Corpus Christi Area Hidden Gems

[gabetx]

Its not much of a hidden gem but, Kiko's on Everhart is awesome! Some of the best Mexican food in town.

[jonheffley]

A lot of the best restaurants are in the surrounding towns where vacationers go.

Lots of people I've talked to in the Corpus area agree with me that Los Comales in Rockport is the best tex-mex in the area. The fajitas are excellent, and I get fajitas diabla when I can - super spicy and very good. Practically everything on the menu is good, but their enchiladas (all kinds) are on par with the fajitas. I especially like their Chicken Tarascas and Enchiladas Tarascas.

I agree on Port A Pizzeria. I live in Portland and we drive 40 minutes or so about once a week to eat there. Might sound strange, but the lettuce on their salad bar is so nice and green, it's probably the best salad in the Corpus area. Be careful if you get the buffet, because (and this is probably true anywhere) it's not the same if it sits out too long. As is typical of buffets, the presentation / cleanliness can suffer at times. If you're picky you're better off ordering a pizza and skipping the buffet.

Panjo's Pizza, also in Rockport, is really good too, but in a different way. I find that you can't pile toppings on their pizzas - plain cheese is best, or maybe a couple of toppings (but don't get hamburger, too greasy), but they are probably better than Port A. Their crust is super crisp. Also try their salad with house dressing; weird to me, the combination of bleu cheese, onions, and a vinegrette (sp?) works surprisingly well, and I always get it when I'm there.

Little Joe's in Port Aransas is some of the best BBQ I've found, period. They're a little expensive.

Butter Churn in Aransas Pass is southern home cooking. I don't love that kind of food, but I do love this restaurant. I have a couple of sets of relatives who dream about this place and wish they could visit us more often just to eat here. But know what you're getting into if you visit - it's not everyone's kind of food. One good thing, it's easy to fill up on vegetables here, and you even get a discount if you're skipping the meats. Buffet style, pretty reasonably priced.

Yummies in Portland is pretty good. They're an old-fashioned soda shop, but they don't charge you an arm and a leg - ice cream there is about 1/3 what it costs at marble slab or baskin robbins. Burgers and lots of fried food, which is not too healthy and can overwhelm me if I eat it often. Don't get me wrong though, it's yummy just like the name says.

Jampas (say "gram'pa" except with a J) on the south end of Corpus is a little expensive (average $8-$12), but there are some things they do there that I just haven't found better. They're responsible for the best hamburger I've had in my life (do not get the mini-burgers, though), the best taco salad (plenty of lettuce, not iceberg), best chicken fingers, and best pulled pork, plus some very good french fries which they serve with a spicy dipping sauce that really works. I think everything I've had their is great, and I'd go more often if it wasn't such a drive and a little too pricey.

Marcel's in Port Aransas is very good. Reservations are a good idea, and it's not a speedy place, but not terribly expensive for what it is - very fancy food. The chef/owner is German, and the menu, while not all German, has quite a lot of German influence. Jaeger Schnitzel is a good choice.

[ocean2026]

Rockporthas the original Hu Dats great vietnamese and chinese food -cheap!

The place across the street has a great salad bar.

The Boiling Pot puts the food on the tablecloth. Sausage veggies etc - its not my thing but people love it.

Each to their own! My rabbit thought the produce section of HEB Supermarket was tops! The manager thought he should wait outside.

Rockport itself a pretty and friendly town to visit. Skip Corpus lol

[bb54321]

Yardarm and Mamma Mia's are both must eats. Great food and even better atmosphere

[Kibby]

Yardarm is a true 'hidden gem'. Panjo's has been around since the 60's in Corpus (good pizza), are the Rockport & Portland Panjos the same?

Shell's Pasta (upscale with nice menu) in Port Aransas is off the beaten path and a 'true gem'.

An oldy under new ownership is the Torch on Alameda in Corpus. Now owned by a Greek family, they have a varied menu (prime rib is a specialty) with reasonable prices and a nightly special. The Torch used to be "THE" best steak house in Corpus, in fact about the best occasion place in Corpus. They still have the same house dressing and the cheese spead for bread.

My "new" favorite place to eat is Blackbeards on North Beach. Great menu, prices and seafood.