Galveston · Downtown · Latin American
Rudy & Paco Restaurant and Bar
Downtown Galveston’s South and Central American steak and seafood house, next to The Grand 1894 Opera House and run by Paco Vargas since the 1990s.
Opens Rudy & Paco’s OpenTable page, where you can see the menu and book a table. Dinner starts at 5 pm; men need collared shirts at dinner.
Details checked November 2026
Price
$$$
Dinner entrées $38–96
Hours
Lunch Mon–Fri 11 am–2 pm
Dinner Mon–Sat from 5 pm
Parking
Street parking
Metered at lunch; free after 6 pm
Start here
What to order
Grilled Gulf seafood and steaks with South and Central American flavor: snapper with lump crab, shrimp, ceviche and USDA Prime beef, plus a full bar and a weekday lunch menu.
A house favorite
Lobster tempura
The dinner menu calls it Paco’s Signature Lobster Tempura, at market price. On Google the crab cake is the dish reviewers mention most, in 37 reviews, followed by the bread pudding in 31.
Pro tip: Going to a show? Rudy & Paco sits next to The Grand 1894 Opera House and offers pre-show specials, so book ahead and dress for dinner.
More to try
- Filete de Pargo EleganteSnapper with lump crab, $52 on the current dinner menu.
- Camarones DiablosA house shrimp dish, $47 at dinner.
- Ceviche CorintoA starter to share, $25.
- 16 oz USDA Prime ribeye$71 at dinner, for the steak lovers at the table.
The Rudy & Paco story
From dishwasher to downtown landmark
Francisco “Paco” Vargas left Nicaragua in 1978, started as a dishwasher in Houston and later managed Galveston’s Balinese Room. He opened Rudy & Paco downtown with the late Rudy Teichman, as the area’s first Latin American fine-dining restaurant.
After Hurricane Ike in 2008 he spray-painted “open soon” on the building, and in 2025 The Daily News named him its Business Person of the Year. OpenTable diners give it a 4.9 from more than 4,300 reviews.
Why it made our list
- 4.7 on Google and on Tripadvisor
- Prime steaks and Gulf seafood, Latin style
- Next door to The Grand 1894 Opera House
- About 11 minutes from Galveston RV Resort & Marina
What diners say about Rudy & Paco Restaurant and Bar
The restaurant report card
We don’t copy other sites’ reviews, but the published scores are worth reading together. Scores checked November 2026.
How the review sites compare
Average star rating on each site, out of 5
What diners often mention
Crab cake (37)Bread pudding (31)Crab bisque (9)Bar seating (8)
Topics Google highlights in its reviews, with the number of reviews that mention each.
Good to know
Price range$$$ special-occasion dinner
LocationNext to The Grand 1894
Dress codeStrict at dinner; casual lunch
Scores as published by Google, Yelp and Tripadvisor in November 2026. The weighted score combines all three by review count. Confirm details with the restaurant.
Know before you go
Plan your visit
Rudy & Paco Restaurant and Bar
- Address2028 Postoffice St, Galveston, TX 77550
- HoursLunch Mon–Fri 11 am–2 pm
Dinner Mon–Sat from 5 pm - Phone(409) 762-3696
- OrderingTable service; reserve online, on OpenTable or call (409) 762-3696
- ParkingStreet parking
Rudy & Paco is on Postoffice Street in downtown Galveston, next to The Grand 1894 Opera House and a few blocks south of the Strand. Parking is on the street, metered at lunch and free after 6 pm, so bring the tow car, not the rig.
Where to stay nearby
RV parks near Rudy & Paco Restaurant and Bar
Park the rig for the night, then take the tow car downtown for dinner. Galveston RV Resort & Marina is about 11 minutes away. Drive times are Google Maps estimates.
Galveston RV Resort & Marina
A gated, waterfront park on Offatts Bayou with 86 full-hookup sites, 28 boat slips, a boat ramp and a pool.
Galveston Island RV Park
One of Galveston’s newest RV parks, with 166 shaded full-hookup sites, two fishing ponds and free kayaks, across FM 3005 from a beach access.
Galveston Island State Park Campground
A Texas state park on the west end, with 58 water-and-electric RV sites a short walk from the Gulf, plus bayside sites and marsh trails.
Helpful answers
Frequently asked questions
A few details before you head over.
Dinner Monday to Saturday from 5 pm
Celebrating in Galveston?
Book a table, wear a collared shirt, and save room for the bread pudding.
Thank you to the people behind these photos. Please support them by giving their work a look. The food photo is for illustration only and was not taken at Rudy & Paco. Strand Historic District: Michael Barera on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0); Crab cake: Quinn Dombrowski on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0). 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 Rudy & Paco Restaurant and Bar 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, pricing, menus, policies and other details are set by the restaurant and may change at any time without notice. Before you travel or book, please confirm all details directly with Rudy & Paco Restaurant and Bar at rudyandpaco.com or (409) 762-3696. RV-Roundup is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes made after publication.
We will always do our best to keep this page up to date. Thank you to everyone who contributes; we truly appreciate your help and support.