South Padre Island - Eats

A plate of potato salad with chopped cucumbers, red onions, and yellow corn, served on a ceramic plate on a wooden table.
A frozen cocktail with a red and white slushy appearance, garnished with a lime wedge, served in a clear plastic cup with a straw, on a yellow table at a restaurant or bar.
A person holding a large burger with lettuce, onion, and a beef patty, with a side of French fries, ketchup, and pickles on the table.
Fried fish sandwich with French fries, served with dipping sauces and a side of tortilla chips.
A bowl of poke salad topped with diced avocado slices, served with two bottles of creamy dressing or sauce on a wooden table.
Five shot glasses of beer arranged in a row on a wooden table, with the first glass containing a dark stout garnished with a lemon wedge, and the remaining four glasses filled with different types of beer in varying shades from pale to amber.

Viva

This restaurant gives “boardwalk bodega” vibes with it’s open-to-the-ocean floorplan and indoor/outdoor seating. The menu is on the smaller side, but it is packed with options including a good vegetarian selection. There is also a full bar in the restaurant and an extensive cocktail menu. My husband ordered the cauliflower tacos and absolutely loved them. I can tell when he loves the food because he doesn’t talk the entire time he’s inhaling his food. Let’s just say it was a quiet meal. I can’t lie, I cleaned my plate as well. It wasn’t that the portions were small, the food was just that amazing. There are a few dessert options, but we went with the tres leches cake. It was absolutely decadent. We cannot recommend this restaurant enough when you are visiting South Padre Island, TX! This was out favorite experience of the trip.

5 star experience

Honorable Mention to Sunrise Bakery

This is an adorable little bakery on the main road of the island. We stopped there on our way out of town for a pastry and coffee and we highly recommend you do the same! The pastries are delicious and the coffee is better than anything you can get in your hotel or at fast food. We arrived around 11am and they still had a few pastries left, but not the full selection you see online so GET THERE EARLY!

Inside a modern restaurant with light wood tables, black and beige chairs, swinging pendant lights with fringed shades, and large windows showing a sunny outdoor patio.

Padre Island Brewing

After our walk on the beach, we were looking for drinks and a snack before we went back to the hotel for a bit. We found Padre Island Brewing and saw it was also a restaurant so we wanted to try it. The vibes in here are “country kitchen” than brewery, but it was cute. There’s indoor or outdoor seating, but it’s not close enough to the beach to have a beach view.

The menu is extensive in comparison to the other places we visited, but they also had the largest selection of vegetarian options. We also noted that any vegetarian substitutions have no additional charge. Since we were just looking for a snack we got the pretzel appetizer and the fried pickles/cheese curds combo appetizer. The pretzel was dissappointing since it is literally a pretzel with a slice of square cheese melted over the top. The fried pickles and cheese curds, however, were amazing. There are 5 beer options and of course we ordered a flight to taste all of them. I enjoyed the stout and wheat options and my husband enjoyed the IPA’s and blonde. We did think they all tasted a bit watery. Average beers, but good for the price.

There was nothing that had us overly excited that we stopped by, but it was a good snack stop for the price. If you’re looking for some cheap diner food and beer, this is a solid option.

3 star experience

A tall glass of pale pink cocktail garnished with a lemon wedge and a slice of grapefruit, served with a black straw on a wooden table at an outdoor seating area.
Three soft taco shells filled with seasoned meat, shredded cheese, chopped green onions, lettuce, and purple cabbage, served with lime wedges and two small bowls of green sauce and orange sauce.
Plate with rice, a lemon half, and three pieces of fish topped with diced vegetables and herbs.
What is there to do on South Padre Island?
Nighttime outdoor restaurant with colorful tables and chairs, including yellow and blue chairs, a patio heater, and a drink with a lemon wedge on the table in the foreground.
A slice of cheesecake on a white plate decorated with chocolate writing that says "SMILE" and various dots of chocolate and red sauce, garnished with a pink orchid flower.
A plate of tortilla chips with a halved avocado topped with pomegranate seeds, chopped onions, and cilantro.

Landshark Bar and Grill

After a 7 hour drive to the island, we were ready to crash and relax in the hotel room. The Landshark Bar and Grill was in our hotel so we decided to give it a try. The atmosphere gives “beach dive bar” with a large patio dining area and the biggest fire pit I have ever seen. It’s cozy in its own way and has a beautiful view of the beach.

The menu is on the smaller side with the majority of options being seafood. The only vegetarian option for my husband was substituting a burger patty with a black bean patty, but he was totally fine with that. For an appetizer we ordered the chips and dips. The tortilla chips were most definitely store-bought, but they still tasted good and the house-made dips were amazing. We each got a margarita which were the best tasting things we ordered all night, but they are small for the price. Our entrees were average, there was nothing overly special about them and it was all just somewhat bland. For dessert we ordered the key lime pie and an ice cream and were utterly disappointed. The pie tasted like it had been frozen - don’t get me wrong, it still tasted good, but I can get a frozen pie from the grocery store myself for what it cost per slice at the restaurant. Flavor of the ice cream was freezer burn which made it basically inedible.

Overall, we found this experience to be extremely average. There was nothing overly great or overly bad. Service was fine, food was okay and the atmosphere was expected. For a night in at the hotel, it’s not all bad, but I wouldn’t recommend this if you are looking for a nice date night dinner while on vacation. For reference, our bill was over $115 for; 2 margaritas, appetizer, 2 entrees and 2 desserts. We left feeling like we overspent for what we got.

2 star experience

Cebicheria Del Dia

My husband actually found this little hidden gem online and wanted to try it for lunch the next day. It was empty when we walked in which made me wonder if that was a bad sign, but let me tell you, this place should NEVER be empty! The atmosphere is luxury coastal vibes and I absolutely loved it. It’s warm, cozy and inviting as well as being extremely clean.

The menu consists of ceviche bowls either featured or build-your-own. There are multiple vegetarian options and lots of seafood options. My husband got the cauliflower bowl and I got one of the shrimp options and they were both amazing. This is truly the best food after a day of being outside, it’s cold, fresh and light. Service was friendly and fast. They have limited options for drinks (mostly bottled water), but there is a smoothie place next door so…….

We highly recommend this restaurant if you are visiting South Padre Island!

5 star experience

Where should I stay on South Padre Island?
A white oval plate filled with battered and fried fish pieces on a wooden table.