Nice Restaurants In Galveston?

[Javi]

Hey all. Looking to take the wife to a nice restaurant - along the seawall if at all possible. Is there one around? Italian is preferred, and seafood is out of the question.

I'm also looking to possibly stay there as well. Any recommended hotels?

[pineda]

Fish Tales on the Seawall, hands-down best oysters and martinis I've had anywhere, ever! The rest of my group loved everything they ordered, too. Interesting place that has a lot of character(s) to boot. Enjoy your trip! menu

[MidtownCoog]

I have never been to this location but:

Mario's Italian & Seafood Restaurant - Seawall

628 Seawall Blvd Galveston TX 77550 409.763.1693

[tmariar]

It's on the Strand and not on the Seawall, but you can get Damian's-style Italian at Luigi's. I've had some nice meals there.

[musicman]

go with luigi's. it is great.

[marmer]

Marios is quite good and has a nice seawall view. They have plenty of non-seafood choices. If you want Italian along the seawall it is by far the best choice (we go there almost every time we go to Galveston.) Never been to Luigi's. DiBella's is also a good, old-fashioned red-sauce Italian restaurant. (1902 31st Street, Galveston, TX 77550-7657)

[ToryGattis]

I know you said "no seafood," but my favorite is Saltwater Grill across from the Opera House. Does have non-seafood entrees, including pasta dishes. Highly reviewed at CitySearch.

[Porchman]

No seafood, huh? I guess the sushi at Skybar is out then.

Rudy and Paco's on Postoffice is a favorite. (Note the dress code: No shorts at dinner).

Luigi's is great. The Merchant Prince at the Tremont is very good. The Steakhouse at the San Luis is nice (if you just want steak).

As far a s lodging, Mrs. Porchman and I like staying at the Holiday Inn at the San Luis Resort. It's a lot cheaper than the San Luis Hotel and you can get a gulf view without being right on Seawall Blvd.

If you're there for a longer time and really want to take in the water, the Galvestonian on the east end is great. No busy seawall traffic between you and the water, and you can watch the Ship Channel traffic. It's pricier than a hotel room, but you can chill your own wine and cook your own meals. Good beach walking down there, too.

[HoustonRealtor]

DiBella's is also a good, old-fashioned red-sauce Italian restaurant. (1902 31st Street, Galveston, TX 77550-7657)

I'll second that. The last time we were in Galveston, we asked the Visitor's Center for suggestions. We were there as a group of 8 for a few days and wanted to try some different places. When I asked for an Italian suggestion, I specified that I wanted to know where the locals go, not an Olive Garden or the like. The woman told me her favorite was DiBella's. It's not on the seawall, but don't let that be a deal breaker. Everyone enjoyed their dinner. The restaurant has been around for many years in an old house. Almost all the parking is on the street, which can be a little of a chore. The only thing to note is that they only accept CASH. Luckily, the lady at the Visitor's Center told me so that we weren't caught off guard.

[rhino]

I stayed the weekend in Galveston last month with some friends and found some good spots you might consider.

We stayed at the Tremont House downtown, and we loved it. It's a really nice place, and it didn't have that big chain feel to it like so many places. We walked across the street to Speculoos for breakfast every morning also.

As for dinner, we had a nice meal at Gaidos on the seawall, but it seemed to be mostly seafood there. We had a good meal at Mario's on the seawall, but I wouldn't call it a fancy restaurant though. It may not be what your after in this case.

[islander]

Here goes the list:

Rudy and Pacos - make reservations

Saltwater Grille

Waterman - down in Pirates' Cove but the best sunset ever

Fisherman's Wharf - downtown along the waterfront, overlooking The Elissa and Seaport Museum

Luigi's

Mosquito Cafe - 14th Street - great for breakfast/lunch/dinner on weekends

Speculoo's - unbelieveable breakfast and pastries - Tremont and Ship's Mechanic Row

Mario's on the Seawall-really good Italian but not fancy or fussy

Shearn's - very nice on the top floor of Moody Gardens Hotel----great place to stay also, especially this time of year with Holiday of Lights

The Steakhouse at the San Luis

Burgers? The Spot on the Seawall

Gaidos is always a mainstay - in Galveston for over 90 years and they do have more than seafood

Although I duplicated some, there really are a number of great restaurants on our island!

[KimberlySayWhat]

I ate at Fish Tales a couple of months ago and had the crab cake sandwich. There was a little shell in there, but otherwise good.

[J.A.S.O.N.]

PALMS M&M RESTAURANT

[islander]

JASON is right - great steaks. My mistake especially when I just had dinner there last week! Also, they have a Japanese Tea Soup that is out of this world!

[TheNiche]

I ate at Stingaree on Bolivar a few weekends ago; not Galveston, I know, but close. Did the infamous all-you-can-eat oysters. But they didn't taste fresh, have the wet and slimy texture that I like, or the slight metallic tinge that is typical of oysters harvested locally. The only oyster dish that passed muster, and I tried them all, were the French Grilled Oysters, and those were frickin awesome.

[plumber2]

Don't rule out Clary's on Teichman Rd. across the street from the Galveston Daily News. The food and service are on par with Gaido's but without the wait. Most of the locals keep this place a secret.

[Timnwendy]

If you get tired of the places on the Seawall, try DiBella's (italian) on 31st street. It's a family-owned restaurant with a long history in Galveston. It's frequented mainly by locals. Sometimes I think they like to keep it a secret all their own. Hint: don't let its appearance fool you, the food is what has kept this place afloat for years.

[Javi]

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. I'll be heading out there with the wife tonight for a nice little dinner and overnight stay.

[Lowbrow]

I lived in Galveston for 6 years back in the early 90s. DiBella's was a weekly occation, Clary's was for dates (much better than Gaidos in my opinion... Clary used to work for Gaidos many years ago). For more casual dining I also like Cafe Michaelburger... although they may have removed all the geat german food from thier menu by now. For seafood the Captian's Table used to have a great Stone Crab Claw night with all you can eat. The best pizza/calzones were found at Ginos around 51st or 53rd street back behind the fort crockett/San Luis hotel area

There used to be an italian restaurant somewhere near 21st and strand that was known for the perfect date. It was named after the italian diva lady that ran the place (a painting of her young nude form used to hang above the OGC bar... for those of you that remember the old speakeasy)...that I have forgotten, she gave the best personalized service and the food was wonderful. My guess would be that she has passed by now and the establishment is gone.

I did hear that the Skybar sushi place got a wonderful writeup in the New York Times. A friend says it is the best sushi in the Greater Houston Area.

[PapillionWyngs]

So - where did you end up staying, and eating?

We've stayed at the Tremont and Moody Gardens. Just trying to see if there is something else nice out there.