Dine in: Here are the Corpus Christi restaurants that opened, closed or relocated in 2023
New year, new place to eat.
Here's some new restaurants that opened, closed and relocated in 2023 you might've missed in Corpus Christi.
Know another restaurant that opened, closed or moved this year? Email john.oliva@caller.com.
New restaurants
Aloha! Pacific Island Grill - 6702 S. Staples St.
Aside from Hawaiian food, the Southside eatery also serves lumpias, spam musubi and a chicken katsu slider.
Owner Carl Bernardo said he wanted to bring authentic cuisine to the city after seeing corporate businesses open shop.
It is open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily.
Central Kitchen - 320 Lomax St.
The bakery has been making desserts, breads and dressings for other Water Street businesses for a while before opening on its own.
Executive pastry chef Jeanette Hernandez said her main goals for Central Kitchen are consistency and quality.
It is open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.
Cha³ Tea - 1702 US Highway 181
Pronounced "cha cha cha," owner Stephanie Nguyen opened the shop to provide Portland more Asian representation.
Aside from boba drinks, like teas and coffees, Cha³ Tea also offers taiyakis (stuffed waffles) and pandan waffles (coconut cream-based treats).
It is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
El Camino - 314 N. Chaparral St.
The downtown restaurant is the newest addition to the Water Street family and the Lomax family's second attempt at a Mexican eatery.
Located right next to Lucy's Snackbar, the new local business offers a limited menu and is open in the evening, for the time being.
It is open from 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 5 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.
Fork & Vines - 2760 Santa Fe St.
Spouses and owners Ashley and Christian Bernard took their love of wine to the maximum and opened a wine bar next to Sugarbaker's, their other business.
Fork & Vines is able to host private events, have a monthly wine-pairing dinner and serves nine wines and seven locally-brewed beers on tap.
It is open from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday to Saturday.
Garrett's Barbecue - 6062 Holly Road
The second location of this local BBQ place opened on Holly Road back in August.
Garrett's Barbecue sells ribs, sausage links, brisket and brisket burgers.
It is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Hot Chicken Run - 6917 S. Staples St.
The new local chicken restaurant opened in July and promises to bring something new, exciting and hot to the city, according to owners Louie Stewart and Chester Simon.
If you dare to try Hot Chicken Run's reaper flavor, get ready to sign a waiver before dining.
It is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Las Braza's - 4425 S. Alameda St.
The Mexican American restaurant opened in late March and offers breakfast, lunch and dinner options.
Co-owner Sarah Longoria said she and her husband wanted to provide a cozy restaurant with a matching ambiance.
It is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.
Lazy Beach Downtown - 312 N. Chaparral St.
Lazy Beach opened a second location in downtown Corpus Christi.
Found at the former Texas Surf Museum location, co-owner Jessica Matthews said she was lucky to find a historic spot on Chaparral Street in the heart of downtown.
It is open from 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Love Birds Cafe - 9820 Leopard St.
Love Birds Cafe offers coffee, bubble tea and a tasty snack called Hong Kong Bubble Waffles.
According to Randall Salazar, co-owner of Love Birds Cafe, the Annaville area of Corpus Christi has never had a coffee shop until he and his partner opened the new shop.
It is open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Mariscos Altamar - 5114 Weber Road
The Mexican seafood restaurant, located at the old Whataburger location on Weber Road near the old Carroll High School campus, offers authentic cuisine and cocktails.
Mariscos Altamar opened in September and owner Yuri Jara said if business keeps going well as it is now, a second location could open in the future.
It is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Odi's Pizzeria & Restaurant - 6313 Wooldridge Road
Originally a food truck, Odi's got its own brick-and-mortar location in the summer of 2023.
Owner Joseph Garza said the traditional Italian restaurant will import small batches of wine from vineyards in Italy and provide limited quantities of pasta dishes, including cacio e pepe.
It is open from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday; noon to 8:30 p.m. Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
Palenque Grill - 5488 S. Padre Island Drive
Announced in April 2022, Palenque Grill finally began construction in February 2023 and opened in 10 months later.
The 8,920-square-foot casual dining table-service restaurant is adjacent to Dave & Buster's.
It is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Pizza Patrón - 4918 Ayers St.
The San Antonio-based pizza restaurant opened in April, and featured a meet-and-greet with Grammy Award-winning guitarist Chris Pérez at its grand opening.
Pizza Patrón partnered with Pérez to feature his signature hot sauce, Pérez Pepper Sauce, on three pizzas — steak fajita, chicken fajita and pepperoni — which are available only in Corpus Christi.
It is open from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10:30 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Pop's Bar - 6702 S. Staples St.
Located on Corpus Christi's Southside, Pop's Bar is a new favorite local sports bar.
The spot has a daily Happy Hour, a pool table, a jukebox and tabletop games including a mini-Connect Four.
It is open from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily.
The Rice Hat - 1702 US Highway 181
The Rice Hat opened in June 2023 and the owner is the mother to Cha³ Tea's Nguyen.
The Vietnamese Chinese establishment provides fine dining, including crab rangoons and sesame chicken.
It is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Taco Palenque - 5425 S. Padre Island Drive
The second location of Taco Palenque opened at La Palmera mall in late November 2023.
It was announced by the mall in April 2022.
It is open 24 hours.
Tacos y Carnitas "El Jefe" - 802 W. Point Road
Owner Marco Garcia Marquez's dream has always been to be his own boss and be independent.
Tacos y Carnitas specializes in authentic Mexican food, including carnitas, barbacoa and chicharron con carne.
It is open from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
Tea by the Sea - 1002 Waldron Road
Located behind a plaza in Flour Bluff, Tea by the Sea is a "hidden gem off the beaten path," according to owner Kimmie Pullen.
For $19 per person, guests may enjoy an afternoon tea service with a flower bloom tea, French beignets, hors d'oeuvres, soup and tier full of finger sandwiches, scone and desserts.
It is open for reservations from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Whole Fried Chicken - 7629 S. Staples St.
Have you ever had a whole fried chicken? What about eating chicken cooked with spicy squid ink seasoning?
Aside from an entire chicken, the new Asian-style eatery also serves milk teas, waffle fries, chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders and a pretzel giant — the latter being nearly the size of the tray it comes on.
It is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Restaurants that closed
Boat 'N Net
After 62 years of business, Boat 'N Net closed its doors at all locations in late August.
Cars full of customers wanting to grab a plate of fish, chicken and tartar sauce were waiting more than an hour before opening at the Kostoryz Road location on its last day.
Although several health violations were recently cited by health inspectors, authorities said those violations had been remedied and the notice regarding the closure of the restaurants took the inspectors by surprise because the business spent money to address the violations.
Buen Provecho
Being open for less than a year, Buen Provecho closed its doors in February.
Owner A.J. Biggs posted on the restaurant's Facebook page in January announcing the closure claiming it was due to ongoing issues with the building and landlord.
"I tried to create a safe, fun, culture embracing and inviting atmosphere with some great food and ambiance for people to enjoy," Biggs said in the Facebook post. "My heart and soul went into every bit of it from the start to finish."
Fortunately, Biggs was able to turn his business into a catering service and has teased the thought of starting a food truck.
8TE
The popular brunch restaurant closed shop in July 2023.
Owner Megan Lee wrote in a Facebook post she is thankful for her customers for supporting her team the past eight years.
"I’ll miss seeing all of you — especially all the amazing regulars who come every week, multiple times a week," Lee said.
Not gone, just relocated
Staples Street Meat Market
After nearly 20 years, Staples Street Meat Market moved to a new, larger location ― a little over 2,000 feet away.
Continuing with offering a variety of food at affordable prices, owner Mike Meehan and Angel Bustos plan to provide three new things for customers: delivery, curbside and hot food to-go.
It is now located at 7418 S. Staples St.
Wallbangers
Wallbangers relocated to Corpus Christi's Southside in April 2023 after being at the Carmel Village shopping center for 39 years.
Owner Joe Gaitan told the Caller-Times in 2022 that it was "time to go toward the future and grow."
The new Wallbangers is a full-service eatery with craft beers and craft burgers. It has a new sporty look with TVs added.
Wallbangers is now located at the old Montana Mike's at 6542 S. Staples St.
RELATED COVERAGE
More: New Year's resolutions: 10 things to do in Corpus Christi to kick off 2024
More: Places to explore: Check out these seven new businesses in Corpus Christi
John Oliva covers entertainment and community news in South Texas. Contact him at john.oliva@caller.com or X @johnpoliva.
Consider supporting local journalism with a subscription to the Caller-Times.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: These Corpus Christi restaurants opened, closed or relocated in 2023
