Food & Beverage

Local Restaurants in Corpus Christi Where to eat? SOOOO many choices! Corpus Christi is home to amazing, locally owned restaurants! You will find beach vibes, upscale options, family fun dining, and some of the best food in Texas! This list is separated by locally owned places on Padre Island and locally owner places over the bridge in broader Corpus Christi. There are of course many chain restaurants to choose from, but this list will only showcase local eateries. We did the research for you, now all you have to do is decide where to eat! Restaurants on Padre Island Black Sheep Bistro- SOOOOOO Good! Steaks, seafood, speciality dishes; great date night or friends dinner Calypso Drive & Dive- AMAZING food, good liquor selection, spacious outdoor seating for large parties Desserted Island- Ice cream, all the best: BLUEBELL! Doc’s- Seafood and beautiful water views Guajillo’s- Authentic Mexican food and VERY delicious; GF and vegetarian options also Magnolia Grace y Mas- Gelato/soups sandwiches; best ice cream place in town, hands down Meridas- New place in town, great drinks; tapas style Mexican Food Nom’s- yummy Thai food for everyone; generous portions Padre Island Burger Co.- Fav local burger place Padre Island Burger Co.- Fav local burger place Rock & Roll Sushi- Sushi, unique appetizers, and great cocktails Rock & Roll Sushi- Sushi, unique appetizers, and great cocktails Surfside Sandwich Shoppe- GREAT sandwich place and yummy cocktails; kid friendly, games for kids Captain’s Diner- NEW to the island! Breakfast, lunch, and dinner Island Italian- Excellent Italian food and great desserts Restaurants Over the Bridge in Corpus Christi Andy’s Kitchen- Local breakfast fav! Atomic Omelette & Grill- All things breakfast! Especially famous for its omelettes Bien Merite’- Breakfast, lunch, and coffee…all are AMAZING. Especially popular for its homemade croissants! Hester’s- A long time local favorite! Multiple locations that serve both breakfast and lunch. Hester’s- A long time local favorite! Multiple locations that serve both breakfast and lunch. Hu Dat- Delicious Vietnamese food Katz 21- Upscale steakhouse, worth the money! Mimi & Papa’s Kitchen- Good breakfast, also serves lunch and dinner, AMAZING water views. Pier 99- locally famous seafood place on North Beach Railroad Brewing Co.- Wide array of menu options, so many amazing chocies! Sufi Kabob- Excellent Middle Eastern cuisine Tea by the Sea Cafe: Not just food, it is an experience!!!! Serves high tea and lunch; local fav!! The Blue Clove- High quality seafood served, along with a wide array of menu choices The Post- Great cocktails and American-fusion food; great for parties and celebrations Did we miss any?

GF Menu Round Up Finding restaurants that offer gluten free (GF) options can be a challenge, BUT we are here to help! We gathered a list of local places in Corpus Christi that offer a substantial GF menu selection. In an effort to support local businesses, we featured only local restaurants, but Corpus Christi also has an array of chain restaurants that offer GF options. Corpus Christi boasts a growing food scene, and surprisingly a substantial number of places with GF menu options as well. We did the research for you, now all you have to do is decide where to eat! B&J’s Pizza- Yes, GF pizza! With two locations, a great drink selection, and plenty of TVs to watch the game, this is definitely a great place for families and sports enthusiasts. Doc’s Seafood- Water front dining and delicious food, including a plethora of GF options? This is the place! Their drink menu is pretty great too. Island Italian- Attention all pasta lovers, this local eatery has GF pasta, in addition to other GF entrees. Delicious Italian food, what’s not to love? Z-Counter- This Asian fusion eatery is a local fav. Asian tacos, rice dishes, and many unique specialty dishes are on the menu, and yes, many can be made GF! Guajillo’s- Known for their “Mex without the Tex” dishes, this places offers authentic Mexico inspired dishes and a great number of GF options! In fact, all their sauces are GF. Oh and did I mention, this place is rated in the Top 3 Places to Eat in Texas? Blue Clove Seafood Bar & Grill- Looking for great seafood? Look no farther! This place has many menu options, and just as many GF options to choose from. Hester’s Cafe- Breakfast or lunch, Hester’s has just what you need, from omelettes to tasty sandwiches to desserts. Their GF options won’t leave you feeling like you missed out! Ginger Cafe & Grill- Here, you can expect Mediterranean dishes with international cuisine from Greece to the Indian subcontinent, and an array of GF dishes that are sure to please. BKK Thai Kitchen & Bar- This place is known for its custom cocktails, but their GF menu is also pretty great. There are two locations, and lots of yummy options to choose from. Did we miss any?

Best Places to Get Dessert in Corpus Christi Do you have a sweet tooth? Well, you’re in luck because there are many places in Corpus Christi to indulge your sweetest cravings. Vacation is the time to treat yourself! I visited as many places as I could to help create the perfect list of places that can help you find the perfect place to treat yourself to a sweet treat. It was a hard job, but hey, someone had to do it. Bien Mérité- This little French inspired bakery is AMAZING. I mean it! Baked goods are kinda my thing, so trust me: I have been to a lot of bakeries, and this place has THE BEST croissants. The chocolate almond croissant is my absolute favorite, but they are all delicious. They offer tiramisu, cakes, macarons, and sooooo much more. They also offer a few breakfast and lunch items, and they have a great coffee and tea menu! Tea By the Sea –  In this little cottage style house, each room is thoughtfully transformed into a moody-maximalist, designer space. The aesthetic is on point, and so are the sweet treats and tea! Macarons, cookies, cakes, beignets, and so many other creative little treats are offered here! This place is small, but feels big; and the owner truly does more than make great food, she creates an experience for each and every guest. You really won’t find this experience anywhere else, so make time to treat yourself to tea time! The Coffee Mugg – Attention Harry Potter fans, this place is for you! More than a great coffee shop, The Coffee Mugg offers a great selection of home made sweet treats. They offer adorable Harry Potter themed cookies, muffins, cupcakes, and a wide array of tasty pastries. Go for the treats, and stay for the photo-ops! This place is all things Harry Potter and oh so cute! Desserted Island Ice Cream – Blue Bell is kinda a Texas thing, and Desserted Island #2 can def satisfy your craving for a sweet treat! Treat yourself to practically any flavor Blue Bell has ever imagined, make it a sundae, add sprinkles, or  try one of their brownies, you definitely won’t leave this place hungry. This is a kid favorite dessert stop, so bring the family! Ninja Mochi Donuts – This ninja themed donut place takes donuts to a whole new level. Not only is each donut crafted with the most adorable decorations, they taste incredible! Minion themed donuts, fruity pebble donuts, oreo donuts, and that is just a few of their unique offerings. They also offer home made corn dogs. Now I know that is not on the sweet treat theme of this blog post, but for real y’all: you have got to try one! Magnolia Grace Gelato y Mas – Gelato, in more flavors than you can ever imagine will be found here! So many flavors, the owner has to keep them in two separate cases. This homemade gelato is fantastic, my favorite is the tiramisu and bourbon pecan. They have lots of fun flavors like popcorn, red velvet, jolly rancher, cantaloupe, and so many more!  Here is a little secret: the owner truly believes you should treat yourself and she will literally let you taste every flavor! Sugar Bakers Bistro & Bakery– Homemade pies are hard to find, but Sugar Bakers knows how to do it right. Apple pie, cake, cookies of all kinds…but go early because the dessert case sells out fast! They also have coffee, wine, and a great lunch menu. Southern Style Sweets– Custom cakes, cookies, and other professionally decorated items are the most popular items here. BUT the dessert cases are stocked with cupcakes, beautifully decorated cookies, pies, bagels, and other sweet and savory baked goods. One of my favorite things about Southern Style Sweets are the carefully crafted seasonal creations. There is always a creative treat to grab to match the mood of the season or holiday!