This Mysterious Seafood Restaurant in Texas Isn’t for Everyone—But You’ll Want In

Blackbeard. Does the name send chills down your spine? Make hairs on the back of your neck stick straight up?

If it does, you’re no fool. Then you’ll feel right at home at Blackbeard’s On the Beach, a pirate-themed seafood restaurant on the shores of Corpus Christi.

There’s no better place to open up a pirate-themed restaurant than in a beach town like Corpus Christi.

You have the amenities of a large city, with the pace of life of a coastal town.

But there’s more to this place than themed décor and cold drinks — let’s get into it.

What to Know Before You Go

Customers say this seafood place isn’t too costly. Most dishes fall in the $10–$20 range, making it an easy choice for a casual beach meal.

The menu leans heavily on seafood, live music fills the air most nights, and the margaritas come served in souvenir mugs you can take home.

It’s got all the makings of a memorable stop on a longer beach trip.

They don’t take reservations. But they do have a happy hour, if you’d like to go out with your coworkers.

This restaurant is open from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. every day. There’s hardly a time you’d miss getting to go to this place. It’s open for lunch, dinner, and even a late brunch.

It’s a popular stop for Friday and Saturday nights and Sundays mid-day.

On their website, they say they have “great food, fun, and grog.” Definitely pirate-themed!

You can order online from Blackbeard’s on their website, too. They have DoorDash. And food is available for pick-up at their Corpus Christi location.

Sometimes their hours change, so stay tuned to their website and Facebook page. For example, their fall hours are Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. through 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

They’re located close to the beach between the U.S.S. Lexington and North Beach in Corpus Christi.

Blackbeard’s has daily drink specials, so be sure to ask about those!

If you want to know what their daily drink special is going to be, mosey on over to their Facebook page for the big reveals.

You don’t have to be in person at their restaurant to enjoy the Blackbeard’s brand either.

They have an online store called the Treasure Chest. This store has souvenir t-shirts, gift certificates, and more.

Live music is offered every night during spring and summer. Summertime music lovers, you’re in luck!

During the fall and winter, they host live music from Wednesdays through Saturdays.

Their gift certificates are, of course, themed like treasure maps in the shape of a ticket. These make great gifts for the kids (or young at heart) in your life.

You can get gift certificates of $20, $30, $50, or $100 value. If you like, you can also get one for yourself, if you think you’d be back and bringing some friends.

They’re super big on birthdays here at Blackbeard’s On the Beach.

It’s absolutely a thing.

Why? You eat free on your birthday!

It’s equal in value to $12, so don’t expect a huge meal for free. But still fun!

They’re also happy to host birthday parties, if you have one coming up. They’ll help you plan the event, too.

Lore, by Steve

What I love most about Blackbeard’s is the lore. What’s a fantastic pirate-themed restaurant without a good lore story?

This year, they’re celebrating 34 years of “pirates, ghosts, and rock ’n roll.”

So, it’s not your traditional pirates’ cave. Ghosts, which are akin to pirates in a way, are part of the story. Along with an epic rock ’n roll current that’s steady through it all.

If you love one, two, or all three, Blackbeard’s is your next hangout place.

It opened in 1991, just as the decade was getting started.

They have a menu that’s got seafood, steaks, and of course, comfort foods.

One of their most popular dishes is the Baja Tacos, and their Seared Tuna took top prize at the 2016 North Beach Seafood Wars at the Texas State Aquarium — prize-winning tuna, no less.

Wait … Seafood Wars? Sign us up. Crab costumes, optional.

They’ve also got juicy steaks and burgers, or plates loaded with nachos.

Blackbeard’s is serious about their drinks, especially margaritas. Recently, they added bourbons for anyone who loves to try new ones.

Sit at their bar, and take a minute to peruse their unique collection of stuff. It ranges from pirate-themed to rock ’n roll, just like the restaurant’s themes overall.

Okay, here’s my favorite bit of lore at Blackbeard’s On the Beach.

If you happen to be at the bar when they’re getting ready to close for the day, you’ll notice something unusual. Even mysterious.

The bartender pours a drink at the bar and leaves it … for their resident ghost. Caught on camera.

They do film their ghost — without its consent, naturally. But if a ghost is drinking at your bar, it’s fair game for the camera, right?

Ghost stories aside for now. Blackbeard’s is located in a bright purple building, just across the bridge.

It’s a point of pride that Blackbeard’s On the Beach is one of the oldest buildings still intact on North Beach in Corpus Christi. Part of that pride is due to surviving a fair number of hurricanes since the 1950s, which dates back even before the restaurant’s opening day.

Blackbeard’s original owner was Steve Bonillas. He was a collector of many things, as is reflected on the walls, ceilings, shelves, and surfaces of his present-day seafood restaurant. His collection has become as much a part of the restaurant as the food itself.

As you can imagine, Steve loved music, especially rock ’n roll. That’s why the lore includes an undercurrent of music, a nod to the restaurant’s owner and founder.

Though his passing in 2012 was a loss for everyone who knew him and loved the place, he’d started a huge collection of memorabilia from rock ’n roll music that was later housed at Blackbeard’s.

This restaurant is more than a pirate-themed dinner out.

Some customers talk about Blackbeard’s as a mini rock ’n roll museum, which is not something you see or get to experience every day.

That moniker is thanks in large part to Steve, their founder. Because of his eye for details and the archives of history, hungry travelers and beachgoers can enjoy a bit of history as they munch on seafood dishes and sip their drinks.

Staff members at Blackbeard’s On the Beach encourage customers to go look around at the walls, shelves, and more as they cook up dishes and prepare drinks. It’s time well spent.

Now that you’ve heard about ghosts, a scary pirate leader, and a massive collection of odds and ends … are you in, or are you out?

This place isn’t for anybody who wants a traditional affair. This is for people who actively seek out unique, one-of-a-kind restaurants.

If you love to go to theme parks for the experience, you’re likely the audience for this restaurant.

Something cool about this seafood restaurant is that it’s more than a one-time stop for travelers on their way to the next activity.

Generations of families come back to Blackbeard’s, with kids all grown up and the next generation of children in tow. They wanted their kids to know and experience this restaurant, because it meant so much to their own childhood.

Discover Seafood Delights

Their menu is pirate-themed, of course.

It’s designed like parchment paper on which pirates write their treasure maps. Coins litter the paper, signs of a treasure, split among pirate clans.

First up: soups. These are Blackbeard’s soups, to be exact.

There’s a Pirate Stew that includes sausage, crab, chicken, and shrimp, with pico de gallo in a tortilla soup. It’s about $5 for a cup or $9 for a bowl.

The Signature Sampler at $15 covers all the bases: Buffalo wings, peel-and-eat shrimp, fried mushrooms, and popcorn shrimp.

Their Surfside Salads have fresh greens topped with cheese, sliced avocado, pineapple, purple onions, black olives, and tomatoes.

Buffalo Chicken Wings come in regular or flaming hot. Have water at the ready! These wings are about $13.

What’s calling me is Blackbeard’s Seafood Queso. It’s $14. And it’s got shrimp, crab, and pico de gallo.

Or go after a Triple Dipper, with queso, salsa, and guacamole with chips.

Blackbeard’s Baja Taco, on corn or flour tortillas, includes grilled, blackened, or fried shrimp or fish with a Baja mix and homemade Coco Loco sauce. This taco is $6.

You’ll notice Blackbeard’s Signature Dishes are represented by Blackbeard’s Flag on the menu. Order these items to really get in the spirit of your pirate-themed surroundings.

Note that a 20% gratuity is recommended for groups of 6 or more. Special orders include an extra charge, depending on what you order.

Baskets come with a plethora of options. You’ve got popcorn shrimp, fried shrimp, coconut shrimp, fried fish, fried catfish, fried oyster, or fried chicken strips.

As for the bread: burgers come on toasted Hawaiian buns, while sandwiches are served on rye bread, French rolls, or Hawaiian buns.

The Aloha Burger, at $14, includes coconut mayo, grilled onions, and a grilled pineapple slice. It’s a sweet, tropical twist that fits the beachy mood perfectly.

Where’s this pirate-themed restaurant located? Type Blackbeard’s Corpus Christi into your Maps app.

Where: Blackbeard’s On the Beach, 3117 Surfside Boulevard, Corpus Christi, Texas 78402

Blackbeard’s On the Beach is a stone’s throw away from a day of fun on the beach. Pack up your things, stow them in the car, and settle in for a pirate-themed, rock ’n roll experience, complete with the seafood you were craving.

Find them online at blackbeards.restaurant, check out reviews on Yelp and TripAdvisor, watch a preview on YouTube, and pull up directions on Google Maps before you head out — because pirates, ghosts, and rock ‘n roll wait for no one.