Our Introduction to Shrimp ‘N Stuff

We first heard of Shrimp’ N Stuff decades ago from a tuxedo-clad waiter in the Dining Car Restaurant of the Galveston Railroad Museum. He was friendly and voluble, so, as he tossed our classically made Caesar salad, we asked him where the locals ate. “Shrimp ‘N Stuff,” he said, “on Avenue O.” The Galvestonian waiter then proceeded to tell us why.

As a result of that conversation, we visit this seafood restaurant every time we are in Galveston. And to make things even easier, the cottage we are renting is a bare half block away. To take advantage of our current proximity, during the waning hours of this Tuesday afternoon, with our stomachs growling in anticipation, we swing open the gate of our picket fence and take a walk around the corner to Avenue O and 39th. Investing only two short minutes in our trip, we arrive at Shrimp’ N Stuff’s doorstep for our early dinner.

A Fried Combo Dinner

At 4:30 pm, the restaurant is virtually empty; we place our order at the counter and then go in search of the perfect isolated table. Leaving the original dining room behind, we cross the shaded expanse devoted to outdoor picnic tables and open the door into the deserted eating area next door. Apparently, the owners acquired this space to accommodate the larger groups drawn to Shrimp’ N Stuff during Galveston’s peak season.

Known as the Best Seafood in Galveston County, Shrimp ‘N Stuff is still a favorite of the locals.

The restaurant’s pager sitting on our table comes to life and seemingly loses its mind, buzzing and flashing and jumping all over the place. Michael picks it up and quickly exits the building to retrieve our trove of golden fried treasure. He returns bearing two generous orders of shrimp and oysters, along with crispy fries, hush puppies, tartar and seafood sauce, and two plastic cups of coleslaw. Shrimp’ N Stuff’s seafood dinner is still delicious, the seafood still fresh, properly fried, and crunchy. The coleslaw is not overly sweet and is a needed foil for our basket of fried everything!

It is dusk when we finish eating, and happily stuffed, we return to the coziness of our rented bungalow. It is nice to know a great seafood dinner is just around the corner whenever we don’t feel like cooking.

Shrimp ‘N Stuff – Details

Shrimp’ N Stuff opened in 1976, quickly becoming known as “the place where the locals love to eat.” The original restaurant grew from a single room, eventually adding an outdoor dining area and acquiring a larger enclosed space next door. However, this still wasn’t enough space to feed the visitors and the locals. The owners added a food truck in Jamaica Beach and another restaurant in downtown Galveston. They will also cater a beach party or any other party if the mood ever strikes you.

Their menu is reasonably priced and includes everything from shrimp to chicken to fish to oysters to crab balls to crawfish tails. They even offer a chicken fried steak. The shrimp come fried, coconut encrusted, boiled, slipped between a tortilla for tacos, or dropped into a gumbo. There are sandwiches and dinner plates/baskets, salads, and more.

Open daily for lunch and dinner, Shrimp ‘N Stuff offers discounts to military, police-fire, seniors (65 and older), UTMB, GISD, and Texas A&M.

Hours — Sunday thru Thursday 10:30 am—8:30 pm, Friday thru Saturday 10:30 am—9:30 pm

Website — https://www.shrimpnstuff.com/