Sea Ranch Restaurant — Restaurant in South Padre Island

Our first visit to Sea Ranch on South Padre Island. We arrived later in the dinner hour on a weekday, and were seated immediately. Pre-dinner cocktails were a Bombay and tonic and a "Dirty Dave's Painkiller, 1st Degree." Both we're very good. The painkiller was a bit too sweet, but was consistent with the description.

You gotta have the Oysters D&D. We're big fans of "on the half shell" oysters. (Gulf oysters, thank you, the high tea sippers can keep their scrawny, salty PEIs. LOL) The D&D sounded great, half shell oysters with wine, lemon, parmesan and garlic butter! Oh my! Incredible dish! If we had stopped there, we'd have gone home happy.

As we gazed through the menu, the Snapper Ceviche caught our attention, so we decided to double up on the appetizer phase of our dinner. Again, WOW! Most excellent and fresh, fresh, fresh snapper! Did I mention fresh? :-)

Our entrees were the (whole) Red Snapper dinner special, which came with a skewer of grilled shrimp on wild rice. The sauce on the snapper was divine, tip of the hat to the chef on that dish, it was deelish! Jerry Fair's Grouper (blackened) accompanied the snapper to our table, with a vegetable medley on the side. Perfect seasoning on the grouper. I don't know Jerry Fair, but his grouper rocks!

The only issue we had the whole evening was the temperature of the wine. I'll preface these comments by saying the wine menu is a thoughtful, thorough, and varied collection of Old World, New World, and Down Under wines. Something for every wine lover can be found. We tasted a Chenin Blanc, which was good, but barely cool. The Stag's Leap Petite Syrah we ordered for dinner was served room temperature. Still good, but not the same experience as a red wine stored at 55-60 degrees, that opens up over the course of the meal. There are a handful of high-priced knockout wines on the menu, $200+ per bottle. I trust those are kept cool, and perhaps the price point of the Stag's Leap did not merit a spot in a wine storage area with limited space. In any event, these wine temperature comments are observations, not complaints!

Service was outstanding, attentive but not obtrusive. Thank you, John!

Restaurants like Sea Ranch are why we visit the Texas coast. The freshest seafood, expertly prepared! A 5 star nod to Sea Ranch. ...

Every decent restaurant had a very long wait time (over 1.5 hours), or nothing available at all. I called on the way (around 6pm) to make a reservation. However, I was told that they were only accepting walk-ins, the wait is around 4t minutes and you must be preaent to add your name.to the waiting list. Understandable. Upon arrival, I was told the wait would be about 55 minutes. Fair enough. That ended up being 1 1/2 hours. I know that things come up, you can't force people to leave, etc. But, I asked for an update an 1 hour amd I was told "you're next." I waited 30 more minutes....there is a disconnect somewhere. I am only removing 1/2 a star for this because I know they and all other places were extremely busy on this Saturday night.

This place is humongous! Our party of 3 was seated upstairs. Our server was very nice (didn't get his name). They have a pretty good system. You have a server, but you also have someone to bring you bread, someone to get your salads/appetizers/drinks out, etc.

I had the special. I forgot to make note of exactly what it was. It was some type of crusted fish with ponchartrain sauce on a bed of asparagus, 2 seafood stuffed shrimp, a grilled scallop, mashed potatoes and a side salad. It was VERY good! I couldn't eat all of it. One friend ordered the coconut fried shrimp (with a side and a salad). They were very crunchy and not over-battered. You really get the coconut flakes. My other friend ordered the king crab legs. Oh my gosh! You really get crab! It is 1 pound of crab legs (with a side and a salad). There were some really big crab legs!

My one other "complaint" is that our server ended up overloaded with too many tables including a table of 18. Thank goodness for the team who cleared and wiped our table while we qaited for him to have time to check back with us and bring our check. Only deducting 1/2 a star for this as it is not completely his fault. This place was packed!!

The woman downstairs by the gift counter area was very helpful and patient as we asked to look at various pieces of jewelry.

I suggest eitger calling a few days in advance to make a reservation, or be prepared to wait. Overall, it's a great place. You should definitely...

Sea Ranch - South Padre Island, Texas

During my visit to South Padre Island, I found myself searching for a memorable dining experience, and Sea Ranch was one of the standout restaurants that truly delivered. From the moment I walked in, I was a bit indecisive about whether this place could meet my expectations for seafood. The menu, though slightly pricey, promised quality, and I was determined not to waste my money on anything less than amazing.

The experience started off on a positive note with the exceptional customer service. I had a lot of questions and concerns, and the manager at the front desk was incredibly patient, taking the time to address each one without a hint of irritation. Her friendly demeanor and willingness to help me make a decision really stood out.

I was particularly interested in the king crab legs, but at $99, they were out of my budget. Instead, I opted for the grilled oysters, which turned out to be a phenomenal choice. They were bursting with flavor—definitely five stars for taste. While the presentation could have been a bit more impressive (I was hoping for that smoking effect when they came off the grill), the hot, flavorful oysters more than made up for it.

To my delight, the manager surprised me with a sample of the king crab legs, expertly seasoned with Creole spices and already cut down for easy enjoyment. It was a fantastic gesture that made my meal even more special.

The other dishes I ordered were equally impressive. The baked potato that came with my meal was massive—almost bigger than the plate—and cooked to perfection. The scallops were huge and perfectly cooked, adding to the overall five-star experience.

The only thing that could have enhanced the experience would have been sitting out on a balcony overlooking the water, but the indoor seating with large windows offering ocean views was still beautiful.

Overall, Sea Ranch exceeded my expectations. If they could satisfy my indecisiveness, I'm confident they can please anyone who walks through their doors....