TheReel Deals

Hardcore coastal road-trippers will want to start at this easternmost seafood house owned by the Megas family since the 1950s for a plate of its legendary barbecue crab. Note that the crustaceans—a southeastern Texas coastal specialty—are not actually barbecued but doused in a secret house-made blend of spices and hot fried. Come with asbestos fingers to endure the heat, or maybe just cool down your digits with a cold Shiner longneck.
theschoonerrestaurant.com

There’s love in this dandelion yellow, stilted seafood palace, and it’s not just those boozy Stingaritas talking. The Vratis family has served up big platters of Cajun-style seafood from their marina perch on the Bolivar Peninsula for 40 years. Second-generation owner Brad Vratis buys his seafood locally, which means that shrimp in the étouffée comes off a local boat and the lump crab in the wedge salad is pulled from East Galveston Bay. For peak vibes, snag one of Vratis’ oversized wooden beach chairs on Stingaree’s DownUnder Bar & Grill’s massive wraparound deck to watch the tugs, barges, and fishing fleet lumber by. The epic sunsets, he adds, are free of charge. stingaree.com

What’s the sign that you’re in good hands at Gilhooley’s? The “No Kids” advisory, painted on the back of a dented license plate that’s nailed to a tree. Here’s a spot near enough to the water, studded with scraggly live oaks and pines shading outdoor picnic tables, and blessed with a license-plated ceiling inside a bar adamant about not serving blender drinks. This is all about grownup fun in the key of beer and oysters: raw with saltines and cocktail sauce, fried, in chowder, and baked in creative, savory concoctions over an open fire. And yes, that oversize crab near the door says, “Bite me.” gilhooleystx.com

You’ll be tempted to take a table amid the maritime riot aesthetic that commands the dining room and bar because it’s not every day you can feast underneath a fishing lure the size of a canoe. But the secret weapons of this fishing village’s best-kept secret are the shaded glider-bench tables outside that overlook the pier and a stretch of Galveston Bay. Topwater has its own shrimping and oystering boats, so it’s no surprise that the most popular plates are the fried shrimp and oysters Rockefeller; that’s a pair worth the 45-minute drive down from Houston alone. topwatergrill.com

Boasting bait shop roots, this old-school institution beckons to any visitor bound for the Galveston Island Causeway. Yes, that’s a tiki-style palapa thatch roof you’re walking under to enter the joint, but the bar’s bona fides are pure honky tonk: mismatched walls of paneling and corrugated metal and a low tin ceiling that echoes the clacking of balls on the pool table just to the right. The blackened fish tacos are a crowd favorite, but regulars tout the half-pound house burger if you want a little turf with your surf. 409-935-9050

Tucked away in a brightly painted brick shack just a block from the seawall is this must-stop in Galveston. Here, sustainable and locally sourced seafood gets surprising Asian and Mexican treatments. The format is a choose-your-gastronomic-adventure where you start with shrimp, catch of the day, or a vegetarian base, all prepared in a myriad of flavor options. Baja means a medley of lime creme fraiche, cabbage, ranchero salsa, cilantro, and “Mexipickles;” Vietnamese-style piles on carrot, tangy nuoc mam sauce, Thai basil, and other fresh herbs; and Korean is punched up with gochujang, kimchi puree, and sesame seeds. fishcompanytaco.com

When Nick Gaido tells you what to order, you pay attention. Because the 38-year-old is the fourth-generation Gaido to helm the family’s seafood restaurant that has fed and delighted locals, sun-burned tourists, and visiting celebrities for 114 years. That history, from a humble sandwich shop that Nick’s great-grandfather San Giacinto Gaido opened in 1911, is written on the walls of the elegantly old-fashioned dining room in family photos and framed accolades. But the heart of Gaido’s is conveyed through its expansive menu: Creole, southern, and southwestern preparations of Gulf shrimp and oysters, crab, redfish, and scallops when in season. Nick’s order? The creamy, baby-shrimp-studded Watkins Bisque; Texas jumbo lump crab sautéed in butter; red snapper coated in parmesan flour; and a rich pecan pie for the curtain call. It’s a legacy of deliciousness recently recognized by the James Beard Foundation in its “America’s Classics” category. “I think it expresses honestly all the blood, sweat, and tears, all the long shifts and long days and sacrifices employees have made throughout the years, and the memories created with guests,” Nick says. “Without the customers we wouldn’t get such a recognition. What can I say? It’s been amazing.” gaidos.com

Galveston is home to a stand-up roster of terrific seafood joints, but this is the dive of your fever dreams: thatch roof, tropical murals including Blue Hawaii Elvis against a trippy background of floating palm trees, inflatable crustaceans clutching cans of beer, and tables and stools seemingly made from driftwood that’s washed ashore. The drinks go full tropical with specials like the house Shark Bite with two kinds of rums, strawberry puree, and a gummy shark on top. Sadly, after a devastating fire to the interior in February, owners Courtney and Adam Lee are working on rebuilding and reopening to continue offering their fried seafood platters mounded with Gulf shrimp, oysters, and steaming crawfish when in season. 409-443-5525

Crowds queue up at the counter of this former grocer in downtown Galveston for good reason: tender fried shrimp piled into a heaping po’boy with house-made tartar sauce, plus gumbo made from scratch. Then there are the unforgettable aesthetics, including a parking lot that’s more like an outdoor art museum of the weird. To boot, a bright white pelican statue that looks like it might have escaped from a Putt-Putt course; a cinder block wall spray painted with a still life of feisty looking Gulf catch and lures; and a wooden gate sporting a brand-new Shrimp ‘N Stuff mural with one elongated, exoskeleton-clad specimen being showered in lemon juice.
shrimpnstuff.com

The drinks are bluer than the Gulf and the fried calamari are piled as high as the adjacent water tower at Ann and Bob Petty’s sprawling, feel-good hangout right on the broad sands of Surfside Beach. A beachy RV park is part of the complex, giving the place a stay-all-week aura. And there’s a funky family feel to the environs, as Bob likes to stroll the deck and regale guests about his restaurant family. For instance, you’ll probably meet Leo Blanco, who immigrated from Mexico, began work here as a dishwasher, and is now head chef of the establishment. beachfrontdeckbarandgrill.com

Consider this Surfside Beach’s bookend to the sandy embrace of Beachfront Deck Bar & Grill. Exhibit A: a looming highway bridge nearly overhead. Exhibit B: a crawfish boil shelter in the parking lot, recently guarded by a skeleton wearing a T-shirt that said, “Feed me crawfish & tell me I’m pretty.” Exhibit C: The Well, downstairs, an open-air bar on the Intracoastal, with a skull and crossbones painted on one of the walls and repurposed airline seats leaning against it. Afterward, head upstairs to the spiffed up Dive Club part of the enterprise for towering Bloody Marys and fish tacos, just like the locals do. 979-871-4243

The gumbo tastes like your mama made it. And why not? This ramshackle landmark, hammered together with metal and weather-treated two-by-fours, has been doing Cajun seafood right since 1985. After founder Dot LeBlanc died in 2013, her son Mike and his wife, Ramona, took over and kept everything as funky and delicious as ever. Inside, the walls are covered with customer signatures like a 3D yearbook, an ice-filled galvanized tub holds shuck-your-own oysters, and red vinyl chairs cradle folks tucking into boiled seafood. If you don’t mind the humidity, the outdoor patio, shaded by massive sheets of corrugated metal, is commanded by cheery servers who seem to be everywhere at once. Dot would have to smile at her humming, steaming legacy.
theboilingpotrockport.com

Here’s your bird’s-eye view of this fishing-crazy town’s bustling marina: There’s a big, breezy deck painted the color of Lemonhead candy and paper-lined baskets of fried coconut shrimp and crispy shrimp wraps. Nuzzling up to those platters of calamari planks are ice-cold tropical cocktails made with house-puréed strawberries, mangoes, and peaches. Factor in low-key, family-friendly live music à la Jimmy Buffett on the weekends—and you’ll never want to leave.
paradisekeydocksidebarandgrill.com

The name at this Port A spot fits better than ever considering 2017’s Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc and shuttered the family-friendly little dive. Bolstered by an outpouring of community love, Castaway’s washed up across the street and reopened exactly one year later. Locals and annual Port A vacationers love the hand-breaded fried mahi-mahi, oysters, and shrimp, while sport fishermen and their hungry brood bring in catch to have it fried or blackened with a pair of hush puppies on the pooch-friendly patio.
castawaysporta.com

Buckle Up

The Gaff Bar has turned a woodworking staple into an eccentric new sport

OK, there’s no seafood here except anchovies on the pizzas. But what there is at this Port Aransas pirate bar is cold beer, live music, and belt sander racing. Launched by owner Kip Shannon in 2005, The Gaff’s semimonthly Saturday races are a raucous head-to-head competition between decorated and souped-up belt sanders down a 75-foot track. The top three finishers receive cash prizes and medals, as if it were a part of the Olympic Games. Which it should be. 361-749-5970

Sometimes a fisherman does what he has to do. Reeling from Texas’s Redfish Wars over commercial fishing rights in the 1970s, Ernie Butler gave up his life on the water, bought a bait stand and burger joint on Corpus Christi Bay, and opened Snoopy’s with his wife, Corliss, in 1980. Need more proof that an old salt like Butler knows best? Snoopy’s not only boasts a 600-foot fishing pier but an on-site fish house where they bread their own cod, black drum, mahi-mahi, and shrimp. After a near-40-year run, Butler sold his spot to Austin developer Mitchell Kalogridis, but worked with him throughout the 2019 transition to ensure the quality and treasured vibe didn’t change a whit. So, grab a seafood basket and settle in for a gorgeous sunset over Laguna Madre. snoopys.cc

Pose for a photo outside this classic Port A dive with your heads pushed through a painted signboard as a shrimp, crab, or crawfish lounging in a sauna-like kettle. That’s the spirit. Now double down by ordering The Hungry Cajun, which boils up all three (when crawfish are in season), smothers them in seasoning, and dumps them with Cajun-approved aplomb on a butcher-paper-lined table alongside smoked sausage, corn on the cob, and new potatoes. 361-749-5069

An easy walk from the ferry dock from Aransas Pass, FINS is all about lying back, watching the pirate cruise ship next door, slurping icy piña coladas under the open-air bar’s palapa roof, and envying the ultra-fresh “You Hook ’Em, We Cook ’Em” plates that local sport fishermen are digging into. No time to reel in your own dinner? Snag FINS’ catch of the day, often local mahi-mahi, which is grilled, blackened, or panko-breaded and sautéed with garlic butter. finsgrillandicehouse.com

This is the kind of seafood dive you know you’re going to love before you even sit down at one of its sun-bleached tables and ponder whether the boozy Drink of the Week is your opener (pro tip: It is). Beginning in 1991, Mike Astin took about 20 years to build out his dream here, overlooking the USS Lexington on Corpus’ surprising strand of urban beach. The place has that wonderful, cobbled-together feel. There are weathered planks, boat anchors, and a bright red oversize shrimp that seems to curl up in delight over your presence. The menu is as broad as the welcome, such as the seafood boil featuring snow crab served on a well-loved metal tray. And don’t be afraid to bring your best friend: Pier 99 has a canine menu for good boys. pier99restaurant.com

Former shrimper Alfonso “Dirty Al” Salazar’s original seafood dive has grown into seven area restaurants over the past four decades. This original started in 1986 as a bait stand, where he sold tacos for a dollar. But with a son graduating from culinary school, the pair decided to turn the place into a full-fledged restaurant in 2003. At this joint seafood market, you’ll find dazzling display cases stocked with fist-size shrimp brought in by Salazar’s old shrimper buddies; Gulf oysters; and finfish like drum, red snapper, and flounder. Honor the roots of the place with an order of blackened shrimp tacos with house-made pico de gallo and chipotle sauce, or level up with a whole red snapper grilled and served with french fries. And about that nickname? It’s certainly not the place itself, which is bright, clean, and decked out with loads of framed snapshots of pleasure fishing and trophy catches. Salazar won’t say exactly how he earned the nickname—but he always says it with a wry and knowing Cheshire cat grin. dirtyalspi.com

Hidden inside a Ramada by Wyndham & Suites hotel is Mary Ann Peña’s little café where she reinvents Mexican classics that take full advantage of South Padre’s local catch. Don’t miss her Mexican-inflected seafood soup featuring crab, calamari, and a side of house-made corn tortillas. Also of note are the chef’s governor shrimp tacos, which detour from the Sinaloan original with a ranchero sauce crafted with Peña’s own proprietary blend of chiles. 512-507-0185

The magic behind this turquoise-walled joint across the causeway from SPI in South Texas, is the bona fides of the people behind every fishnet-bedecked wall. Helmed by a local shrimping family, Los Tortugos is a combo restaurant/market colorfully displaying the freshest shrimp, snapper, drum, and grouper on beds of crushed ice. Owner José Cuevas’s famous ceviche recipe—a lime-marinated amalgam of shrimp, squid, and finfish—is so confidential, he won’t even tell his daughter, Ana Garcia, who works alongside him. 956-943-5602