LongBoard Bar and Grill — Restaurant in South Padre Island

After what felt like an eternity driving down to SPI, we needed to fuel up and decided to hit LongBoard for our first dinner of the trip. There was no wait which was great and we were seated promptly by the waterside along with our dog. The setting is incredible and the restaurant is clean and spacious. There is live music which certainly adds to the ambiance and helps round out the entertainment. The view overlooks the bay and you can easily catch a sundown here without any or much obstruction. Service was quick and attentive, the workers were definitely working hard as they were sweating in the heat, and the place started to fill up after we got there which is always a good sign. A few days later we walked by and it was very packed with a line out front. We walked over there but there is decent parking out front of the restaurant.

Now onto the food… It was not good. The All American burger was average, nothing that really stood out about it. The fries were good, which is a plus. However, the fried fish basket was downright awful. It had zero texture, just soft and fell apart at the slightest touch except for one or two parts that felt hard. Tasted like it was frozen and microwaved for the meal. On the other hand, the drinks were pretty good. We had an island colada, mango daiquiri, strawberry daiquiri, and lime margarita. All were very good and had we not just driven so much and had been so tired we likely would’ve gotten more.

LongBoard is a decent bar and grill, one that offers great views, service, and drinks. If you’re willing to overlook the iffy food then it really is a great place to kick start or end off a night. Come for the views, stay...

View is nice once the catamaran leaves the dock. That's the extent of this place. I believe that's what makes this venue. We got there before the dinner rush, I could count the number of occupied tables spread throughout. We were greeted within a few mins. Ordered 3 waters, lemonade and maker's mark (which took 10 mins to get). It was another 15 mins before she came back to take our order. Matter of fact, she took a call on her cell phone while we waited. Food came out timely, however we did not get fruit with the kids meal. I ordered shrimp tacos which was the same popcorn shrimp in the kids meal, chopped up on corn tortillas. Some of the food came on styrofoam plates. The waitress never came to see how our food came out. Ever. When she did come back, we were ready to go. She did take the kids meal off the ticket. She never came back to collect payment!? After 15-20 mins, we went to the bar to pay. They couldn't take the payment. They called the manager over who was standing around looking stupid the entire time while table after table had to go to the bar to order drinks because the servers were all over the place. The manager had to hunt to our waitress down to process our payment. Why?? It took us 25 mins TO PAY! If they can't handle the off-season, I'm curious what spring break is like! They need to assign their waiters to zones and the manager should never be standing around looking stupid while their customers are WAITING for service! Ever. Go next door to Lobo del Mar, better service, food...

The sunset ambience was breathtaking. We arrived just as the live band was about to start, with the sun casting soft pink and orange hues over the clouds. A server retracted the sunshade, revealing the full expanse of the sky. The restaurant, perched just above the dock, created the perfect atmosphere for a family outing or a romantic evening.

However, what truly compelled me to write this review and give it five stars was the exceptional service, particularly from Iryna, the photographer. Iryna works for Sparkly Photo, contracted by Longboards, and she came to our table to take professional photos of our group. It was a special night, and I’m so grateful she was there to capture it.

I forgot to ask about purchasing the photos before we returned home to San Diego. Three days later, I remembered and decided to take a chance by calling the restaurant to see if they still had them. The waiter took my phone number and said he would try to get in touch with Iryna. I thanked him but wasn’t expecting much.

To my surprise, about 30 minutes later, I received a text from Iryna thanking me for letting her take our photos and offering to send the digital copies for free. I sent her a reference photo of our group, and within minutes, she not only texted back the photos but also created a Google Drive folder with high-resolution images.

This is the definition of going above and beyond. Thank you, Longboards, and thank you, Iryna! You...