Always Want To Go

Where to stop on your way to Galveston, Texas? Are you driving to Galveston for the day, for the weekend, or a few weeks of vacation? Welcome to our world. Our home is just a few miles north of Galveston. We shop, dine, play in this area, and, of course, have our very favorite places we enjoy visiting.

There are a bazillion restaurants, entertainment venues, adventures to visit and have along I-45 as you travel to Galveston. We have explored the area out here for years and want to share some of our not-so-secret favorite places in our immediate world with you.

Consider checking one or two of these out one day as you make your drive to the beach. I also include some of our favorite Galveston Island spots as well. Have an adventure!

All are easy to get to as you drive south on I-45, which is the only freeway choice to get you across that Causeway to Galveston from Houston. That doesn’t mean great back and side roads aren’t lurking along the way, though.

One of the greatest day or weekend trips to have on your way to Galveston is at the Kemah Boardwalk.

Restaurants in the nearby vicinity

The Lost Cajun

3010 Gulf Freeway S. Suite I
League City, TX 77573
(Half a mile off of I-45 at Hwy. 646 S)

This recent discovery of ours is a small chain restaurant located right in the corner of a busy shopping area. There are several restaurants to choose from in this busy location and all the typical stores near Target stores.

Roast Beef Po-boy and delicious beignets

The Lost Cajun provides delicious and well-prepared cajun food in a family-friendly restaurant. My personal favorite is the dressed roast beef po-boy. It reminds me of po-boys I used to have when I lived in Houma, Louisiana. It’s an easy exit off of the freeway and a great stop for lunch or dinner.

Pook’s Crawfish Hole

4015 FM 646 N
Santa Fe, TX 77510
(Less than five miles off of I-45 at I-45 and FM 2004)

Pook’s is a seasonal crawfish restaurant open only during crawfish season. The crawfish are outstanding, but shrimp, snow crabs, gumbo, and the usuals for kids’ are also on the menu. Pook’s is BYOB with picnic table seating inside and out and live music on weekends, a fun family place to go.

Gilhooley’s Restaurant and Oyster Bar

222 9th St.
San Leon, TX 77539
(Not quite 12 miles off of I-45 at FM 517 – worth the drive)

Gilhooley’s, in existence since 1988, is quite famous for its flame-grilled Oyster Gilhooley. If you happen not to be a fan of oysters, the menu includes delicious daily specials, seafood, burgers, and a full bar.

Gilhooley’s is an adults-only place; with no children and no pets. Still, it is a superb weekend drive destination for a great meal and people watching. This is a popular place for motorcyclists in the area and a fun place to hang out with friends.

Bayou Vista Restaurants

These three restaurants are in our very own neighborhood located a few miles north of Galveston. We think they’re worth a stop on the way to or from Galveston for good food and a relaxed and fun time.

Louis’ Marina and Restaurant

3510 Hwy 6
Hitchcock, TX 77563

Louis is a casual restaurant/bar on the water with a marina, bait shop, and RV park. The burgers are outstanding, shrimp and fish tacos are delicious, and their gumbo is perfect, and the beer is cold. The menu has many other choices, but these are my favorites.

We usually dine outside on the palapa-style porch where our dogs are welcome and watch the boat and people parades. It gets jam-packed here, especially on weekends, so service is sometimes slow—no reason to get in a hurry here, though.

Bayou Bistro

3111 Hwy 6
Bayou Vista, TX 77563

Bayou Bistro, a comfortably cozy restaurant in front of our neighborhood, serves terrific Italian dishes, perfectly cooked steaks, PIZZA, comfort food, sandwiches, and much more. The Bistro also has full bar service. We enjoy sitting at one of the outside tables with our dogs in tow, of course.

Baja Cantina

3145 Hwy 6
Hitchcock, TX 77563

Baja Cantina is a small Tex-Mex restaurant in our neighborhood-serving good Tex-Mex and margaritas in a fun-filled party-like atmosphere. We stop by here sometimes for chips, salsa, and a few beers.

Bubba’s at Tiki Sports Bar & Grill

110 I-45
Tiki Island, TX 77554

Bubba’s is located just before the Galveston Causeway bridge, across the freeway from Tiki Island. This is another terrific place to get crawfish, steaks, and burgers. Bubba’s is technically a sports bar and perhaps not kid-friendly. Live music is performed here on weekends, and Bubba’s, of course, has a full bar. This is a great place to have a good meal and hang out with friends.

See? Us old folks can still dance!

Some of our favorite Galveston Restaurants

• Katie’s Seafood House, 2000 Wharf Rd – Fresh, fresh, and delicious seafood.

• Fisherman’s Wharf, 2200 Harborside Drive – Great seafood and wonderful dining experience.

• Willie G’s Seafood and Steaks, 2100 Harborside Drive – Popular waterfront dining serving seafood and steaks.

• The Cajun Greek, 2226 61st Street – A local favorite serving local seafood and Greek dishes.

• Gino’s Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria, 6124 Stewart Rd – This is a small restaurant serving good Italian dishes and pizza. Thanks to our neighbors, Irene and Vaun, for recently introducing us to this gem.

• Mario’s Seawall Italian & Pizzeria, 628 Seawall Boulevard – Here, you will find flavorful, fresh, and Italian food in a great atmosphere.

• Tipsy Turtle Seaside Bar & Grill, 11745 Termini-San Luis Pass Rd – Way out west beach way with open-air beach food and drinks.

• Gypsy Joynt, 2711 Market St – See more about Gypsy Joynt here. It is a legend of sorts in Galveston, with unique décor and food.

What to see and do in Galveston.

Check our list of some of our favorite things to see and do in Galveston. Also, see this post about Surprises in Galveston.

• The Seawall and beaches, of course

• Galveston Island State Park
  14901 FM 3005

• Galveston – Port Bolivar ferry
  1000 Ferry Road N.

• The Historic Strand district

• Tree Sculpture Tour

• Turtle Sculptures

• Galveston Historic Seaport – Home of the 1877 Tall Ship ELISSA
  2200 Harborside

• The Bryan Museum
  1315 21st Street

• 1892 Bishop’s Palace
  1402 Broadway

• The Railroad Museum
  Main Entrance: 123 – 25th Street
  Free Parking & West Ticket Office: 2602 Santa Fe Place

We love to spend afternoons in Galveston. In over twenty-five years, we have not yet seen or experienced all there is to see and do in Galveston. See these blog posts describing some of our past visits.

I hope that on one of your trips “down south,” you pull off the freeway and give one of these restaurants a try. We enjoy them and hope you will too.