Would be much higher if not for poor service. Food was great. We had reservations but opted to sit at the bar, as it was wide open. For whatever reason the bartender, Sean, wasn't happy to see us. He asked us if we didn't like our table. Which I thought was weird to ask. Anyhow we did two appetizers once we were able to get Seans attention to order- Mussels and the Crab cake. Both were excellent. We had planned on ordering entrees but Sean never once checked back with us. So, we flagged him down (from 5 feet away) and asked for the tab. So, instead of getting tipped on $150 tab, he got tipped on a $65 tab. My wife and I are both service industry veterans and walk in expecting to drop at least a 25% tip. Sean earned a 15% tip. He cost himself and his employer money. Bartenders should be engaged and as social as they can be. We were the only people seated at the bar and the restaurant was quiet. No reason we should have been ignored. read more

We visited on a Friday evening before a show at The Grand. It was lively, packed with well to do seniors who were having a great time! It was very loud, making it difficult to even converse with those at our table. We had the muscle appetizer which was very good, followed by the braised beef special. The beef was good but I prefer it on the bone in a more stewed fashion. This looked almost like beef brisket and was a tad dry. The mashpotatoes and asparagus were very good. My friend had a very large crab cake. It had a nice large pieces of white crab meat that also had quite a bit of "stuffing." Others at the table had shrimp plates that looked amazing. They also had a happy hour which made drinks very reasonable. I would go back for sure. I would go back for sure. read more

We haven't been here for a while and decided to come here in Jan 2026 for Happy Hour which is Sunday-Friday from 4-7pm. We sat at the bar and received great service. Overall, the restaurant and bar are a nice intimate spot (but not small) and we really enjoyed the hang. We got the "Jumbo Lump Crab Cake" and "Orange Shrimp" (pics attached) - each were $9 on the happy hour menu. Both were good. Happy Hour is a great way to try their cuisine without breaking the bank. read more

The Saltwater Grill - "Jumbo" Lump Crab Cake - $9 on happy hour menu - Seafood Near Me - Galveston, Texas

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My wife and I have been here a couple of times. We absolutely LOVE this place. Some of the best seafood in Texas! We usually come here the night before we head out on a cruise, an it has not disappointed. This last trip we split an amazing appetizer - the BBQ bacon wrapped shrimp and then the Balckened Red snapper. Both were fantastic. The service is spot on, and it's a nice ambience. Highly recommend this place!! read more

The Saltwater Grill - This is a half dish of blackened Red Snapper! It is amazing! - Seafood Near Me - Galveston, Texas

Yum to the 3rd. Food amazing and service some of the best. Love this place when in Galveston. Waking distant to port and so many options on the menu. We love the dip. read more

The Saltwater Grill - Yum - Seafood Near Me - Galveston, Texas

We came here for my birthday and had a party of 9. We'd never been here before, but I love to try new places and I'm a sucker for seafood. I made a reservation, so we were able to be seated right away. It was a Friday night so it was relatively busy, but that did not affect our service or the food quality. We had a great time and everyone agreed that the food was delicious! I decided that I would gladly visit again and writing this review is making me want to go back even sooner. The only downside is the lack of parking without having to pay $20+ or walk a bit. It won't stop me from coming back soon. FYI: You should definitely try the Lobster Spring Rolls. They're unique and unlike anything we've ever had before. read more

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This round was a little underwhelming. My friend got the prime rib special and came out overcooked. It came with a caesar salad that was great and a pretty big portion. Loaded baked potato could have used some better presentation. We did tell our waitress and the manager offered to get her a new one, but everyone else was getting close to the end and ate enough between the sides and salad. He ended it comping her meal. They were super nice and attentive to the matter. Gulf shrimp platter came with the friend shrimp, grilled, and bbq on wrapped bbq. I don't know if I've had their fried shrimp or it's been awhile but like the batter and had a nice bite to it. While the bacon wrapped bbq ones are good, it is kind of threw off the flavor profile of the other shrimp and risotto. Generally a good dish for shrimp lovers. Filet + mashed potatoes + asparagus. Classic combo. Cooked to order. Not entirely sure it was a filet cut. They are usually rounder and taller, but enjoyed her meal nonetheless. read more

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Our family were passing through to prepare for our cruise and needed a place to celebrate. My wife placed a reservation and the rest is history. We were pleasantly delighted first by the wait staff. They were extremely warm and welcoming. We arrived a bit early before our reservation and they were still very accommodating getting us settled at our table for the evening. Our waitress Dev was very attentive to every request and question we had about our menu choices. From the appetizers to the desserts (crème brûlée not pictured) we were full and happy. ‍I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE SALTWATER GRILL‼Do NOT leave Galveston until you have stopped by for a visit‼ And no this isn't a paid advertisement . read more

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We found another gem in Galveston!! Looking for a nice place to take my lady for her b-day dinner and we landed in the right spot!! The inside was super nice and comfy.. We started off with cocktails.. Moscato for her and a Pink Hawaiian for me!! Then we got Lobster Bites for an appetizer that came with the most amazing bread.. I could have ate a whole platter of just the bread.. soo good!! Now for the main course she ordered the special they had, pan seared red snapper over a bed of parmesan risotto and asparagus and I went with the ribeye and garlic steamed spinach. Everything was on point and she loved her dish!! For her b-day they brought us out a chocolate lava cake and two tickets to see Phil Vasser at The Grand Opera House in Galveston. Shout out to Chef Megan, Tre the manager, Byron our waiter and Johnny for an AMAZING night!! See ya in two months for my b-day!! read more

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We went New Years Eve. We hadn't been there in several years but decided to try it again. It was wonderful! They had headbands and horns on the tables and many people wore them. I had the salmon and veggies and it was very good. My husband had the shrimp and scallops. The risotto was spot on. He loved it. Also we shared a chocolate eruption cake and it was delightful. Definitely will be back soon! read more

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Tried the Jazz Brunch on Sunday. We had 4 at our table and our reservation was for 11:30. We were seated right away. Our server was very attentive and helpful. He went out of his way on several occasions during our brunch. I tried a little of everything on the menu, my favorite was the redfish and boiled shrimp. My least favorite were the breakfast potatoes, and I am a potato lover. The music was fun and we all enjoyed ourselves. Would definitely come back if the brunch with music continues. read more

The Saltwater Grill - Desert selection - Seafood Near Me - Galveston, Texas

We needed a reservation for about 50 people in a private venue for around 5:00 PM. After contacting a couple of restaurants that wanted substantial $$ guarantees we settle on The Saltwater Grill that had no such charges. They were able to give us tables close to the open kitchen that was great, and we there early enough that we were the only ones in the restaurant so we essentially had a private room! The service was a little slow, which was expected, since the servers were taking orders for so many people at one time and dependent on the bar and the kitchen staff. I think they did a great job. Everyone had positive comments on their food. I have the lobster bisque which had a great favor a little lobster--which is the norm--but it was a little to thick for my taste. My hubby had the steamed sea bass with lump crab meat that was very good. One guest had the gumbo that he said was amazing; I'll have that next time! We couldn't resist the Italian cream cake--that was almost as good as mine--and large enough for us to take half of it home. By the time we left the rest of the restaurant was packed! I look forward to a return visit. read more

The Saltwater Grill - Seafood Near Me - Galveston, Texas

After a disappointing visit to Shucks, we moseyed over to The Saltwater Grill. Deciding to sit at the bar, we were attended to by the lovely Julie, who has been serving in this establishment for over 20 years. Utterly professional, she turned our rough start into a lovely evening. We visited at Happy Hour and enjoyed several of her recommendations. Great atmosphere, relaxing vibe and we will definitely be back. read more

Amazing food and service! Beautiful atmosphere. Perfect for a date night. Our server Alex was awesome. Made my husbands birthday special. read more

The Saltwater Grill - Chef Lobster Creation - Seafood Near Me - Galveston, Texas

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Saltwater Grill never disappoints. The service is always wonderful. Our waiter was wonderful - he was super attentive and also gave us space to enjoy our meal and company. I love that the dining room is a good size... it's cozy without being crowded. Very intimate with dim lighting and spacious tables. The cute coastal decor is always entertaining. I've never had a bad meal from here. The seafood trio is hands down my favorite- those huge lumps of crab meat are always so sweet and tasty. Cooked perfectly - never overdone. The salmon here is also divine - not over cooked and full of flavor. Tonight we also tried the sun dried tomato pasta dish, and it was great too, but nothing compares to the trio. We also had calamari and it was good. A normal serving - nothing impressive in the size but the calamari and sauce were delicious- we ate every bite. Crème brûlée is the only thing that could use some improvement. All of the vanilla bean settled to the bottom so it is probably better when prepared differently. Don't get me wrong, we are every bite and it was good but not the best. read more

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We came a week and a half ago as we visited Galveston abs stayed at the Tremont House . We made prior reservations via Open Table and we arrived earlier and they were gracious enough to accommodate us . I love the lobster balls as appetizer and a cup of lobster bisque . My husband ordered the shrimp penne and I order the combo gulf shrimp as entree . They were all flavorful specially the lobster balls although a bit pricey but I think it was worth it . read more

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Nothing to write home about. The whole package of crowded seating, expensive drinks and very loud environment is just not up to par. The salads are good but most of the other food is just mediocre with small portions and high prices. They don't have a dinner salad as an appetizer. They've changed the bread that they used to serve. It's now sort of like crunchy toast with grill marks. Our guests and we walked away just kind of underwhelmed. We're long time local customers. read more

The Staff is Awesome!!! The Food Is Incredible!!! The bisque, the shrimp, etc... Always Delicious! As an added treat, try their chocolate soufflé for dessert. Order it early during your meal because it takes 20 minutes to make. It's rich, so you can split it with friends. I go here to eat every time I go to an event at the 1894 Grand Opera house across the street. Salt Water is Always my first stop! It's a dining jewel in Galveston, Texas read more

We came in for a UTMB-sponsored dinner for a party of 13 and they were able to accommodate us in a party room/back table. It was nice because we could talk amongst us and not cause too much noise for the rest of the restaurant with a big group of people. On to the food review: Chilean Sea Bass and Jumbo crab: This was really good! The fish had a fresh, clean taste and it was nicely complemented by the smooth buttery sauce it came with. The couscous with spinach were cooked to the right texture. My only comment for this dish would probably to add some wild rice along to the side because the sauce is really good and all that rice would be nice to absorb it. OR you could do what I did and just use the bread to soak it up haha Chefs crab creation: my friend ordered this I tasted the crab cake and the flavor of the lemon was really pronounced but not overpowering. The risotto was also delicately balanced in flavor. Not too strong but very...homey if you know what I'm saying. Dessert: bread pudding Dense yet soft bread pudding that could almost melt in your mouth. My only suggestion is for it to have a tiny bit more sauce. I liked how the sauce wasn't sickeningly sweet like how other restaurants do bread pudding. Overall, this place is epic and I would DEFINITELY come back here again! read more

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Hadn't dined here before but wanted a more upscale seafood restaurant than most of the places in Galveston so we rolled the dice... and glad we did.  Very enjoyable with just a few hiccups.  Greeted promptly, never rushed, well attended to throughout our visit by our very friendly server and enjoyed a fantastic meal.   They're not just a seafood-only restaurant but when we learned they get their fish, shrimp, oysters, etc. fresh from Katie's Seafood just a few blocks away on the harbor, that's all we needed to narrow our choices.   Oysters Rockefeller were a nice start to wake up our taste buds.  They weren't as good as I've had in New Orleans but well worth getting if you're a fan of these.  These were large gulf oysters with that delicious creamy spinach topping, but these also had a yellow cheese in them and were topped with bacon bits... which I wasn't expecting.  Very good, but not traditional.  For the main course, I had pan seared red snapper and requested that with Pontchartrain sauce and it was superb. Next time, however, I'll forego the sauce top as it took away from the snapper, which was perfection on its own.  Mashed potatoes were both fluffy & firm at the same time and quite good with their light garlicky hint.  Vegetable mix was steamed to perfection and was a perfect accompaniment, especially with the sweetness of the added red bell pepper... which you don't often see in a vegetable medley side.   But the star of our visit was the pan seared shrimp and jumbo scallops with a creamy risotto with mushrooms.  Wow this was good!  Nuff said! Creme Brulee finished it all off and was darned good albeit sans raspberry and raspberry puree (ours had a single blackberry atop the dollop of whipped cream). All in all it was very good and I would have given 5 stars BUT the one thing that lost them a star was they do not have a Cognac!  Not a one!  Not a Hennessey, not a Remy Martin, none.  For a fine dining restaurant to not offer a good Cognac to finish off your meal is simply unacceptable for those that enjoy this indulgence.  And an FYI to management - brandy is NOT Cognac.  So as long as you don't want a Cognac when dining, you can't go wrong here.  We'll call ahead and ask before making our next reservation. read more

The Saltwater Grill - Pan seared red snapper with Ponchartrain sauce, mashed potatoes and steamed vegetable medley. - Seafood Near Me - Galveston, Texas

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Food is on point, every time. Service is always terrific no matter if they're busy as could be or it's quiet. Love that you feel like you're in a nicer restaurant but can be just as casual as a local favorite! read more

April 7, 2022 HH time 6:05p...my usual seat preference (at the bar) was full...so, we had to grab a table We sat at this table for 20 minutes...TWENTY... before I had to call the host/manager over to get a waiter. Hence the reason I like to sit at the bar After that oversight...all was well. Friends got grilled chicken Caesar salad and shrimp/scallops... they loved it. read more

We started with Old Fashioneds. It wasn't on their cocktail menu so I wasn't sure if it would be good. Oh, man, it was one of the best I have ever had!!! Then we had the Lobster Spring Rolls which are really large eggrolls. You must get them not because you may never see them on any other menu but because they are amazing. We also had shrimp cocktail which was okay but not the best we have ever had. Then I had the Apple Cider Salad with Grilled Chicken which was practically perfect. I ordered it without the candied pecans and light on the blue cheese. The dressing made me want to make sure I ate the whole salad because I loved the dressing so much. The grilled chicken was perfect too. My husband had the 32 ounce Big Daddy Gumbo and was warned about the size of it by our server but he still got it. He loved it! Savory with lots of shrimp and clams. We definitely want to go back. read more

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Chose this for my 70th birthday We were offered a table and asked if we (3) could have a booth and were seated in a very comfortable booth. Our cocktails were perfect! I ordered the raspberry truffle martini, excellent Our meals were delicious from Ceasars salad, sea scallops, and ended with key lime pie. Wish it was closer than 63 miles, but well worth the drive!! read more

The Saltwater Grill - Seafood Near Me - Galveston, Texas

Delicious food! Everything we got was amazing! I highly recommend you make reservations since the place is small and gets full quickly. We had to sit at the bar but we didn't mind. The place is nice and cozy. Servers were friendly and considering how full the place was, our food came out quickly! I suggest evening wear for dinner as this is more a fine dining restaurant! Will definitely be coming back to this place. read more

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We almost always come here for dinner before going across the street for a show or concert at The Grand 1894 Opera House. Sometimes for a birthday celebration, or this year for Valentine's Day. The restaurant has a classy, casual feel to it. Easy to relax in. This time we ordered lobster bites, snapper ponchartrain, and sea bass with crab. All expertly prepared and as delicious as the visual presentation. Chef walked the floor and stopped at tables to be sure the food and service was excellent. Our server, David A, was very attentive but not hovering. He delivered some excellently prepared martinis, which showed the bartender was able to deliver on par with the kitchen. On David's recommendation, we ordered the chocolate creme brulee and the Italian cream cake. We finished the creme brulee and took the cake to go. It was excellent with coffee the next morning. read more

In Galveston from NYC and wanted some clean seafood that wasn't fried. We had the chopped salad for starters (delish) and on the waiter Jorge's suggestion, my husband had the red fish (grilled). I had the Shanghai Delight (sea bass with bok choy and rice). Both of our fish dishes were cooked to perfection. Jorge was an attentive waiter and we had wonderful service from all staff members. Highly recommend if you are looking for a place with non-fried seafood! Also check out the wonderful antique store St John's at 2001 Post Office Street-- a block down from SaltWater Grill! read more

The food at Saltwater grill was good! I really loved the Chardonnay mussels which had a pesto sauce that I could drink straight up. Everything else was good but nothing super special. Servers were really nice and the casual nature of the restaurant felt comfortable too. Would go back to try the happy hour! read more

The Saltwater Grill - Chardonnay Mussels Golden Fried Calamari - Seafood Near Me - Galveston, Texas

For starters, finding parking to eat here is a major problem. The parking lot right next door charges $20.53 to park on a Fri, Sat, or Sun evening. That's a little excessive to just go for a 1-2 hr dinner. The Shrimp & Crawfish Fondue was very good. The Chardonnay Mussels however had no chardonnay flavor whatsoever. The sourdough table bread was very good, but the table butter tasted like plain lard. The main course of salmon did not taste fresh at all. The Penne del Sol with Gulf Shrimp was very mediocre. It was drenched with olive oil, and had very little flavor. The shrimp tasted as though they had been previously frozen. We will not be dining here again. read more

Oh no! Epic fail! Never order the Wednesday special on Thursday! Had a reservation ..arrived early., not busy and seated promptly. Pinot Grigio was great. Waitress tried very hard but the food.... Pot stickers/dumplings were great. So,...they continued the prime rib special today (Thursday). It arrived grey/gray and when cut into was well done and over medium (ordered medium rare at most). With cold mashed. . W2nd attempt arrived med rare and was stone cold. Gave up at that point..had a med rare filet arriving long after my friend finished her good salmon with capers. We both ate alone while the other watched! Our waitress arrived with a double key lime pie.. very good. We are starting to believe Galveston can't get it right. 3rd strike. read more

No longer a focus on a good dining experience. In and out service. Food was served cold.

Saltwater Grill small but such a gem to Galveston and the strand. Not only did they accommodate my group of 14 at the last minute they rescued my bday celebration dinner. They set us up in 10min all the food was delicious and the waiter Byron was unbelievable knowledgeable attentive pelite etc... read more

The Saltwater Grill - Shrimp & Crawfish Fondue - Seafood Near Me - Galveston, Texas

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Ate here on our stay in Galveston. I ordered scallops and they were rubbery and tough. I did end up sending them back-too expensive not to. Hi and had the oysters and loved them. Also got a pearl from one of them! Manager was nice and offered to redo the scallops but didn't want to have to send them back again so I declined. He did treat us to dessert which was very nice. May come back as the service was great and just order something else. read more

Awesome service and awesome food! Really nice spot if you're visiting Galveston. The restaurant is a little dark, but that was quickly forgotten once we got started. read more

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Came into Saltwater Grill on a Sunday evening with a group of 6. We were greeted warmly and sat at our table quickly. We started off with lobster spring rolls & Caesar salad. The salad was good the spring rolls weren't anything I would order again. Way too much cabbage & barely any lobster. Our entree was good. The sea bass was super flaky and fresh. The fries were great, super crunchy and seasoned to perfection. The chocolate cake molten cake was amazing!! ( order 15-20 minutes ahead, it's freshly made and takes a little while). read more

Great happy hour, otherwise a little pricey but seafood is local and fresh. Nice ambiance, not pretentious but a step above casual. I've had the seared scallops and they were cooked perfectly. read more

Great food and great service. Beautiful place. So much to choose from in the menu. I had grilled shrimp.

Oh wow! What a gem. Such a pleasant atmosphere. Was greeted by the BEST host ever! Gave the best recommendations. Started with the BBQ shrimp and grits. Amazing! We asked about the fresh fish. We got the snapper and grouper. Totally the best ever. Smashed fingerlings and mashed potatoes cooked to perfection. The host with the MOST kept checking on us. We were full but he twisted our arms for the key lime pie. It was just like my mom made. Nice thin crust that allows the taste of the pie to come thru. We absolute had the best meal ever. We will be back next time in Galveston and will tell everyone we know to eat here too. The host really made this 5 star-thank you! read more

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During Restaurant Week, the Saltwater Grill is open for lunch. They have a special menu. (See photo) I believe it lasts until Feb so it's more than a week. The menu offers a choice of four salads, five entrees and a chef selected dessert. I chose the Apple Cider Salad and I'm so glad I did. This was outstanding! The perfect bite of crisp lettuce, garlic croutons, candied pecans and crumbled blue cheese. I will go back just to get this salad! My husband had the Garden Salad which he also enjoyed. We both ordered the Lobster and Shrimp tacos for our entree - a grilled tortilla filled with cheeses, spinach, shrimp, and lobster. It was delicious! And for dessert we received key lime pies. The perfect amount for the end of lunch. The other four entrees are Blackened Fish tostada, Grilled Chicken Pasta, Almond Coconut Crusted Shrimp, and Fire Grilled Chicken Breast. See the menu photo for more info. They all look good and I might have to go back four more times just to try them! read more

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Saltwater is always a solid choice because the staff is friendly and professional, the food is delicious, and the location really works. As for the ambiance, the decor is fun and manages to combine upscale and casual nicely. Generally, I never think of Saltwater as being particularly noisy, but this weekend was ArtWalk and the place was packed so conversation was challenging at times. We were a party of five and because my niece was on the ball and made reservations, we had a good table with comfortable seating. I'm embarrassed that I don't remember our server's name, but suffice to say she was great. Everything we requested came in a timely fashion and she maintained a sense of humor throughout. We can be a handful and she handled us perfectly. The food was uniformly delicious. Both Dan and Azar has the Little Daddy's gumbo and judging from the fact that both portions were gone by the end of the meal indicates approval. Dan had a side Caesar salad because he's obsessed with greens and dressing. My sister and brother-in-law split the seared shrimp and jumbo scallops. Gone in a flash! Because we got truffle fries for the table, I decided to order from the appetizers and got the chilled seafood medley, or seafood cocktail on the receipt. The fries were... fries, so they were yummy. Oh, and don't let me forget the bread and whipped butter -- so good! The only less than positive note for me is my selection. I'll accept some of the blame because I know when I try to order "light" often the "light" is portion size but certainly not the price size. Don't get me wrong, the three shrimp I had were cooked perfectly and tasted just fine, the tiny amount of lump crab meat was fresh, the ahi tuna was also good. Cocktail sauce and another sort of remoulade-ish concoction with a kick were included. But the most abundant things on my dish were fried wontons and the LARGE bed of ice to keep the seafood chilled. I can assure you that there was not enough of any seafood that would require that amount of ice. The app was $26.00 for the aforementioned three shrimp, small lumps, and a modest amount of tuna, plus those wonton chips. I've gotten this before and I swear it didn't cost $26.00 and there was more to the dish. My suggestion to Saltwater is to add a few more shrimp, a scallop or two, maybe a little bit of ceviche, or a sea weed salad to make the price tag a little more reasonable. The takeaway: it's a fabulous place and the food is well prepared and tasty. I've been to many a delightful Happy Hour at Saltwater and can say without hesitation that their dirty gin martinis are transcendent and the HH menu is perfect for soaking up said transcendent martinis. Just steer clear of the chilled seafood medley because unlike so many wonderful things on the menu, it's not worth the price tag. read more