Galveston Island is known for a multitude of things. There are hundreds of restaurants and miles or beautiful beaches and beach homes. We even have many historical mansions and museums. One thing however, has always puzzled me. If there are so many seafood restaurants, then why do so little of them provide oysters on the half shell? I’ve done some research and found a few places that actually do provide oysters on the half shell. You’ll be surprised as to how few of the restaurants on the island actually carry them yourself. Today we will talk about these restaurants and other things they have to offer as well as their oysters!
Black Pearl Oyster Bar
The Black Pearl is a restaurant mainly focused on its oyster bar—The name says its all, but also provides grilled options, amazing steaks, and fresh Gulf seafood. One of their oyster options is the Oyster Rockefeller with Spinach cream cheese; the Oysters Haelen, which is topped with bacon, crab meat and cheddar. Lastly there’s the Oysters Diablo with cheddar shrimp, and some spicy diablo sauce! They also provide Po-Boys, which are traditional sandwiches from Louisiana and normal sandwiches. They also carry fresh- garden salads which are absolutely to die for. A few of their specialties include fish tacos, crab cakes, and shrimp. I would recommend the porkchops, ribeye, or a burger to all the meat lovers. Some of the best fresh seafood options include the snapper, salmon, and catfish.
2300 Market St, Galveston, TX 77550
Gaidos Seafood Restaurant
Gaidos is a diverse seafood restaurant which includes farm raised steaks, soups and salads, classic seafood, pasta, and much more. IF you want a farm raised steak, I would recommend either the 14-ounce New York Strip or the 8-ounce Center-Cut Fillet. Both of these dishes are seared with a roasted garlic compound butter that is simply fantastic. I would recommend getting a salad as they have many exotic house-made flavors such as Creamy Onion Garlic and Honey Pecan Vinaigrette. Obviously, I would recommend the Oysters on the Half Shell; they come in a half-dozen and are served on cold ice. For your main course, you should try the Combination Platter. It’s a mix of grilled gulf shrimp, snapper, catfish, and Mahi-Mahi.
3828 Seawall Blvd, Galveston, TX 77550
Landry’s Seafood
You may have already heard of this establishment as it is a mainstream chain restaurant, but their oysters on the half shell are simply wonderful. You can also try the Oyster Rockefeller, which comes with bacon, spinach, cream cheese, and anisette. For your starters, I would recommend fried calamari. It’s a great starter that the whole table can snack on. If you want pasta, you should certainly try the Fried Seafood Platter. It comes with tender fish, seafood stuffed shrimp, deviled crab, crispy shrimp, and oysters. Their steaks are great, but the Filet Mignon is truly special. It is char grilled and comes with a salt-crusted baked potato.
5310 Seawall Blvd, Galveston, TX 77551