Port Aransas

[GreenspointTexas 9,606]

Had a reservation  for tomorrow at 630 at Tortugas. They just called me. They are closing their entire restaurant for a week because “2/3rds of their staff has COVID.”

[HenryJames 66,080]

Ballgame.

[abuelo gringo 321]

43 minutes ago, GreenspointTexas said:

Had a reservation  for tomorrow at 630 at Tortugas. They just called me. They are closing their entire restaurant for a week because “2/3rds of their staff has COVID.”

What? In a town where hardly anyone wears a mask or socially distances?  I wonder what the vaccination rate is for PA (vs all of Nueces Co).

[justhookit 4,191]

39 minutes ago, GreenspointTexas said:

Had a reservation  for tomorrow at 630 at Tortugas. They just called me. They are closing their entire restaurant for a week because “2/3rds of their staff has COVID.”

yeah Covid is definitely going around with the locals now. This is the hardest we’ve been hit and everyone is surprised it took this long.

14 hours ago, Austinvines said:

Hook,

Is Lisabella’s worth it for dinner? Two couples are headed down the weekend of the Arkansas game and the guys want to fish. Your bay guy is booked, any recs for snapper?

Lisabella’s is usually really good. It’s a little pricy and service can be hit and miss. I definitely prefer Venetian for a nice meal but it’s a solid 2nd or 3rd choice.

Federal Snapper season closes Tuesday. if they want Dolphin Docks and Deep Sea Headquarters run 5 hour state water trips for snapper all year round. I really have no idea how they do, especially in September which is a little early for state water snapper.

[justhookit 4,191]

6 minutes ago, abuelo gringo said:

What? In a town where hardly anyone wears a mask or socially distances?  I wonder what the vaccination rate is for PA (vs all of Nueces Co).

Yeah it’s shocking it took this long. For what it’s worth the locals were much much better than the tourists at masking and stuff, but all that went out the window in April/May. The vaccine rate from what I can tell is really good. We’ve had easy access to the vaccine for a long time through a city effort in addition to CVS in town, and HEB in Cprpus. A bunch of the current positives were vaccinated.

[justhookit 4,191]

Castaway’s just announced they are closed till further notice due to Covid.

[Ag with kids 581]

20 hours ago, Austinvines said:

Hook,

Is Lisabella’s worth it for dinner? Two couples are headed down the weekend of the Arkansas game and the guys want to fish. Your bay guy is booked, any recs for snapper?

I've got a guy on NPI that does snapper tours...PM me

[Ag with kids 581]

3 hours ago, justhookit said:

Castaway’s just announced they are closed till further notice due to Covid.

Weird...Haven't heard of any places on NPI with Covid problems.  Went to Angry Marlin Thursday and it was packed.  Went to Scuttlebutt's Monday and it was packed.  I know all the restaurants on NPI have had issues getting employees, but nothing Covid related.

[PantsTent 2,002]

Weird...Haven't heard of any places on NPI with Covid problems.  Went to Angry Marlin Thursday and it was packed.  Went to Scuttlebutt's Monday and it was packed.  I know all the restaurants on NPI have had issues getting employees, but nothing Covid related.

We tried to go to Scuttlebutts this week and it was ‘closed for deep cleaning’.

[justhookit 4,191]

6 hours ago, Ag with kids said:

Weird...Haven't heard of any places on NPI with Covid problems.  Went to Angry Marlin Thursday and it was packed.  Went to Scuttlebutt's Monday and it was packed.  I know all the restaurants on NPI have had issues getting employees, but nothing Covid related.

All the places here have been having staffing issues this summer, but this is all definitely Covid lately. Buckle up. Maybe NPI had a wave or 2 back when we just didn’t have one. Hope that’s the case for y’all because I know a ton of people that are sick right now.

[justhookit 4,191]

And to be clear nobody is SICK sick. It’s more like bad allergies or a cold. But they are all testing positive. Most are vaxxed. I’m starting to feel bad because I had allergy symptoms all week that I was attributing to the Saharan dust that I get every year. Now I’m not so sure.

[Ag with kids 581]

9 hours ago, PantsTent said:

We tried to go to Scuttlebutts this week and it was ‘closed for deep cleaning’.

They've been closing every Wednesday for awhile - talked to one of the managers there Monday.  Mainly because of staffing issues.

[Ag with kids 581]

8 hours ago, justhookit said:

All the places here have been having staffing issues this summer, but this is all definitely Covid lately. Buckle up. Maybe NPI had a wave or 2 back when we just didn’t have one. Hope that’s the case for y’all because I know a ton of people that are sick right now.

Could be.  Hope not though, that would suck...

[justhookit 4,191]

14 hours ago, Ag with kids said:

Could be.  Hope not though, that would suck...

5 restaurants in Port A closed now. Won’t name anyone but if they tell you it’s a water leak, or staffing or something they are lying.

Edited August 2, 2021 by justhookit

[justhookit 4,191]

Welp, we are now up to eight restaurants that are closed or have been closed this week due to Covid. Most have been pretty open about it but a few holdouts went with the staffing issue, so fuck you. So it’s FINS, Trout Street, Castaways, Moby Dick’s, Shells, Tortugas, Grumbles, Stingrays. That I know of. Also 361 Bar. Most are reopened now after testing all employees. It’s an utter clusterfuck down here.

[HenryJames 66,080]

I’ll be there the week of Labor Day.

If it’s still there.

[kevwun 15,790]

We're going again in the first week of October.  Hopefully case numbers are well on the way down by then, but if not we have a house with a pool so we'll survive.  We were probably going to cook most of our own meals anyway, though it would be nice to be able to go to La Playa.

[GreenspointTexas 9,606]

Went to Tortugas last night and had the best meal ive had in Port A. Sat outside tho…. Fuck dining inside right now

 

also, Lelos has the best drinks on the island 

[justhookit 4,191]

40 minutes ago, GreenspointTexas said:

Went to Tortugas last night and had the best meal ive had in Port A. Sat outside tho…. Fuck dining inside right now

 

also, Lelos has the best drinks on the island 

What did you like at Tortugas? I still can’t quite figure out what to order there.

[GreenspointTexas 9,606]

3 hours ago, justhookit said:

What did you like at Tortugas? I still can’t quite figure out what to order there.

We had the lobster cake (awesome), the chargrilled oysters (solid), and the crab dip (awesome). The seabass with lobster on top on a bed of risotto was great (the risotto was the weakest part of the dish) and I also had the boudin balls (they were so-so). Kids loved their popcorn shrimp and fried fish dishes. Painkiller and Mermaid Water were on point

[Ag with kids 581]

On 8/6/2021 at 1:29 AM, justhookit said:

Welp, we are now up to eight restaurants that are closed or have been closed this week due to Covid. Most have been pretty open about it but a few holdouts went with the staffing issue, so fuck you. So it’s FINS, Trout Street, Castaways, Moby Dick’s, Shells, Tortugas, Grumbles, Stingrays. That I know of. Also 361 Bar. Most are reopened now after testing all employees. It’s an utter clusterfuck down here.

I'm back in TX now...at my Dad's up at Medina Lake.  But, I'll be home tomorrow.  I'll check around town and see how it is on NPI.  I know Boathouse is open.

[Guest Lobo]

Great.  Any outdoor places on the north end to get a kid-friendly lunch this week without getting the Covid?  Our schedule, we won't be at these folks' place until late afternoon on Tuesday.  Gotta feed the kids before that.  Would be nice to do it on the water, anywhere between the CC proper and Port-A.  But sounds like it's all a shitshow?  

[justhookit 4,191]

37 minutes ago, Lobo said:

Great.  Any outdoor places on the north end to get a kid-friendly lunch this week without getting the Covid?  Our schedule, we won't be at these folks' place until late afternoon on Tuesday.  Gotta feed the kids before that.  Would be nice to do it on the water, anywhere between the CC proper and Port-A.  But sounds like it's all a shitshow?  

Most Everyone that has reopened in Port A required their employees to get tested. You’ll be fine. If you are at north padre I’d go to scuttlebutts or the burger company

[Ag with kids 581]

13 hours ago, justhookit said:

Most Everyone that has reopened in Port A required their employees to get tested. You’ll be fine. If you are at north padre I’d go to scuttlebutts or the burger company

Island Italian and the Boathouse have both had covid cases.  I know II has closed for a bit but not sure of Boathouse.  They may have just gone the testing way...

[horn4life 3,761]

On 8/7/2021 at 2:34 PM, GreenspointTexas said:

Went to Tortugas last night and had the best meal ive had in Port A. Sat outside tho…. Fuck dining inside right now

 

also, Lelos has the best drinks on the island 

Yep- lelos has the best pours I have found.  Great place to pregame for La Playa

[Lat22 4,014]

On 8/6/2021 at 1:29 AM, justhookit said:

Most have been pretty open about it but a few holdouts went with the staffing issue, so fuck you.

Why does that make you so angry?

[justhookit 4,191]

8 hours ago, Lat22 said:

Why does that make you so angry?

Because they are lying. Pretty much everyone down here is having Covid issues right now or has had them in the last 2 weeks. And it really doesn’t make me that angry but it is bullshit that it’s not ok to admit that hey, we caught a few Covid cases and shut down until we can figure out the extent of the problem. We will reopen when we are confident that it’s under control. Most have done that and it’s not hard to test all of your employees and then reopen.

[horn4life 3,761]

i'm with justhookit here.  The problem with LYING about why you are closing, is that... you are lying about the health and safety of your business during a pandemic that is killing people and filling up hospitals.  It's no surprise that businesses are shutting down due to covid.  But why lie?  Unless you have run your business in a cavalier way and ignored most of the science?

Right now being shut down in a tourist area for ANYTHING but covid among your employees is a relatively small percentage.

If you care about and respect your patronage you will go a lot longer way being honest with them than being dishonest with them.  In a place as small as Port A, lying is just... well lying.  The tourists don't care why you closed, they are only there for a week.  But if you are closed for covid, the locals know because... Port A is not that big and people talk.

I just hope I can get back to a closer version of the past, for my Octobers in Port A.  Last October did not give me the offseason space that I so much prefer. 

[justhookit 4,191]

So, it’s getting better but we still have some places closed. Roosevelt’s (the high-end restaurant at Tarpon Inn) has 10 employees. 8 were out with Covid this week. None were vaccinated which is maddening. Obviously they were closed.

The pharmacy is saying they are seeing over 20 Covid cases a day. Among locals. No telling how many tourists have it here. I can’t wait for this summer to be over.

oh, and I had a few beers with @immamacat Shorty’s Friday night. He spilled one of the beers but fortunately it was his and not mine. damned aggy.

Edited August 15, 2021 by justhookit

[justhookit 4,191]

Saturday a guy dove in the water off a boat, hit his head and broke his neck. EMS came to Fisherman’s Wharf but no bueno. Sunday a guy jumped in behind a boat to retrieve an anchor while the boat was still in gear. basically chopped him in half. EMS came…. You get the picture. No idea if either was alcohol related but it’s yet another reminder to be careful down here whether you are on the beach or on a boat.

[BigDHornfan 6,549]

Jesus.

[4th&Five 41,558]

13 minutes ago, BigDHornfan said:

Jesus.

[HenryJames 66,080]

56 minutes ago, justhookit said:

Sunday a guy jumped in behind a boat to retrieve an anchor while the boat was still in gear. basically chopped him in half.

[ROFL BOX 6,649]

13 hours ago, BigDHornfan said:

Jesus.

[justhookit 4,191]

14 hours ago, HenryJames said:

Yeah. His wife was on the boat and watched it happen. I’m not going to give anymore details, but it was nightmare fuel.

[Axle Hongsnort 208]

I’m heading down this weekend with buddies for some red fishing. Thoughts on where to grub Friday night? More importantly, Saturday place watch to game and eat?

[justhookit 4,191]

On 9/6/2021 at 9:06 PM, Axle Hongsnort said:

I’m heading down this weekend with buddies for some red fishing. Thoughts on where to grub Friday night? More importantly, Saturday place watch to game and eat?

What kind of food are y’all looking for Friday? Places here have been ridiculously crowded all summer. Hopefully that’s over with now that we are past Labor Day.

Game watching options aren’t great here. Stingrays is the only good sports bar, but you will need to get there early to get a good table. They have a full menu but the food mostly sucks. Salty Dog has decent tv’s but no food. You can always order a pizza from Dominos though. The back bar at Bernie’s is ok too, multiple tv’s and their bar food is open till 8 or so.

[Axle Hongsnort 208]

What kind of food are y’all looking for Friday? Places here have been ridiculously crowded all summer. Hopefully that’s over with now that we are past Labor Day.
Game watching options aren’t great here. Stingrays is the only good sports bar, but you will need to get there early to get a good table. They have a full menu but the food mostly sucks. Salty Dog has decent tv’s but no food. You can always order a pizza from Dominos though. The back bar at Bernie’s is ok too, multiple tv’s and their bar food is open till 8 or so.

Not gonna be picky given how crowded and/or closed everything is reported to be. Burgers, steaks, or seafood would be good.

[justhookit 4,191]

19 hours ago, Axle Hongsnort said:

Not gonna be picky given how crowded and/or closed everything is reported to be. Burgers, steaks, or seafood would be good.

I’ve been liking Bluewater Cowboy lately and they’ve got all those options. Sit at the top floor bar for best service. You can get anything on the menu except sushi up there and I don't think they are doing sushi right now anyway.

https://www.bwcporta.com/menu/

 

Edited September 9, 2021 by justhookit

[Ag with kids 581]

On 9/7/2021 at 10:11 PM, justhookit said:

What kind of food are y’all looking for Friday? Places here have been ridiculously crowded all summer. Hopefully that’s over with now that we are past Labor Day.

Game watching options aren’t great here. Stingrays is the only good sports bar, but you will need to get there early to get a good table. They have a full menu but the food mostly sucks. Salty Dog has decent tv’s but no food. You can always order a pizza from Dominos though. The back bar at Bernie’s is ok too, multiple tv’s and their bar food is open till 8 or so.

There's also a few places down on NPI, but that's a 20 min drive.

Boathouse and Costa Sur are good for watching and the food is decent at Boathouse but very solid at Costa Sur.

Also Padre Island Burger Company and Padre Pizzeria and good food and Ok TV scene.

[HenryJames 66,080]

14 hours ago, justhookit said:

I’ve been liking Bluewater Cowboy lately and they’ve got all those options. Sit at the top floor bar for best service. You can get anything on the menu except sushi up there and I don't think they are doing sushi right now anyway.

https://www.bwcporta.com/menu/

 

Is every house in Port Aransas a short term rental now? 

[justhookit 4,191]

24 minutes ago, HenryJames said:

Is every house in Port Aransas a short term rental now? 

Ha. Pretty much. It’s out of control. There’s going to be a big fight on the city council soon about STR’s. Monday the traffic leaving the island using 361 to Corpus was backed up all the way to Kody’s. I know people that were in it and it took them over 2 hours to get to North Padre. That’s a 16 mile traffic jam. And forget trying to use the ferry.

[justhookit 4,191]

To be fair the short term rental people are making a killing. You can pretty much charge 200-300 a night per bedroom even in an older house and be booked every weekend plus a lot of weeknights in the summer.

[Hate 20,108]

Ha. Pretty much. It’s out of control. There’s going to be a big fight on the city council soon about STR’s. Monday the traffic leaving the island using 361 to Corpus was backed up all the way to Kody’s. I know people that were in it and it took them over 2 hours to get to North Padre. That’s a 16 mile traffic jam. And forget trying to use the ferry.

What is it like on a normal weekend? I’ll there Columbus Day weekend and I don’t much choice but to take the ferry across.

[HenryJames 66,080]

28 minutes ago, justhookit said:

Ha. Pretty much. It’s out of control. There’s going to be a big fight on the city council soon about STR’s. Monday the traffic leaving the island using 361 to Corpus was backed up all the way to Kody’s. I know people that were in it and it took them over 2 hours to get to North Padre. That’s a 16 mile traffic jam. And forget trying to use the ferry.

Got here Monday via the ferry, and the line to leave was all kinds of fucked up.

[justhookit 4,191]

28 minutes ago, Hate said:

What is it like on a normal weekend? I’ll there Columbus Day weekend and I don’t much choice but to take the ferry across.

Your guess is as good as mine. Between the overbuilding and Covid things are all messed up. Last offseason the weekends with nice weather were really crowded. If you have to use the ferry that Friday or Monday it’ll be a long wait unless you hit it early or late. Peak arrival/departure hours are a mess. 361 thru Corpus should be fine.

 

12 minutes ago, HenryJames said:

Got here Monday via the ferry, and the line to leave was all kinds of fucked up.

If you got here around lunchtime that was the worst I’ve ever seen. There was no way to get to anywhere on Cutoff or get to anywhere south of Kody’s on 361. So glad summer is over.

[Hate 20,108]

Got here Monday via the ferry, and the line to leave was all kinds of fucked up.

What time did you get there? We should get there around 2 or 3. We’d plan on leaving by 8 or 9 Monday morning.

[justhookit 4,191]

Those are both early enough that you should be ok. 

[HenryJames 66,080]

7 minutes ago, Hate said:

What time did you get there? We should get there around 2 or 3. We’d plan on leaving by 8 or 9 Monday morning.

Around four, but it was Labor Day. Never had any problems in October which is my favorite time to visit.

[horn4life 3,761]

4 hours ago, justhookit said:

Ha. Pretty much. It’s out of control. There’s going to be a big fight on the city council soon about STR’s. Monday the traffic leaving the island using 361 to Corpus was backed up all the way to Kody’s. I know people that were in it and it took them over 2 hours to get to North Padre. That’s a 16 mile traffic jam. And forget trying to use the ferry.

That's why you will never ever see me at the lake or beach on Labor Day nor Memorial Day.  But to fucking Kody's... holy shit.