These 15 Restaurants In Texas Serve The Best Seafood EVER
We might be most famed here in Texas for our knowledge of how to make the most perfect rack of baby-back ribs, but we know our seafood almost as well as our barbecue – and that’s saying something. From fancy, upscale restaurants to hole-in-the-wall joints right on the Taylor Bayou, we’re no stranger to good surf ‘n turf, and we serve up the best no matter what your preference. Here are 15 of the best seafood restaurants in Texas.
1. Crawdaddy's (Corpus Christi)
Crawdaddy's has everything from etouffee to cod with remoulade sauce and cajun coleslaw to coconut crusted shrimp, but the real star of the show is all-you-can-eat crawfish and other sea creatures (accompanied by the standard corn-on-the-cob and boiled potatoes, of course). Such a simple meal, but you really can't go wrong with it. Especially when it's bottomless. To learn more, visit Crawdaddy's website.
2. Charlotte Plummer (Rockport)
Charlotte Plummer has been serving up some of the best seafood around since the 1970's. Kick back with a drink in hand and enjoy your meal with a beautiful waterfront view. The menu is very diverse: PoBoys, flounder stuffed with crab meat, or a huge platter of all the favorites - fried shrimp, oysters, blackened fish, and/or crab cakes. And you can't leave without trying their appetizer pictured above: a tower piled high with lump crab meat, avocado and pico de gallo, served with tortilla chips. Yum! To learn more, visit Charlotte Plummer's website.
3. Pier 99 (Corpus Christi)
It doesn't get much better than a meal with a view of the water (and the USS Lexington!) Pier 99 is the place to go for a fun night out, that's for sure. Live music and the largest patio on the coast is a recipe for a good time - plus delicious food, of course. From gumbo to snow crab to a "family seafood boil" consisting of shrimp, crab, sausage, corn, new potatoes, and toast, your belly and heart will be full at the end of your dining experience. To learn more, visit Pier 99's website.
4. Stingaree (Crystal Beach)
You can't go wrong with choices like stuffed shrimp, fresh gulf fish, Galveston Bay blue crabs, or East Bay oysters And you definitely can't go wrong with a view of where your food came from while you eat! In fact, if you're out on the bay fishing, you can pull your boat up to the marina with your catch and have it cooked up for you right before your eyes! It doesn't get any better than that. Come see why Stingaree is one of the best seafood restaurants in Texas!
5. Pine Tree Lodge (Beaumont)
This restaurant is right on the bayou - if you're lucky, you might see some gators! Just don't get too close! Fried shrimp, oysters, gumbo, blackened tilapia, shrimp and grits...or if you have an appetite bigger than an alligator's, take on this mammoth whole fried catfish and see how long it takes you to get hungry again. There's so much to love about Pine Tree Lodge.
6. Snoopy's Pier (Corpus Christi)
Dinner on the pier...does it get any better? At Snoopy's, it comes with a history richer than buttery oysters. The restaurant is, quite literally, the offspring of the Redfish Wars in the late '70s, a battle over commercial fishing rights. To learn more about their scrumptious menu, visit the official website for Snoopy's Pier.
7. Executive Surf Club (Corpus Christi)
Although not exclusively a seafood restaurant, they sure know what they're doing with their surf 'n turf. Like this shrimp wrap with avocado and a side of hand-battered fries. Yum! Take a trip to Executive Surf Club and try it for yourself.
8. Cap'n Roy's (South Padre)
Cap'n Roy's serves up phenomenal seafood and Mexican food, fused together perfectly or enjoyed separately in their own respective ways. From traditional fried fare to shrimp or blackened fish tacos, Southern Mexican shrimp or fish Vera Cruzano dinners to their signature dish - winning the World Shrimp Cook-Off four years in a row - marinated bacon-wrapped shrimp with pineapple cream cheese and jalapeno, wrapped, rubbed, smoked, and glazed with a sweet BBQ sauce. Is your mouth watering yet? Pay a visit to Cap'n Roy's and indulge in some magnificent eats!
9. Gilhooley's (Dickinson)
You better be hungry for some huge Gulf Coast oysters when you come to Gilhooley's! They serve 'em up in ways you'd never imagine (think shrimp stuffed). But, if you've seen Alice in Wonderland too many times and eating oysters rubs you the wrong way, their etouffee and stuffed crab are to die for as well.
10. Topwater Grill (San Leon)
Topwater Grill has some seriously top-notch seafood, y'all. Whether you're in the mood for a lighter meal of lobster bisque and blackened shrimp tacos, a heartier plate of pecan-encrusted catfish (pictured), or a stick-to-your-ribs dinner of all your fried favorites, you'll find what you're looking for here.
11. King's Inn (Riviera)
Three important things to say about King's Inn: 1) All the fried seafood ever. 2) Avocado salad (because greens cancel out the aforementioned fried food, right?) and
3) Tartar sauce. That is all.
12. The Boiling Pot (Rockport)
If you love Cajun-style seafood - that is, heaps of boiled crawfish, corn, and potatoes - The Boiling Pot is your place. They also have gumbo, red beans and rice, sausage, and blue crab.
13. Gaido's (Galveston)
This famous Gulfside restaurant couldn't be left off the list. Gaido's has been serving up the finest seafood since 1911, so rest assured you'll be given a quality meal with love and passion in every bite no matter what you order. Gulf shrimp, a variety of fresh fish including pecan-encrusted red snapper (pictured), stuffed crab, oysters, and our personal favorite, the jazz martini: a martini glass full of lump crab meat, avocado, and hearts of palm, adorned with shrimp around the rim. Anything and everything you decide on here is a winner.
14. Perla's Seafood & Oyster Bar (Austin)
If you're looking for a relaxing, upscale dinner, Perla's is the place to go. Nestled in Austin's bustling South Congress street, this gorgeous restaurant offers both delicious dishes and vibrant atmosphere. Nothing beats eating a plate of oysters on their twinkle-lit patio. Bring a date and enjoy a lovely evening together! This restaurant will surely dazzle you. To learn more, visit Perla's website.
15. Clark's Oyster Bar (Austin)
In addition to their flavorful lobster rolls and fresh oysters, Clark's serves some of the most addicting french fries around. These thin and crispy fried potatoes are positively mouthwatering, and you won't want to stop eating them. Pair your meal with one of their inventive cocktails, and you have the recipe for a wonderful evening. To learn more, visit the official website for Clark's Oyster Bar.
Have you been to any of the best seafood restaurants in Texas? If so, we want to hear all about your experience! Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. And if you know another amazing eatery in the Lone Star State, nominate it for a chance to be featured.
Craving more mouthwatering meals? Check out this all-you-can-eat Southern food buffet in Texas.
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