Food was excellent! Service was good. We ate at 3:30 so there wasn't a crowd. We had the fried shrimp and scallops and it was excellent. The restroom was dirtier than I expected. They need to do sweeps more often to make sure they're clean. read more

The service was amazing and that is because we were apart of a large party. The appetizer (which I forgot to take picture of) were really good. We started off with the Dirty Sampler: 1. Shrimp stuffed Jalapeño (2): they were huge and tasted really good. 2. Fried Mushrooms: they were nicely friend with grated Parmesan on top. 3. Popcorn shrimp: this is like any popcorn shrimp you have had at any restaurant. It was good. Then ordered a stuffed crab. (My mom had this and it's her favorite app. Finally we ordered oysters Rockefeller which are always great. For our main meals: Two of us (including myself) had the Red Snapper Rockefeller which was the best thing I've had in a while. There three cheese sauce is something out of this world. The other two individuals had the Kings Stuffed Flounder. They both very much enjoyed it and it came with the same three cheese sauce as well. The fried potatoes were nice and crispy and paired well with the three cheese sauce. The corn was perfectly seasoned. Can't wait to go back again. read more

Dirty Al's Bayou Grill - Red Snapper Rockefeller w/ fried potato's and corn on the cob - Seafood Near Me - McAllen, Texas

Hadn't been to Dirty Al's in months and was very disappointed. The service was terrible! I sat at a very dirty and greasy table so I moved and the second one was just as bad. I asked the waiter to please clean it and he did. Please do something about your greasy tables! I ordered fried zucchini as an appetizer and specifically told waiter to bring them before my meal. It came way after my meal. I ordered the large combo of fried shrimp and oysters and the oysters were the size of a quarter and the shrimp were not large. I told the waiter and pointed them out to him and asked him if they could be charged as a medium. He said the only thing he could do is bring me a few more oysters. Well he did and they were the size of a dime. Waiter never stopped to ask if I needed refills or anything. I had to stop him when he walked past me to tend to other people! He was not a very friendly or motivated server. Do not plan to go back! read more

Great service and food was delicious! The appetizer was overall great aside from the fried pickles being dried out. I've ordered fried pickles here in the past without issues this may have been a one-off instance. The Almondy entree comes with potatoes that compliment the fish perfectly. The fish was a very good sized portion and cooked to perfection. read more

Dirty Al's Bayou Grill - Sampler appetizer with fried shrimp, onion rings and fried pickles. - Seafood Near Me - McAllen, Texas

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I ordered the medium-sized fried oysters. I really wanted to enjoy it, but it was mostly a mountain of french fries with @10 nugget-sized, dry fried oysters. The rest of our party loved their meals: fried fish, shrimp and onion rings. I was terribly disappointed. The service was excellent! read more

service actually was terrible, we were sat at a corner and literally forgotten about. we were sat and never served. we tried calling the attention to some servers by waving and specifically this one güero, tall and skinny with almost blond hair ignored us SEVERAL TIMES. We walked out after we waved him down and he clearly made eye contact AGAIN and instead went to a table next to us to ask them how they were doing. Multiple tables that got there AFTER us were served way before we were. Not even drinks or a greeting we got. it felt so rude. read more

If you are not a fan of the seafood place then don't come! Expect to smell fish!! Atleast you know they serve everything fresh. We arrived and got seated immediately, they took our order. The place has nice decorations, great staff. Our fish from our botana was amazingly delicious and super soft! This time the fries were a little overly seasoned, but still had a great flavor. I recommend giving it a try! read more

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Service was excellent and the food amazing. At1pm!!love the crispy fries. The shrimp, fish, oysters soo good!

We were in the mood for seafood and decided to try this spot for lunch. We were greeted and seated right away. Our server was fast- Always had a full glass of water. I ordered the fried shrimp and veggies. Hubby got the blackened salmon with bacon wrapped shrimp. Took a minute to come out. My shrimp was delicious! The red sauce is marinara. Not cocktail sauce. There wasn't any horseradish. I didn't try the tartar sauce. My veggies were noodles, which was strange. They were also very salty. I couldn't eat it. The salmon my hubby got was yummy! Very well cooked. Great flavor. The bacon wrapped shrimp was insanely spicy. We weren't even aware that there was going to be that much of a kick! It was unbearable and we couldn't eat it. read more

Dirty Al's Bayou Grill - Salmon and bacon wrapped shrimp - Seafood Near Me - McAllen, Texas

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We love this place! They fry everything to perfection and have amazing deals, like fish throats and fish ribs for $9.99! But the best part was having waiters like Marlon (not sure about the spelling) who was so kind & generous to my 2 year old kids. He literally offered $$ from his own pocket to buy lollipops for the girls when we were waiting for members of our dinner party to arrive (it took them awhile to come). I can't even put in words how giving he was and what that did for my overwhelmed self! I had been feeling so self-conscious about the kids being active and loud in the restaurant. Instead of judging or berating them, he offered us such kindness! So, Marlon is now part of our family memories. Because of him, our kids got to try lollipops for the first time! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR KINDNESS! read more

Dirty Al's Bayou Grill - Fish ribs and fish throat! - Seafood Near Me - McAllen, Texas

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Best thing is the Monday special on raw oysters. The daily lunch specials are also very good, especially when they had it on the New Orleans shrimp. read more

The service was good but the food was cold and tasted funny so we told the manager we had ordered the 40 piece platter and we had ate a few pieces that he would give us a discount when we got the bill we noticed he gave us a $5.08 discount and he took the rest of the food so I told him if your only going to give us that kind of discount I would like to take the rest of the food so I can give it to my dog and he said he had already thrown it away so we left very unhappy and probably never going back read more

I tried the burger and it tasted bad I took a bite it did not takes good it looked good it it taste old

The shrimp gumbo was great, all ingredients with minimal liquid. I liked that it was not overwhelming spicy. Lobster plater was great as well.. the mixed vegetables side I did not like it was shredded, I could not easily superstructure what I did not want out of it. but lost one star due to the boil shrimp appetizer used very small shrimps. But did have a good flavor. Best to pay extra for the staff to peal for you read more

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Funny how a bad experience with the wait staff can ruin dinner.... If you're leaving a tip commensurate with the service, it's tough leaving a tip at all. read more

We had the Islander, and I chose this dish because the menu stated that it was spicy. IT WAS NOT SPICY! We were so let down! Next time we'll order what we usually really enjoy as a lovely, tasty meal. We really enjoy the cheese sauce and the squash! And of course the fish. read more

Picked up a seafood botana for 4. Haggled a bit with a guy, who might have been the manager, at the bar and was trying to convince me that he was right. He was convinced I ordered over the phone an order that wasn't mine. Turns out it was another guy by the same name. At home the food temp was ok... not optimal....but I understood because it was a to go order. However, the taste was absolutely horrible. The fried fish had a soggy, soft consistency inside, the shrimp tasted a little too fishy and the fries weren't crispy. More so than anything, the flavor was as if they hadn't changed out the frying oil in a very long time. Too bad... I used to really love this place, will not be going back to McAllen location and will not recommend. read more

Visiting from California wanted to try some Cajun food. Family took us to try this restaurant on Sunday November 26, 2023. I ordered the salmon and my potatoes served burnt and salmon dry, my cousins steak was tough and potatoes burnt. My husband returned his bag of seafood,soap was in the sauce , the pasta was tasteless that my sister ordered, check close to $300.00 and they did nothing about the meal accept apologize and offer dessert. We declined and paid the bill. Relaxing and conversing finishing our drinks I stirred my Arnold Palmer and a roach was floating around I showed the manager and he said it was pepper and did not do anything except say it was nat that might have fell in my drink. I pulled it out and showed him. He didn't agree. Never again. read more

Portions are small! The snapper throats were over fried and very small-pound was to be - not ! My daughter and kids took me there for BD-waiter asked for proof and since it was belated-it was a no good! What!!! We spent over $200 and manager says I'm two days past my birthday to be treated to their BD treat! Screw you-never going there AGAIN! Jose Reyes read more

Pricey and mediocre food. My $6 Moscow Mule was bad.... I'm not even sure how you mess up a mule, but they figured it out. read more

Restaurant was really warm inside; we were sweating through our meal. I walked in to the men's restroom to be met by the overwhelming odor of marijuana and a high male waiter mopping the restroom floor wearing his apron. Every time the male waiter walked by our table you could smell the odor of marijuana on him, which was aggravating for having kids there. The strawberry margarita was pure sugar. The beer was cool. The onion blossom was horrible and we only ate about a fourth of it and left it. The bread pudding was delicious and the key lime pie was ok. Our server was amazing and very nice guy. If our server wasn't as great as he was we would have left at the beginning of the meal. The manager was absent and did not interact with guests or staff. We have dined at the SPI and Brownsville locations with a great experience. The McAllen location was a disaster and we will not be returning. read more

Dirty Al's Bayou Grill - Seafood Near Me - McAllen, Texas

Very average. Don't get the Shrimp, it had a really weird overly sweet taste to it. The best thing we had was the non-Cajun dish of Hot Wings. They were decent. The restaurant interior is cool and feels like NOLA but the food we had was sub-par. I wish we would've saved our $$ and gone to Pappadeuxs. read more

Awesome food and spectacular service! The manager takes great pride in his restaurant and everybody aims to please!!!

Great dinner, amazing service both times. That being said, the cocktails need work. Frozen margarita with raspberry liquer was half blended and had a ugly purplish color. read more

Dirty Al's Bayou Grill - Blackened snapper - Seafood Near Me - McAllen, Texas

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The drinks are mediocre and just off. The food is average and I think I probably got the run from their food the next day (I ate somewhere else prior to coming here to eat again, so can't know for sure). The service is not too bad. Our waitress was somewhat good looking. read more

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The service was great! The food sucked... I got the Freddy's platter and it came in a bag and everything tasted like the plastic bag it came in. We had a group of 10 and only 1 or 2 people enjoyed their meals. The server was great though, he was very patient and kind! read more

Came out to have dinner with my other half's family in the RGV and I thought the place was a good fit for a large party and the environment was enjoyable.The waitstaff was on point this visit for sure they were very aware of our needs at all times. I would come here again for sure. Very respectful and accommodating. We really enjoyed the food too and it was exceptionally well priced. read more

I have always loved this place and it's fried sea food from my visits to its location in SPI. During my visit I had one of there sea food baskets fish/shrimp. The only disappointment was that the fish pieces were extremely small (half or less of the the usual fillet). The flavor was still very good and couldn't complain about it. The part that ruined my night was their dessert. I asked for the brownie with ice cream and was completely disappointed. The brownie was one of the ones you buy in a 10 pack box of brownies and HEB/Wal-Mart and ice cream was melted and slimmy. It ruined my experience and a high end restaurant shouldn't be serving this kind of crappy food. read more

Dirty Al's Bayou Grill - Seafood Near Me - McAllen, Texas

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It was bad.....overrated. This was your last chance. We were a table of 11. Three of us had mistakes. You can put tons of zucchini on a big plate but it is still zucchini. Both of us ordered the special...red snapper grilled with potatoes and veggies. Out both came with shrimp on top and i am allergic. Showed the special sign......no shrimp. Had to wait for grilled fish and only zucchini when everyone else was done. Took $3.80 off the bill. The female server was not pleasant. read more

After waiting for literally 15 minutes for our waiter, we had to wait another 5 to get our drinks. Then another 10 just to be asked what we wanted for dinner. All this time for some shrimp tacos and a blacked fish that arrived 20 more minutes later , to our sad discovery that we got something other than shrimp tacos. I would understand it , if the place was full of customers. But the only thing that was in abundance was servers. The place was less than half capacity and with almost the same ratio of patrons than servers. The pricing is not justified. In my Opinion, for 20+ dollars there are better options like Muelle37 and other places that will give you everything faster , tastier and cheaper. If you want to spend a high amount of money for very, very bad service, only for the nostalgic memory of the actual dirty place on South Padre Island, for the 50 minutes that you will actually wait to get something to eat.... well... You might need psychiatric help. Seek it, since this place is just not worth it. read more

This is a great place for Cajun food, though the menu includes Mexican and a variety of cuisines as well. I had the shrimp etoufee which was well done though could have been a bit spicier. I had a martini which I'm not sure was made with Stolichnaya vodka as I requested - I've had many martinis and it had a bit of an after taste, though it may have been infused from the ice cubes it was shaken with - it had that kind of flavor. My companions all liked their dishes - mostly fish dishes which they said were tasty. The key lime pie left much to be desired- should have taken the hint from our waitress! read more

Loved this place and will definitely return. We celebrated our anniversary here and it was an excellent choice. A nice change from the National chain restaurants. My husband loved the jambalaya. I had the mahi-mahi special and it was del read more

Dirty Al's Bayou Grill - Mahi-mahi with Shrimp and avocado - Seafood Near Me - McAllen, Texas

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This place sucks!! DO NOT go, take the extra time and go to SPI (original location). The waiter was rude, and didn't seem to care about serving his tables timely. After asking for the assistant manager to discuss our concerns with our food. He waived off our issues with absolutely no concern, he was condescending and was clearly racist against our (white) family, guess our money was the wrong color to get a good experience. Maybe now you know why your business is declining, which you cant blame covid anymore, this location should be closed and management fired. read more

OMGGGGGG!!! Delicious all the way around. We had a mango daiquiri and a angry orchard on tap. My partner has a lot of daiquiris from a lot of different places she complemented this one a lot! My Angry Orchard was super cold and crisp and I'm so glad they had it on tap. A lot of places don't. The Manager checked in with us and our waitress was great! We had the crawfish peel and eat shrimp and fried shrimp and scallops w French fries! All the way around deliciousness. Most places my scallops are kinda soggy these were amazing. We will def be back! read more

Delicious scampi shrimp with corn and potatoes. I bought the cajun seasoning they sell, it's amazing!

We always enjoy our evenings here. Our usual table in the bar area is nice. The bar staff are attentive and super friendly! Freddy's Mix Up, with Alaskan King Crab is a perfect dinner for two. Cheers! read more

Dirty Al's Bayou Grill - Seafood Near Me - McAllen, Texas

Decent Cajun good for the area. Will definitely go again. Food was yummy. Service was a bit slow, which is why I rated 4 stars only.

Hubby had the whiskey bay fish and I had the bayou. I do wish the plates were not so expensive. Also something to nibble on while you waited for your food would be nice. Some chips or peanuts or warm bread. Even if it came with a small salad like Red Lobster. The wait this Saturday evening at 6:50 seems overly long. My beer is 1/4 finished before I see my plate and I am sipping slowly. The blackened fish on my plate was spicy and tasted like too much black pepper. The etouffe tasted just like it. I'd never order that again. But hubbys dish was superb as it was last time. But I think it will be awhile before we come back. Something was off. The atmosphere that was so great last time was gloomy today. Maybe the blinds were closed do to the sun. The floor also felt sticky as I walked back to my table read more

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The service was great, the manager on duty came to our table and had so much information about what to see in the area. We started our meal with oysters on the half shell, my husband hand the whole fried fish which was phenomenal. The batter was light and crispy and the fish was flavorful, I had the scallops and shrimp which was also fantastic. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

I've been to Al's in McAllen and on the island and love both. Last time we stopped in McAllen for a 90th birthday party. Eric Castillo was a great waiter He gave suggestions, patient with the hearing problems and gave good service. I love the Islander but others thought it wasn't spicy enough in reviews - then ask for it spicy to start with so they can up the heat. Everyone's taste buds are different so no reason to give a low grade review if it still tasted OK. The jambalaya is one of our favorites with the various seafood and sausage - and you can ask to get it spicier but I like mine as is and it's only slightly spicy to my taste. The birthday treat was a carrot cake warmed which wasn't as much a carrot cake as a spice but it was excellent. Always like to try something new, I haven't had problems with my food here but if I did I don't hesitate to tell the waiter and let them make it right. Give this place a try. read more