Dirty Al's — Restaurant in South Padre Island

Dirty Al's Seafood on South Padre Island is a true island treasure, and while their fresh catches are undoubtedly a major draw, what truly elevates the experience is their phenomenal atmosphere and consistently amazing customer service. From the moment you step in, you're enveloped in that quintessential South Padre vibe – laid-back, friendly, and just a touch of quirky charm that makes you feel instantly at ease. Whether you're looking for a casual family dinner or a fun night out with friends, the ambiance at Dirty Al's perfectly sets the stage. It's bustling without being overwhelming, and there's a genuine warmth that permeates the entire space. But what truly sets Dirty Al's apart, even more than their delicious food, is their exceptional staff. The customer service here is, quite simply, top-notch. Every server, host, and team member we encountered was incredibly attentive, friendly, and genuinely seemed to enjoy making our dining experience a memorable one. They're quick with recommendations, happy to answer questions, and always go the extra mile to ensure you have everything you need. It's clear that customer satisfaction is a priority, and it shows in every interaction. While you're there, definitely dive into their seafood offerings – they're fresh, flavorful, and exactly what you'd hope for on a beach vacation. But honestly, even if you just went for the fantastic atmosphere and the chance to interact with such a welcoming and efficient team, Dirty Al's would be a must-visit. For an unforgettable South Padre Island dining experience where the good times roll as freely as the ocean waves, look no further than Dirty Al's Seafood. Come for the food, but stay for the incredible atmosphere and customer service that makes it a true...

During our visit we had terrible service. From the start, our waitress Mariana forgot our request for limes and didn’t give us the sauce we ordered. Then, when we had to pay the bill she claimed that one of our orders was a large, but all of us distinctly remember her ordering a medium. She didn’t read out the order after we had originally placed it, and the medium and large platters are the same size so there wasn’t a way to distinguish them. Mariana then made it seem like it was going to be a hassle to get the manager and my friend felt intimidated and decided to just pay. She then realized she’s not in the wrong and wants to save the money. She called the manager Alex and he said since she already paid all he can do is give her a card for a free appetizer. He wrote on the card “free App” and signed his name. When he did this he said specifically that we can pick any appetizer off the menu. However, when we came in to redeem the coupon we were initially asking about different options of appetizers for a few minutes. Then as we made our order Alex decided to tell us that we can only order the fried zucchini since it was what was printed on the card. I told him that he told us that we could order anything from appetizers and he denied that and said we can only do the fried zucchini. Then they also didn’t have lids for the sauces in the to-go container, even though they seem to have a good part of the restaurant dedicated to to-go orders. Overall, the experience was not good. Waitresses and managers have poor communication skills and weren’t attentive. I don’t recommend going. The food was also cold...

My family and I were really excited to try this place out as my aunt visits frequently and said the food was good. This was the first place we decided to try after checking into the hotel. Upon arriving we quickly noticed the hostess had a terrible attitude. She acted as if we were a bother and like she had better things to do. My husband asked her if we could sit on the deck and she rudely said NO and turned away. We had just driven 11 hours with three kids under 2 and a 9 year old and they were very excited to see the boats outside. She could have been more polite. After patiently waiting for 20 minutes and watching her seat multiple parties after us we observed she gave menus to every other table except for us. When we tried to get her attention to ask for menus she looked us up and down and walked by. The waitresses were very busy but when one was finally available and came to take our drink order she apologized for the hostess’ hostile demeanor and gave us menus. I wish I would have gotten the hostess’ name but she was the one with dark hair, ridiculously over drawn lip liner on her lips and pregnant. The hostess is the first person your guest sees and should be all about the customer experience especially in a place like south padre that is known to have people come visit from all over the world. Because of her terrible customer service the whole experience was ruined and although the food wasn’t terrible we will never be back to this restaurant and we will make sure to let all of our friends and family know of all the other great places that had way better service with the same if not...