Rio Grande Valley
These are, without hyperbole, some of the best tacos we've ever eaten. The meat is juicy and perfectly seasoned, the tortillas fresh, the salsa piquant…
Must-see restaurants in Gulf Coast & South Texas
Corpus Christi Area
The fine dining room at the Tarpon Inn is worth getting spiffed up for. Reserve a table on the verandah and settle back to enjoy a seasonal menu of…
Gulf Coast & South Texas
You'll probably pass by a couple of times before you find it. The corner-store vibe isn't immediately convincing, but after tasting one (or a few) of the…
Coastal Plains
Close to the Fannin battleground site, this small roadhouse is loved for its sweet and savory barbecue and especially the buttery, tender beef brisket…
Rio Grande Valley
Six days a week, superb food pours forth from this tiny, ubernondescript family-run restaurant just off the historic square. Walk through the barely…
Coastal Plains
The homemade shells, fantastic salsa and delicately spiced meat here make for what may be one of the best taco plates of any Tex-Mex joint in the state…
Galveston
This excellent importer and spice market also happens to serve the best muffulettas and Cajun food in town, at tables crammed between the shelves. On…
Gulf Coast & South Texas
Ask for recommendations on where to eat in Port Isabel, and this combination fishmonger and restaurant is the most common suggestion by far. It makes a…
Galveston
Run by the same family since 1911, Gaido's is a Galveston favorite. Expect vast platters of no-compromise seafood (oh, the oysters, raw or cooked…) served…
Rio Grande Valley
Ms G herself arrives every morning at 4:30am to make the region's best flour tortillas for her deceptively simple tacos. Options are numerous, but you'll…
Rio Grande Valley
Tacos, flautas, tostadas and beans. That's it. Yet they're so good they've been voted the best tacos in the Rio Grande Valley several times, and the small…
Corpus Christi
This very welcoming, no-nonsense Mexican diner serves high-class food at great prices. Breakfast starts early, with orders from $2.15, but even if you can…
Rio Grande Valley
A small menu of healthy, filling breakfast and lunch choices completely offsets (in calorific content, of course) the tempting desserts on display in this…
Gulf Coast & South Texas
Owned by an ex-daughter-in-law of the original Sartin restaurant family in Sabine Pass, this casual Nederland outlet is famous for its barbecued crabs…
Larry's French Market & Cajun Restaurant
Gulf Coast & South Texas
Larry's has a real Louisiana vibe. You can't get more authentic than this rustic restaurant and dance hall. During lunch the local specialties – including…
Corpus Christi
A character-filled throwback to the days when drugstores all had lunch counters, this is the real 1960s deal. Sit on a barstool or in a tiny booth and…
Corpus Christi
Great coffee is a given in 'too cool for brewed' Corpus, but this daytime-only cafe is also much loved for excellent breakfasts, creative salads,…
Corpus Christi Area
This lively, ramshackle eatery always packs a crowd. There is an á la carte menu, but you should probably just order the Hungry Cajun ($16), a tabletop…
Galveston
The historic building may be elegant, with fern-studded colonnades and high wood ceilings, but the tasty comfort food and counter service are down-home…
Gulf Coast & South Texas
Serving up Americana classics in a restored building and decorated with historic photos of Orange, this is a place to celebrate modern cuisine and local…
Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi's own entry in the burger-chain wars, Whataburger got its start in town in 1950. This location, with its view of the marina, wears much of…
Gulf Coast & South Texas
This is a rustic classic, and a lot of fun. Mountains of shellfish plus potatoes, sausage and corn are dumped in a pot full of boiling water, then they're…
Gulf Coast & South Texas
Ask for a table out on the back deck to watch the shrimp boats coming and going as you wait for one of Moondog's huge burgers or Tex-Mex plates, or come…
Gulf Coast & South Texas
The finest dining locally. Look for creative takes on seafood at this stylish little place that doubles as an art gallery. The local special, grouper, is…
Galveston
This casual branch of Gaido's, in the self-same seafront building, is also more fun. It basically serves much the same fresh fishy ingredients, but fries…
Rio Grande Valley
At the top of a small nightlife district in the historic district, the Patio is popular for after work happy-hour drinks from the huge wine list that…
Galveston
The seafood is pretty good, especially the inclusion of Greek ingredients that sets it apart from competitors in the area, but really you're here for the…
Corpus Christi Area
Separated from the sea by just a short rolling lawn, this low-slung clapboard inn is legendary for its vast platters of fried, broiled or boiled seafood…
Corpus Christi
Busy all week because of the huge and changing selection of fresh seafood, much of it not deep-fried, and there's a 'playa' menu for those that lean more…
Rio Grande Valley
Steaks that would make any Texan proud, served in a historic Victorian house (also the west wing of La Posada) just off San Augustín Plaza. It's on the…
Gulf Coast & South Texas
Though the location has changed numerous times, Patillo's has been a mainstay of Beaumont's food scene since 1912. The beef links use a local southeast…
Rio Grande Valley
The upscale chain of the Taco Palenque empire features an airy main dining room and a huge terrace. The menu is ambitious and features a broad range of…
Corpus Christi
One might be forgiven for mistaking this place for a dive bar, and it isn't far off after dark, but it also happens to serve up some of the best burgers…
Gulf Coast & South Texas
The steady 'patting' sound you hear comes from the ladies in the back room making flour tortillas. Everything is dead simple here, including the decor,…
Rio Grande Valley
Inside the lobby of the La Posada Hotel, the Zaragoza offer a more casual fine-dining option. Chef Alberto Gutierrez specializes in fusion fare that…
Corpus Christi Area
Home cookin' by chef and proprietor Avery Hernandez comes cheap, but such is the quality and the friendly vibe that crowds keep coming back. The lunch…
Gulf Coast & South Texas
It's been dishing out seafood in SPI since 1978, and while the large servings and quality speak for themselves, the huge outdoor terrace certainly isn't…
Galveston
Fancy burgers and fries with casual counter service were popular enough in Houston to convince this local chain to branch out to Galveston. If you can't…
Rio Grande Valley
The tacos at this roadside shack are so good that cars line up down the street – literally. Breakfast tacos (till 11am) are an unbelievable 89¢, but even…
Corpus Christi Area
Besides capsules with cold and flu remedies and a slew of knickknacks, this pharmacy serves up a time capsule in the form of an authentic soda fountain…
