The food was great. I ordered the seafood gumbo, fried calamari, and the fried shrimp and catfish combo. Everything came out hot and fresh. My only complaint is the cleanliness of the restaurant. It was so dirty in there! I had to ask for my table to be cleaned before I sat. It should've already been cleaned after the last customer left. It makes me wonder how much they're actually cleaning throughout the day during this pandemic. I had to keep telling myself not to look around while I ate so I wouldn't be turned off. In conclusion, I would order food from here again but I'm most definitely taking my food to-go! read more

The taste in fried seafood has changed. I came here maybe 7 years ago and use to think it tasted good!! But now it's plain and disappointing. I came back here for a family dinner and we ordered all sorts of fried and grilled goodness. Started out with the appetizers of fried gator and crab claws, which the serving portion and size was sad for the price they charge. $8.99 for that?! (check out my picture) it tasted alright, but nothing that will get you craving for more. I ordered the combo basket and the fried seasoning was bland, it looks good, but it wasn't seasoned enough so I had to add more salt to it. After a while, it got really greasy and hard to finish. I maybe enjoyed the fried shrimp more than the fried catfish itself. Overall, didn't really get me craving to come back for more or even finish the meal. The staff was nice, which was probably about the only good thing about this place. Our server was very friendly and attentive. read more

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The food was ok but the catfish fillets were small, and the shrimp were a bit overcooked. The cornmeal batter was more gritty than normal. It was like gritty sand from the beach. Our server was pretty much nonexistent. He brought our gumbo and we didn't see him again until our food came. He didn't bring utensils, or the extra tartar sauce i asked for. My husband had to go get me a refill and i asked for the ticket on my way from washing my hands. Speaking of the restroom, they lie about the cleaning schedule bcz someone initialed all the way down to 9pm that the restroom had be checked. WRONG! I left at about 8:15pm and the restroom was a mess. We use to really like this place, and would even come for lunch. It's time to cut ties bcz its not worth $40 spent. read more

The seafood and catfish here are pretty fresh. I had a broiled platter consisting of catfish and oysters with cole slaw and french fries. They actually had horseradish which seems to be hard to get at a restaurant. Kay had fried shrimp, as usual. Shrimp had great breading and were fresh. read more

Try the baked gulf oyster for a start. Shrimp PO Boy was excellent. Seasoned perfectly. Everything on the menu looks great. Gotta come back. read more

Capt Benny's - Check the oyster menu... - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Don't be put off by the restaurant's shabby exterior if you're in the search for some delicious Cajun seafood. You must try the crawfish etouffee here! It's jam packed with meat, and the flavor never fails to please. The fresh, raw oysters and gumbo are pretty tasty too. Stay away from the fried soft shell crab though; the portion leaves something to be desired, and the crab itself is unfortunately overly fried to the point of tasteless. Fries and hush puppies are average compared to other diners. Service is attentive and prompt. A bar area is available if you want to catch a game too. Prices are little on the more expensive side, but then again, it is seafood. read more

This is the poorest run restaurant ever. Don't care about customer. RUDE on the phone. Dont try to get a reservation, carry out or catering order. Says online they do all of them but management at this location has decided to ignore the requests. When you call in to check status they tell you they dont do it and hang up...left us hanging after we submitted orders well in advance. If I was the owner, I would rethink my management team here. read more

Excellent service , very fresh, delicious food and good all around vibe! Will definitely come back

I used to go frequently, but today the dozen of raw oysters were $19.50. WTF, used to be less of $5. There were very good, but when I got the bill all the pleasure disappeared. read more

Babe and I came here for dinner...he wasn't impressed but I ate pretty well :) got the fried catfish and shrimp. Nothing too special or crazy...but good none the less if you want some fried seafood. read more

Capt Benny's - Special Platter - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

People are nice. Food is awful and overpriced. Corn meal overload. Capt. Benny's was great 40 years ago, but not any longer. I will not be going back. read more

Captain Benny's has some of the best seafood I've had in a long time the inside of the restaurant is a reminder of an old ship wrecked boat. I ordered the shrimp and fish basket which was absolutely wonderful my daughter ordered the Shrimp Basket and my nice ordered the fish basket everything was delicious the wait staff was wonderful will definitely visit this location again in Houston read more

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I ordered off grubhub the gumbo and fried oysters (6 pieces) for pick-up. When I got there, I could sense that the food in the bag had gone cold, but did not confirm until I got home. All the oysters, the hush puppies, toast, and the fries were just awful... which makes sense because they were completely room temperature. The coleslaw was fine and the gumbo at least stayed somewhat warm so I could see the potential everyone on yelp was talking about. However, absolutely none of this deserved a cost of 24 dollars. I don't want to completely bash this place from just this one experience, but as a first time customer, it left a seriously bad impression. I suppose it is my own fault for putting in the order 3 hours early. read more

Small and crowded even at 1:30pm. Only downside is tables are dirty. Food is excellent. Hard to find good gumbo and their seafood gumbo was very good. Oyster PoBoy was one of the best I've had. Order the hush puppies for $1.50 extra. Food is cooked to order. Got gumbo right away but 1/2 hour plus wait for rest of meal. read more

Capt Benny's - Cup of seafood gumbo - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I am super disappointed with this restaurant! I used to had great experience, but everything went downhill in one visit. We were sitting at the table for over 15 mins and no one say hi nor even acknowledged us. Our table was wet and I had wipe it down myself. No one came over at all. Witness several people walked out because of the same treatment. I overheard someone complaining about their cocktail shrimps was hot! That means their food is not even cook in the right temperature. I'm glad I walked out. read more

Well, as I continue my "tour" through our company locations, I find myself pleased again by the place I find to grab some dinner. Super friendly staff, great food and good ambiance. Very casual hole in the wall type place but you can sit up at the "bar," area and watch them shuck oysters, watch some sports on the many TV's and just be entertained by the spirit of the employees. I would recommend you try this place out...I'll be back for sure! read more

Oysters in Half shell! Need I say more? Yes? Ok then... Their fried crawfish tails are on point, the catfish basket never disappoints (excellent serving size & food prep), the Gumbo is YUMbo & to wash it all down proper like; I recommend the Modelo Especial Michelada! Prices are very reasonable for freshness & the generous portion sizes of their dishes. Not a fancy joint. Just straight up good, fresh seafood! read more

Capt Benny's - Oysters in 1/2 shell & Modelo Especial Michelada. A marriage made in heaven! - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

Staff = amazing, fun and friendly Seafood = fresh, tasty and delicious Atmosphere comfy and fun. Enjoy! read more

Capt Benny's - Oysters are the way to go! Raw or baked both delicious - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Service was poor. We got in right before the game crowd. So it wasn't really busy. We had to track our waiter down a few times. The seafood is fried in cornmeal, which I absolutely hate because it takes away the taste of the food. Sweet potato fries were good tho!! read more

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Yesterday we had a cater order for my unit at BSLMC and Alvin the manager was so accommodating and wonderful. The food was delicious and his service went above and beyond. He even called afterwards to make sure that everything was perfect. This little act of kindness made an implant on me and I'm very happy to have chosen Captn Benny's!! Take care. read more

Usually a good place to go for fresh seafood. But the word jumbo and shrimp shouldn't be in the same sentence at Benny's. The prices are for jumbo but what is served is regular size shrimp. They were having a special on 10 jumbo fried shrimp and 1/2 lb of talapia plus sides for $15.99. I didn't want talapia and only 9 jumbo fried shrimp it was $17.99. Now that was special. I should have ordered the special hold the fish and saved two bucks. Next time I'll save the two bucks at Benny's and give the fish and two bucks to the people looking for help at the corner. So the bottom line is the food is good but be ready to be overcharged for the ordering with the word jumbo. read more

Great oysters and gumbo. Good thing tilapia. Kind of a dive but ok. Service can be apotty

disappointed in my order. the serving was small and looked thrown together. Didn't feel like what I received was a $13 meal. Have enjoyed Capt. Benny's in the past but unlikely to return :/ read more

Capt Benny's - Combo Basket - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

The food wasn't at all what I expected and I'm not saying that just because someone broke into my car at this location. Yeah, after finishing my meal, my son and I walked to the car to find my passenger window bust out. They went through my lunch kit, my glove compartment and stole my sons backpack. I advised the people in the restaurant, the manager or whoever he was, came out so calm. He state that this has happened before and that there are no cameras on the property. The food wasn't worth all of this. If you go, be sure to lock your doors because the manager stated that break ins were bad there!! read more

Good food, great staff! Good happy hour specials. $2 craft beer, $1 oysters all day every day! Michelle is the asst. manager, super cool. Get the stuffed shrimp plate... read more

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You can't help but be happy when you come in here! Always so pleasant ... the food tastes good and fresh! The customer service is warm, you're treated like you're a daily visitor on even your first visit. One day when you want some old school fried seafood or a hankering for oyster on a half shell, stop by. read more

This place always comes through with delicious seafood. The seafood gumbo is always flavorful. Fried shrimp and fish is breaded and fried to order. Don't forget to order hush puppies. Oysters are always fresh, cold and plump - and not overpriced. Plenty of parking for those of you always whining about not enough parking. read more

Love this place! The fried fish is perfection. Amazing Jalapeño Boudain. I've never had anything there that I didn't love. The staff is always friendly. It proves that the hole in the wall places are usually the best. read more

To celebrate the recent flooding of Houston, what better way to give tribute to the almighty Poseidon than by having tons of delicious fried seafood? We canoed here along Main Street to find a small divey (hehe) place shaped like a boat. I guess they were also ready for the coming of the second Biblical flood. Everything was fresh and the service was great. Started off with the calamari and they season it to be a little bit spicy which makes all the difference. I don't now why all seafood places don't do this (I'm looking at you Pappadeaux). Then I had their Mates' Plate which is a mix and match of two choices of seafood- I got oysters and catfish- and a generous helping of fries, hush puppies, cole slaw, and garlic bread. The garlic bread really stood out for me considering everything else on my plate was pretty heavy. And washing that all down with a refreshing Corona michelada completed the meal. My only problem was being ID'd when I ordered the michelada. I know being an Asian male, I lack the necessary components to grow full facial hair, but that doesn't mean I can't look the age. The struggle is real my friends. read more

Oyster season is here. Capt. Benny's not only brings it, they follow up that sentiment with a question. "What kind?" Pardon? You have more than just Galveston Bay oysters? Galveston or Louisiana or two types from the north? This diva (in some circles I'm also referred to as a doyenne - I assume of everything awesome) got a half dozen of the pricier Naked Cowboys. They were from NY. If that just went over your head, google him. They were pretty amazing, buttery and salty. I mean, not get up in Times Square in tighty whiteys, boots, hat, and a guitar and perform kind of amazing, but really, how can you top THAT? I supplemented the oysters with a cup of gumbo. It was good, but a bit mild. I should have added some Louisiana Hot Sauce to it (I prefer it to Tabasco), but I didn't want to disrupt the roux. Some people may be put off by it, but a couple of the shrimp still had bits of shell. I picked it off and smiled knowing that it was made fresh. Yes, I ordered two appetizers for dinner. I'm a diva, I'm here to break the rules. Now I know to tell the waitress to bring my food when she brings my friends' entrees. Live and learn. The staff are all welcoming. Oh, and if you haven't been, but have driven past and wondered, it's very clean, and a little quaint and kitschy. As my small army of three sat at a bar high table at the prow of the boat, we watched quite a cornucopia of characters enter, eat, and/or leave. An older couple catching a dinner at 5 PM left in their snazzy, diva-worthy Caddy. A mother and son (at least I'm assuming here) waited for their rather large to go order. A couple of families with lots of kids. Small groups of friends, husbands and wives. There wasn't any group type that was a favorite, well other than perhaps small groups. Other than the two family groups, everyone was in groups of two or three. Think boat (not real), it's a small place. Cute, quaint, clean, pretty awesome space and food. read more

So everyone has heard of Captain Tom's, the ship with the awesome oysters, well welcome to Captain Benny's. Not quite as awesome, but when you got a less than 5 minute drive vs an over 30 minute drive, it will have to do. I came here for lunch with a friend. I had a Bowl of gumbo...yum! And a Mates plate with Oysters and soft shell crab. The oysters were alright but the soft shell crab was freaking good! I wish they gave you a bit more. I also had the fried shrimp from my friend's plate and it was solid. The sides I had were the fries, cole slaw, hush puppies, and garlic toast. We sat at the bar and it was cool feeling overall. Service was prompt. read more

People ask me all the time...so what is the HYPE about Houston? Well let me tell you, Houston is my kind of city. I will say, I'm bias to a fault. My entire family is from this part of Texas. My mama is from Beaumont and my whole daddy's side of the fam is Houston raised. So, obviously I love it for a reason. But what I love the most about this beloved place is the FOOD! All of the seafood. I could go on and on about how much I love it. So, we were in the area and I'm frantically searching around for spots to dine in a pinch. Captain Benny's comes up. My aunt exclaims..."oh yeah, that place is gooood!" So, we go. Clearly. The restaurant resembles a shipwrecked boat. I love it already. We sit down, it's packed. The main part of the boat has tons of patrons. So, we sit on the side. I order shrimp stuffed with spicy crab, rice, veggies. The rice is filled with fresh shrimp. I'm immediately in heaven. The stuffed shrimp was so zesty. And flavorful. Just as are most things when I go to Houston. The food and the people. I'm talking about both. Anyways, do yourselves a favor and try it. Oh...and HUSHPUPPIES. Another family member had them on their plate. I stole one. And my heart exploded with happiness. If you like laid back spots and just want to cut to the chase and eat some good grub. Go here. Go now if you can. Have some for me. read more

I've been going to the location on Murphy Road for years, but this night, I tried the S Main restaurant. I'm a fairly healthy eater, but I always made an exception for Capt Benny's, since it's all fried all the time except their raw oysters, boiled shrimp and gumbo. Times have changed though! Now you can get a 'healthy' broiled platter with broiled shrimp, fish and scallop. But I didn't order that- if I wanted healthy, I'd go elsewhere. This is the place to splurge! My dinner mates and I shared: 1. oysters on the half shell sampler- now, you can get more than just Gulf oysters- you can also order barcats, olde salts, and naked cowboys...but, the Gulf oysters are still the most plump and flavorful, in my opinion. 2. boiled shrimp- they're plump and a little spicy, and easy to peel. 3. seafood gumbo- shrimp and crab and plenty of okra. Not too salty, well seasoned. 4. shrimp diablos- shrimp and jalapeno, wrapped in bacon- heavenly, a little spicy, but that heat really stays with you when you go try to eat something else! 5. stuffed jalapenos- just as spicy and flavorful as I remembered them. 6. fried catfish, french fries, fried hush puppies- let's not kid ourselves, if you're dieting, this meal is definitely a CHEAT. But, I like the batter, I can tell everything is fried in fresh oil, and I like the flavor combinations. ZERO complaints! Don't be surprised by the prices though- it might be a casual place with rolls of paper towels and plastic tumblers, but it's not a bargain. As long as you set that expectation, I can't see how you'd be disappointed! read more

I ordered the Shrimp Basket and gumbo. The gumbo is ok, but needs hot sauce. The basket comes with 8 fried shrimp (very thin and overcooked), some good cole slaw, a couple of small hush puppies, and garlic bread. I envied the guy next to me at the bar, who had bigger and thicker shrimp from the "jumbo shrimp" meal. I should have ordered that. They have Tilapia Tuesday. Rats. I should have gone on a Tuesday. I am curious if anyone on Yelp has tried the stuffed flounder. read more

I'm not a fan of free-for-all seating, especially during dinner rush in a tiny space... too many people lingering around and being rude/hangry. Service is great though. They're really accommodating and try their best to make sure everyone is comfortable. Food took forever to come out, but when it came out, it was really good. They have great oysters (raw and baked). The special (whole fried catfish, shrimp, hush puppies, slaw, and fries) left me satisfied. I tried some of my friend's broiled platter also, and it was super good! I'd like to come back to try different dishes next time. read more

If you're looking for good ol' no hype, fresh n' tasty seafood this IS your place. Walk inside, and you feel like your eating at a little Galveston mom and pop on the seawall. I've tried almost everything-and never been let down! Their batter is a very light, corn meal based. Gumbo is always very warm, hearty and full of lots of "stuff!" A great place to hit up if you find yourself in the Med Center or Reliant Stadium vicinity... PROS: Value-cheap but VERY fresh and big boy sized portions, polite and attentive service. CON: grilled items are still quite buttery...so not many options for the health conscious (which is not)! FAVS: Oysters on the half shell (shucked before your eyes!), gumbo, fried shrimp (BIG and beautifully butterflied). read more

Random. Seriously, a random experience that was totally worth the chance. We were at Target next door thinking about where to go eat a late lunch on a Sunday. We saw the sign and decided to give this "dive" a try. It's a cute little bar with a few tables around the outside of the restaurant. The waitstaff is friendly and down to earth. We ordered a big platter and shared it between us. The shrimp were great and the catfish was pretty good (especially since I don't care for catfish much). I definitely want to come back and try the oysters when I get up the courage! If you're looking for a seafood restaurant on a budget, visit Benny's. read more

So it was our anniversary and I had been doing exams all night and finally finished up. I then said to my husband let's go out but nothing fancy, pick the place. Well when we drove up to Captain Benny's I thought he was just joking with me. I know I said casual but it was still our anniversary. :) So I just thought it was funny! We went in and it looked like some regulars were hanging out and the people working were jamming out to loud rap music...it just kept getting better! We ordered oysters on the half shell and they were surprisingly delicious!! I couldn't believe it. Our other food wasn't too good but I would go back for oysters! read more

Stumbled upon this place late one night during a quick weekend in Houston and it was one of the only places near our hotel open at 9PM, so in we went. As others have said, Marvin is a pretty great guy to have, so feel free to ask for him. Despite the cramped quarters and late hour, we found a quick table by the bar, only to have a waitress offer to seat us in a back booth, which we took her up on. Customer service the whole visit was great. Not pushy or overbearing, but simple, friendly, and positive. GUMBO: Good starter, surprisingly not spicy, but quite tasty. We finished it quickly and our entrees came out shortly thereafter. FRIED TILAPIA BASKET: BF's pick, even though the fish pieces were falling apart, he loved it. The coleslaw was delicious, according to him, and he promptly ate up both his portion and my own, as I am not a fan. The hush puppies had an interesting seasoning, the fries were standard. CRAWFISH PIROQUE: My entree was much more exciting. On the back of your menu, at the top, in the middle, is an order outlined in a box: crawfish piroque. It is heaven on earth. Some genius got the brilliant idea to cook crawfish in a delicious garlic sauce with peppers and onions and other cajun seasonings... and if that weren't tasty enough, they hollowed out a french loaf and served the crawfish IN the bread loaf, essentially using it as a bowl. And then, they topped it with some shredded monterrey jack cheese. I have NOT had anything that tasty in a while, and I love me some seafood. It was so good that I only let my guy have a bite or two. It was damn good. I would go back just for that. As it is, I'm looking to see if it's on any menus here in SA. Anyway, the short summary is this: GO NOW AND ORDER THE PIROQUE. You won't regret it. read more

I do have to admit that I kinda was already judging this place when I first walked in. The place is shaped like a boat and just seemed kind of gimmicky. I decided to sit at the bar and drink a Corona michelada while the guy shucked my dozen raw oysters. I decided on ordering the crawfish piroque (pr: P-row) based on another reviewer's suggestion. Well, looks can be deceiving! Who knew that my most memorable meal during my stay in Houston was from a boat shaped restaurant that shared the same parking lot as a Target?! Those oysters were amazingly good and fresh. I had some gulf oysters last year in NOLA and they didn't really impress me much. They were way too big and I learned that bigger is not better when it comes to oysters. But these, not sure if they come from a different part of the gulf but they were perfect sized and perfect taste. After I slurped up a dozen of those guys, my piroque comes out on a plate with some fries. It was huge, I knew I was gonna be having this for breakfast the next morning. It was sooo delicious and so flavorful and bit on the salty side which is a plus for me. It had pieces of crawfish cooked with onion, peppers and some Cajun seasoning sitting inside a hollowed out piece of french bread. And it was topped off with melting cheese. I can't remember the last time I bit into something this flavorful in a long time. Of course, I was only able to take two bites of the humongous thing and had the rest of it packed to go. This place will forever be in my must do list anytime I'm in Houston. And another awesome part of it was the bill. All that food plus two beers came to about $25. Loves me some good, cheap food. Can't wait to go back. read more