If you know me, you know I don't so seafood like at all. I drive by here everyday (well, on weekdays) on my way home from work and have never given it a thought. Just figured it was a seafood place geared towards the folks staying at the nearby hotels and truck drivers. Had a friend in town who wanted to try them out. I gave in and went. I had a side salad and a Mexican Coke. Both good. Fresh veg and all that. My boyfriend had a breaded shrimp salad and our friend had the fried catfish basket. They raved about their meals. Absolutely loved them. The service was fantastic. Our server was the sweetest. She was super attentive and talked with us as though we were friends. Just a very warm person. When we were leaving she asked if she could give us hugs and we were more than happy to oblige. I wish I can remember her name. I see the reviews here are really mixed and leaning towards the low end. It's my hope that changes because the service was out of this world. read more

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I honestly should've listened to the reviews. Michelada tasted like cocktail sauce & the fried catfish tasted like dirt. Yuck. The shrimp and hush puppies were the only decent things on the plate. Catfish me feel gross I had to spit it out. I told the server and the manager declined. I honestly didn't expect to get comped for the entire meal because I did eat the shrimp but charging me for the entire bill even though I also didn't finish the michelada is crazy. The server wasn't that great either tbh. Save the hassle and go to boiling crab or something lol read more

Pretty relaxed place for a Friday afternoon. Ordered 5 lbs of crawfish. I understand they got busy, so order took a little longer, and they communicated that with me. Felt like they gave me a little extra for the time waiting. Unfortunately the crawfish was said to be spicy, not at all. No flavor at all. Second thing I like to point at was the crawfish looked like they weren't properly cleaned prior to being boiled. I would have preferred of having less crawfish and have them properly cleaned before being cooked. read more

It was just gross! Don't advertise $5/lb crawfish if your employees are gonna harass my waitress about us ordering because you want it for yourself! Waited an hour after ordering to get said crawfish just for it to come out dirty... not as dirty as the oysters tho and just a terrible experience all around. Talking about my waitress in front of us after she goes to the restroom really unprofessional and weird. No thank you will not be coming back read more

Been there twice and food was good. Problem w finding parking spaces . It was really busy

Not very good, food was cold, tasty like been sitting for awhile. The fish and shrimp, lack in every way, disappointing will never go back read more

Charming restaurant off i35 is decorated like a boat. One of the few restaurants in Austin to still serve flounder, which is my favorite fish. Most things seem to be overcooked and oversalted, but nothing was so terrible that we sent it back or anything. Our waitress was very nice. Leftovers the next day made a good cold breakfast. read more

Captain Benny's Seafood - alligator appetizer - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

I had high hopes for this place, mostly because the outside looks like a boat and seemed promising. Unfortunately, that's where the charm ended. The waitress wasn't friendly, but she also wasn't rude--she was just there, like background noise. We barely saw her until it was time for the check. My husband's Diablo shrimp was good, and the oysters were fine, but that's the only nice thing I can say. I ordered the Scarlett snapper, which the menu described as a whole snapper stuffed with shrimp and crab stuffing, broiled or fried. It sounded amazing, so I ordered it fried. The waitress casually mentioned it would be a 25-minute wait, which was fine by me. What came out after the wait was a plain fillet of snapper, fried in bland cornmeal, with zero stuffing. Not a whole fish. Not stuffed. Not remotely what the menu promised. The kicker? She never bothered to explain that ordering it fried meant I wasn't getting the actual dish described on the menu. So basically, I paid for something I didn't order, got a watered-down version instead, and only realized it once I'd already started eating. When I asked about it, the waitress had no explanation, and at that point the meal was almost over anyway. The service was mediocre, the menu was misleading, and the food I ordered was completely misrepresented. If I had known the "fried snapper" was nothing like the menu described, I would have ordered something else. Between the confusion, lack of communication, and underwhelming food, we won't be back. read more

Captian Bennys is a great spot! I had the grilled scallops and was so pleased! My second pic here is always Oysters on the half shell or crawfish when in season read more

This restaurant is a little off the beaten path despite its proximity to I-35. The building is older and has seen better days, but is clean and comfortable for dining. There's a lot of fried items on the menu but they are well done. We enjoyed our visit and the service was just fine. read more

Service was great but food was not. I knew when the food came out as quick as it did that this was frozen food. The fried crab fingers and fried shrimp had no seasoning/no flavor. Everything was just blah. For $60 bucks (two dinners and an appetizer) I was expecting at least mediocre, but it was less than that. read more

Outstanding crawfish! Huge oysters on the half shell. Great job, Bernardo! I really enjoyed this Austin relic. So many have closed. Wishing y'all 20 more years of success. read more

Captain Benny's Seafood - Calamari - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

We have a split decision on Captain Benny's. My Combo Basket, with 4 fried shrimp and 2 pieces of fried fish (along with fries, hush puppies, and garlic toast) was reasonably good. Not exquisite, but about what I'd expect at a mid-range inland seafood joint. My companion didn't fare as well. He ordered a dinner that included scallops and stuffed crab, with fries, hush puppies, and Cole slaw. He picked at it for a while then complained that the scallops were weird and rubbery, that the stuffed crab didn't taste like there was any crab in it. "None of it tastes good." "So, send it back!" A server noticed that something was off, and was very nice about taking it away and offering a substitute. He's a picky eater and his appetite was gone by then, so he declined, and they removed it from the check. We've eaten here before and had pretty good experiences, so hopefully this was an aberration. read more

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Loved this spot. It was great! Everything about it. The food, the service, the beer! :) Had our family dinner here the day before my brother passed away and the server was so patient with us and he was so kind and so helpful. He offered prayers even tho we knew my brother wouldn't make it thru the weekend. He was so kind. The hostess was pretty sweet. She sat us quickly and didn't mind that we chose to sit outside instead after already being sat inside. We were just not in a position to be in the light around other guests due to emotions. So they handled that great without even knowing it. Everyone ordered something different and unique and it all came out exactly right. Fresh and delicious. Thank you Captain Bennys!! read more

Captain Benny's Seafood - a plate of fried food - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

Great food. Great staff. Nice atmosphere. When the weather is perfect you can sit outside. Prices are really good too. Great price on the oysters, especially during the high season. I go a couple of times a year when I'm on that side of town. read more

Not sure how long its been around but I hope it stays until I can come back. Place was awesome. Great atmosphere, bar had cold drinks and a nice bartender. Tvs all around and the waitress was very pleasant. We all shared fish platter and those yummy oysters! Just takes you away as if you were on an island somewhere. Not a fan of their hush puppies but the oysters won my heart. Boys loved the huge pieces of shrimp. But, they know how to serve it up with a laid back atmosphere, they bring crackers, plenty of lemons and hot sauce!!! Just what I always need, and plenty of napkins!! read more

The greeting was horrible and the waitress! I sat a the table over 5 minutes until the cashier said have you been served and I replied NO! Then another waitress said that's Marie section! So the cashier took my order. I just drove over 3 hours to your city and chose your restaurant to dine in and it wasn't pleasurable at all! However; your food was good and hot! read more

Captain Benny's Seafood - What I ordered - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

Back at Captain Benny's second day in a row. Had the Jalapeño Boudin very good flavor little heat. Had the Stuffed Catfish Fillet with a Stuffed Crab and three fried Oysters. Overall food is good. Prices are reasonable. read more

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I was in town staying at the hotel next-door and decided to stop by here to get some food. More than half of the crab claws had hardly any meat on them. It was basically fried cornmeal. Not only that it was slightly over fried. The rice was OK... Nothing stood out. I placed the order at the front hostess stand and took it to go. It would have been nice to include some utensils and napkins. read more

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I really want to recommend this place, but the several times we've been, the food is just really so-so. The service is excellent - the folks do take care of you. The dining room is somewhat compact but workable. We have had the shrimp, which is probably the best thing on the menu, the oysters, the fried combo dinners, and the deviled crab, which is really just bland. I would say most of the meal was just bland - not a lot of any kind of seasonings to give the expected to good seafood. read more

Always consistently great food and price. Love the large Gulf oysters... Fastest oyster shuckers in Austin read more

Captain Benny's Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

If I could give no stars I would! I'm originally from Houston area have been living in Austin area for a few years and I am disappointed. My partner and I are used to the captain bennys stafford location . We came here hoping for a little taste from home and we were severely let down. We ordered the popcorn shrimp, boudin balls , gumbo, and crawfish. The gumbo was bland and had a strong tomato taste. The crawfish had no flavor and the melted butter they gave us with it was watered down .Everything else was just severely bland. The service was good but the food was a huge let down. Will not be returning and i am extremely disappointed by this! :( read more

They sell swai - not real catfish. The food is not fresh. The fries tasted like old grease -- very inedible. The stuffed crab was a mix of terrible mush mixed with random pieces of seafood. They must be paying for these reviews, because SOMEONE is lying! SMH I left here and spent another $25 for food I could actually eat! read more

Captain Benny's Seafood - Swai - they do not serve real catfish. Not fresh and grease was not fresh either. Did not eat. - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

The fish plate was not meaty as expected. The calamari was too breaded. The service was ok. The space is limited. read more

Captain Benny's Seafood - Fish fries n coleslaw was ok - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I ate here yesterday and I was craving oysters. I haven't had them from the gulf before so the difference in taste wasn't a huge red flag. At 1am this morning everything changed. Please if you have to question the oysters just stop. The shrimp Diablo's were super yummy, I'd get that again once I can keep food down read more

Captain Benny's don't get no respect. It is actually a better place than you would think. * * * There are two danger signs that should scare you off from Captain Benny's And one huge indicator that tells you the two "danger signs" do not apply here. * * * The two danger signs are: a) A lot of bad Yelp reviews. The good reviews are generic and not very convincing. The bad ones have fire, passion and copious detail. b) On the billboard in front of the restaurant, there is a great big sign that says: HELP WANTED. That usually gives me great cause for concern. * * * Why None of That Matters Here: The restaurant is absolutely packed with happy customers. Bad restaurants don't have customers occupying every legal seat in the house. People only pour into a place with their wallets open if the food they are getting is likely to be good * * * My Assessment of Captain Benny's Food: Captain Benny's is just fine. I had a shrimp diablo which is shrimp and bacon wrapped around a jalapeno and grilled. I gobbled mine down. I would have happily eaten two or three more orders of shrimp diablo if I had been smart enough to order those in advance. I also had a shrimp etoufee. Was it legendary Cajun cooking? No. Was it good enough for lunch? Sure. Captain Benny's is an econo seafood joint. The shrimp are not the biggest shrimp you have ever seen. The seafood is not of the supremo de supremo quality you would expect in a place that charges you thirty eight dollars a plate. But for everyday eating, their fish is fine. For value on the dollar I could not complain. * * * A Sociology Note: Nearly 100% of the clientele at Captain Benny's was Mexican or Central American. There was exactly one Anglo table and just a whole ton of non-Anglo tables. The Yelp reviewer population is disproportionately high Anglo Yuppie. (Some Asian Yuppie. A little Black Yuppie.) There are probably both class issues here and ethnicity issues here. There are good restaurants that lower class Hispanics like that Yelpers do not like. Yuppies view lower class Mexicans and Central Americans as reliable guides to good Mexican food. Yuppies do not view lower class Mexicans and Central Americans as reliable guides to "non-Hispanic" foods. This is a mistake. The most obvious divergence concerns inexpensive Asian buffets. Yelpers hate cheap buffets. Working class Mexicans and Central Americans love cheap buffets. Triple that if we are talking cheap Asian buffets. Some cheapo buffets really are terrible. But a lot of these are first rate establishments. I have the time of my life at these places. So on cheap Asian buffets, I throw my vote in with the crowd and not with the Yelpers. I think something similar is going on with Captain Benny's. You don't see a lot of working class Hispanics on Yelp. But if you go to a place where a lot of Mexicans and Central Americans are chowing down, You have probably come to a good place. This is not a 1000% foolproof rule. I have eaten horrible meals in rooms filled with working class Hispanics. I have also nearly died in rooms filled with upscale Yuppies. Some places are mysteriously popular for reasons that defy human understanding. But the happy crowd rule is still a good rule. It is an even better rule if the crowd is a population of people that is underrepresented on Yelp. read more

Food was very good. Oysters were delicious. Service was very nice and attentive. Outdoor seating was so nice.

Oysters were not just small but cut in half. Over cost. Alligator far over cooked. I this my Sneakers are less chewy... Server was anxious as though we couldn't wait to close. Do yourself a favor and close read more

Great longtime (1967) local seafood place that is definitely keeping Austin weird. With it's location on the I-35 access road near 51st, just look for the old fishing boat outside. Inside you'll find a friendly bar and plenty of tables with a laidback vibe, and some great ,reasonably priced fresh seafood. I had the grilled shrimp and scallop kebabs, which were broiled to perfection with some nice chunky mushrooms, onions and peppers. My son had the fish basket, which was swai (a mild white fish) was hot and crispy with fries and hush puppies. My daughter, who recommended the place to us, had the crawfish etouffe, which is a house specialty, and it looked and smelled yummy. The service was courteous and efficient and everyone seemed to be enjoying their food and having a good time. All in all, a pleasant dining experience with some well prepared seafood that doesn't break the bank. read more

I could not love this place more! The gumbo is amazing and the oysters are always so fresh. The guys in the bar are fast and the open kitchen area is pretty cool too. My campus is nearby and this is one of my fav places to eat when I get out early. read more

A friend and I wanted some gulf oysters and we were not disappointed. Staff was friendly, the oysters delicious, and the Étouffée just the right level of thick and spicy! I'll happily return to try more menu items at a future date. read more

Captain Benny's Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

This place was recommended by the Courtyard which sits directly behind the establishment. Do not waste your time or money. The food and service was horrible. The shrimp was so tough that I couldn't even chew it. The catfish was so small it looked like tilapia. My way are had hair on the bottle. The waitress walked away pulled the hair off and brought it back to the table. Had to tell her that is unacceptable. They sprinkle paprika on the food and call it seasoning. The calamari was cold and what they considered an order was for the kid's menu. I will also be reporting the to the food and health administration for poor cleaning. The table was so sticky I had to pull out my wet wipes. Disgusting. read more

Captain Benny's Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

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EVERYTHING I ate was delish. Baked oysters and the boiled shrimp were the shizznit. Their michelada mix is great too and MIKE was attentive to my needy ass. Thanksss Ohhh and one more thing. The prices were the best part! read more

The oysters are good and fresh both raw and broiled. I didn't really care for Benny's broiled as much as the others but it was still good. The etouffe was pretty good and the stuffed jalapeños were just ok. read more

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I'm with Garreth on this one, driven by this place a thousand times and never ever once noticed it. I even had trouble finding it for the 1st time as I had to do a couple of loops before I found the boat and the lighthouse crammed next to the hotel. But once you find the place and try it out, it's really all good in the oyster hood. This place is pretty much a 4 star experience at best. When you walk in you'll think "WTF is the big deal?". It's somewhat crammed for space, but step over to the bar area and you'll notice the whole room is "tipped" on a slope, much like being on a boat. The reason why I came here was to check out an alternative oyster place instead of Quality Seafood. What made this a 5 star experience for me was the superb customer service I received from the friendly bartender and the awesome priced raw oysters for only $6.95 a dozen! Are you kidding? That's 1999 prices! It's 4 bucks cheaper than Quality Seafood w/o any differentiation in quality! Hmm, is the rent higher on Airport Blvd? The bartender said he's been working at Captain off and on since 1991, and they are really critical on their oysters to make sure they are safe. They're stored btwn 32 to 36 degrees Fahrenheit and there's 2 kinds of raw oysters: the regular and the "PHT" for $9.95 a dozen, which he said are frozen 100 degrees below zero to make sure all the bacteria are killed. They are supposed to be good/safe for the immune system and to alleviate any anxieties one may have about eating raw oysters. They taste a little on the fishy side compared to the originals, so if you're paranoid about getting sick off raw oysters then try the PHTs. I got a half dozen of each, but the bartender ended up giving me 8 each since he said they seemed to be smaller than what he's used to seeing (I didn't notice). Also tried the fried calamari which was good, the tartar sauce tasted like it had a hint of garlic which was nice. They have bottled beer and other menu specials, on my next visit I will try the stuffed jalapenos w/ crab and shrimp stuffing ($8.95 for 6). Friendly customer service + extra oysters + 6.95 per dozen (wtf?) = best bang for the buck = a 5-star experience = count me in as a regular! read more

Captain Benny's Seafood - Dozen of Oysters - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

I stopped in for quick dinner on my road trip to San Antonio on March 2, 2016. While walking in I believe it was the manager that said "hello" and I decided to sit at the bar as I always to when I sit at the bar. The bartender, Mike, greeted me right away and asked what I would like to drink. I had a glass of wine and he asked if I would also like water. :) I decided that I wanted to order the broiled snapper with rice. It came out fast and hot. He asked me if I needed anything else and I didn't. Everything was good. I finished most of my fish so it was good. Not the best fish but this place isn't fancy of course. I used to live in Austin and this was one of my favorite places to grab a drink and fish or shrimp. The menu is pretty extensive. Mike was awesome! He had a good sense of humor and he was helpful. I was in and out of there fast just like I was hoping to get back on the road. I always try to stop here on my way to or from SA. Plus they have decent parking/patio if you want to sit outside/and a tv at the bar. read more

Captain Benny's Seafood - Broiled snapper and rice with shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Great quick service, seating and food to the table! Oysters are fresh! The waitstaff is very attentive and helpful!

We had oysters and crawfish in March. They were both delicious. Out waiter was respectful, and courteous. The order did take a while to get to us but is was worth the wait, it is not a fast food restaurant. FYI corona or xx beer go with seafood. read more

I hate to say this because I was excited to try a local seafood restaurant instead of going to a chain but the food here was very bland. The coleslaw was the only thing with actual flavor and was pretty good but all the seafood tasted like there was no salt or seasoning of any kind. The service was good, just the food was disappointing. Maybe it was an off day but unfortunately I don't think we'll be coming back here. read more

We ordered a pound of seasoned boiled shrimp and a serving of calamari through the Favor app. The chilled shrimp were huge, and cooked perfectly. The spicy seasoning was not excessively so. The calamari - mostly rings, and breaded and fried without being greasy or soggy. Will definitely order these again. read more