User Reviews for South Padre Island Restaurants

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Amberjack's Bayside Bar & Grill
Sep 15, 2009 by G.A. from Dallas

Overall Rating: 2
Food:[1] • Service:[6] • Atmosphere:[7]

• Has a good view of the bay at sunset. Nice.
• They need to learn how to cook and serve. Miserable failure.

“Used to be great. Now I would not recommend eating there. Food was cold, not what was listed on the menu. Wait staff seemed to dislike the job or the ownership. Not a pleasant dining experience.”

Amberjacks Bar & Grill Inc
Sep 7, 2009 by JOHN from EL PASO

Overall Rating: 2
Food:[3] • Service:[2] • Atmosphere:[3]

• Looks appealing from outside.
• Not as upscale as they are trying to be.

“After spending 2 hours waiting for a table, our meal was cut short due to a roach crawling on my leg. After reporting it to the general manager, he stated, "it happens," and proceeded to offer me an on the house dessert. The prices are too high for the quality and service of the food, the inner portion of the restaurant was dingy and dirty. All and all, what a disappointment.”

Coral Reef Lounge
Jul 19, 2009 by SGT Garcia from Fort Hood

Overall Rating: 1
Food:[1] • Service:[1] • Atmosphere:[5]

• The people in the bar were in high spirits.

“They are really rude here when they are packed. I would not waste my time on this place. And they don't even mix good drinks and it smells badly.”

Blackbeards Restaurant
Jul 11, 2009 by Guy from Houston

Overall Rating: 4
Food:[2] • Service:[6] • Atmosphere:[5]

• Friendly service.
• Extremely poor seafood.

“The Chefs seafood combo platter consisted of breadcrumbs, breadcrumbs and more breadcrumbs. In between the breadcrumbs there were the occasional overcooked fish. The Pasta Alfredo was bland. The service was friendly; decorations consisted mainly of beer ads and plastic marlins. Not recommended.”

Amberjack's Bayside Bar & Grill
May 22, 2008 by Alex from Houston

Overall Rating: 4
Food:[5] • Service:[2] • Atmosphere:[8]

• Location.
• Food and service.

“Food was not great and service very bad. We asked for fresh vegetable as per the menu and ended up with colorless carrots and no taste veggies. Thankfully my grilled fish was good but my husband one was not. Very disappointed. However, I have to agree on a great location. Too bad the main function as a restaurant is overlooked. Might be okay for a drink!”

Louie's Backyard, Inc
Apr 28, 2008 by Mark Kern from Dallas, TX

Overall Rating: 8
Food:[9] • Service:[8] • Atmosphere:[10]

• Love the BBQ ribs and filet combo.
• Twenty minutes to get a table.

“The best ribs we have ever had. My family loves BBQ ribs and Louie's has the best! The dining room by the grille is a little small but the that comes off it is great.”

Blackbeards Restaurant
Apr 26, 2008 by Judy from San Angelo, Tx

Overall Rating: 8
Food:[8] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[10]

• Waiter was wonderful.
• Shrimp with crab was soggy, to much bread with it.

“Took the advice of the waiter and got the Mexican shrimp cocktail. It was wonderful! Crab stuff shrimp was not as good. It was not what I expected but sure some people would like it. Would only be good if you like breaded shrimp. It was also soggy. Next time I'll just get shrimp and drinks. Staff was excellent.”

Amberjack's Bayside Bar & Grill
Feb 10, 2008 by Laura from Austin, TX

Overall Rating: 10
Food:[10] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[10]

• The food, the price and the atmosphere.
• No negatives.

“My family and I visited S. Padre Island in June of 2006 and 2007 and we will be there in July of 2008. Amberjack's is great! The kids loved it and we ate there twice last time. It is right on the bay and you can see the boats as they go by. It is a classy place for the island.”

Blackbeards Restaurant
Oct 18, 2007 by Rose from Fritch TX

Overall Rating: 9
Food:[10] • Service:[7] • Atmosphere:[8]

• Good food.
• Very noisy.

“The best shrimp salad Ive ever had!”

Blackbeards Restaurant
Jul 30, 2007 by Jessica from Washington DC

Overall Rating: 1
Food:[1] • Service:[4] • Atmosphere:[4]

• Not a thing.
• Worst seafood ever.

“This is the single worst dining experience I have ever had. I wonder if anyone in the kitchen knows how to cook anything without deep frying it. The bottom of the basket of chips had puddles of oil and the seafood all came out in lovely shades of brown. Fried brown. And it was disgusting. Both my date and I ate about 4 bites and couldn't stomach anymore. I would never go back nor would I recommend this place to my worst enemy or maybe I would. Eating at this place would shorten any lifespan.”

Louie's Backyard, Inc
Jul 11, 2007 by Tera from Richmond, KS

Overall Rating: 10
Food:[10] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[10]

• Customer service rocks!
• Our margarita was not very good.

“We vacationed at South Padre Island and we loved Louie's! We visited Louie's twice and they helped make our family vacation very memorable. I would strongly recommend Louie's to anyone close enough to get there! The staff was very friendly and fun. We can't wait to get back!”

Amberjacks Bar & Grill Inc
Jun 27, 2007 by Robynne & Adam L. from Houston,TX

Overall Rating: 7
Food:[10] • Service:[8] • Atmosphere:[6]

• Yummy, will go back again.
• The tables and chairs are out dated. Lack of romantic setting.

“It was me and my husband's first visit to sip, we ate at amberjacks the first night, and we had to go back for more. The Rasta shrimp made our taste buds go crazy. We had blackened snapper that was perfectly cooked. Although the veggies were nothing to write home about. The drinks were awesome, you won't need a second. The atmosphere is very casual, with a local hangout feel. We went to another restaurant the next night (we won't say the Name) that had gotten a higher rating, it had an excellent view, but was very crowded and the food was not nearly as good...”

Blackbeards Restaurant
Aug 21, 2006 by Robin from Lebanon, Indiana

Overall Rating: 10
Food:[10] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[10]

• Great food at great prices. A fun island atmosphere.
• I can't say anything negative, I have only had positive experiences here.

“I have been going to South Padre since 1978 and Blackboard's has always been my favorite place to eat. The service is fast, friendly, and well trained. The food is excellent, priced right and large portions. Everything about the place remains consistent year after year. Great staff, great food! ”

Amberjacks Bar & Grill Inc
Aug 19, 2006 by David from San Antonio

Overall Rating: 3
Food:[2] • Service:[4] • Atmosphere:[4]

• Meal replacement.
• Poor food quality for the price - new management doing a disservice.

“This was my second visit to Amberjack's and it was not a good one. Last year in late August I went to S. Padre for the first time and ate at this restaurant. I was very pleased with the food and the service for the price; so I decided to go back again this year during my trip to S. Padre. Unfortunately I was told by the waiter that they were under new management, and no longer are salads served with the entries Bad idea! The entries were just inexcusable. I ordered Surf and Turf, and the Rib eye was overcooked and had to be sent back, then there was so much fat and gristle in the meat that it practically equaled half of the steak. The shrimp were very small also and cold as ice. My friend had ordered the shrimp platter because last year the shrimp were very large and the portion was outstanding. Not this time, most of them were very small and barely bite size; in fact instead of a dozen large shrimp they came in all shapes and sizes. This time the portions were much smaller on all of the condiments also. The best thing was that the waiter did bring an entire new meal for me with the corrected (fatty steak) minus the shrimp. The price of $51 plus dollars for the meals was unreal for the food provided. Unfortunately for Amberjack's I will not return to their restaurant and will be passing along my opinions to other people I know who plan to vacation in South Padre.”

3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Amberjacks Bar & Grill Inc
Jul 16, 2006 by Amanda from Brownsville, Texas

Overall Rating: 7
Food:[7] • Service:[6] • Atmosphere:[10]

• Watching the sunset from the deck while your eating is very romantic!
• They do not split the bill for large parties, but they will take credit cards from each person. (You just have to do the math yourself.)

“I've eaten at Amber jacks many times with large groups of friends. Though the service can be slow at times, watching the sunset over the bay from the deck is worth the wait. The food is pretty typical and there are diverse price options on the menu. When people come in from out of town, I always take them to Amber jacks for dinner. I recommend making reservation out on the deck for around sunset to ensure the best dining experience.”

La Jaiba Seafood Restaurant
Jul 4, 2006 by Felix from Brownsville, TX

Overall Rating: 10
Food:[10] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[10]

• Tastes good!
• Wish there were more menu items.

“The same Oyster Bar from Brownsville, TX. You will recognize the vinyl red cushioned chairs and booths. The wall decor is always something to see; filled with horse fish, sea stars, and many other fish. I always loved the place mat that shows the different fish of the sea. The shrimp are butterflies, and then lightly buttered. The menu pricing is awesome for the quality and amount. There may not be too many options for the kiddos though. The fish always looks good, and have heard great reviews from family members, but I just can't pass up the shrimp. Enjoy!!”

Amberjacks Bar & Grill Inc
May 19, 2006 by Dina

Overall Rating: 10
Food:[9] • Service:[9] • Atmosphere:[10]

• Beautiful atmosphere and delicious food!
• A little noisy with so many customers.

“After visiting South Padre Island many times, we finally had the opportunity to have dinner at this restaurant. The atmosphere of this restaurant is absolutely breath taking and one of the best places to watch the sun set over the bay. My son, husband and I enjoyed the wonderful food and great staff. Our waiter was friendly and we never had to wait for refills on our drinks. The buffet had the most delicious wild rice and vegetables I have ever eaten and the salad was extremely fresh and crisp. I have to say that the best part was the cheesy and creamy macaroni and cheese. Take the time to visit this restaurant. Beware though, it is often very busy especially during the CRAZY summer months. I would take the time to make reservations. Dinner is the best time to enjoy the sunset. ENJOY!”

2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Amberjacks Bar & Grill Inc
Mar 20, 2006 by Leah from Corpus Christi, Texas

Overall Rating: 1
Food:[1] • Service:[1] • Atmosphere:[1]

• Nothing worst service ever.

“I have never received service like this my whole life. It was the worst experience ever. We had the rudest waiter and nastiest, cold food which made me sick all night. We were there for at least and hour and half and saw our waiter maybe 3 times. Then he added his own tip of $4 to a $19 meal. The buffet had wilted lettuce and ranch for the salad bar cold roast beef which was obviously not kept under the right temperature because it made me sick. After waiting 30 minutes for our ticket so we could leave we decided to go on the deck and take pictures of the boats and our waiter accused us of trying to walk out on our bill. Keep in mind there is no exit on this deck and we had on skirts and high heels so there's no way we could've jumped over. I will never eat here again and I urge you not to either.”

12 of 15 people found this review helpful.

Blackbeards Restaurant
Mar 17, 2006 by misty from independence

Overall Rating: 9
Food:[9] • Service:[9] • Atmosphere:[10]

• I loved the atmosphere and the food was great.
• I didn't like the way they had people that were waiting set up. It was to crowded because that's were everyone goes to eat.

“I've been to South Padre two times already and plan to return this summer. I love it down there and Blackboards is my favorite restaurant down there. Right by everything and great food and service. I love it.”

2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Grapevine Cafe
Dec 28, 2005 by Crystal from Austin, Texas

Overall Rating: 9
Food:[9] • Service:[7] • Atmosphere:[6]

• Fish and Chips and the owner.
• Tex Mex food and our waitress that day.

“Have the all you can eat fish, fries and Cole slaw for $5.95. It was super yummy! We had tex mex another time and nothing was right about it. But, the fish and chips were some of the best I have had anywhere!”

3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Grapevine Cafe
May 7, 2005 by M L . from Austin, Texas

Overall Rating: 10
Food:[10] • Service:[9] • Atmosphere:[10]

“Some of the best food & fishing on the island!”

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Coral Reef Lounge
May 6, 2005 by Doc T . from Brownsville, TX

Overall Rating: 8
Food:[8] • Service:[9] • Atmosphere:[8]

• good service, interesting ambience and clientele
• there was a fight the last time I was there

“a good watering hole karaoke every night hosted by Bear one of the best places to sing”

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Blackbeards Restaurant
Apr 5, 2005 by Missy C . from Greencastle,IN

Overall Rating: 9
Food:[9] • Service:[8] • Atmosphere:[8]

• Food was great! Prices Good. Wonderful Margaritas!
• Tables were to close to each other.

“Food was very good and price was fair. Very good peanut butter cup pie for desert.”

Amberjack's Bayside Bar & Grill
Mar 8, 2005 by Mike L . from San Antonio

Overall Rating: 9
Food:[9] • Service:[8] • Atmosphere:[10]

• Best place to watch a sunset on the bay while dining inside or out!

“The atmosphere is absolutly perfect for watching th sun go down on the bay. The quality of food exceeded my expectations and the price was reasonable. My wife and I have dined there many times on our visit to the island and will continue to do so.”

4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Roma Dolce
Mar 3, 2005 by Tom S . from Iowa

Overall Rating: 9
Food:[9] • Service:[9] • Atmosphere:[7]

• Coffee, gelato (Italian ice cream), cinnamon rolls, free wi-fi

“A nice place to hang out and read your e-mail. Staff is pleasant; cinnamon rolls and other bakery are very nice. Also has great French roast coffee as well as expresso and related coffee drinks. Large number of flavors of gelato. Open until late evening. Shop is on the main street, Padre Boulevard, at the end of one of the large stores catering to vacationers.”

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.