Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 361-749-0650;
www.averyskitchen.com
;
200 W Ave G; mains from $6; 7am-9pm)
With a large sunny
deck, this cheap and cheerful cafe stays crowded by offering up excellent breakfasts,
sandwiches and daily seafood specials. The onion rings are superb and everyone gets free
Jello. The shrimp in all its variations is good.
The Gaff
( 361-749-5970; 323 Beach St; mains from $8; 11am-late)
Out by the beach, this shacky bar is
perfect for one aspiring to arrested development. Fun includes belt sander races and
chicken-poop bingo (come on bird, come on!). There's decent pizza and subs plus live
music that includes blues and country. Most days are 'talk like a pirate day' here.
BAR
$
Roosevelt's
( 361-749-5555; 200 E Cotter Ave; mains from $15; 5-10pm Wed-Sat, 10am-1pm Sun)
The fine dining
room at the Tarpon Inn is worth getting spiffed up for. Reserve a table on the verandah
and settle back to enjoy a seasonal menu of seafood and steaks, simply and creatively pre-
pared. Brunch will have you snoozing for the rest of the day.
SEAFOOD
$$
Tarpon Ice House
( 361-749-2337; 321 N Allister St; around 4pm-late)
A top local choice for drinking, carousing,
mellowing out on the terrace or bursting into song. Kind of the prototypical beach town
bar.
BAR
Shorty's
( 361-749-8077; 821 Tarpon St; mains from $7; 11am-2am)
The town's 'oldest and friendliest'
watering hole is filled with real local seadogs and characters, both inside and out on the
battered porch. It has dartboards and pool tables, and the ceiling is adorned with hundreds
of caps from around the world. You can bar-hop around the block here, down by the
docks.
BAR
Port Aransas Brewing
( 361-749-2739;
www.portabrewing.com
;
429 N Alister St; 11am-10pm Thu-Tue)
The microbrews are
darn tasty at this small bar and grill in the center (we like the Island Pale Ale) and they get
points for also stocking bottles of some of the best microbrews from around the US. The
burgers are thick, juicy and lauded (mains from $9). There's a small deck out front.
BREWERY
