Bay side of Crystal Beach · Seafood · Marina
Stingaree Restaurant & Marina
A family-owned seafood landmark on East Galveston Bay since 1986, with gumbo, Gulf seafood platters, Texas blue crabs, a marina and free sunsets.
Opens Stingaree’s website. It serves lunch and dinner Wednesday through Sunday and is closed Monday and Tuesday.
Details checked November 2026
Featured photo
The Intracoastal Waterway at Port Bolivar, 1999 (area photo) · Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
Type
Seafood restaurant and marina
Gumbo, Gulf platters, crabs, oysters, full bar
Price range
$$–$$$
Tripadvisor range; most platters $27.95
Hours
Wed–Sun from 11 am
To 8 pm, or 9 pm Fri–Sat; closed Mon–Tue
Time needed
About 1.5 hours
Our estimate; add time for a wait
Parking
Private lot
No RV parking posted; bring the tow car
Since
1986
Family-owned; rebuilt after Hurricane Ike
On the menu
Gumbo, Gulf platters and Texas blue crabs
The menu leans on Gulf seafood: seafood gumbo and étouffée, fried and grilled seafood platters, boiled and barbecued crabs, oysters several ways, fresh Gulf snapper, steaks and a full bar. Sandwiches and tacos are served before 5 pm.
Photo: stu_spivack on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Start here
Seafood gumbo
A cup is $6.95 and a bowl $12.95, and the menu calls it the best on the Gulf Coast. Gumbo is the top topic in Google reviews, with 97 mentions.
RV tip: Bolivar Peninsula RV Park is about 7 minutes away on TX-87. No RV parking is posted, so come in the tow vehicle.
Also worth ordering
- Redfish LouieBlackened redfish on dirty rice with crawfish étouffée and fried crawfish tails, $24.95.
- Shrimp Lover’s platterBoiled, fried, charbroiled, honey-jalapeño and crab-stuffed shrimp, $27.95.
- Bread puddingA $5.95 slice or a family size to share; Google reviewers mention it 25 times.
- You Hook ’Em & We Cook ’EmListed at $14.95, fried, grilled or Cajun-fried; ask your server how it works with your own catch.
Why go
Bay-side seafood with a sunset that costs nothing
Jim Vratis and his brother George opened Stingaree on December 13, 1986. Brad Vratis took over day-to-day running in 2007, rebuilt with the community after Hurricane Ike in 2008 and became the owner in 2013.
It has 4.5 stars from more than 4,500 Google reviews; Tripadvisor (4.1) and Yelp (3.8) are cooler. Google’s review topics highlight the gumbo, the sunset view and the shrimp platter, and some reviewers mention watching barges go by.
Next door, the Stingaree Marina has concrete boat ramps, fuel, ice and bait from 6 am to 6 pm. The owner’s Yelp page points out that the sunset over the bay is free.
Photo: Yinan Chen on Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
Why it made our list
- Family-owned since 1986
- Sunset views over East Galveston Bay
- Boat ramps and bait next door
- Cocktails to go, per its menu
- 7 minutes from Bolivar Peninsula RV Park
For RVers
Taking the rig to Stingaree
The practical stuff we wished someone had told us before we pulled in.
Unhitch first
Yelp lists a private parking lot, but no RV or oversized parking is posted. Leave the rig at camp and bring the tow vehicle or car.
Plan for a wait
Recent Google reviews mention lines on busy nights. Arrive before sunset if you want a table with a view of the bay.
Mind the days
It is closed Monday and Tuesday. DownUnder Bar & Grill, on the ground floor, keeps its own shorter hours, Thursday through Sunday.
Bring the boat
Stingaree Marina, next door at 1297 N. Stingaree Rd, has boat ramps and fuel, and you can call about overnight dockage.
What visitors say about Stingaree
The visitor report card
We don’t copy other sites’ reviews, but the published scores are worth reading together. Scores checked November 2, 2026.
Right On The Water!!
Stingaree Restaurant & Marina · stingaree.com
What visitors often mention
Recurring themes in Google’s review topics
GumboSunset viewShrimp platter
Google’s review topics put gumbo on top (97 reviews), then sunset view (89), shrimp platter (26), bread pudding (25) and redfish Louie (19). Checked November 2, 2026.
What reviewers mention most
Number of Google reviews that mention each topic, checked November 2, 2026.
Good to know
DownUnder barThu–Sun, its own hours
MarinaRamps, fuel, bait, 6 am–6 pm
DogsAllowed, per Yelp
Good forSunsetsFamiliesGroups
Tripadvisor rates it $$–$$$. Gulf snapper, lump crab and oysters are market price.
Know before you go
Plan your visit
Stingaree Restaurant & Marina
- Address1295 N Stingaree Dr, Crystal Beach, TX 77650
- HoursWed–Sun from 11 am
To 8 pm, or 9 pm Fri–Sat; closed Mon–Tue - Phone(409) 684-2731
- ReservationsListed as taking reservations, but reviewers describe waits; call ahead, per its Yelp listing
- Getting thereStingaree is on the bay side of Crystal Beach, off TX-87 on North Stingaree Drive, about 4.1 miles from Bolivar Peninsula RV Park.
- ParkingA private lot, per its Yelp listing. No RV or oversized parking is posted.
Its website and Google list 11 am to 8 pm Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and 11 am to 9 pm Friday and Saturday, closed Monday and Tuesday. Call (409) 684-2731 to confirm.
Where to stay nearby
RV parks near Stingaree
These are the Crystal Beach RV parks we have visited and written up. Drive times are from Google Maps on a weekday evening and change with traffic.
Bolivar Peninsula RV Park
A 40-acre park in the middle of Crystal Beach with 90 full-hookup sites, pull-thrus, lakefront spots and a dog park.
Lazy Pelican RV Park
A small, owner-run park in Crystal Beach with level concrete full-hookup pads, free Wi-Fi, a palapa and a pergola near the beach.
Camp Margaritaville RV Resort Crystal Beach
A 150-acre beachfront RV resort with 250-plus concrete full-hookup sites, a big pool complex with a swim-up bar and concerts.
Helpful answers
Frequently asked questions
The questions RVers ask most before pulling in.
Wed–Sun from 11 am
Ready for gumbo on the bay?
Start with a cup of seafood gumbo, share a Shrimp Lover’s platter and stay for the sunset.
Thank you to the people behind these photos. Please support them by giving their work a look. Photos via Wikimedia Commons: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Intracoastal Waterway at Port Bolivar, 1999; public domain), stu_spivack (gumbo; CC BY-SA 2.0) and Yinan Chen (Galveston sunset; public domain); the images were resized. Food photos marked “not taken at” show the dish, not this restaurant’s plate. Area photos show the neighborhood, not the restaurant. Review-site logos are trademarks of their owners.
Disclaimer
RV-Roundup is an independent, community-based resource created to help RV travelers and to support and promote the places we feature. RV-Roundup is not owned by, operated by, or officially affiliated with Stingaree Restaurant & Marina unless otherwise stated.
The information on this page was prepared using the most current details available at the time of publication, including the restaurant’s published materials and publicly available sources. Hours, prices, menus and other details are set by the restaurant and may change at any time without notice. Before you travel, please confirm all details directly with Stingaree Restaurant & Marina at stingaree.com or (409) 684-2731. RV-Roundup is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes made after publication.
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