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    Viva

    4.4 (248 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Viva Photos

    VIVA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Viva

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    Shrimp tacos
    flora a.

    Will go again! A must if you're visiting. Such a nice outside area and great service! Great vibes and great food!!

    Shrimp steak skewers

    The atmosphere was nice. Some of the food was really good, although the steak on the skewers tasted spoiled or past due. The waiter was polite but brought our bill before we could order dessert.

    View from table. Sunset in bay
    Maria A.

    We went on Friday night around 6pm. Was told 35 minute wait for a table with shade and we agreed. The whole restaurant is open air with fans on the bay. 2 level bay deck tables with umbrellas on most. 35 minutes later we got a text and we're seated. Server was amazing. Explained menu and made surey dietary restrictions were met (vegan). The other ordered tons of plates...the best they said was the yellow fin crudo. The roasted brussel sprouts had popcorn shrimpixed in. I think they were unnecessary. The sprouts alone were amazing. Cocktails were great and well balanced...not super sweet. I got the cauliflower steak with chimichurri...didn't taste like usual chimichurri but still was good. We love this place and always visit. When we come to SPI.

    These photos do no justice. The food was extraordinary.
    Tiffany R.

    We arrived about 15 minutes before closing after just getting into town. The host and our server did mention they were closing soon, which we understood. The place was still full, and we made sure to enjoy our meal quickly and respectfully. We actually ended up leaving before several tables that had arrived earlier. Now to the good part. The food was amazing. We ordered the ceviche, tuna tartare, Maryland crab cake, and steak and frites, plus a couple drinks. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and delicious. The ambiance was beautiful and made the experience even better. We'd definitely come back. John was an amazing server.

    Street corn appetizer
    Andrea H.

    Great place to grab lunch with the family. There was something for everyone on the menu and we all enjoyed it. Loved the open air vibe.

    Brown butter cake
    Emily G.

    Seriously, best food I've had in south padre. I've been going for a while now and don't really ever know where to go and the places I have gone for dinner haven't been that memorable. However, this past time we came across Viva and I saw a lot of great things about the food and service. Plus, the are right on the water so that is a huge plus. We had the corn appetizer was good & a little spicy. I had the shrimp del torre & my partner had the wagyu burger. For dessert we shared the brown butter cake. It was a little dry but still good. Both were phenomenal! I still think about the meal there and wish I could go back again but we live 5 hours away. The service was great I wish I remembered our servers name but he was very kind & great with kids. Will definitely be coming back here in the future & would recommend to anyone going to SPI.

    Ceviche Guacamole
    Melva S.

    What can fulfill your tastebuds better than fresh tasteful seafood alongside waves and seagulls Viva on SPI The service was on top of their toes eager to make sure that you felt welcomed and valued as a customer. The cocktails were perfectly presented and served with a smile. The atmosphere was energetic I was impressed by the quality and cleanliness from the minute I stepped in until I left. The music was subtle enough to enjoy our conversations and the Bar area has a TV that has a sports game playing in case you want to enjoy cocktails watching your favorite sport Highly recommended and prices were reasonable worth my stay while visiting SPI

    (Virgin) mojitos
    Celena B.

    The food was so delicious! Notable mentions: the Brussels sprouts as an appetizer was a 10/10. I was part of a group of 12 and everything came out fairly quickly. Nice views, good service, and even better food. Will definitely be back next time I visit SPI

    Fish tacos
    Farrah A.

    A friend recommended we try Viva for lunch, and it offered just about everything we wanted (besides oysters... we really wanted raw oysters). We enjoyed a nice view of the bay, margs, seafood tacos, and a fresh watermelon and feta salad. The "beet salad" was a bit misleading; it was really a "spinach salad" that happened to have beets, pears, goat cheese. We were expecting far more roasted beets. Ah well.

    Guacamole
    Frank W.

    We were seated at an outdoor table overlooking the bay. The guacamole was fresh and beautifully shaped as a rectangular prism on the plate surrounded by crisp golden chips. It was delightful appetizer. Our beet goat cheese salads arrived shortly after, beautiful, fresh, and satisfying. It was the perfect entree for a summer evening. The service was excellent and the prices were reasonable considering the ambiance of the venue. They also offer a military discount.

    Teriyaki Ribeye & shrimp skewers
    Kristell B.

    Came here on a Sunday evening. No wait time for a party of four to sit outside. Food and drinks were good, staff were friendly.

    Guacamole
    Christina G.

    Saturday, memorial Day weekend I made a resy for lunch at 1:15 p.m. party of 2. It was a nice breeze The perfect Day for lunch cocktail. I ordered share the tea, a green tea infused drink and it was delicious. Our server was prompt and friendly! We ordered the guacamole appetizer and the watermelon salad. The watermelon salad is one of the reasons why I chose this restaurant and I'm glad I did because it was so good. My boyfriend ordered the skewers that had a great flavor and he really enjoyed the rice. I ordered the house salad with a salmon the salad was refreshing and it was different because it had capers, And I love me some capers. Overall great experience on the water but fresh food and friendly service!

    Viva Ceviche had the perfect amount of lime juice and sweet from the mango cut the acidity!
    Victoria M.

    Excellent customer service and a great ambiance. We were seated very quickly for it being a busy Saturday lunch. After ordering appetizers or meals, food would always come out very quickly! Ordered an Amor&Fuego drink and it had just the right amount of spice and kick! I will definitely go back for date night on the island! Great place!

    Shrimp Tacos

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    Never go wrong with anything you order at Viva. Food is fresh and tasty and their drinks are always on point!

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    The Cafe On The Beach

    The Cafe On The Beach

    4.0
    (666 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    My girlfriend and I really enjoyed this place during our South Padre trip. We went for dinner, sat…read moreoutside, and loved being right next to the ocean. The atmosphere was fantastic, especially with the ocean breeze coming through. We ordered the steamed mussels, the grilled red snapper sandwich, and the grilled red snapper entrée. Our favorite dish was the red snapper sandwich. It tasted fresh and had more of a homestyle feel rather than something overly polished from a professional kitchen, which we really appreciated. Honestly, everything tasted fresh, comforting, and well prepared. The service was also incredible throughout the night. The only slight issue we had was spotting a cockroach crawl from under one of the chairs when we pulled it out. However, considering the restaurant is basically right on the beach and outdoors, insects are somewhat expected, and it honestly didn't take away from the experience for us. Overall, great atmosphere, great food, and a really enjoyable dinner spot in South Padre.

    Beautiful ambiance and view of the beach and vegetation. Parking is a little difficult but the most…read moreannoying part was trying to get seated. The girl in the front ignored us and other guest as we walked up to ask for a table, and instead she just texted on her phone. I don't think she even really spoke English (which is fine, I speak Spanish too) but she didn't even try to communicate or greet us. She just pointed us to tables under the cabana where we walked to and got sent back. Guest after guest after us was also confused. Menu looked great but the food and service was mid at best. Do not recommended.

    Photos
    Bar
    Bar
    Grilled Red Snapper Sandwich
    Grilled Red Snapper Sandwich
    Entrance to beach, with outdoor seating nearby

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    Entrance to beach, with outdoor seating nearby
    Yummies Bistro

    Yummies Bistro

    4.5
    (1.2k reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$

    Came here because the coffee looks amazing and it did not disappoint!…read more The latte and cappuccinos look visually appealing but if you're looking for a real cappuccino this might not be for you. It definitely seems like they just put a bunch of foam on top but it still tasted good. The waffle is also crispy and fluffy. The salon lox bagel is also so pretty but the large onion slices were too much. Service was great and they do get really busy.

    During a quick weekend getaway to South Padre Island, I treated myself to brunch at Yummies Bistro…read moreafter seeing all the raving reviews online and it did live up to the hype. I arrived around 10:30am on a Friday, and although the restaurant was packed, was seated immediately at the bar. Our server greeted me promptly, took my drink order, and returned with my Spanish Macchiato. It was easily the highlight of the meal--absolutely five-star worthy. Not only was it Instagram-worthy, but it tasted just as good as it looked. Creamy, rich, and infused with notes of Mexican chocolate and cinnamon, it was one of the best specialty coffees I've had in a while and the artistry was incredible. For brunch, I ordered the CLEO (a lox bagel with egg) and the SPI Breakfast Platter. The CLEO had great flavors--the smoked salmon was fresh. My biggest critique was that the soft bagel, warm egg, and lox lacked a bit of textural contrast. Even so, the individual components were delicious. The SPI Breakfast Platter was hearty, well-executed, and exactly what you'd hope for from a classic breakfast. I'd love to come back the next time I'm in South Padre and try their lunch menu, the dessert case was very enticing.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Lemon Poppyseed pancakes were soooo good!! Add blueberries and strawberries
    Lemon Poppyseed pancakes were soooo good!! Add blueberries and strawberries
    Prickly pear mimosa

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    Prickly pear mimosa
    The Meatball Cafe

    The Meatball Cafe

    4.3
    (779 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    My wife and I dined at The Meatball Cafe on a Friday around 1pm. The host greeted us with a smile…read moreand we were immediately seated. The restaurant is very dark in places, but each table has lamps which made the vibe very cozy. Our server gave recommendations, and we ended up with the cheese ravioli appetizer, which was absolutely delicious!!! 3 generously sized fried ravioli, filled with cheese and spinach, which resembled a nice spinach artichoke dip. We were also given a loaf of ciabatta bread with garlic olive oil to dip in. The bread had a nice crust and was very soft on the inside. My wife had the Scallop toscana pasta, which had 5 perfectly cooked scallops with a fresh pesto sauce with spaghetti pasta. Her pasta was delicious, with a very fresh herb tasting pesto, and the pasta was perfectly cooked. I honestly enjoyed her dish more than I did mine! I had the house signature, Spaghetti and meatballs. It was a tomato sauce spaghetti with 2 almost baseball sized meatballs. The meatballs were moist and very hearty, and tasted amazing. The sauce on my spaghetti tasted very fresh. It was good and had great flavor, however I feel that it was slightly bland for my taste(to be fair I enjoy things on the saltier side). My only real dislike about the spaghetti is that the sauce seemed to be very watery, and did not cling to the pasta very well. I'd like a thicker sauce, but other than that I really enjoyed it. For dessert, I ordered a crème brûlée, which was absolutely delicious. The custard wasn't too sweet but had great flavor otherwise, and it had a thick, crunchy sugar topping. The dark spot on the topping may have been burnt just a bit, it wasn't bad, but I did not enjoy that as much as the rest. Overall very tasty. My wife ordered the Italian cheesecake, which looked absolutely stunning. A very large slice of a ricotta based cheesecake with a blackberry topping. It was smooth, rich, and absolutely delicious. Only issue with the cheesecake is that we couldn't finish it! Overall I would highly recommend The Meatball Cafe, and my wife and I may be returning for dinner tonight with my buddy and his fiancé. This place will be on my list for every SPI trip!!!! (Forgot to get a pic of the ravioli)

    True Italian resturant from home made pasta and dished to theme Dark woods and style and Outside…read morePatio with live plants and veggies Food outstanding from bread to olive oli garlic dip to pear salad and soups add that oil dip and pepper to the wedding soup and you have an awesome memorable healthy soup loaded with meatballs and veggies. Service outstanding Stephanie is upbeat helpful and great friendly happy service the hostess to The manager came to us twice asking if all good twice we said fantastic My only concern was owner manager in back corner book running the place and business on his speaker phone from interviews to car repairs to watching utube video on speaker All could be done in office behind him it broke the peaceful setting for sure Highly recommend was great food and service

    Photos
    Indoors
    Indoors
    Calzone and French fries.
    Calzone and French fries.
    South Padre island

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    South Padre island
    F&B

    F&B

    4.5
    (306 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$$

    My girlfriend and I came here during our 4-night SPI trip, and this ended up being the best meal we…read morehad all week. From start to finish, everything was excellent. Our waitress, Marlene, was fabulous. She was attentive and friendly. For our entrees, we ordered the Filet Mignon and the Smoked Duck Breast. The filet was incredibly tender and flavorful, which isn't always easy to achieve with such a lean cut of meat. The beef jus paired perfectly with it. The duck breast was tender, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The highlight of the night, however, was the Key Lime Soufflé. This was easily one of the best desserts I've ever had. The balance of flavors was perfect. Not too sweet, not too tart, just the right amount of key lime. The soufflé itself was also baked perfectly. Every course was excellent, the service was outstanding, and the entire meal felt incredible from beginning to end. If you're visiting SPI and looking for a memorable dinner, F&B is absolutely worth a visit.

    We dined at F&B on New Year's Eve 2025. It was a +/- experience. First, Marlene was our waitress,…read moreshe was awesome! One of the best service experiences we've had in years! Hustle is her middle name... thank you ma'am, you made the evening! The menu was a chef's selection 4 course menu, with options for each course. We opted for the wine pairings with each course. The restaurant was decked out with New Year's regalia... with balloons, hats, noise makers, at every table... really fun atmosphere! All the staff were decked out fancy, looked great! For our first course, we selected lobster bisque mushroom soup. The mushroom soup was divine, absolutely fabulous. The lobster bisque was sub-par... while plentiful, the lobster was not fresh, tasted very fishy. The second course of the seafood medley and venison bites was equally Jekyll and Hyde! Venison, superb, tender, cooked perfectly, tasted great. The seafood medley, all super fishy ... not fresh! Crab claws mushy too, obviously frozen prior. Oysters pitifully small and warm. Shrimp, while cold, were very fishy and mushy, as if previously frozen. No bueno! Our third course was the surf/turf and Akashi short rib ragout. The turf was awesome, best steak we've had in years! The lobster ... pitiful, small, overcooked, tough and fishy! Disgusting! The ragout was good, but we're not sure why chef's make beef dishes sweet ... good beef stands on its own, no need to over season! Not a well conceived dish... Our final course was the chocolate soufflé and lemon cake ... both were terrific! The soufflé with Chantilly cream and whipped cream was very good. The star dessert was the lemon cake with fresh fruit! Light and airy cake, the fruit was to die for. Delicious! The wind pairings were good, although some of the selections were "tired" favs, like "The Prisoner"... IMHO. Such a good wine list at F&B, the pairings were disappointing! The staff whisked away a 1/2 finished pre-dinner martini, which Marlene graciously replaced! When you spend $500+ on dinner for two, even a special evening, the restaurant should deliver. F&B did not meet the standard on New Year's Eve. We won't be back this trip..,

    Photos
    Fresh flowers
    Fresh flowers
    Mushroom Risotto Ravioli
    Mushroom Risotto Ravioli
    Cucumber martini

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    Cucumber martini

    Viva - salad - Updated August 2026

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