Turkey Leg Hut Now Serving Controversial Dress Code
Now more than ever, people have been itching to get into the streets to explore and have fun with those around them. "Going out” is synonymous with dressing up, feeling your most confident and going to the funnest spots. There are no limits on what your look can be — it’s all up to you. For the Houston area, one of the most popular places for a night out on the town is the famous Turkey Leg Hut. Featuring turkey legs the size of your face and drinks to land you on your face, the restaurant has been a proven fan-favorite since its grand opening in 2016. Despite their popularity, the restaurant’s new dress code has caused a mix of reactions across the Black community. While some feel that it’s simply a way for a restaurant to make sure all patrons are comfortable, others see this as an anti-Black attack towards the specific community that contributed to their success in the first place.
In a July 3rd Instagra post,, the establishment announced their new dress code, which prohibits “excessively revealing clothing,” “house attire” such as du-rags or bonnets and “baggy clothing.” The restaurant states that they’re “a family friendly restaurant” and “not a club.” They also state that this is due to the attire of guests seen as inappropriate by other patrons. Still, it’s clear that this change in attire is targeting common items in any Black person’s closet — which brings up the question: who are they trying to cater to?
I remember visiting Turkey Leg Hut a couple of years ago with my family. My younger brothers, mom and I waited under the blazing summer sun to see what all the hype was about. As we entered the tent and sat, tables behind us smoked hookah as explicit rap music played. My family and I didn't react to this scene — we danced along to the music and smiled at those smoking behind us. Yet, it was clear it was not a “family environment. Tons of members of the Black community were out there — and I saw no child. That could have been a day that there were randomly no children there. Even so, it’s interesting that one of the restaurant’s reasons for the new dress code is that they’re “family-friendly,” when it was blatant to me that the environment was for patrons ages 18 and up.
In the midst of Monique dissing bonnets and other restaurants around the country cracking down on wardrobe as well, it’s a bold move for the restaurant to adopt these rules — especially because of its location. Houston is one of the hottest places in Texas. There are going to be people showing skin whether you like it or not. More importantly, the restaurant is also located in the historically Black neighborhood of Third Ward. This is an area for all parts of Black culture, including outward expression such as clothing, to thrive. They are in the Black community and want to reach and feed the Black community. To tell this same community that what they feel most comfortable in is inappropriate is alarming as well as a surefire way to lose customers.
An establishment can dictate how they want it to look and ensure the comfort of their patrons. Despite this fact, you have to know that there will be backlash. Houston restaurants such as Taste Bar + Kitchen have supported and even adopted the same dress code as Turkey Leg Hut. Even so, Turkey Leg Hut has made one thing clear: there is a limit on how Black you can be around their turkey legs.
Madelyn Gee is a Sugar Land native pursuing her Master’s degree on the journalism - professional track at the University of Texas - Austin. She recently graduated from Baylor University with a B.A. in Journalism and a minor in Film/Digital Media. At Baylor, she worked as a staff writer and wrote numerous articles for the "Baylor Lariat" and the "Bundle Magazine.” Madelyn served as the VP of the Baylor chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists. She also wrote 150+ pieces as a Digital Intern for BlackNewsAlerts.com by "UrbanNewsroom." She currently serves as the Lifestyle Writer of Sage Magazine as well as a writer for "BlackPrintATX," "Reporting Texas" and "Black Girl Nerds." Madelyn hopes to have a career as a critic, director, and writer of movies and television in the future.
