Grew up going to Galveston. My folks actually had undeveloped beachfront property at Pirate’s Beach but, thanks to Alicia, the State claimed it for dunes. Now we spend a long weekend there each April. We always get a beachfront house through VRBO or one of the local rental places like Wolverton (saves a few $).
Gaido’s has my favorite fried shrimp in the world, but I prefer skipping the upscale Gaido’s and going to the more casual Nick’s. Same kitchen, same shrimp, and I can sit outside.
Others have already covered The Spot, but next door to it is a complex of bars/grills (I think that The Spot is a part of it). I like rum, so I like going to the Rum Shack. Touristy, but fun.
Mario’s Pizza West Beach is good. Their chicken fettucine alfredo pizza is our favorite white pizza.
Shrimp and Stuff’s food truck at the Jamaica Beach car wash makes surprisingly good poboys.
Speaking of poboys, the fried oyster poboy at the West End Marina’s Sandbar is my favorite hands-down. The oysters are like butter. A great place to have lunch and watch the charters come in / hear how the fishing was that morning.