The Cafe On The Beach: Your Ultimate Destination for Beachside Breakfast, Brunch, and Burgers in South Padre Island

We wanted to have a morning beach view and thought Cafe On The Beach would be a great find and we weren’t disappointed. It’s a very busy spot with limited parking so plan cautiously ahead. They do also accept dogs but on their patio which has limited seating as well. The place is clean and very cozy with a nice view of the sky but you can’t see much due to the tall grass towards the beach. We were placed on a waitlist and quoted at a 20 minute wait but it was more like 10 minutes so it moved fast. After we sat we ordered pretty quickly, our server was attentive and friendly as well. We ordered the palms malted pancakes with sausage on the side and the giant breakfast taco with chorizo, potato, and bacon. The pancakes were good, pretty standard for most places but from other places in SPI it’s definitely better. They did make a mistake and brought out bacon on the side instead of sausage, which was unfortunate as it was not good, firm and not the best. The giant breakfast taco certainly lived up to its name. The thing was massive and extremely hot, almost too much so because it was difficult to handle. It was good though, packed with flavor. This was the rare time we didn’t get any drinks while out but based on the food alone, we would say it gets a pass, nothing crazy but also nothing bad. This spot is a nice place to sit at and the ambiance feels nice and beachy and the service is good. It’s certainly better than other breakfast spots on the island but if you’re coming here it will probably be more for the setting than for the food, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

I must say up front we were shocked by the quality of the food, etc. at Cafe on the Beach, located at The Palms Resort, very limited parking. It's not much to look at, small, simple, not a whole lot of improvements over the years. But, they did have plastic flaps that dropped down on the outside of the place to keep the wind and cold weather out, heaters provided too! Service by Aaron was top notch, start to finish! We initially just decided to stay to a drink and move on ... but as we sat there and looked at the menu, sipped our drinks, we saw other food coming out of the kitchen! It looked GREAT! We ordered the crispy oyster tapas (fried oysters on homemade potato chips with mango pico). They came out quickly and were oh so tasty! We were convinced! Time for dinner! We ordered a rueben sandwich (with homemade parmesan potato chips) and the snapper veracruz (tomato, onion, olives, capers) with grilled zucchini. The sandwich was da bomb ... piled high corned beef, kraut and dressing, pickles on the side. The snapper dish is one we make at home, and this one was darn good! So, glad we stayed! This place puts to shame some of the other "fancy" places on SPI! "Don't judge a book by its cover" rings true here! Highly recommend you try the Cafe! We'll be back for sure ...

This is a lost gem of a place. Ever since Pier 19 burned down almost 4 years ago, I have been searching for its replacement. Well, I found it today in Cafe on the Beach. Excellent and friendly staff, great view of the gulf, and superb food. Can't wait to go back on my next visit to the RGV and the island.

This is such a fun little place to visit. After Pier 19 burned down we wanted to find a small place to eat when we were in town. This is the spot! Reasonably priced. Fresh veggies for the Omlettes. My husband very much enjoys a Shrimp Omlette in the morning. You can hear and see the ocean from the restaurant. In the winter they create a cozy are on the deck with heater and protection from the elements but where you can still enjoy the sites and sounds of the ocean. Still dress in warm clothing but it will be lovely. My photo does not show how awesome this place is. I chose the wring angle this morning

Breakfast and lunch menu have different serving time windows. Their breakfast includes the egg Benedict dish. If you are interested in this, go in the breakfast time window. Very friendly service and quick food serving. It has a good view to the beach and the sea. Food is served in good portions.

We ate a late lunch here and really enjoyed. Sat out on the patio with the dogs and beautiful view. We had he jalepeno hush puppies and appt the catch of the day. Very generous portion. One of our favorite meals this trip.

We love to go here for dinner on a night out. The grilled snapper is some of the best food I've ever had and I didn't even like seafood when I first started coming to South Padre a few years ago. The coconut shrimp is amazing and the sauce it comes with is even better! The dressing on the Caesar salad is really good and the croutons are crumbly and delicious. You can sit in the covered patio area or outside where the view of the ocean is absolutely beautiful. The servers are always friendly and efficient and the prices are very comparable to other restaurants on the island. We stumbled on this little hole in the wall kind of place but we love it and will continue to go back here!

Cafe on the Beach is a must stop while in South Padre Island (SPI). I had the combo basket (shrimp, red snapper and oysters) and the homemade chips. The chips were crispy and flavorful. You get a view of the beach with a nice breeze. The service here is very friendly and professional. I am glad I was able to stop by and experience the wonderful food, service and beautiful views.