Red Snapper Inn

This was our first trip to Surfside. We are a cooking family but we always go out at least once and like to do local. I did my research and we decided on Red Snapper Inn for Father’s Day dinner. Since I had done my research I knew exactly who the owner/​chef was. A 30 minute wait not bad for 13 people. The place was quaint and very clean that was a big plus. Then the owner came to seat us. Appeared annoyed and asked «aren’t you all here» we were of course all there. No smile no Happy Father’s Day even though it was obvious we had 2 Fathers with us along with 7 children. The tables we were placed at were actually about 12 feet apart from each other with tables in between. It was ok we did not complain as we allowed the 4 biggest children 8,8,9 and 12 years old to act like grown ups and order their own food. While we were sure to monitor them from afar. Food came and it was ok nothing to really write home about to be honest. Server was decent and informative she was tipped well on our $ 211.00 bill. We paid and left again the owner/​chef standing there no Thank you for coming in, have a nice day nothing nada zilch. Just felt very unwelcome in this little establishment with mediocre food. People just want to be acknowledged and kindness goes a long way in running a business. Won’t be back. Judith A Williams

Excellent service and great food on recent visit. Had fried shrimp. Went back about two weeks later (last weekend) and the restaurant made a repeat performance. This time I had the stuffed fried shrimp (pictured) which was excellent. Also pictured is my son’s fried shrimp child’s plate, which he devoured, loving the tartar sauce. Had a large group and everyone enjoyed the food. Several complimented the salads, especially the ranch dressing. The salads arrive within 5 minutes after ordering. Waitresses are friendly, but professional and efficient. My parents, who live nearby and eat here regularly, say this place has continued to improve over the years, which I can believe. My favorite seafood restaurant hands down.

Everything was good until the entrée came. Way over priced for the quality of the meal. Three out of three meals were odd food pairings with poor tastes as a result. For example, I ordered the artichoke-​mushroom Flounder but it was drowned out by an abundant amount (too much) of brown gravy mixed in with mushrooms and artichokes. On top of it, the fish did not taste fresh yet the prices were twenty bucks a plate. Overall, The restaurant has good service but food quality is below average in my opinion. I see that they don’t have much if any competition so I’m sure it thrives for that reason. I would definitely use the food budget and travel to Galveston or Lake Jackson to eat.

We eat here often when we’re in Surfside, because it’s the only restaurant in the area that has more than a burger. Some dishes are good, and a lot are pretty average.

I come down to surf side /​Freeport from Houston a few times a month and always stop at the Red Snapper Inn.
The seafood is always fresh and delicious. The snapper filets are always flaky and the best part of the fish. The shrimp is large and tasty and the service is always friendly and upbeat.
My definite go to favorite restaurant in the area and I highly recommend it for anyone wanting a warm sit down atmosphere.
It’s not pretentious and they serve great seafood at reasonable prices for the portions.

THE MOST DELICIOUS SEAFOOD IN BRAZORIA COUNTY! I had the blackened shrimp pasta alfredo and it was truly spectacular. Great service and casual atmosphere.

Can I choose 0 stars? Although the food was better than expected, the service tainted the whole experience. We get it, your «sick and tired» of tourists and would rather deal with local, clientele. Try saying that directly instead of passive aggressively forgetting orders and overcharging with some brilliantly undecipherable penned receipts.

This place has far and away the best food and a very nice selection. It’s always busy, but the staff is wonderful. This is one place I will always include in my itinerary when in this area!

We came here for dinner everything on the island was closed in walking distance. I ordered the filet new orleans dish it was pretty good and a big portion. My husband order the seafood platter which was also a good size. The seafood tasted fresh and the service was great the only reason I give them 4 stars is the food wasn’t seasoned to my taste and our side veggies, brussel sprouts, were really bitter. Overall pretty good food especially out of the options on the island and great service.

This place has all the down home charm and awesome service you could ask for! I’ve heard good things about the food from people I work with, plus it had a bunch of positive reviews (for good reason). We tried the Lobster Bisque & Blackened Red Snapper. Served in large portions, came out hot, and was nothing short of AMAZING! All the food was fresh and well seasoned (not bland). When you go, ask for Gwen as your server. She has wonderful service, is spunky and upbeat, and reminds me of my favorite cousin! Worth a visit if you are in the area, plus it’s so close to the beach, you can walk it if you aren’t too full when you roll out of there. We will be stopping by again!

Great service, good alcohol selection with a good beer list and wine list. Food was very good, not just the seafood but everything on the whole.

This was our first time visiting the Red Snapper Inn. Some of the reviews had us a bit concerned at first but the place seems to always have cars out front which is a good sign.
I want to make note, this is not a fine dining establishment. You will not find waitstaff with bow ties and suits. What you will find is good old Texas style Seafood House with some upscale additions.
On our first impression, loved the old time feel of the exterior with the buoy and the colored lights. We love mom and pop places for their individuality.
We walked in to a waiting area and then were greeted by the host in a stoic manner. We shared it was my hubby’s birthday and the host said «happy birthday» in a monotone. We were in good spirits and laughed it off… My hubby said «is that all I get?» Haha… We laughed about that all evening.
Our waitress, Mandy was great! She made recommendations based on both the specials and her personal favorites. We had the blackened snapper and a flounder in garlic chili topped with crab and scallops. The food was tasty and good. The food was served HOT and fresh. In fact, we commented that this was probably the hottest meal we have received in a restaurant. A definite plus for my husband who like his hot food served hot and cold food cold.
We finished the birthday celebration with a pecan caramel cake and freshly brewed coffee.
We will be back.

This was the worst dining experience I have had in Texas, or maybe anywhere for that matter. The food had absolutely no flavor at all. The calamari was bland, so were the kettle chips. My wife ordered crab florentine for $ 25, and when she received it after a very long wait, it was made with imitation crab! This is a seafood restaurant right by the Gulf of Mexico only a block from the ocean serving cheap food with a high prices. The soda even came in cans. I am very disappointed

If you enjoy snapper, this is your place!!! The portions are huge, even the salads! The fish was delicious; perfectly done yet not dry. The Mediterranean rice entrée it was served with was outstanding. I could taste each layer of flavor.
Our waitstaff was on the ball and very attentive. Our bill was only $ 45 which delighted us even more. We WILL be returning.
We dined on a Thursday evening at 8pm so it wasn’t so busy.
Only downers were their atmospheric lighting needs to be turned up a notch because we couldn’t even really read the menu. As well, their Air Conditioning was too cold. Most of their customers were going out to their vehicles to get sweaters or sweatshirts.

If you want the «old beach restaurant» experience look no further. This place is the vacationers hot spot (much slower in the winter when it has to rely on locals).
Overall, the service & food rank pretty high on my list, for Surfside. They have many different ways to make fish — I always choose the blackened snapper! It comes with a baked potato and salad (and peas– I still don’t understand why, nobody I see ever eats them!)
The wait can be a little long on weekends but it’s a large building and they get you in and out fast.
I love their house salad dressing! You won’t be disappointed.

Have not one negative thing to say about this place. EXCELLENT food, SUPERIOR service for a good price. Not many restaurants in this area but this one excels above what you may find in a big city our major tourist area. Highly Recommended!

Very limited choices in this town but this place seems like a gem. My son and I were working in this area and ate here on our first night. I had the special which was blackened snapper with Opelousas sauce which is a dark brown sauce with crawfish and crabmeat. It was served on rice which was ordinary, a couple of pieces of over-​steamed, and bland broccoli, and a basic dinner salad. We both had their vinaigrette dressing with blue cheese and it was okay but a little to much vinegar for me. My son had the blackened flounder and he liked it a lot but it was very small for the price. It was also served on the plain rice with broccoli. They initially brought out crackers and butter but once we ordered, they soon replaced the crackers with fresh French bread that was excellent. I guess they want to see how much money you spend before letting you fill up on bread.
The only thing that was disturbing about this place was that there was a very load oilfield worker dining there that was dropping every curse word and sexual reference you could think of. He was on one end of the dining room and we were on the opposite and we could hear him as if he were sitting next to us. There was a big family party behind him with several young kids from ages 5 – 12 and a table next to him with a lady and her 2 little girls around age 5 – 8. I kept waiting for someone to complain or ask him to refrain from his language but before leaving, I asked our waitress and no one had. This is a pretty nice restaurant and it was shocking that they let him talk like this the entire hour that we were there. And who knows how much longer.

Love the Red Snapper Inn. It is a great family atmosphere with amazing seafood. The staff is very attentive.

For a small tourist beach resort… Surfside, Tx is amazing place to get away. The Red Snapper Restaurant is by far the best place to dine. Has a great atmosphere with a typical seafood place but with an elegant touch.
The service was normal for a weekend evening. If you show up starving you will impatient and complain about service.
Appetizers are delicious… I had fried asparagus with crab meat sauce. Amazing! Fried calamari is your typical calamari but a very nice portion.
Gumbo was very delicious and highly recommended
Salads are good portion and all dressing are homemade.
Main dish I had blacken snapper. Hands down the best seafood dinner I have ever had. Blackening sauce was perfect. The right blend of Cajun and spice. Potato cakes was nice touch.
Depending on your budget, save a little extra to go all out at the red snapper.
Our waitress Sophia was amazing.
See main course pics

I stopped in here for dinner because it was close to the hotel that I was staying in. Initially I found the décor very outdated and placed haphazardly. The tablecloth was vinyl and drinks were served in plastic cups. I ordered the seafood sampler, that included fried crab cake, fried fish, fried oysters that were under cooked, fried butterfly shrimp, Mediterranean rice, green beans, and spring greens salad. I also ordered a glass of Cabernet, it was served in a small wine glass that looked like a cordial glass. The waitress was just ok. This is not a restaurant I would return to except that some of the photos of everyone else’s food looks ok, so I’m revising my review to say I would try something else from the menu just once before writing this place off, but I would NEVER order the seafood sampler again. UGH.