The Baffin Bay Cafe in the ghost town of Riviera Beach is not for everyone. It is a great place for happy hour after a day of fishing.
South of Kingsville, Riviera Beach is nine miles off U.S. 77 and isn’t on most maps. The unpainted wood of the cafe, bleached by the South Texas sun, gives the building a haggard feel. From the bay side, it looks like the Gulf is about to reclaim the lot.
When I visited, the kitchen could prepare our food any way we wanted it, as long as we wanted it fried. A broken stove severely limited the menu. I enjoyed the bay side cafe, even though one of my dinner partners failed to appreciate the funky quaintness.
When my fried shrimp finally arrived, they were a perfect golden brown – not the best I’ve ever had but satisfying. The Baffin Bay Cafe is for the adventurous. Otherwise, if you’ve gone that far, head to the legendary King’s Inn Restaurant a few miles north instead.
Started in 1907, the original Riviera Beach was a failed attempt to re-create the French Riviera on the Texas coast. A hurricane in 1916 washed away most of the resort, and in 1952, the empty hotel burned down.
The Baffin Bay Cafe is at the end of FM 771. To check on the functionality of the stove, call 361/297-5354.
1,071st in a series. Collect them all. Day Trips, Vol. 2, a book of “Day Trips,” is available for $8.95, plus $3.05 for shipping, handling, and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, PO Box 33284, South Austin, TX 78704.
This article appears in January 27 • 2012.
