Beach Eats: A guide to Crystal Beach food & drink - cat5

Beach patrons relax at the foot of the water at Crystal Beach. Randy Edwards/cat5

The beach is a visceral place.

From the moment you make that oh-so familiar right turn onto the Bolivar Peninsula?s main drag, every sense is pleasantly attacked by the Gulf of Mexico?s charms. The rich, salty air, the sound of waves hitting shoreline, the flocks of pelicans sailing so effortlessly against the breeze ? everything comes together to ensure that all five senses receive the same message simultaneously.

Relax. You?re at the beach.

On this particular stretch of sand and surf, things are looking up. New candy-colored homes are popping up everywhere, and business owners say Memorial Day weekend was the busiest they?ve ever seen. Food trucks amble down beaches filled with tan, happy people whose cups runneth over.

After a day on these gentle sandy beaches, we all feel just a little more grounded, connected, refreshed. And usually, we?re pretty hungry.

Barbecued crabs at Stingaree, juicy burgers at the Tiki, coconut-flavored cocktails at the Ship?s Wheel, mouth-watering pulled pork at Fantasea ? you just don?t know the beach until you?ve tasted it with your own two lips.

Now that more and more people are seeking respite on Bolivar?s sandy shores, there are more food and drink options to be had. Pop?s Beach Boil, a food truck serving tasty boiled seafood, set up shop in March. And an old favorite is poised to make a big comeback.

The (still under construction) swing bar at Steve?s Landing. Courtesy photo

Steve?s Landing was destroyed by Ike, and owners decided not to rebuild. But Bhargav Patel, who worked there in high school, decided Steve?s Landing deserved another shot. He and several partners rebuilt the restaurant in its original location at 1290 Bay Vue Drive, and Patel plans to open to the public on June 27.

The restaurant and marina will overlook the bay so diners can watch barges amble past while the sun sets. We?re particularly excited about watching that sunset from what Patel calls the ?swing bar,? a series of handcrafted wooden swings that enable customers to leisurely sway in the breeze while sipping cocktails.

The restaurant will feature a full bar and plenty of tasty beach eats.

?We have real good crab cakes, steak and lobster,? Patel said. ? We also have real good gumbo and etouffee.?

If you plan to hit the beach this weekend, we?ve put together a guide of the best food and drink Crystal Beach has to offer. From seafood to steaks to Stingaritas and strawberry daiquiries, the beach is beckoning you to treat yourself.

Go on. You know you want to.

Beach Eats: A guide to Crystal Beach food & drink

Ship?s Wheel
Where: 1270 Texas 87, Crystal Beach
Info: (409) 684-4036
Online: ?Ships Wheel? on Facebook
Here?s the bottom line: You don?t know squat about Crystal Beach until you?ve become a familiar face at the Wheel.

The only true-blue bar on the peninsula, this place is a windowless, smoke-filled reprieve from sunshine and smiling children. Bartenders would be happy to pour you a rainbow shot, which magically fills a row of shot glasses with a rainbow-colored array of sweet, boozy goodness. Come by during the day to meet Bolivar locals and business owners. Come by on a weekend summer night for the rowdiest party on the beach.

If you need a pick-me-up, the Vegas Bomb will do just that and then some: This Ship?s Wheel favorite is made with Crown, Malibu, peach Schnapps and Red Bull.

Pop?s Beach Boil
Where: 2211 Texas 87, Crystal Beach
Info: (504) 427-3326
Online: Facebook.com/PopsBeachBoilCrystalBeachTX
This new Bolivar food truck serves up exactly what you?ve always wanted to eat al fresco at the beach: boiled crawfish, shrimp and crabs.

Pop?s Beach Boil. BYO butter. Randy Edwards/cat5

Grab some beer from the conveniently adjacent Island Liquor store and grab a picnic table for some tasty seafood. Charles Ricks and his wife, Cyndi, are Lufkin natives but the two couldn?t help but open a food truck on their beloved Crystal Beach.

Crawfish is their biggest seller, Charles said, and he?s hoping to keep the mudbugs coming through the Fourth of July. Diners love their local boiled shrimp, and on Thursdays and Fridays you can order your mudbugs all-you-can-eat.

?This is not your dad?s picnic,? Charles said.

Sitting at a picnic table in the late afternoon sun, a Texas craft beer from Island Liquor in our hand and several pounds of crawfish down our gullet, we?re inclined to agree.

Pro tip: They don?t serve melted butter here, so bring your own. You?ll be happy you did.

Stingaree Restaurant & Marina
Where: 1295 N. Stingaree Dr., Crystal Beach
Info: (409) 684-2731
Online: StingareeRestaurant.com
There is no such thing as a trip to the beach that doesn?t involve a stop at Stingaree.

Stingaree?s New Orleans style BBQ shrimp and Bosco crab platter. Randy Edwards/cat5

The incredible sunset view pairs excellently with their signature Stingarita, a margarita that just begs to be topped off with a shot of sangria. A delicious new dish this summer is the soft shell crab taco, a completely addictive bounty of fresh ingredients and flavorful crab.

Fresh, local fried shrimp is a favorite among regulars, said owner Brad Vratis, and the red snapper comes straight from the waters around Galveston. At Down Under, the bar and restaurant beneath Stingaree, live music beckons on the weekends while patrons dine on burgers and Mermaid Kool-Aid, a bright green concoction filled with sugar and booze and smiles.

Locals swear by Stingaree, and it?s not hard to see why. It?s a heavenly little slice of the beach just waiting to be eagerly devoured as the sun sets over Bolivar.

Island Liquor
Where: 2275 Texas 87, Port Bolivar
Info: (409) 684-8001
Upon setting foot in Island Liquor, craft beer lovers will not believe their eyes. Oh, the selection! We never expected to find all our favorites in a beach-adjacent setting.

General Manager Jack Davis has added 60 to 70 craft beers to Island Liquor?s selection this year, and he plants to add many more.

?Two months ago we really saw the trend moving that way,? Davis said. ?Sales have been great.?

So great, in fact, that Davis is letting his customers determine the selection. Customer suggestions have brought in beer from brewers like Real Ale, and Davis said he?d love to hear what you want to drink.

Davis was always scared to stock bombers, he said, for fear they wouldn?t sell. But he now plans to expand his selection of those as well.

What made us really fall in love with Island Liquor wasn?t just the craft beer selection, it was the selection of cold craft beer. Over the next few weeks, that selection is only going to grow.

Fantasea BBQ & Grill
Where: 1951 Texas 87, Gilchrist
Info: (409) 286-2160
Online: ?Fantasea BBQ & Grill? on Facebook

Fantasea BBQ & Grill makes the Shipwreck, a $9 behemoth featuring a bacon cheeseburger with lettuce, mayo and an onion ring sandwiched between two grilled cheese sandwiches. Beth Rankin/cat5

Once you hit the main Crystal Beach drag, your first food and drink option is Fantasea BBQ & Grill, which specializes in barbecue, beer and the greatest sandwich known to man.

We don?t normally advocate eating a bacon cheeseburger, onion rings and two grilled cheese sandwiches before hitting the beach in your itty-bitty bikini, but when you put all that into one sandwich, it becomes impossible to lust after anything else on the menu.

The Shipwreck, a bacon cheesebuger topped with an onion ring and sandwiched between two grilled cheese sandwiches, is a beautiful tower of grease and cheese you absolutely must eat. Since it takes a minute to shake the city off your bones, we suggest starting your beach trip with a trip to Fantasea, where you and your friends can throw back a few brews while you split one of these massive sandwiches.

Guideaux?s Bayside Grille
Where: 2275 Texas 87, Port Bolivar
Info: (409) 684-0011
A relatively new spot in the Bolivar food scene, Guideaux?s is known among locals for its pizza. Diners describe the place as ?Cajun Italian,? which sounds about right. They serve up subs, hot wings and house-made thick-cut potato chips. Those who know claim that Guideaux?s Philly cheese steaks are as close to authentic as you can get in Southeast Texas.

But we?re just stoked to see a pizza place on the peninsula. Hey, seafood is grand, but sometimes you just want a big, greasy slice.

Try the thin-crust white pizza.

Tiki Beach Bar & Grill
Where: 1369 Texas 87, Port Bolivar
Info: (409) 504-5276
Online: ?Tiki Beach Bar and Grill? on Facebook
It?s no secret that the Tiki makes the best burger on the peninsula, but you may be surprised at how tasty their other menu items are, too.

Crab nachos, key lime pie, po? boys, steak ? we?ve never had a meal here that didn?t surprise us with its tastiness. This place has a straight-up beach bar atmosphere that only intensifies as the sun sets.

If you?re on the beach and looking for take-out, this is a great place to order from. Just pick a few things off the menu and nosh beach-side. Chris? Avocado with Shrimp ? a deep-fried avocado topped with shrimp and mahi mahi in a special sauce, with veggies on the side ? is not a bad way to treat yourself.

Service at the Tiki may not be as spritely as you?re used to, but hey: You?re at the beach, man. Chill.

Sharky?s II
Where: 1021 Texas 87, Crystal Beach
Info: (409) 684-2626
Three words: Bloody Mary Sundays.
Every Sunday from noon to 2 p.m., grab a $2, hair-of-the-dog Bloody Mary at Sharky?s II, a 16,000-square foot nightclub known for its dance floor, live music and another one of those quintessential beach drinks, the Shark Bite.

Bands like Scott McGill Band and My Beautiful Disaster frequent this beach club, but you can take to the stage yourself every Thursday with Big Star Karaoke.

beth@thecat5.com
@BeaumontBeth on Facebook, Twitter & Foursquare

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Source: http://blog.beaumontenterprise.com/cat5/2013/06/21/beach-eats-a-guide-to-crystal-beach-food-drink/

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