The West End Restaurant & Sand Bar

Best fish I have had in years! I ordered the southwest snapper I highly recommend it. I’ve never had tortilla strip covered fish it was very unique and the toppings were generous. Staff was excellent! We will definitely make a trip back.

Not a local and SO thrilled I was told about this place! It’s a gem. If you don’t know where it is, your not going to find it. It’s tucked away in a small subdivision on the bay side of the West End.
We stopped in for a drink DOWNSTAIRS. Low key, shorts, tanks, flip flops, anything goes. I understand upstairs is a totally different dining experience. Downstairs has the more «sports bar», beach theme going on.
We ended up ordering a dozen oysters. They took forget to come out. But then they did, boy were they huge and tasty!!! Crackers were stale.
There are TVs on the walls. Tables outside by the water or under the covered areas or you can also sit at the bar. Very nice view of the marina. Relaxing place. Kids running around. Families. Good time for all.
The wait staff wasn’t very attentive. They seemed more interested in having conversations with the regulars.
However the view alone and the oysters bumps the review to 4 stars. I’d definitely come back.

For the downstairs/​outdoor portion. Normally love coming here, but usually go during the day on the weekend and know most staff by sight. Always get burgers, which are pretty pricey, be prepared to add $$ for everything. Great place to bring kids, game area is nice to let them play while you wait.
Tonight was not good. First time for dinner and really didn’t recognize anyone. There were three waitresses, about ⁷⁄₈ tables and we waited for over 5 minutes for someone to acknowledged we were there. When the waitress asked if anyone had help us, we said no and she told us to hold on. The bartender ended up coming over to serve us and we were on the other side of the restaurant. Took our order and we waited, watched two tables that came after us served their food before us. Watched the bartender standing and serving everyone at the bar, while we watched the waitresses serve all the tables around us. Got food, took a couple bites, wanted another beer, but the bartender was of course at the bar… serving the customers at the bar. We were so far away from the bar I couldn’t even get eye contact with him. Finally flagged a waitress and ask if she could tell him I would like another beer. Waited awhile for him to bring it over. Normally a server would place the beer down, take the old one away and maybe ask how the food was. He stood holding the beer out for me to take from him as he said «here ya go». Odd, I was eating. Really should have the waiters on the floor waiting on tables, not the bartenders

Beautiful setting. Perhaps one of the best in all of Galveston for the upstairs restaurant. Food averaged $ 28 per person with the special costing $ 40. The food was mediocre and bland. I brought a party of 12 and I wish that at least one of us had something special to say about the food. It was edible but for the price I would have rather eaten at the fisherman’s warf. Same prices with better food quality and a great setting. The best part of our trip was the great service. Jake handled our party with ease and was a real joy to work with for the evening.

Great place for cocktails and apps on the water! We had the fried pickles which were fresh off the fryer and very flavorful! Mojito was also great, Bahama mama not so much. We will be back!

I would like to say this is a super fun place and have enjoyed coming here for years.
That said, I’m really disappointed in the food we had last night. I look forward to the fabulous philly and yummy burgers. Last night all of our food was disgusting. The meat was burnt and greasy and I mean, it was hard to tell the difference from the meat and a piece of actual charcoal.
I hope that the owners and management can address this issue because we really enjoy coming here to eat, not just drink and right now, based on the food last night, I would not recommended it to my dog. That’s sad, as I have been coming here since it was Averys. I didn’t mind paying $ 14.50 for a philly and fries in the past, which is high but it was so good, I didn’t mind. Last night however it felt like I was being robbed!
I do have to give a huge complement to our waitresses. She has waited on us before and did a great job last night. She is the reason that you are getting 3 stars today and not 1. It is always busy on the weekend nights and she handled it with a smile.

Food was mediocre, the bar tender has zero personality. Way too expensive for the quality

The food is excellent! The Shrimp Poppers are to die for, but some reason they took them off the menu. Dimitri makes the best drinks on the island!!! The people are nice and welcoming, it’s a great small town atmosphere.

Only go for their upstairs joint. The downstairs portion was horrible.
Cons:
Poop on floor (probably dog poop that an owner failed to clean)
Awkward waiter whose jokes are border line patronizing or condescending
Food
I wouldn’t recommend.

We ate at the bar downstairs and the food was very low-​medium quality.
I ordered the chicken wings (lemon pepper) and some fried oysters. The chicken wings were extremely subpar. They either had no flavor or were so sour I couldn’t even finish them regardless of how much I tried to mask the taste with ranch. The fried oysters were okay if you dipped them in ranch. I wasn’t a fan of their cocktail sauce mix.
Pretty good service, got water when I needed it. But we had to move tables because there was dog feces near our table and the stench was so overpowering we couldn’t eat. Definitely something that should be taken care of.

This is for the downstairs bar. The restaurant doesn’t open until 5 so this was all that was available. The food is ok. I’m not a connoisseur of batter fried seafood. It’s very popular in this part of the country. So all I can say is the food is good. Service I do know something about.
The waitress was wonderful. Super friendly and pleasant. Very helpful. I brought my daughter back just because she was nice.
The ambience is country. Smoking is permitted throughout so you might be seated next to smokers.
A hound dog was walking around the restaurant at 11:15 am. This, with the smoking and beer drinking, is why this place is country.
Still it has a down home Galveston atmosphere. It’s located around the marina. I would come again.

OK, I’m going to be one of the few reviewers that talk about the downstairs casual bar, or «The Canal Place» as we call it. When you’re staying on the West End of Galveston Island, sometimes you really don’t want to cook or go back into town. And so you Google and find this restaurant. The upstairs version. Here’s a hint: If you’re wearing shorts and a tank and don’t need a «white tablecloth experience,» do NOT go upstairs. Stay put downstairs. Just right of the bait shack/​fishing license place.
If you’re chill with hanging out in a VERY local spot (with live music on the w/​ends) overlooking a gorgeous canal view (that will make you want a house on a canal) with mostly crappy food… Here is your spot.
The vibe is super casual, the view is fantastic, and if there are smokers in your group, go for it. The surprise though, is that the burgers are AWESOME. Don’t mess with the seafood — I don’t know what they serve upstairs, but the bar/​Canal Place is. well… not awesome. Probably frozen. But the burgers are hand-​formed and cooked to order on an outdoor grill. The beer is cold AF, and the mixed drinks are JUST what you want after a day on the beach; strong enough to pack a punch.
Just don’t blame me when you are stretching your budget trying to buy a house anywhere in Sea Isle on a canal… I’m right there with you.

This was the best seafood I’ve had on the island. The Mahi Mahi special was delicious. They accommodated our request to sub the kids fries for a salad. The wine was great and so was the chocolate mousse cake. Usually Galveston restaurants leave me disappointed, but we had a great view on the patio with music playing below in the outside bar, so it was perfect for our large family. They take pride in what they do and it definitely showed.

Absolutely love this place! Best fried shrimp I’ve ever had! We have our dog with us because we are moving homes and have to live the hotel life for awhile, so the fact that we could bring her with us is huge! Their covered patio is cool and complete with huge fans! They even brought her an ice water bowl! My husband and I are in love with everything about this place! The atmosphere, the food, the drinks, the dog-​friendly nature, and the decent prices. Bravo!

The good. Very well run dining room by professionals that know exactly what to do and just as importantly, when to do them.
Our waitress was very friendly with just the right amount of banter.
The appetizer of calamari, fried pickles and mozzarella was hot, crunchy and seasoned perfectly. Came with great sauces for dipping.
The gumbo was spectacular. So good in fact that a round of spoons was ordered so that every one could get a taste.
The average. My wife and I ordered the pecan crusted snapper w lump crab. We both got the regular snapper which was just ok. The waitress tried to salvage the mistake as best she could. Ordering mistake aside, the snapper could have used a bit more sauce.
My son ordered the snapper tacos which looked like the best dish on the table.
The bad. Way to pricey for the level of food.
Over all. We will return to explore other dishes.

Today for dinner I came in with a group of about 13 people. I believe our group called in a few hours prior to have them set up a large table. When we had arrived we were seated right away. Even though only half of our group arrived our server, I believe his name is Brandon (he has a sleeve of tattoos with ocean details. For sure it had an octopus and the blue was clearly seen), asked us what we would like to start with (appetizers, drinks).
Me being clumsy once in a while, I had put down my glass of water and somehow it tipped over (magically?). Our server came with multiple cloths and picked up all the ice on the table. (If you’re reading this I appreciate your work and kindness very much.) A few minutes late he had come with more ice water to fill my almost empty cup. (When they fill your cup it’s to the brim.)
Overall the experience here was great and the place seems fancy. (I felt not dressy enough for the place, but it’s very casual.)
On another note the waiter was very handsome (:

Great little restaurant off the beaten path. It is next to a marina on the canal/​bay side of the West End. We had the fried pickles, bisque and Texas snapper coated in pecans and topped with crabmeat. All delicious! Service was friendly and attentive. The atmosphere is a little classier than most beach restaurants (white table cloths and a wine list), but not stuffy. They have a kids menu and you can always sit out on the patio overlooking the water if you have rowdy little ones. Will definitely come again!

An amazing meal out. Party of six without one complaint. The fish and seafood is great. Everything with a dash of French inspired delishusness. Have the crab cakes or the fish.

Best meal of our trip. In a very cute area when you get there but it’s hard to believe there’s anything around until you arrive. The restaurant is right in the marina.
We were greeted immediately upon arriving and we were treated courteously throughout our stay. In fact all wait staff seemed very attentive and we were never left waiting long even after the food came. One of my sons has food allergies and our waiter was very helpful with that.
Very nice upscale dining but also pretty expensive. Wifey had crab cakes which were different but tasty. Not like any crab cakes I’ve had. I had the Parmesan encrusted red fish which was outstanding.
Definitely recommended.

This place is the best of the West End… maybe even the whole island.
My mom, sister and I came here on a Friday night after we checked into our beach rental house. We were wiped after travelling and just needed something to eat. We didn’t have a reservation, but they were able to fit us in on the patio. (It was totally worth it, but make a reservation if you can to avoid the heat!)
Our server was great. He checked on us regularly and was knowledgeable about the menu. My sister is a picky eater and he and the chef accommodated her needs perfectly. Our food came out quickly and the manager checked on us at the end of the meal and was very friendly.
I had the grilled shrimp and it was the best food I ate during my whole vacation. This place is a bit pricey, but it was so fantastic and totally worth it. I also got a margarita which was good but kinda average. However, our server said the bartender ended up with some extra margarita when he made it, so instead of wasting it, he poured it in a small extra glass for me. So I basically got two margaritas for the price of one. Just another testament to their excellent customer service! I will definitely come back, with a reservation and an appetite!