Island Italian — Restaurant in Corpus Christi

Haven't eaten here yet. Going to go ahead and leave 5 stars just from reading the comical replies from the owner to negative feedback. Absolutely love it as a fellow food service industry manager. We're about to walk in and have a meal now, commenting from the parking lot. Must say, I love bread pudding so high expectations.

...After meal marinated half a day...

Floors - under bar, behind doors, under table legs, and against walls clear of food and trash. Thoughts: cool I can eat here. They know the floor doesn't stop at the counter. Hostess thankfully sat us in my favorite dining room location in a restaurant. In direct line of sight to the bar, in the kitchen, and restrooms (definitely a health code critic). Nice being able to see what goes on behind the scenes, being in food service since I was 15 I've seen a few things and ... Well ...you dont mess with people's food and if you wouldn't serve it to your grandma you won't serve it to our guests. Today we were happy to be your guests. Loved everything we had. Love street came out of the tap cold. Sweet tea had good flavor and was a solid texas sweet. (Waitress even told me the tea nozzles get cleaned daily which definitely is not a thing that happens at even half of establishments, gross I know) Garlic bread wasn't over buttered or too crisp. (Had a good fluffy crackle to it) Everything was delicious on the sampler plate. Lasagna held shape. Sauce not overly acidic. Sausage wasn't too fine of a grind to where it feels like a vienna sausage and whipped you with a kick at the end. The works sandwich (I think) was fluffy and light, good bread to meat balance and the salami was awesome.

Bread pudding.

I literally eat it 5 days a week at 11am. After a 10 minute rest from the over. Sheer bliss.

Your's was good. Would absolutely order it again. The caramel and ice cream were nice additions. Thick and light. Good crusting on top. If it were about 20° warmer(from dry heat) it would have been perfect. I eat mine crusted in brown sugar with a lemon sauce every day. Greatly enjoy all things lemon especially with the contrast of tart and sweet. Mmm...

All in all I standby my 5 ⭐ woot woot.

Oh yeah and my...

Island Italian is a North Padre Island fixture in terms of dining. I used to go as a child after family beach excursions, but my patronage in my adulthood has waned to rare visits. And, frankly, after my last visit I think I’m comfortable stating I won’t return on my own willingness.

As stated before, the place is legendary and has been around for a significant amount of time. It has weathered hurricanes, recessions, epidemics/pandemics, and everything in between.

The service at my last visit is 5-Stars, and as I recall every time I’ve gone. They don’t slack on being attentive and friendly. Also, the evening I went they had live music: a guitarist who sang mostly classic rock and folky blends. He was great.

The atmosphere is kind of dark and dingy, as I would imagine a quaint tavern or old time Italian restaurant. It’s kind of an old look, which gives it a familiar and friendly feel.

Now, for the reason my rating is so low: food quality. I’m not Italian. I’m not a Chef. I’m not even a professional cook and the highest level I ever reached working in a restaurant was as a busser. I can make better food than Island Italian. My kids had the kids Chicken Alfredo. The sauce was watery and the flavor was sorely lacking. I ordered the special and I can’t remember what it was called, but it had rigatoni with red sauce, chicken, capers, olives, and Italian sausage. In theory, that should be an epic level dish except the sauce on this one was more dry and seems like they use a canned sauce based on the flavor. It was exciting to see, but underwhelmed on the first bite. The cannoli and brownie ice cream sandwich were actually great and made up for the

The saving grace was our friendly waitress. She also gave us seashells she collects from the beach and paints marine-themed icons on them. I think it was a very creative gesture and something memorable for locals such as myself and...

Edit... came back again the next night for a second run. Again, the staff is as welcoming as the food is delicious. This time we saved room for tiramisu and cannoli...WOW. Vacation calories don't count... right? Seriously, go give these guys your business.

5 stars aren't nearly enough. This place is FANTASTIC! Susan and the team took great care of us. It's hard to say which we enjoyed more, the food or the hospitality. Both were excellent and both made for an unforgettable experience that we were not expecting.

After a long day at the beach, shopping, exploring, etc. my family was just looking for a quick pizza when we stumbled onto their reviews and gave it a shot. Susan pointed to the lasagna as a specialty of the house... ✔️. We added two pizzas; half cheese/half pineapple, and a chicken, mushroom, spinach with Alfredo sauce. Can't forget the calamari appetizer that got the party started.

The calamari was really well seasoned and crispy. The lasagna was definitely the star player; robust meat sauce, cheesy, and generously portioned. The pizzas were large with lots of great toppings. The crust was a little more bready than I normally like, but that's just a personal preference. No disappointments here... Everything was super delicious! (We didn't have room for dessert, but those looked awesome too! Cannoli, anyone? )

Dont be deceived by the exterior. This is definitely a "don't judge a book by its cover" kind of place. Walking in, you are immediately met with a welcoming and family-friendly atmosphere. Spacious dining room and a great bar. Live music was featured on the night we were there.

We left stuffed, happy, and feeling like we made a treasured discovery that we hope to visit again and again. I completely and absolutely recommend...