Where to eat & drink
Sea Ranch Restaurant & Bar
Island institution 34+ years; wild-caught Gulf seafood and steaks at Sea Ranch Marina, weekend brunch. Cooks your catch (call ahead).
Blackbeards' Restaurant
Open since 1978; burgers, seafood platters, ribeye sandwich; closed Tuesdays. Cook your catch: $14.75/person with two sides (fish cleaned and scaled, up to 12 oz/person).
Dirty Al's
Bait-stand-turned-restaurant since 1986, famous for fried shrimp and po-boys. Cooks your catch.
Daddy's Cajun Kitchen & Seafood Market
Crawfish etouffee, boils and surf & turf with an attached seafood market. Cooks your catch.
F&B South Padre Island
Modern American with a coastal flare; frequently changing chef-driven menu. Cooks your catch, fish or lobster.
Henrietta's Bayfront Restaurant
Waterfront dining on the Laguna Madre in the south entertainment district: seafood and steaks, craft cocktails and a wine list, indoor and patio seating. Cooks your catch.
Ceviche Ceviche
Counter-serve build-your-own ceviche with Gulf shrimp and mahi and 20+ toppings; the island's ceviche specialist.
Grapevine Cafe & Coffeehouse
Longtime breakfast and lunch favorite with an on-site coffee roaster; closes at 3 pm.
Yummies Bistro
Known for omelettes, crepes and specialty coffee.
Cafe Karma
Locals' coffee stop with espresso, smoothies and homemade brownies.
Laguna BOB
Bayside bar with seafood, cocktails, sunsets and nightly live music.
Louie's Backyard
All-you-can-eat prime rib and seafood buffet plus sunset bar, sports bar and nightclub. Cooks your catch.
Lobo Del Mar Cafe
Waterfront restaurant and bar with live entertainment and sunset bagpipes.
The Meatball Cafe
Homemade Italian since 2015, pastas made fresh daily.
Tom & Jerry's Beach Club Bar & Grill
Home of the Indoor Beach Party: burgers, onion rings, trivia and sports. Cooks your catch.
Gabriella's Italian Grill & Pizzeria
Family-owned brick-oven pizza, lasagna and seafood alfredo.
Señor Donkey (Big Donkey)
Shrimp enchiladas, fajitas and margaritas, open daily.
Jake's Restaurant & Bar
Serving fun since 1982; weekend breakfast and daily happy hour.
Longboard Bar & Grill
Waterfront with live music daily and Friday fireworks; open to 2 am weekends. Cooks your catch.
Coconut Jack's
Casual bayside bar next to Louie's with burgers, seafood and sunset views.
Nautico Island Grill
From the Amberjack's / Jim's Pier family; Mexican-fusion seafood and cook-your-own-catch.
Josephine's Kitchen
All-day breakfast and lunch from scratch, 7 am to 2 pm.
Liam's Steak House & Oyster Bar
Father-and-son fine dining with oyster bar and water views. Cooks your catch on request.
Padre Island Brewing Company
Island brewpub with house beers, pizza, ribs and seafood. Cooks your catch.
Cafe on the Beach (The Palms)
Gulf-front cafe serving breakfast through dinner year-round. Cooks your catch.
Viva
Fresh, local-ingredient menu on the water at the former Painted Marlin site. Cook your catch: $50/person up to 1 lb, blackened, grilled or fried, two sides.
Isla Balli
Brunch spot with Gulf-inspired Mexican dishes, mimosas and cocktails.
Mahi Nic
Outdoor waterfront counter for blackened mahi sandwiches, fish tacos and frozen drinks. Cooks your catch.
Taquitos Locos
Street tacos open 5 pm to 2 am.
Tequila Sunset Bar & Grill
Bayside bar known for margaritas, live music and sunset views.
Barry's Bistro Bar & Grill
Fusion menu from Italian to Tex-Mex; Barry's Beach Bar next door.
Ayy Miguel
New in 2026 from the White Sands team; big portions, bar and live entertainment.
Windjammers Beachfront Cafe (Isla Grand)
Isla Grand's Gulf-front dining room with nightly seafood specials and weekend breakfast buffet.
South Padre Crab Box Co.
Casual crab-box seafood boils with corn, potato and sausage.
Pirate's Landing
Waterfront spot by the Port Isabel lighthouse; breakfast through dinner daily. Cook your catch: $9.99/person up to 1 lb, two sides; bring it cleaned and thawed.
Joe's Oyster Bar
Old-school fish market and eatery with oysters, fried seafood and po-boys.
Dirty Al's Pelican Station
Dirty Al's Port Isabel location in the historic Pelican Station building. Cooks your catch.
Marcello's Italian Restaurant & Lighthouse Pub
Scratch-made Italian on Lighthouse Square. Status to confirm before launch.
Isabel's Cafe
Homemade-tortilla breakfast tacos and cheap Mexican lunches; closed Thursdays.
El Papa's
Family-owned Mexican cafe with coastal touches like ceviche and mole enchiladas.
Clayton's Beach Bar & Grill
The biggest beach bar in Texas; concerts, Sandcastle Days, spring break stage.
Coral Reef Lounge
Locals' bar with live music early and karaoke most nights until 2 am.
Upper Deck Hotel & Bar
Adults-only hotel bar with nightly acts and karaoke.
Wanna Wanna Inn Beach Bar & Grill
Open-air beach bar with burgers, fish tacos and afternoon acoustic sets.
Barry's Beach Bar (Hilton Garden Inn)
Gulf-side bar with a free weekend afternoon music series.
Parrot Eyes Restaurant & Bar
Bayside bar with watersports rentals, live music and sunset views. Cooks your catch; discount if you fished out of Parrot Eyes.
Bar Louie
Chain gastrobar with martinis, burgers and late hours.
Kelly's Irish Pub
Pub with darts, pool and occasional live music.
The Rockin' Cigar Bar & Grill
Cigars, cocktails and live music.
Quarterdeck Bar & Nightclub (Isla Grand)
Resort nightclub with dance bands and DJs until 2 am.
Mariluna Beach Bar (Courtyard by Marriott)
Hotel beach bar with weekend DJ afternoons.
Doubleday's Sports Bar & Grill
Family-friendly sports museum, bar and grill with 25 TVs, daily food specials, free billiards with an open tab and karaoke nightly.
Hopper Haus Bar n Grill
Port Isabel bar with regular live acts.
Captain's Cove Oyster Bar
New in 2026 on the Laguna Madre next to Parrot Eyes: Gulf and East Coast oysters, seafood tower, tropical cocktails; weekend brunch 11–3. Cooks your catch.
Rocotto Grill
Nikkei-style Peruvian and Japanese grill, daily 11–10.
Kohnami Sushi & Japanese
Sushi, teppanyaki and a full bar.
D'Pizza Joint
Pizza, pasta and sandwiches; dine-in, to-go and delivery.
El Chilango Taqueria
Mexico City-style tacos, breakfast all day. Confirm still open.
Sunrise Bakery
Family-owned croissants and pastries with espresso, mornings only; closed Mondays.
Karma Coffee & Books
Sister shop to Cafe Karma: espresso, pastries, boba and 16 ice cream flavors.
Milo's Coffee House
Dog- and kid-friendly patio cafe, daily 7–2.
Daisy's Deli & Pantry
Sandwiches, salads, dips and a gourmet pantry.
Berry Divine Acai Bowls
Acai bowls and smoothies.
The Baked Bear
Build-your-own cookie ice cream sandwiches.
KIC's Ice Cream
Blue Bell scoops, shakes, sundaes and soft serve.
Snow Buddies
Shaved ice and raspas on the north end.
Dairy Queen
Blizzards and Grill & Chill.
Coco Beach Bar (Coco Beach Hotel)
The former Boomerang Billy's, now the Coco Beach Hotel's beachfront bar.
LandShark Bar & Grill (Margaritaville)
The Pearl is now Margaritaville; LandShark is its beachfront restaurant.
Salty Rim Bar (Margaritaville)
Swim-up bar at the Margaritaville pool.
Joe Merchant's Coffee (Margaritaville)
Resort waterfront cafe.
Las Olas (Peninsula Island Resort)
Beachfront hotel restaurant and bar.
Denny's
The island's main overnight option, open 24/7.
Tropical Smoothie Cafe
Smoothies, wraps and bowls.
Southern Wave Sunset Dinner Cruise
Sunset dinner and drinks cruise on the bay, sails from the Palm St dock.
Island Food Truck Park
Rotating trucks and live music. Confirm address before launch.
Josephine's Kitchen 2 & Coffee Shop
Port Isabel sister of the island Josephine's.
Los Tortugo's Seafood Market
Local seafood market with a full fried-shrimp-and-oysters menu. Cooks your catch; also known for ceviche.
Will & Jack's Burger Shack & Beer Garden
Burgers and an outdoor beer garden near the lighthouse.
White Sands Restaurant & Bar
Marchan's motel and marina restaurant on the water. Cooks your catch after a day on the water.
The Signature Grill
Full-service grill south of the causeway.
Leo's Grill
The only Indian restaurant in the area.
Unruly Cactus Books & Coffee
Espresso, tea, books and gifts.
Lighthouse Boutique Cafe
Cafe inside the Lighthouse Boutique Hotel, across from the lighthouse.
Chilo's Cheesecakes
Handmade cheesecakes.
Davey Jones Ice Cream Locker
Old-school scoop shop next to Pirate's Landing.
Yogo Yogurts & More
Frozen yogurt on Lighthouse Square.
Beach Bowls Superfoods
Acai and smoothie bowls.
Scarlet's Crepas & Snacks
Sweet and savory crepes.
Los Cabos
Neighborhood Mexican restaurant.
Mexiquito Restaurant
Mexican breakfast and lunch.
El Jefe
Mexican restaurant on Queen Isabella Blvd.
J & Bubba's Bar & Grill
Local bar and grill; Taqueria Los Nava shares the address.
Shark Tank Lounge
Lounge with Don Nato Bakery inside.
Tex Best Kitchen
Tex-Mex kitchen on the west side of town.
Fruteria R&R
Fruit cups, aguas frescas and snacks.
Russo's New York Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen
Hand-tossed New York pies, calzones, pasta and Italian entrees; dine-in, delivery and online ordering.
Cebicheria del Dia
Ceviche-focused seafood counter in the 410 Plaza; Peruvian and Mexican styles.