Virginia's on the Bay, Port Aransas, Texas

Recently the family and I found ourselves in Port Aransas, Texas. We had enjoyed the beach on a windy day and found ourselves hungry. My family is always hungry. If you have ever been to Port Aransas, Texas, you will not find a bunch of fast-food chains. I think there may be a Dairy Queen and a Subway, but that is about it. That is one of the reasons we enjoy it there.

We found our way to a nice restaurant, that we have enjoyed in the past and knew we would again. We were not wrong.

Virginia's on the Bay is what it says, on the bay. Two of the four walls are glass garage doors, that can open up, and you see the docks with boats and a spectacular view of the Gulf of Mexico. If you are lucky, or maybe unlucky, a seagull will come to perch on the railing and beg your food from you.

Since it is early in the season, seating was available quickly and the service was superb. We have been there in July as well, and the service was just as impressive. The staff went out of their way to make sure we had everything we wanted. They have a full service bar available. While we did not get drinks, the waitress did get us a handful of maraschino cherries to add to the daughter's drink.

And the food...

Did I mention the food???

This visit I ordered their crab cakes. When the plate arrived at the table, I must admit I was in shock. These cakes were at least five inches across. You could see the crab meat in large chunks. When I dug in, I was not disappointed. The traditional remoulade sauce was astonishing. My only complaint was they were too large, and I ended up taking one back with me. It made a scrumptious snack later.

My crab cakes came with a side of garlic mashed potatoes. The potatoes came as just a lump on my plate but the taste made up for the aesthetics of the dish. Perfectly mashed with just the right amount of garlic, they made an ideal side dish.

My husband and daughter shared the "Deadliest Catch" on the menu. That was a pound of snow crab with two ears of corn and potatoes. The snow crab was cooked to perfection and melted in your mouth. With my youngest eating, it quickly disappeared. It would have been perfect size for one hungry adult.

We did order another entrée to round out our dinner but we had to take that back to the room as snackage for later. And boy was it good! A Fried Shrimp Po-Boy was larger than we expected. There were four large deep fried shrimps on a fresh roll. It came with French fries.

When we left Virginia's on the Bay we were definitely full. We also had enough for a snack for later. It was well worth it. I would say the pricing was fair. It would be comparable to some place like the Olive Garden or Red Lobster, but the atmosphere and location is ten times better. If you ever find yourself in Port Aransas, Texas and hungry, a stop at Virginia's on the Bay is a definite stop!