Sonny's Place — Restaurant in Galveston

Before I start, this review is going to have a lot of references/background info because after looking at the other reviews I noticed that the employer tends to say he will sue anyone who gives a bad review. My friends and I went out to the beach to try and get me out of the house, I haven’t gone outside for fun in a long time. Two of us have service dogs, I left mine at home because he is still in training and i wasn’t sure how he would react to the water, I was going to be in a group though and since the owner of the other service dog can notice my triggers I figured I’d be fine. After the beach we looked for fun and cheap places to eat. The minute we walked in my excitement for the place died because the waitress was rude and soon after the owner came out asking for papers or proof that her service dog was in fact a service dog. By ADA Law you are only allowed to ask two questions: is it a service dog and what tasks does it perform. After trying to explain these laws he then said he would call the cops, effectively ignoring us and entering the kitchen. He later emerged saying he would be in trouble with the health department, but if he had listened he would’ve known that they can’t do anything against a service dog (vested or not) and my friend said he would be in more trouble for discrimination than anything and tried to explain again. He wouldn’t listen once again though and interrupted her, saying he didn’t care for her opinion and threatened to kick us out for being loud despite no one going above their normal voice level except maybe him. At this point I was feeling an anxiety attack coming on so I left outside to calm down, only coming back after seeing the police arrive. They listened to our side and talked with the owner he begrudgingly sent a different waitress over. Instead of coming over and apologizing, he then proceeded to insult her servicedog for wearing a special pair of goggles that prevent sun, water(beach), and children from poking at her eyes (yes this happens often). Once again I left because I was actually starting to have an attack at this point and needed my medicine which was in the car. Needless to say we left and I warn other servicedog teams who think of eating here that the owner is highly dicrimitory based on my experience at the place, I also will be informing my other servicedog team friends of the experience and hope the establishment fixes...

This is one of my favorite places to go when I visit Galveston. It was a bittersweet visit. It was the anniversary of the death of the owners son, Larry. Place is not the same without him. Anyway, the outside is not much to look at and they really took a lot of damage from Hurricane Ike, so the inside doesn't quite have the charm that it use to and the lighting is a little on the bright side, but on the plus side, CLEAN RESTROOMS.....having said that, let's talk about the food. Grilled Muffuletta is unbelievable...the crunchy outer crust explodes with flavor....melted cheese, olives.....its very unique. Tex-mex pasta is beyond words....chili, cheese, pasta topped off with onions, jalapeno, tomato......tasty. These people also know how to make soups,.....the shrimp gumbo on Friday is to die for, but that chicken soup is awfully good as well. Oh....almost forgot. On my last visit, last Friday, it's oyster season....they serve raw oysters in a frozen mug....looks tempting, but I love them fried and they will let you combo that with fried shrimp on a sandwich......it's so good I can't describe it.....ummmmm......good. If you get the specialty items the place is a little pricey, but the burgers are made on site, Jr., the owner, once let me watch him grind the meet and pop them out in his patti press, .....in other words,....good and affordable.....draft beer is pretty cheap...

Love this place. If your live here or need to know where the locals go this is it. Cheapest drinks anywhere. Top shelf for $3 well drinks for $2. Beer goes for $3.25, imports are $4 and pitchers go for $12.50. The food is also reasonably priced. You can get a great burger or a grilled cheese, you like pasta they have great pasta dishes. You want a hot dog? No problem. Nachos, chicken strips, and fried shrimp sandwiches, everyone can find something here. This is a great place to bring friends, or just duck in and hide from them. It's open for lunch then reopens for dinner. Sonnys is closed on Sunday's and Monday's. If you like games they have pinball, darts, shuffleboard and pool. Several Tvs keep you tuned in and the owners like to chat with you and help keep you entertained with a joke or two. Bring one or two for yourself. It has a bar you can sit at and there are lots of tables. It can get crowded so be patient and you'll stay happy. Watch your language while your here. You are encouraged to behave or you can be gone. Lots of family photos line the walls to let you know that this is a place for families. There is a bullet hole and a plaque on the bar that tells a good story of how it got there. If you ask me where to go on the island I would recommend this...