Captain’s Halfshell Oyster Bar
5700 N. I-35, 452-1417
Mon-Thu, 11am-11pm; Fri-Sat, 11am-11:45pm
Captain’s started as a Houston chain; Austin’s branch rests behind the boat on I-35. The Captain has a full range of both fried and broiled seafoods, with moderate prices easy on the wallet. Especially popular are the oyster or shrimp Diablos appetizers (jalapeño-stuffed, bacon-wrapped, and broiled), and Captain Dan’s Crawfish Pirogue (mudbug tails, veggies, and cheese stuffed into a dugout of French loaf).
Cafe Josie
1200-B W. Sixth, 322-9226
Mon-Fri, 11:30am-2pm; Mon-Sat, 6-10pm
Tropic-inspired seafood served in an open, colorful atmosphere with costs on the cusp of upper-moderate to expensive. Seared yellowfin tuna with wasabi, tamarind, and sunsplash makes an inspired starter, and the pepita-crusted redfish with mango-habanero butter over poblano rice the perfect second. A fairly recent arrival on Austin’s restaurant scene, Josie is wildly popular with the West Austin crowd.
City Grill
401 Sabine, 479-0817
Mon-Thu, 5-10pm; Fri-Sat, 5-11pm
City Grill is a long-running favorite of fish fans, with a bucolic setting on the banks of Waller Creek. Upper-moderate to expensive mesquite-grilled seafood and beef, served with your choice of 10 different sauces. Look for the ever-changing specials, like salmon with lemon-caper butter and crabmeat, or halibut with Veracruz sauce and shrimp. City Grill also has a wide assortment of sinfully rich desserts to tempt the tongue.
Gilligan’s
407 Colorado, 474-7474
Sun-Thu, 11am-2pm, 5-10pm; Fri-Sat, 11am-2pm, 5-11pm
This swanky seafood salon in the Warehouse District has enjoyed a long life of popularity and praise. A Caribbean-Southwestern-Asian fusion menu in the upper-moderate to expensive range is served in a classic atmosphere. Entrees such as macadamia mahi on couscous with a sauce of prickly pears and mango, and maple-balsamic glazed salmon on coconut rice with cantaloupe rum sauce, typify their creative take on delights from the sea.
Landry’s Seafood House
600 E. Riverside, 441-1010
Sun-Thu, 11am-10pm; Fri-Sat, 11am-11pm
Austin’s version of the national chain resides on the south banks of Town Lake with great views of downtown over the water. All seafood options (at moderate prices) are covered, from gumbos, salads, and pastas, to blackened, broiled, fried, boiled, and plattered. Landry’s offers an option of four different sauces and four crab and shrimp-laden toppings. Succumb to the signature bananas foster for dessert.
Mariscos Seafood
1504 Town Creek Dr., 462-9119
Sun-Thu, 11am-10pm; Fri-Sat, 11am-11pm
Mariscos Seafood has been specializing in seafood dishes from south of the border for the last 11 years. The Vuelve la Vida makes the ideal starter with an assortment of shrimp cocktail, oysters, octopus, and ceviche, and the Caldo Marisco (Seafood Soup) has long been a fave. A wide assortment of fried and grilled seafoods are served at moderate prices, with a heavy emphasis on sauces such as Mojo de Ajo, Veracruz, and al Diablo (with great fish tacos, too).
Pacific Star Restaurant & Oyster Bar
13507 N. Hwy. 183, 219-5373
Daily, 11am-10pm
Pacific Star has an even mix of fried versus broiled and a large palette of choices and combos. You’ll find the oxymoronic jumbo shrimp in all categories, as well as platters, po-boys, and crawdad pirogues. Look for changing specials like fried calamari and soft-shell crabs. The perfect spot for seafood with a slightly Cajun lilt at very reasonable prices.
Pappadeaux
6319 N. I-35, 452-9363
Mon-Thu, 11am-3pm, 5pm-10pm
Fri-Sat, 11am-11pm; Sun, 11am-10pm
An Austin arm of the Papas chain from Houston, Pappadeaux is the 300-pound gorilla of the local Cajun seafood scene. Moderately pricey, loud, and raucous, and you’re assured of a wait. Monstrous portions of all manner of sea critters, available fried, blackened, broiled, or grilled, are the thing here. Try eating at the bar to avoid the wait and the crush of eager diners.
Shoreline Grill
98 San Jacinto Blvd., 477-3300
Mon-Fri, 11am-10pm; Fri-Sat, 11am-10:30pm; Sat, 5-10:30pm; Sun, 5-10pm
Shoreline has matured beautifully over the years, and offers the city’s best view of the bats and banks of Town Lake. Ron and Peggy Weiss and Jeff Weinberger offer pan-fusion food of the first order in the upper-moderate range, with items like sauteed halibut with yellow tomato-caper sauce and seared tuna with wasabi-miso glaze. Shoreline is stampede-popular with downtown’s denizens at lunch, and offers the finest selection of single malt scotch to be found.
Water Street Seafood
3908 W. Braker Ln., 343-6523
Sun-Thu, 11am-10pm; Fri-Sat, 11am-11pm
A spin-off of the famous Corpus location, Water Street has all the seafood bases covered at moderate prices. The ever-changing fresh fish blackboard specials can be prepared blackened, mesquite-grilled, broiled, or fried. A full range of tasty salads and sandwiches are offered, along with specialties such as shrimp enchiladas, brandy-mushroom trout, Cajun calamari, and oysters Rockefeller. Find out why Water Street Seafood is a favorite fish haunt of near-North Austin.
This article appears in Carol Keeton Rylander.