It is time for a weekend getaway to Galveston.
One of many many nice issues about residing in Houston is its proximity to the Texas shoreline. Simply an hour away, Galveston has lots to supply metropolis dwellers coming down I-45 for a enjoyable day journey, in addition to extra far-flung guests looking for a seashore with a facet of historical past and Gulf seafood.
Sure, there’s rather more to the island than its seashores. Hidden-gem eating places Galveston locals adore are combined in with extra touristy spots nonetheless well worth the go to. Spend a while within the metropolis’s many museums that spotlight the historical past of the realm, then have some enjoyable at sights just like the Pleasure Pier and Moody Gardens. There’s a bit one thing for everybody. Right here’s the place we hang around once we’re visiting Galveston Island.
The place to Eat
Bambú Mexican Grill
Ask any native, and so they’ll inform you that whereas Houston is all about tacos, Galveston is the place for burritos. This Mexican café alongside twenty third road, open just for breakfast and lunch, is without doubt one of the finest spots to seek out an important breakfast burrito on the town. Go for a standard huevos rancheros or like a real native, dig in to the “shock burrito”—an island specialty of potatoes, egg, beans, cheese, and bacon—or the barbacoa burrito.
Lounge on the patio at Daiquiri Time Out.
Daiquiri Time Out
Regardless of its title, this place is extra than simply daiquiris, so rum haters, again off. From its environment to its drinks, this craft cocktail lounge is the place to go to wind down after a busy day of strolling round. This gem is tucked away in Historic Downtown Galveston, however with its pink signage and blue constructing, it’s exhausting to overlook. Right here, you’ll discover island-style cocktails, a wide array of spirits, and beer. In case you’re a fan of a great quaint, ask the bartender for the bar’s Oaxaca quaint (tequila, mezcal, agave, and bitters), an important riff on the basic. Professional tip: The speakeasy Pineapple Parlor is situated behind Daiquiri Time Out.
Fish Firm Taco
Locals and regulars have been saddened when Dayatra Myers-Damage closed her taqueria (though you may nonetheless eat her meals at Resort Lucine). Shortly afterward, Raz Halili, the proprietor of Pier 6 Seafood & Oyster Home—and of the restaurant’s constructing—purchased the Fish Firm Taco title and recipes. It reopened in September 2024 with a recent lick of paint. The corn tortillas are nonetheless made in-house, and every of the 5 tacos on the menu might be ordered with catch of the day picks like Gulf shrimp, or greens. Choices embody a Vietnamese taco with nuoc mam and herbs, and a Baja taco with lime crème fraîche, pickles, and ranchero salsa, plus sides like chile-marinated cucumbers and elote. Wash all of it down with a cactus flower, prickly pear, and dragon fruit agua fresca.
Gaido’s Seafood Restaurant
A basic proper on the Seawall, Gaido’s has been serving the freshest Gulf seafood in Galveston since 1911. Request a desk by the home windows to benefit from the ocean views, and if it’s your first time in, sit again for a bit historical past lesson out of your server. Italian immigrant San Giacinto Gaido based the restaurant, which is now operated by fourth-generation Nick Gaido and his spouse, Kateryna. Gaido’s gives never-frozen seafood like catfish, snapper, and the fish of the day in basic preparations, whether or not grilled, fried, blackened, you title it. Gulf shrimp is just about in all places on the menu, from the shrimp cocktail to the fan-favorite fried platter, and ensure to reap the benefits of seasonal choices like crab of all types and scallops.
Gypsy Joynt
Positioned in a strip heart alongside Steward Street, Gypsy Joint is price a go to for its enjoyable, eclectic atmosphere. The decorations alone are a cluster of wacky gadgets like a dressed-up Santa, dream catchers, and flower wreaths—even the door deal with to exit is the wheels of a skateboard. It sort of appears like Mardi Gras threw up in right here, which is becoming contemplating Galveston’s celebration is the third-largest within the nation. Gypsy Joynt serves burgers, sandwiches, tacos, and fluffy biscuits that the locals love.
Henry’s Mexican Restaurant
Like at many institutions on the town, the burrito comes folded not rolled at Henry’s, however it’s simply as scrumptious. The huge breakfast burrito is served all day and comes with egg, bacon, potato, and cheese. In case you’re serious about a plate, the Mexican-Salvadoran spot’s carne guisada, migas, or pupusas are all stable choices. In case you’re drained from an extended day on the seashore, you’ll admire the restaurant’s drive-through.
Cease by Katie’s Seafood Home for lunch or dinner.
Katie’s Seafood Home
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Previous to this restaurant, there was Katie’s Seafood Market, opened in 1998. Nonetheless up and operating at this time, the market gained recognition for bringing recent seafood to the island’s native eating places in addition to different regional markets. In 2019, one of many homeowners, Buddy Guindon, opened Katie’s Seafood Home, which will get its seafood from the market. The restaurant gives seafood gumbo, fried oysters, jumbo Texas Gulf grilled shrimp, and rather more.
La King’s Confectionery
If you wish to be transported again to once you have been a child in a sweet store, that is the place to be. La King’s on the Strand is a big draw for anybody with a candy tooth. Select from one among its old school candies, ice cream scoops, coffees, specialty shakes and malts, or sundaes. La King’s has a working Nineteen Twenties soda fountain, which remains to be used for lots of the store’s treats. And for those who occur to be in Galveston throughout one among Texas’s brutal summers, it’s an important place to go to chill off.
Bear in mind to attempt Maceo’s muffaletta earlier than heading out.
Maceo Spice & Import Co.
The Maceo household is legendary for its illicit bootlegging previous, however the descendants are actually higher identified for…spices. However not simply spices: pastas, sauces like tomato gravy, wines, and different specialty meals imported from everywhere in the world. It’s the right place to buy substances to make your individual meal, however for those who’re too lazy to prepare dinner, attempt the store’s muffuletta, which is regarded by locals as the very best outdoors of New Orleans.
Miller’s Seawall Grill
Since 1976, Miller’s has been bringing high quality seafood to Galveston’s Seawall. The restaurant’s all-day breakfast menu is stuffed with standouts like a lump crab benedict and the shrimp or pork fajitas grits. For one thing candy, go for the belgium waffle or French toast. For lunch or dinner, attempt the Seawall Particular, which comes with a basa fish fillet and shrimp which might be both grilled or fried with onions, plus your selection of facet. Can’t make up your thoughts and need to eat like a king? Order the Miller’s Platter, which comes with a particular assortment of recent seafood, gumbo or chowder, fish, shrimp, oyster, and crab balls.
Attempt a chunk of the shrimp tacos from Mosquito Café.
Mosquito Café
Strolling into beloved native spot Mosquito Café is like touring again in time to an old-timey nation restaurant. It serves a breakfast menu all day and lunch beginning at 11am. Go for a hearty begin to the day with the restaurant’s Plain Ol’ Breakfast, which comes with three further giant eggs any model, entire wheat toast, and a selection of both hickory-smoked peppered bacon or premium hyperlink sausage, or roasted potatoes. For lunch, attempt the shrimp tacos, that are made with combined greens, chipotle sauce, pico de gallo, and home made salsa inside a flour tortilla. In case you sit outdoors, ask for a fan to maintain the flies off your meals.
The Sunflower Bakery & Cafe
This Galveston staple serves recent Gulf seafood, baked items, sandwiches, espresso, and rather more. Dig into the Texas crab desserts and eggs, served with hollandaise sauce, breakfast potatoes, and toast. Or order the oysters benedict with breakfast potatoes. For lunch, attempt a home specialty just like the tortilla-crusted recent snapper. Earlier than you head out, be sure you cease by the bakery for a cinnamon roll.
Issues to do
Galveston’s Railroad Museum won’t solely educate you on the historical past of railroads in America, however will even preserve you entertained for hours.
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Galveston Railroad Museum
Courting to 1896, this family-friendly museum has a ton to discover. Climb aboard the practice vehicles to study extra in regards to the historical past of the railroads in Texas and the US, and admire outdated eating automotive china, images of various locomotives, and historic pamphlets. It’s also possible to see inside an outdated electrical cupboard, outdated eating vehicles, sleeper vehicles, an outdated Illinois put up workplace automotive, and different small artifacts. With all of the perception into the railroad system, you would possibly simply need to take a practice in your subsequent journey fairly than an airplane.
$13.60 adults; $6.60 kids; $9.90 seniors
Take a deep dive into Galveston’s historical past with a go to to Moody Mansion.
$15 adults; $7 for ages 6–17; kids underneath 5 free
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Moody Mansion
$15 adults; $7 for ages 6–17; kids underneath 5 free
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Galveston is understood for its historic mansions and loopy thriller hauntings attributable to its tumultuous previous with hurricanes, however do you know that probably the most highly effective households to dwell in Texas as soon as known as the island house? After the Nice Galveston Storm of 1900, the nation’s deadliest pure catastrophe, William Lewis Moody Jr. moved his household into this house. The Moodys, identified for his or her wealth and monetary empire, stored the house within the household till 1983, when Hurricane Alicia hit. Years later in 1991, the house was restored and was a museum. Now, this well-known historic home and its 20 rooms are on show for vacationers. You possibly can stroll by and get a way of how this highly effective Texas household as soon as lived their day-to-day life. The bottom ground additionally homes the Galveston Kids’s Museum, a nonprofit that has numerous actions for youths to play and discover.
$15 adults; $7 for ages 6–17; kids underneath 5 free
The Nia Cultural Middle will educate you about how Galveston turned the birthplace of Juneteenth.
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Nia Cultural Middle
This free artwork gallery and museum tells the historical past of Juneteenth in Galveston. The island is named the birthplace for this (now-federal) vacation: On June 19, 1865, the enslaved folks in Galveston discovered of their freedom greater than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. At this mini-museum on the Strand, you can’t solely learn the timeline that led to the liberty of those folks, but additionally view the artwork gallery and different gadgets on show. Ask the workers in regards to the bricks within the constructing, and also you’ll have the chance to dive even deeper into the historical past of Galveston’s enslaved folks. In case you look carefully sufficient, you may see their fingerprints within the bricks. The Nia Cultural Middle is a nonprofit, so keep in mind to sign up earlier than exploring to assist them out with future grants.
Free
The Pleasure Pier is a basic for a motive.
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Pleasure Pier
That is the place to be for those who’re a thrill seeker or adrenaline junky. Though this attraction is widespread already, its historical past makes it price mentioning: The pier was first constructed as a leisure facility throughout World Battle II, then was reworked into Galveston Pleasure Pier within the Nineteen Forties. Up till its destruction in 1961 throughout Hurricane Carla, the pier was often known as a household vacation spot. 4 years later, the pier was restored, and the Flagship Resort opened and remained there till Hurricane Ike in 2008 when as soon as once more, it was destroyed. In 2012, the amusement park vacationers and residents now love opened. As we speak, households can journey to the pier to take pleasure in a day stuffed with amusement rides, a 5D theater, and a few Bubba Gump.
Costs fluctuate
You possibly can dig deeper into American historical past on the Bryan Museum.
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The Bryan Museum
This museum on twenty first Avenue is the right vacationer attraction for historical past lovers. You’ll discover greater than 12,000 years of historic artifacts, paperwork, and paintings—about 70,000 gadgets whole—that relate to Texas and the American West. These embody cowboy chaps, Native American stone instruments and arrowheads, and a Spanish mission bell. The museum additionally dives deeper into its previous because the Galveston Orphans’ house with a particular exhibit. Whereas exploring, you’ll uncover the historical past of the constructing whereas additionally listening to tales from the orphans who as soon as lived there.
$15 adults; $14 seniors 65+, lecturers, and army; $12 college students; $7 ages 6–12; kids underneath 6 free
The place to remain
Grand Galvez
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In case you love a great ghost story, that is positively the lodge it’s best to think about staying in throughout your go to to Galveston. It opened in 1911, and regardless of all of the loopy storms it’s endured over time, the lodge remains to be standing. However let’s get into the actual enjoyable: ghost tales. When the lodge first opened, a press photograph allegedly confirmed a ghost of a gentleman standing in entrance of a French door, and others have claimed to see photos of a younger lady bouncing a pink ball. Nonetheless, essentially the most well-known ghost tales come from the tragic story of Audra, a.ok.a. the Lovelorn Bride. It’s been stated that the room she stayed in is understood for paranormal exercise and quite a few unexplained occasions. And for those who suppose the ghost tales are only a bunch of hogwash, nicely, you’ll be simply as happy with Grand Galvez’s facilities—like a spa and resort-style pool—and its proximity to the seashore.
Resort Lucine
Identical to many different locations on the island, this lodge has a historical past to it. It was initially constructed within the Nineteen Sixties because the Treasure Isle Motel, and since then, it has been renovated into a brand new 61-room boutique lodge. Resort Lucine gives ocean views, a courtyard pool, and numerous eating choices—like American eating institution the Fancy, the Den (nice for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night cocktails), and the Rooftop (a bar with ocean views and dwell leisure). It’s the right spot for anybody who needs a contemporary but cozy keep.
The Oleander is a picture-perfect keep.
The Oleander
After the craze of the Barbie film in 2023, who doesn’t need to keep at a complicated, pink boutique lodge? The Oleander is the perfect spot for a ladies’ weekend. This lodge gives photograph ops abound, together with a enjoyable topiary backdrop on the entrance door, and rooms come outfitted with colourful wallpaper, snug beds, mini fridges, and clothes racks. Plus, with lockboxes and door codes, the check-in and check-out course of is a contactless breeze.
