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Gilhooley's Restaurant

MY REVIEW: About 20 of us took the Harleys out to have a nice ride and dinner Sunday. only to be rudely treated and refused service for adding two tables so that we could all sit together. Needless to say but we did not pay for any drinks that we received from the one good waitress that was there. B*ubbas had no problem setting us up as a group and the waitresses were very well compensated for taking care of our group. Never again will I pass through the doors of this restaurant regardless of any good reviews.

NAME: TELLY OPELIA
SUBMITTED: 7/23/2012   LAST VISIT WAS: 07/2012
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: Best smoked oysters anywhere on this planet. Friendly and prompt service...I've had several things on the menu and all are outstanding. Make a trip there, you will be shocked at the excellent quality and the low prices. After discovering Gilhooley's I will never eat seafood at any another place but here.

NAME: Beverly
SUBMITTED: 3/3/2012   LAST VISIT WAS: march 2012
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: Just when I was thinking you couldn't do any better than pit-smoked Oysters Gilhooley, today I discovered Oysters Shrimphooley! Only difference is the addition of a jumbo shrimp atop the oyster. Then both are kissed by an open flame till done.

Yes, the restrooms are biker-bar-nasty so try to find a place to go before you arrive. You'll find a smoke-filled dive bar that just happens to do grilled oysters better than anyone.

NAME: Sandy from League City
SUBMITTED: 2/24/2012   LAST VISIT WAS: 2-12
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times

MY REVIEW: Went for the first time on July 16, 2011 to celebrate a birthday. If you like oysters - I guess it's great. I ordered the stuff shrimp. It was ok. (I think it was around $14.95) I don't mind eating in little hole in the wall joints - but I hate to admit that I wasn't really impressed. The bathroom was nasty. Dirty. 3 stalls. One not working. Second was sluggish. (not sure about the other one.) Now - I must say that the others in my party had oysters and seemed to really enjoy them. One strong point was our waitress. She checked in with us often and was friendly. I guess I'm just a little pickier. If I'm going to spend $15 on a meal - I expect clean bathrooms. First impression did not impress.

NAME: 49erfan
SUBMITTED: 7/17/2011   LAST VISIT WAS: July 2011
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: A half dozen Oysters Gilhooley make the perfect snack. These babies were plump & smokey and tasted so good in garlic butter and parmesean. Addictive. Even without the great oysters, this old seaside bar is worth the trip just to experience the cast of characters.

NAME: Steve D.
SUBMITTED: 7/16/2011   LAST VISIT WAS: 7/11
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times

MY REVIEW: On our way to galveston we decided to stop in as traffic was terrible (memorial weekend). We ordered oysters gilhooley which were out of this world, and the seafood cakes (awesome). On our previous visit we tried out the stuffed flounder and a bowl of seafood gumbo (BEST EVER).

NAME: O & S
SUBMITTED: 5/30/2011   LAST VISIT WAS: 5=29-11
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times

MY REVIEW: My girlfriend and I decided to visit Gilhooley's after spending the day on the beach in Galveston. Got a table out on the patio since it was a beautiful sunny day with no clouds in the sky. It is a hole in the wall, so don't expect anything fancy.

We got two orders of Oysters Gilhooley, and they were incredible. Roasted oysters with garlic & parmesan cheese. Washed them down with cold beers. If this place were any closer to town, I'd be there once a week...and I would weigh twice as much as I do. Absolutely outstanding. Don't get to that part of the area very often, but when I do, I will definitely return. Gilhooley's is a gem, and if you go, you must get the Oysters Gilhooley!

NAME: H-Town Blues Boy
SUBMITTED: 3/3/2011   LAST VISIT WAS: March 2011
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: Playboy Magazine once defined a dive bar as, "A church for down-and-outers and those who romanticize them, a rare place where high and low rub elbows--bums and poets, theives and slumming celebrities. It's a place that wears its history proudly".

That pretty much sums up this ramshackled local's hideaway situated a block from Galveston Bay in sometime seedy, sometime upscale San Leon. But this dive bar is also an extraordinary oyster bar.

This was my 1st visit to the legendary Gilhooley's and it did not disappoint on any level. I purposely arrived at 2:30 to avoid the crowd. I had driven past many times on weekends and after work to find the oyster-shell parking lot packed with pick-ups, cycles and the occassional Mercedes.

There's a deck out front with homemade tables and plastic lawn chairs which has its own bar. Inside it looks more bar than restaurant and gives the impression that it has had many additions over the years. But it wears its history proudly. There were a couple of local characters sitting at the large bar discussing their dogs with 2 waitresses. At the only occupied table were 2 couples in their 70s who looked as if they might've owned million dollar bay homes nearby.

Observations aside, I came for the famous grilled/smoked oysters and they were great. The half-shells have a nice char and make the perfect boat for the smokey oysters bubbling in their own juices. Also had an appetiser of 6 fried oysters with excellent hushpuppies. As you might expect for a place renowned for its oysters, the fried were cooked perfectly (not over cooked, as is too often the case).

This fishing village dive bar is not for the faint-of-heart. NO children allowed. But if it's oysters and beer you crave, then it's Gilhooley's!

NAME: Sandy from League City
SUBMITTED: 2/16/2011   LAST VISIT WAS: Feb 2011
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: Well I read the reviews and my husband was pushing for us to eat here since he was given a giftcertificate for chri. I didn't know what to expect but wow was I surprised. Yes it is a hole in the wall and the bathrooms are nasty. 2 out of the 3 stalls did not work. For spending 98.00 on our food I was not impressed. My food was ice cold and sent it back. The gumbo was like eating celery soup. I can say the beer was ice cold but the tops were rusty. It was not worth the drive from Galveston. I won't be back!

NAME: lazybulla2
SUBMITTED: 1/13/2011   LAST VISIT WAS: 1/13/11
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: ok, we drove down today from galveston, we sat outside, were not smokers, i had the smoked oyster special, my friend had fried shrimp, this is the best place for oysters on the planet, its un believable, and the fried shrimp was perfect too. portions were large, prices very reasonable, im hooked, wow

NAME: ben
SUBMITTED: 12/11/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 12/11/2010
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: I want to tell everyone that this place is the pits. Dont come down here and eat. Dont even think of showing up when Im trying to get my Oysters Gilhooley.

Go somewhere else with your yuppie attitude and leave my favorite place to eat breakfast, lunch and or dinner alone!

Really, i hold my breath every time i go down there; afraid they've started reading their own press and spruced up the joint. Dont ever ever change, G!

NAME: Dee
SUBMITTED: 10/18/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 10/15/2010
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: Yeah, it's a dive but they have great oysters and cold Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. Grilled cheese sandwich rocks, as do the burgers and shrimp cocktail. Go check'em out. In "Sunny San Leon"

NAME: Catfish774
SUBMITTED: 8/27/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 8/2010
FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name...

MY REVIEW: This was my first time and it is a dive, but in a good way! I love this type of place. I sampled a little bit of everything around our table and thought it was all very good. The raw oysters are VERY fresh, but if you are looking for a fancy place with great service- this is not your place. I'm okay with the hit and miss service for the great quality of food and reasonable prices. To enjoy this place you need to be laid back and take it for what it is.

NAME: ftlof
SUBMITTED: 4/13/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 3/25/2010
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: Three of us went to Gilhooley's Saturday afternoon and had a great time. It was a beautiful sunny day and the place was packed, but we eventually got an outside table. The wait for oysters was about an hour and they were so worth it. The girls had big burgers and salads and I had a bowl of shrimp gumbo and we split an order of Shrimphooley's. Too good for words. Our waitress was super and kept stopping by to check on us and bring refills. They call themselves "The Best Seafood Dive in Texas" and they are so right! Stop by and enjoy.

NAME: bbqbob
SUBMITTED: 3/31/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 3/27/2010
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: This is the most adorable little hole in the wall. Gilhooley's really has charachter. It's off the beaten path, but well worth the drive.

We came for my boyfriend's birthday because he loves it here. His son had never tried a raw oyster and after the first bite, he was hooked.He ate a 1/2 dozen! He wants to come back for his birthday as well. The food is amazing and the portions are substantial. Great atmosphere. Very casual. If you want fancy, this is not the place for you. Gilhooley's is also a beer joint, so it can be a little noisy. Prepare to wait at peak hours. In the past, we have sat at the bar because we did not want to wait for a table. They do have outside seating when it's warmer. The food is always very, very fresh.

The shrimp coktail is very large and delicious. The Oysters Gilhooley (grilled on the half-shell with parmesan and butter) are excellent. They also make a Shrimp Gilhooley (grilled shrimp and oysters on the half-shell with parmesan and butter) which is wonderful. If you like raw Oysters, you can't find better quality than here and only $5.50 per dozen. The Boudain Balls are a winner as an appetizer. The dozen Fried Shrimp Platter is enormous (enough to split) and comes with Coleslaw, green tomatoes and hush puppies. They also have daily specials.

The staff is also friendly. They really are efficient. We love a lot of lemon, cocktail sauce and horseradish and our waitress was more than happy to get us plenty of extra. The food has always been consistently good and that's important to me. I've always been satisfied and have told many friends about this unique little place. Trust me, the Kemah waterfront is over-rated and over-priced. Gilhooley's is worth a try and a local favorite of the Bay Area. I can't wait to go back.

NAME: The Food Junkie
SUBMITTED: 1/15/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 01/06/10
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

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