I was in CC on business this week and tried something different than Water Street and Executive Surf Club. One night I went to Costa Sur Wok & Ceviche Bar on the island. Fish tacos were excellent, should have gone back for a fried rice dish but tried Mole's instead. Enchiladas were really good but not heated up. Lunch both days were at El Rodeo, my hosts choice, OK Tex-Mex. Had a breakfast taco from Taqueria Chapala this morning.

A couple of weeks ago on a day trip we ate lunch at Thai Cottage on a day trip. What are some local recs for next trip?

Mexican - Kiko's, maybe Senor Jaime's

Steak - Niko's

Italian - hmm, Mama Mia's, Bellino's, or NY Joe's on Saratoga, which is fairly new (but casual). Good pizza at Authentic NY Pizza on Staples (also very casual).

Seafood - Snoopy's or Doc's is a fun casual hang. Typical fried seafood offerings, right on the intercoastal waterway.

Bleu Bistro downtown is good. Black Sheep Bistro on the island is also pretty good.

If you want non chain places- Black Sheep bistro (close by costa sur on the island) is one of my favorites.
Snoopy's if you want a very casual and very fried meal (fresh fish and their fish and chips was amazing)
Vietnam downtown and get the napoleon (or neapolitan or something) beef.
Pizza you can't beat Maggie's or Authentic NY pizza.
Breakfast Mexican- I like Nano's. Lunch Dinner- I like Kiko's (expect a long wait during peak hrs) and Mole
Asian- Takeniwa , and Drunken Noodle has an amazing fried rice dish
Sushi- Rock N Roll Sushi on the island


If you dont mind Chains- Longhorn steakhouse in the mall had an amazing fillet. Better than Katz 21 or Republic of Texas even (cant beat the view at Republic though)

Z counter is a neat change up... across the way from Thai Cottage
Yo Philly on North beach and now one in Lamar park is run by a Philly native. Good stuff
Mesquite Pizza is a new addition downtown
Grub Pub also is a new addition downtown (Greek food)
Harrison's landing has a great view of downtown and it's on the T-head.

quote:

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Pizza you can't beat Authentic NY pizza.

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Winner winner, pizza dinner!

I don't get the love for Kiko's. For Tex Mex, I like Senor Jaime. For Mexican, Mole'. I am kind of disappointed by the Mexican restaurants in Corpus. I think it just associated with cheap around here and there are just a few places that don't suck. I had better Mexican food in Fort Worth. We do have a lot of greasy taquerias, though.

Ironically, there are some damn good Italian restaurants in Corpus as others have mentioned. Luciano's and Bellino's are good. Rigatoni in CalAllen is really good. Despite the name, Authentic New York reminds me of the pizza that my family in Providence, RI make. One slice is a meal, but the size isn't just a gimmick for fat people. It is loaded with flavor and cooked very well. They also have a lunch buffet of non-pizza Italian dishes.

Costa Sur is, in my opinion, one of the hidden gems of Corpus. Fairly new restaurant offering delicious Peruvian food. Personally I prefer the ceviche fusion. I'm in Kingsville now but every time I make it up to Corpus, I visit Costa Sur.

An overlooked place for Italian is Frank's Spaghetti House on Leopard.....overlooked because it's on the Westside. It's been around since the 50s or so. At one time the family that ran it lived upstairs. The food is outstanding and the decor makes you think Michael Corleone is going to emerge from the bathroom any minute and blow a hole in Sollozzo's head.

Another vote for costa sur. Ate there last weekend from the recommendations from this thread, and it was excellent. The snapper ceviche was great, but the ahi poke was even better. The wait staff is not bad to look at either

I'll add Hester's (3 locations) and Ginger for tasty lunch stops.

Gonna go record that the Brooklyn Pie company on padre island is legit

Tastes just like the best pies I had in New york

It's really good