The service was wonderful and the food is fantastic. The downside though is that if you want great food, you're gonna have to pay for it. It's not cheap. One nice thing is that if you're meeting friends there who have never been to Galveston, just tell them to "drive on the Seawall and look for the giant crab. You can't miss it." read more

Overrated and expensive. Food was ok - service was fine. I ordered the crab stuffed shrimp and it came drowned in butter sauce and shrimp did not taste fresh. read more

Things to consider: Service-2 Service appeared three times- time of order, bring our food and oh, here's your bill. No drink refills and any feedback on the meals Ambiance was very clean and beautiful Food was nothing spectacular at all. Noodles were over cooked, fish plates were bland. Very costly for what little you received Not worth the money read more

The food was like eating at Red Lobster! Just not good at all for being in business that long, the service was spotty at best and the ambience was amazing. It was right across from the ocean and made the experience worth while. The stuffed shrimp were overcooked and rubbery, and of course the fries that come as a side were nasty. The plate the food was served in was dirty from the char-broiler which made it even more disgusting. read more

Good food and service but the ambiance is very outdated for the prices they charge. I usually go during restaurant week and I'm usually happy with both food and service. The seafood and fish are fresh and delicious. The presentation is pretty nice too. Ask your waiter/waitress if there are any specials. read more

Fantastic food and ambiance, came highly recommended and did not disappoint, was worth the visit! read more

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Disclaimer: giving this place one star based solely on service. I would have LOVED the chance to eat at this historic restaurant HOWEVER the following happened to my party: We were looking forward to trying this restaurant after hearing about it on a tour. We were dressed nicely and not in beach clothes though I would expect that wouldn't be a problem since they are ON the seawall. I checked open table and they had plenty of spots available so we decided to go in. The entrance is a bit confusing but we found a Hostess. She asked if we had a reservation and we replied no but we could get one. She seemed to think that was funny, laughed and proceeded to tell us there would be over an hour and 45 minute wait. Confused I showed her that the website was showing there was seating for two people in the next 5 minutes. She said not according to her computer though her voice started faltering. I clicked on the time, reserved our table and asked again if they still didn't have seating. Her colleague who arrived looked at us changed the answer said yes, but in 20 minutes. At that point since they weren't going to honor a reservation system that they are a part of we took the hint that we were not welcome there and left. read more

Every time we come to Galveston, we always make a trip to Gaido's. I was first introduced to Gaido's as a somewhat historic institution. It's been around for decades and known for its seafood and view of the Gulf. While the menu looks like it's set up for a more fine dining experience, people come in both casual and nicer attire. Portions are big. During my last trip, I enjoyed the crab stuffed shrimp. I really love their side order options- specifically the au gratin potatoes. Yum! They are very rich and creamy. For dessert, the pecan pie is a must. They sell the whole pie that you can take home. It's in the shape of the state of Texas. We always bring one back to family when traveling. They have a small gift shop area in the restaurant where you can purchase seasonings and other items. read more

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My wife *loves* Gaido's. She's had numerous positive experiences going there w family growing up. Quite simply, it was her favorite restaurant. 02/2022, my wife & I came to Gaido's for a nice dinner. There were numerous errors and failings; Cliff the waiter refused to ask the kitchen staff to chop a wedge salad, my wife's salad came without dressing, the waiter spoke incredibly quietly & we missed the "story" of Gaido's, plus some other things. The experience was so poor that we let the manager Kevin know what had happened. He was incredibly apologetic and asked that we let him know the next time we planned on coming in. He then mentioned that he'd made a note in our OpenTable reservation (that's attached to my account) about the experience, that way the next time we came in the staff would automatically be alerted. In mid-April, I made reservations via OpenTable. I also called Gaido's at 11am the morning of the dinner reservation so that they'd be aware of our return. The person who answered the phone found "the note" in the reservation. I also mentioned Kevin by his full name, saying that he wanted to be notified of our next trip. That day we spent a lovely morning and afternoon in Galveston. For this trip our son and my mother accompanied us. The dinner was special, since my mother lives out of state. From the reservation notes: "Occasion: Celebration, Special request: Our son was confirmed at Church this past week Grandma is visiting prior to moving to Texas later this year" We for the reservation and were sat quickly in the main dining room to the right of the hostess stand. We had a table next to the window w a nice view. My seat was facing the front of the restaurant and I could see both the entry hallway and the doors to the kitchen. Everything was lovely. I then saw CLIFF walking towards the tables w a pitcher. I assumed that he was taking care of the table next to us. Nope ... he was our waiter *again* When I went to the front desk and ultimately spoke w Kevin, I had to reiterate multiple times that CLIFF was the problem initially & it was insane for us to be sat with him again this time. We were sat in another part of the restaurant with a different waitress. Service that day was slow and haphazard. It was so bad that an older woman wearing an evening gown was helping out. I assumed that she is family or related to Nick in some fashion. For one table, they were forgotten for so long that the male was pacing around the room searching for someone to help him. We mentioned to our waitress that something was wrong & she checked on them. The previously mentioned woman eventually gave them a free appetizer of some sort to make up for the fact that they'd been "forgotten" After dinner service (but before the dessert was served) we saw our waitress talking with Cliff behind the side bar station. My wife was incredibly disturbed by this, as Cliff had no reason to be on this side of the restaurant talking specifically to our waitress. My wife had serious concerns about the safety of our food & wondered aloud if the two staff were going to spit in our creme brûlée. Other weird things: There were no finger bowls presented at the conclusion of the meal. The receipt was placed face-up in front of me without a cover. TBH, with these two past experiences Gaido's has lost a significant amount of it's cachet. The food was wonderful & my mother was quite pleased. Unfortunately, the front of the house just killed the experience in multiple ways. read more

Very busy for Mother's Day but service and food was very disappointing. We use to eat there frequently but not any more- sad

After our fail at the Fisherman Wharf, we went to Gaido's!!! It was amazing! I had the fresh Tuna grilled with Parmesan Tomatoes. Hubby had the Blacken Tuna, he said it was terrific! We also had a side of their AWSOME Blue Cheese Grits, heaven on earth! The Service was the BEST! The restaurant is a historic Galveston icon. Started in 1911. They moved to this sane location in the 30's. Little riches of old here too, like a lemon & warm water "Finger bowl " at the very end of our meal. And "Vadim B" was the top with waiters! Well worth a stop for lunch or dinner! read more

The food was amazing our server was excellent! I wish I could remember his name. We had the seafood platter and it was perfection. The Greek salad is a must try everything is so fresh!I will always make this a stop when I am in Galveston. Gaidos doesn't disappoint. read more

Gaido's - Seafood platter and Greek salad - Seafood Near Me - Galveston, Texas

Worst front hostess staff I've ever encountered. No solutions. Not accommodating. Couldn't care less about your party. Don't even bother trying to get a table if you have a large party. We had 8 & a baby & the lady said no way they could seat us all night long. No solutions....no splitting up our party, nothing. read more

We didn't have a reservation. However, they fit us in on a very busy night. The service was excellent!!! Food was well worth the wait. The staff was friendly and informative on menu. My grandson loved his meal. Will visit again on next Galveston trip. read more

Top knotch service and superb seafood. We were in town for the weekend and dined twice at Gaido's. Justin and Enrique's customer service skills were second to none! I highly recommend you give Gaido's a visit next time in Galveston. read more

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The place is amazing. Staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. Food is always great. But, the portion size is not equal to the amount of the cost of food. You will easily drop $100 for a dinner for 2 with drinks. And that's with a shared meal. It's in the high end of the average person, so just keep that in mind. It is worth it, but be prepared for the bill at the end... Enjoy!!! read more

We love this place! We have been coming for years. The ambience is so much better than the loud chain restaurants. No rush, good food, great music, good people! read more

It took almost an hour for our entrees to arrive. They sat on a tray across from our table for 10 minutes while a large party next to us was served . Cold fried seafood is not very tasty. Dirty dishes sat on our table and were not cleared. Horrible slow service and no manager in sight of our table. I don't understand why we were asked if it was a special occasion when the reservation was made. It was a birthday and an anniversary; nothing was offered or mentioned. Will not return!!!! read more

Second time coming to Gaido's with my beautiful girlfriend and we absolutely loved it! Arrived around 4:30 on a Sunday and were again pleasantly surprised by the great service, excellent ambience with the sunset off of the seawall! We both ordered the Red Snapper special w/crab cake & lemon butter, as well as a side of au gratin potatoes. Everything tasted incredible and was so light and flavorful, some of the best food & service I've had in a very long time! Thanks again Gaido's, can't wait to be back! read more

What a night... been here 3 times and was giving it one last chance with a party of 6. Dinner service was long, no manager visited our table when we had problems with our meals,... my son left something inside and manager went to "search" but never came back and left us outside in the cold instead of inviting us in to have a seat (even in the in between doors space).. he never came back to check on us.. This was AFTER he locked the door on us to go searching, saying that it was for "safety reasons". Whose safety is he referring to? WHAT KIND OF MANAGER would leave patrons, 2 women and a young child without jackets, standing in the cold waiting for an uber driver? Additionally, after about 45 minutes of being out in the cold waiting for a response from manager AND the uber driver to arrive, 2 male servers from inside the restaurant smile, laugh, and wave at us without any thoughts of asking if we were ok? Then at about 11, the lights went out in the restaurant, and manager still never came back. Further, the price point of this place suggests that patrons should be treated better than at a fast food restaurant. Even the food quality/taste was a disappointment. The romaine in the cesar salad was a light green color, almost yellow, food came out warm, and gumbo congealed... my initial instinct NOT to come back was spot on. I won't be returning, and will be sure to pass along this experience to others. read more

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It's a classic! Recommended by cousins and I had to check it out! I had the house Cabernet x three it was good ! Ordered the jazz martini appetizer. Delicious!!! A meal in itself!!! My companion had the chicken pozinni. He ate the whole thing! I had the lunch special, red snapper encrusted with pecan/almond and asparagus. Had the pecan pie bourbon vanilla ice cream dessert!!! OH my!!! Delicious!!! Great service! Awesome music to listen to while eating. read more

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Food and service were fantastic. We probably won't take our kids next time as it's pretty pricey for people that don't eat much.

As a person of color I felt intimidated at this restaurant, the management was very rude and obnoxious to me and my friends son , who is 17 years old and Black. They asked my friends mom , why was I there ! Hello ! Maybe to be treated fairly? And spend money there ! At this point as a mixed race person of color, you definitely lost my business! At 71 years old, and from California, I don't accept racism and hated . It's time for Galveston to change ( slave mentality is over folks , didn't you get the memo? ) read more

Gaido's has been around since 1911. Myself? Since 1982. And it's a total shame that during my time as a Southeast Texan, I've only dined at Gaido's once time prior to this review (about 10 years ago). This recent visit reminded me that as often as I visit the Island -- which is pretty much at least once a month -- I need to make more visits to Gaido's. The decor is a nod to mid mod design but keeping with that upscale, old southern dining experience. White linen. Servers in black and white. But casual attire is okay. For food, oysters are a must and they have an assortment from raw to broiled. The gumbo was good, and the single cup serving was enough for me. But what had me at hello was both the focaccia bread and the sun dried tomato bread that cake woh my girlfriends entree. We bagged that leftover bread to go and fully enjoyed it with olive oil and cheese the next night. read more

ALWAYS on point, but Friday night was even better. We went for my sons birthday and our anniversary. My mother-in-law had never been to Galveston, much less Gaido's. Justin B was phenomenal. He was so patient and attentive with our group and guided us extremely well with what to eat!! She was hooked just like the rest of us! read more

Gaido's provided a wonderful birthday dinner for me and my family. 5 stars on classy service and tasty delectable food. Employees all wore masks and gloves. Since it was my birthday, we received a complimentary brownie birthday cake that was enough for all four of us to share - a fabulous memorable experience!! read more

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Nice, clean rooms and budget friendly. I've stayed twice and left my car for free while cruising both times and never had a problem. I love being able to walk right next door for good seafood. read more

I have nothing bad to say about this place except it took a tiny bit longer than I expected, BUT the freshness of everything we are is well worth a little wait. Plus, it is definitely a semi formal to formal environment, so it does not bother me to sip wine and enjoy without rushing. Our server, Daniel, was a gem. He took the time to educate us on the restaurants history and had amazing recommendations. We got to sample all the soups. We ordered the shrimp cocktail, calamari, pecan crusted fish, and seafood pasta. THE best seafood pasta I've ever had. read more

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Sent food back 3 times for being cold. Another table across from us had the same experience. This had been our "go-to" place for 30 years whenever we are in town. No more! Other than being cold, some of the food was bland, and some just not worthy of eating! read more

Absolutely the BEST Restaurant in my opinion. We had Red Snapper Stuffed and Great cut of Steak. The steak you can cut with butter knife. My favorite place in Galveston. Waiter are so gracious. Salinda was our waitress and was very good. The history of Gaido's speaks for itself! Highly Recommended! read more

This place is okay at best. The specialty cocktails were obviously pre made the food was very bland and uninspiring. I'm not sure why this place is highly rated I'm sure these people are just straight up lying. We ordered the seafood platter w the red snapper, rice was tasteless, scallops were bland, potatoes were undercooked, shrimp was nothing special, and the snapper was ehh. Really felt like I just threw money down the drain, I've had better seafood at Tommy Bahamas. Go to Darlene's shrimp shack instead. read more

The absolute best meal we had in Galveston! Chelsea was the sweetest!!! She gave us the fabulous history of Gaido's and was clearly proud to represent! read more

Gaido's - Double chocolate mousse - amazing!!!! - Seafood Near Me - Galveston, Texas

Another great meal at Gaido's. Waiter Eugene was fantastic, definitely knew his stuff. Great experience as always. Tried the blackened Mahi Mahi and whatever rice they serve with it was amazing. Grilled shrimp was probably the best I've ever had. read more

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Service has really slowed at this business as well as quality of food. It's been a favorite place if our family since before I was born! We love it here and will continue to take it as it comes for nostalgia at least. The food is good but preparation has been less that it's historical stellar and service has slipped big time. Hopefully it is just the sign of the times and not the new way. I know help and supplies are not as readily available as in years past. read more

Try the avocado crab appetizer, it was worth every dollar, so delicious. The scallops were cooked perfectly, they tasted like butter.

Last visit there... Terrible service. Too many other places in Galveston with great food and good service!! read more

My favorite place to eat in Galveston, can be pricy, however in my opinion it is well worth the price. There is a certain care that is applied to the food that just makes this an experience along with great food. read more

best food on the island. I remember coming to this restaurant when I was a child, and that's been a while. my sister and I came onto the island the make more memories. of course the food hasn't changed. best sea food ever! our server, Christie, was amazing very attentive and funny so go to Gaido's, where the huge crap is. ask for Christie 1.21-23 Shirley Rodriguez Sheila Westmoreland read more

2 plates of salad costs $40. We're just picking out the crabs off the salad because it really isn't good at all. I also got oysters, grilled and raw. Oysters is pretty good but their food isn't great at all. I really regret coming here because they don't really do anything for your birthday, like a free dessert or a free drink or anything. My friend told the server it was my birthday and if they have any sort of birthday promotion and he said "of course" and we were like what?? And he kept repeating "of course" and got us the bill. Like can you just say no? He was talking to us sarcastically and it's just so rude. I forgot the server we had but I think it was Nick or Nicolas. read more

Gaido's - Crab salad - Seafood Near Me - Galveston, Texas

Food is great! Been going here 43 years. As long as they keep surviving the hurricanes, I'll come here till I die! Why only 4 stars..... because this recent visit our server Alatin was pretty lame and it was a date night. read more