Rudy & Paco Temporarily closed due to Hurricane Ike. Will re-open in Dec.   2028 Postoffice St Galveston TX 77550 409.762.3696 You might also be interested in these:     Central American Restaurants    Seafood Restaurants    South American    Steaks    ZIP 77550   Add Review       MY REVIEW: Rudy & Paco is not your traditional "upscale restaurant"... Not the average boring steakhouse menu. While prices are high and the drive is far, if you don't live in Galveston, it is absolutely worth it. The dishes are truly inspired. Get ready for a culinary adventure. Food: Everything on the menu looked great. I had a hard time choosing. Our waiter recommended a fish dish (I can't remember what type), which was served with avocado and a salsa type topping. It was absolutely delectable. It came with a potato gratin side, which was out of this world. Rarely do enjoy the side as much as the entree... that was impressive. My husband had a side of Yuka, which I had never had, and it was really tasty too. I ordered the spinach salad with a warm bacon mushroom vinaigrette. Spinach salad is pretty standard on alot of menus... spinach, bacon, egg, etc. You have never had a spinach salad like this before. It was a great take on a classic. My husband had the crab bisque, and he loved it. We also ordered the calamari with peppers. Now, I am partial to Per*y's Calamari with peppers, so I was not too impressed, but everyone else at the table was, so maybe it's just me. Service: We had reservations and arrived on time. We had to wait about 20 min in the tiny lobby for our table (no room at the bar). The host got us drinks, so that made it better. I have seen this happen in other reviews, so just be prepared to wait. The waiter was very attentive. The plate service was very impressive. All plates were set at the same time for our 6 person party... nice touch. At the end of the night, I was stuffed! Next time, I think I will take some to go for lunch the next day. Overall this was a great experience, and I would definitely return again. NAME: engineeringirl SUBMITTED: 9/27/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 06/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: I don't know why I am bothering. This is a first class restaurant with excellent food. The service is good, but not as good as the food. I don't know the owner so I can't say what he should or shouldn't. I really come to eat not to have my ego stroked. I see a small, rotund Latin man walking around to various tables so I guess he is the owner. Neither my wife nor I care one way or the other about him. He must have excellent chefs since they provide superb food, seafood, steak, pork, all the basics, and the appetizers are very good, as are the salads. No complaints. Just like most of the reviews but I am not as skilled in describing food. NAME: hawg SUBMITTED: 8/9/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 7/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: I just tried to get a reservation at Rudy and Paco for tomorrow night (12/13/2007). I called around 10:45 and got one of the rudest people I have talked to on the phone. I told him I was coming to a play and he informed me that so was everyone else. He treated me like an annoyance. We have eaten here several times and until now had great food and wonderful people. Paco has always been wonderful when he has been there, greeting us and checking on how our meal was. We were really looking forward to tomorrow night, now I am not sure when we will be back. I hope the management takes care of this rude person answering the phone. NAME: Tom SUBMITTED: 12/12/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 11/2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: The food is pricey but very good, the portions are not large, if you get a good waiter the service is outstanding. I think the attention the owner gives to regulars is understandable, but perhaps not business wise as many guests will not come back since they are totally ignored. Paco needs to realize this and at least make eye contact or wave to all guests who watch him parade around the restaurant to the regulars and totally ignore them. When Paco gave a free towering tray appetizer to the table of "regulars" next to us the waiter made a loud annoucement to those 3 guests at that table for all to hear it was free compliments from Paco. We will probably be back and hope for a more attentive waiter next time we dine there. NAME: islandguest SUBMITTED: 11/12/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 11/10/2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: I have been here before, and the food is good, but beware the dress code. They seem to forget that they are located on Galveston ISLAND and will not seat patrons in shorts. You can get full service at the bar, assuming you can find a seat. In an area with close to a dozen restaurants that are equal or better, this policy mystified us. NAME: EatRunDive SUBMITTED: 10/22/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 10/2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: I was pretty excited to try this restaurant as other b-4-u eat enthusiasts seemed pleased with their experience. Overall I was as pleased as a group of debutantes at a gypsy family BBQ. A random analogy, but you get the point. We had to wait 45 min. after our reservation- thank God we found a place at the bar for a glass of wine, and that did help as I can be patient. Our waiter had a suitable demeanor and was polite. He suggested the empanadas for our first visit: the filling was enjoyable, cilantro cream sauce was similar to what I make at home, but whatever dough made the shell had apparently spent too much time in the freezer. The poblano soup was fine, but knowing how to make (and the ease of it) an array of great soups- that will not save this review. My partner ordered a snapper filet, decently prepared but nothing to throw a party over. My Atun a la Parilla left me in a bad mood until the next morning. It was not sushi grade as stated or I never would have ordered it "seared." No flavor and just worthless frankly, and I required a knife to cut it. And both of us didn't quite get why steamed broccoli would EVER accompany anything outside of a typical steakhouse. I mean, steamed broccoli? Can we be more bland and depressing? I recall leaning toward my company and stating that we would have been better off at H@@ter's. And of course the realization that we ironically REALLY would have been filled us both with sheer horror. To be fair, the potatoes au gratin were good but not good enough to make up for the money spent, the time wasted, and the fact that I was bummed from the whole experience. I refrained from complaining- the waiter didn't deserve that stress. We will never go back while in Galveston: H@@ter's here we come! Ha! I recommend playing it safe with soup and salad while there. And on that note, why bother. NAME: foodisprinciple SUBMITTED: 10/7/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 10/07 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: great service, great food, great atmosphere Empenadas are the best appetizer NAME: kcw SUBMITTED: 7/24/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 07/07 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: Went with a group of about 30 and ordered the Red Snapper with Shrimp, this was a wonderful dish with the snapper cooked to prefection. Had very good service, this place knows how to run a restaurant. I shall return NAME: gayle SUBMITTED: 7/4/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: June 22. 2006 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: What a fabulous restaurant. I was just there with four girlfriends from Austin & Houston. The Hotel Galvez was to have made us a reservation, but when we arrived, we didn't have one. BUT... after martinis and appetizers (both were fabulous) at the bar, we were seated at a delightful table in the rear of the restaurant. We all marveled at the delicious dishes and the impecable service. I have never seen such service. The entire evening was truly delightful! My husband & I will definitely be returning ... my girlfriends & I, too! Fabulous restaurant!! NAME: sherry SUBMITTED: 5/8/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: May 6, 2006 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: I absolutely love Rudy & Paco. The service and food are outstanding!! As soon as you walk through the door you are treated like royality. The only weakness is that it is always busy you definelty need a reservation to eat there, but it is worth it! My first visit was upon recommendations from a friend who gave me a gift certificate regarding one of the psoting the certificate clearly states that gratuity is not included, sometimes you just have to be more careful. Overall the restaurant is exceptional with friendly and attentive waitstaff. Definetly the place for special occasions.Oh and you have to try the bread pudding its to die for !! NAME: Alexis Arguello SUBMITTED: 4/20/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: April 2006 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: I really think some of these reviews intend to be unfair. Granted the place is noisy and too small for the number of patrons it draws. The later is evidence that this is a fine restaurant. The food is excellent, especially the steaks, although I have eaten a fish dish most of the time. I especially liked the shrimp dish and several of the catch of the day preparations. Of course, the sauces make the difference. The comment about the appetizers is correct. They are fine. Some people will not like the deep fried plantain chips, others will. I like them better than the chips at most Tex-Mex restaurants. None of the food is tasteless. My wife complains that sometimes things are too spicy. Of course, she complains at almost every restaurant we go to about things being too spicy. The service can be great, and it can be mediocre at times. I think the attention given to regulars is understandable, but perhaps not wise. Everyone likes to feel important, which I assume triggered one of these complaints. The lighting is dim, but you can read the menu. It is about what you expect at top end restaurants now-a-days. This is a very good restaurant. I doubt it is the best in the Gulf Coast area. Try it, I think you will agree that it is very good. Oh, yes. They have extensive wine selections. I especially liked some of the South American wines. NAME: Herbert J. Yates SUBMITTED: 2/27/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 2/2006 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: We went for our 1 yr. anniversary. My boyfriend was really excited since he had a wonderful experience a few yrs. ago. We arrived at 8:15pm, reservation time. We weren't greeted for a few minutes at the hostess stand. Once she arrived, she was very nice and professional. We were still asked to wait at the bar for 20 min. The bartender was extremely rude and unattentive. We sat there for about 10 min. before we were acknowledged. She didn't even crack a smile until she accidentally splashed herself in the face w/ alcohol and got embarrassed. We got seated right in the middle of the restaurant, but had asked for something a little more "romantic." I agree w/ the last critic, the lights were way too dim. They seated an obnoxious birthday party of 8 and an obnoxious bachelorette party of 10 next to us. They were yelling and laughing extremely loud the whole time. The owner only asked them to quiet down once. I also noticed him (not sure which owner) walking around and only speaking only to the "regulars." He walked past our table several times and wouldn't even smile at us. The restaurant is very small, which explains why our table almost got knocked over twice from people trying to squeeze by. Our food was very mediocre. We had the crab cakes as an app...tasteless. I had a steak for my entree...tasteless. The waiter was extremly friendly and attentive. He took the steak to the back and tried to fix it up. Still no good. My boyfriend had some type of fish, which he said was very unimpressive too. Needless to say, we were both extremely disappointed and had an expensive, horrible dining experience for our 1 yr. anniversary. We will NEVER return. NAME: js SUBMITTED: 9/14/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 8/27/05 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: We called and made reservations for 9pm. When we arrived, it took approximately 5 mins before anyone came to greet us and we were finally seated at our table at 9:30pm. After reading the reviews I expected somewhat of a better ambiance than what was there. The lighting was so dark we could barely see the menus to read them. We were served Plaintain chips with two different salsas. Plaintain chips are okay but certainly not something I care to munch on while waiting for my dinner. Of course they are dry, but they are also somewhat tasteless. I would have preferred bread or something else that had more taste than cardboard. I ordered the Grilled Tuna with Jalapeno Cream Sauce and my date ordered the 16 oz Ribeye Steak. Our food arrived warm and we began eating. The tuna was delicious! Just the right amount of serving ... not too much and not too little. My date began eating his steak ... it was delicious as well ... cooked perfectly for him. However, after about 5 mins, the waiter came over and informed him they had given him the wrong steak and took it away! Of course his steak was promptly delivered to him ... but it was not cooked the way he ordered it. He wanted well done and received medium rare. I told him to give it back and have it cooked longer but he refused. We had waited so long for our food he did not want to wait even longer. Time for the check. An attorney friend of mine had given me a 100.00 gift certificate which we handed over to the waiter. A few mins later the waiter came back and said we had not spent the entire amount. We told him to keep the change (about 25.00). He said the remaining amount could not be used as a tip. Strange ... we didn't see anything to that effect on the gift certificate. He said if we didn't use it there ... we would lose it. I found this to be somewhat ridiculous. We ordered a bottle of wine to take with us ... even though we did not want it. Of course it took the waiter yet another 10 mins to bring us the wine. Even though the food was excellent, the service was lacking. The issue with the gift certificate sort of hacked me off as well. I will be calling my attorney friend to let him know how the gift certificates are used so he will not purchase anymore. I shudder to think of what he will say when he finds out that what he purchases ... if not used ... goes back to the establishment instead of to the person. I will not return to this establishment nor recommend it to my friends. NAME: Never To Return SUBMITTED: 9/11/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 09/10/2005 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Strong: great local color - the Galv natives shine in this place! Wonderful selection of food, doting waitstaff but not too hovering, food was out of this world good..... and that great wine! Weak: noise level a little disconcerting... but hey, Galvestonians are like that.... Will go again next time I'm on the island.... which I wish was every day! NAME: deegee SUBMITTED: 5/18/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 04/2005 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: This has to be the best restaurant in Galveston, perhaps the entire Gulf Coast area. I have eaten at most restaurants in Seabrook, Kemah, League City, Houston Westheimer area, and many other suburbs. They have many outstanding restaurants but none any better or as good as Paco's. I can't eat an entire meal any longer, so I usually have hors d'oeuvres and a salad. His Paco Special, a calamari onion based dish in his special sauce, is superb, as is the Caesar Salad. Although I like P*apadeaux's crab cake hors d'oeuvre better, Paco's is extra good. His seafood is a delight, but better yet, he has excellent steaks, etc. You can't miss eating here. The service is out of this world. I haven't had such service since eating at General Electric's expense in a resort in Washington. You pay for this, but not as much as at the Westheimer restaurants or at G*aidos. NAME: Robert Sherman SUBMITTED: 4/22/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 4/2005 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: The whole dining experience was remarkable...warm, friendly greeting for our party of four upon arrival and courteous seating at preferred table.... impeccable, unblemished service and outstanding food preparation, presentation, and taste. The evening special of a fresh and succulent 'Yellow Tail' fish almond crusted and pan seared with crab meat topping was enjoyed by two in the party. The ladies found two other entrees equally enjoyable. This restaurant now stands at the top of our "A" list and is highly recommended for all. Rudy & Paco has earned a five star rating. NAME: Newcomer to Houston(Spring) SUBMITTED: 12/30/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: Dec '04 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: from the moment you walk in paco make syou feel like you are royalty- plantain chips are served and the drinks from the bar are generous and reasonable. the atmosphere is lovely, upbeat and spirited. the food is absolutely outstanding and worth every penny. you have to try the bread pudding- it is THE BEST ever- if you are looking for a good time with great food, go there! definetly one of the premier restaurants on the island! NAME: amy brennan SUBMITTED: 5/27/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 3/2004 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times ©Copyright 1991 - 2008 B4-U-EAT.COM. All rights reserved. Design and database by B4-U-BUY