers on June 14, 2024.
Shrimp Daddy Burgers offers a concise menu, with each dish crafted to showcase the star ingredient: shrimp. The Classic features the made-from-scratch shrimp patty topped with house-made tartar sauce, American cheese and tangy pickles on a toasted brioche bun. The Deluxe adds lettuce, tomato and onions. Fans of spicy fare gravitate toward the Nashville hot chicken-inspired Hot Daddy topped with tangy coleslaw and spicy oil.
Then there's the Shroom Daddy, a crowd favorite born from a customer's suggestion for a catered event. This shrimp burger combines melted Swiss cheese with garlic butter sauteed portobello mushrooms and onions. "In my head, I was like, I'm not sure if this is going to go well with a shrimp burger. But this is what she wanted for the event. We made it. And honestly, people loved it," Le says. "I loved it. I couldn't believe how good it tastes. ... Between that and the Hot Daddy, it's pretty neck and neck as the most popular items."
The menu also includes waffle fries and mozzarella sticks as side dishes.
While Le and Nguyen continue to learn the ins and outs of the food truck business, they love the local food truck community and how supportive everyone has been. "We're just two regular guys chasing a dream," Le says. "We've faced obstacles, but we believe in what we're doing. It's not just about selling burgers; it's about sharing our story and passion with the community."
Shrimp Daddy Burgers is regularly parked at 3670 West 38th Avenue, a spot previously occupied by Kiké's Red Tacos before it opened its brick-and-mortar location in 2023. The truck's typical operating hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday. For more information, follow @shrimpdaddy_burgers on Instagram.
