Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in Galveston

OpenTable

Updated September 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes in Galveston? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Riondo's Ristorante

4.9

4.9 (1086)

$30 and under

Italian

Galveston

About the restaurant

Riondo's serves a casual lunch and upscale dinner with unmatched hospitality on the strand in Galveston. Riondo's also provides a private banquet room for rehearsal dinners, small weddings and all your special occasion needs. Chef Rico provides housemade pastas, mozzarella cheese, artisan breads and Gulf Coast Fresh Seafood, Wagyu beef and local farm to market produce from Moon Dog farms. Located in the historical Strand District in Galveston, come enjoy a romantic night at Riondos.

Top review

James

Dined 1 day ago

All aspects of our dining experience were outstanding. Our server Nathan was especially pleasant & helpful with our menu selections.

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Popular dish

Tiramisu Crepes

Grotto - Galveston - San Luis Resort

4.8

4.8 (1404)

$30 and under

Italian

Galveston

About the restaurant

Located inside the San Luis Resort Galveston, Grotto offers an Old Country trattoria ambiance & classic Italian cooking with recipes made on premises. Creations include many “Old World” signature dishes such as Neapolitan thin crust pizzas, Snapper Siciliano, Veal Parmigiana, Braised Pork Ragu & Pappardelle, Antipasta, and house-made pastas & fish selections. Enjoy Grotto’s famous Peach Bellini or an extensive collection of Italian and domestic wines while overlooking the pool at San Luis Resort.

Valentine's Day Dinner
Celebrate your love with a romantic three-course dinner with Gulf views, the finest wine, and an intimate ambiance.
($74.95 per person)

Top review

Chad

Dined 5 days ago

The spaghetti bolognese and cioppino are amazing dishes.

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Shrimp & Crab Capellini

BLVD. Seafood

4.8

4.8 (2029)

$30 and under

Seafood

Galveston

About the restaurant

BLVD. Seafood is a new casual dining restaurant on Seawall Boulevard. Featuring fresh seafood and steaks.

Top review

Rick

Dined 1 day ago

The best oysters, Rockefeller on the island, barn. All the food is tasty and fresh.

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Popular dish

Crab Stuffed Shrimp Bites

4.8

4.8 (125)

$50 and over

Steakhouse

Galveston

About the restaurant

Welcome to 1817 Steak & Seafare, nestled in Evia on Galveston Island, where culinary excellence converges with the freshness of sea and land. This upscale dining destination boasts panoramic lake views and stunning sunset vistas. We are committed to a scratch kitchen philosophy, using only fresh, never-frozen ingredients. Each steak is a prime, hand-cut selection from the choicest center cuts, ensuring the finest quality. Our seafood is sourced directly from the Gulf, delivering unmatched freshness. Complement your meal with our extensive selection of craft cocktails, premium spirits, and fine wines.

Due to high demand, we recommend reserving your table at least two weeks in advance. For bar reservations, please call us at 409-765-1817.

Top review

Linsey

Dined 4 days ago

We absolutely loved everything about this place! Friendly staff, great service! The food was excellent! We had a wedge salad, the ribeye , Brussels sprouts and the mac and cheese. We were celebrating our anniversary and they gave us a free dessert, we had the blueberry lemonade cheesecake and it was delicious! We will definitely be back the next time we are in Galveston!

Hearsay on The Strand - Galveston

4.7

4.7 (1460)

$30 and under

American

Galveston

About the restaurant

Located on Historic Galveston Island, our On The Strand location offers an evocative ambiance perfect for unforgettable dining experiences, featuring creative American cuisine and handcrafted artisan cocktails. This coastal resort city boasts top attractions and distinctive museums, providing visitors with truly unique experiences.

Top review

Kathyvip

Dined 5 days ago

It was a great experience. The manager did a great job.

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Popular dish

Texas Charcuterie Board

Popular dish

Charcuterie and Crudité

Popular dish

Crunchy Ahi Tuna Tacos

Willie G’s Seafood & Steakhouse - Galveston

4.6

4.6 (1801)

$31 to $50

Seafood

Galveston

About the restaurant

Recognized nationally as one of the top upscale seafood restaurants, Willie G's® is known for providing the finest and freshest seafood, succulent steaks and unsurpassed service. Located on Pier 21, Willie G’s is Galveston’s most popular seafood destination with waterfront dining.

Top review

Joseph

Dined 7 days ago

Great experience great customer service would eat there again

Waterman's Restaurant

4.5

4.5 (1014)

$31 to $50

Seafood

Galveston

About the restaurant

Waterman's Restaurant is a cozy seafood restaurant overlooking the Galveston Bay. The views from here are absolutely stunning, and the food just makes it even better. It has an extensive bar that offers up an array of possibilities, while the abundance of available seating outside offers up a great opportunity to have healthy conversation with friends and family.

Waterman's Restaurant has a terrific low key ambiance and has been serving seafood to patrons for years. Consider ordering the salmon, which is grilled to perfection and served over a bed of rice, as it comes highly recommended by many. All of this and more is what makes Waterman's Restaurant such a special place.

Waterman's Restaurant offers a waterfront DockBar on the ground level that hosts a comfortable open-air bar with music, dancing and great drinks. Pull up to Waterman's Restaurant via Waterman's Marina on your boat if you so desire. Your boating attire is acceptable and even encouraged.

Top review

Gregvip

Dined on Sep 22, 2024

Great food great service and a view worth driving 300 miles for

Landry’s Prime Seafood & Steaks – San Luis

4.4

4.4 (1332)

$30 and under

Seafood

Galveston

About the restaurant

A Galveston Island mainstay since 1994, Landry's has unveiled a fresh, modern look, where true flavors of Gulf Coast tradition are all about family, warmth and exceptional seafood and steaks. The all-new Landry's Prime Seafood & Steaks is located in front of the famous Seawall in Galveston, Texas next to the San Luis Resort, Spa and Convention Center. Landry's Prime is a waterfront getaway where you can dive into fresh flavors, unique table-side cocktails, happy hour, and spacious private rooms - all fit for any occasion for you and your family to enjoy in Galveston. You'll do enough tasting, laughing and living for an entire lifetime.

Top review

Waynevip

Dined on Sep 25, 2024

It was a quiet middle of the week visit that made it great for me. We had our choice of seating and the waiter was very attentive. Food, service and ambiance were very good.

Joe's Crab Shack - Galveston - Seawall

4.3

4.3 (250)

$30 and under

Seafood

Galveston

About the restaurant

Joe’s Crab Shack offers a variety of favorites from all parts of the sea and shore. From its extensive menu, guests can choose from buckets of seasonal seafood, fried shrimp platters and fish dishes, as well as options from the “mainland” that include steak, sandwiches, and chicken. Guests can indulge in over-sized and creative cocktails, such as the Shark Bite which is playfully garnished with a shark toy. Since its inception, Joe’s popularity has stemmed not only from its menu, but also its retail store. With various pieces of merchandise for purchase, including the ever-popular tie-dye T-shirt with the phrase “Peace, Love and Crabs,” Joe’s has become synonymous with the word “fun.”

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on Jun 26, 2024

Had a great time. Our server was amazing. He was very attentive and quick to fix when a meal was wrong. Food was delicious. Would stop by again!

Fish Tales

4.2

4.2 (842)

$30 and under

Seafood

Galveston

About the restaurant

Located across the street from Pleasure Pier, break away from the beach and enjoy fresh fare on the most popular beachfront balcony on the Seawall in Galveston. Fish Tales specializes in seafood straight from the Gulf of Mexico, as well as pastas, steaks, salads and more. Start with our famous Shrimp Kisses – bacon-wrapped and stuffed with jalapeno Jack cheese. Then savor Galveston seafood by trying one of our signature dishes like Fresh Catch Redfish, Fried Shrimp, Blackened Stuffed Catfish Etouffée or Succulent Snow Crab Legs. After an incredible meal, indulge in our large assortment of ice cream and desserts that will satisfy any sweet tooth! Fish Tales in Galveston is open daily for lunch and dinner with great happy specials including beers & cocktails.

Top review

Dined 6 days ago

Our 1st time here surprisingly. We've been to G-ton many many times but for some reason we've missed this place. Glad we picked a good night to attend. We were in town for the 5K. So we had dinner the before. We sat on the balcony across the Pleasure Pier. Spectacular. Fun time to watch the rides and listen to the excitement of the riders. The food and view was good. Service was good but I believe they were busy and short staffed. The ice cream downstairs was a great capper. Blue Bell rocks! Fun kids running the booth. We took our ice cream and walked the beach. Such a fun evening. Thanks.

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