2020 Dining & Entertainment Guide

A guide to food, drinks & entertainment in the Golden Crescent.

D ining &E 2020

ntertainment

Published by The Port Lavaca Wave

Japanese specialties, hibachi in kitchen. Seafood, noodles, soup, meats in a family-friendly atmosphere

Noodles Seafood Teriyaki Hibachi Sushi Miso

361-482-0459 915 State Hwy 35 North, Port Lavaca, TX 77979

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HOURS Monday-Thursday: 11 a.m.–2:45 p.m. 5–8:45 p.m.

Friday & Saturday: 11 a.m.–2:45 p.m. 5–9:45 p.m.

Sunday: Noon–2:45 p.m., 5–8:45 p.m.

DINING GUIDE

Coalescence

Of Taste & Experience

Taiyo sushi Fusion offers tasty dining in a casual atmosphere

BY SHERRY FICKLEN lifestyle@plwave.com There is a new cuisine in town located at 915 Hwy 35 N in Port Lavaca. Taiyo Sushi Fusion offers sushi, hibachi, pad Thai pho, ramen, hot pots, crawfish and more.

Since Taiyo also means “sunshine,” customers can enjoy the experience and the best taste with a casual or elegant presentation.

Owner Andrew Lee has been serving up a casual family dining atmosphere for almost eight months.

“Many people already familiar with Japanese food,” said Lee. “So, we think that our fusion style will cover everybody, that for some reason can’t eat certain foods.”

The restaurant caters to more than 2,000 hungry diners a week. A daily lunch special is on the menu, with beer and wine available to those over 21.

Lee said his most popular menu items are the sushi roll, “Flaming Tiger” and Texas Hibachi.

“We deliver the best taste. Customers can enjoy the experience and the best taste,” he said.

Business hours are 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5-8:45 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5-9:45 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and noon to 2:30 p.m. and 5-8:45 p.m. Sunday.

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LIVE BAIT

Fresh Table Shrimp Breaded Seafood Items Fish Oysters Scallops 

Bait Much

More

Monday-Saturday: 5:30 a.m.-7 p.m.

Sunday: 5:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.

361-553-8091

2241 Hwy 35 N. Port Lavaca, TX 77979 | Owners: Mark & Terri Dietzel

TWIN DOLPHIN inema C

152 N. Hwy. 35, Port Lavaca • 361-552-6764

SHOW TIMES

Nightly shows at 7 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday Matinees at 2 p.m.

Daily Summer/Holiday Matinees at 2 p.m.

Ticket Prices: $7, Adults; $6, Children/Seniors/Military

TUESDAY SPECIAL $10.00

First Run Movies

2 Medium Drinks 2 Small Popcorns 2 Small Candies

Movie Passes are available to purchase.

They make good birthday, holiday, and thank you gifts. Purchase extra to have on hand for last minute giving.

Support Your LocaL theater

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DINING GUIDE

POJO’S LIQUOR The Donut Hwy. 35 & Travis, Port Lavaca • 361-552-0032

BEER-GIFTS-WINE

Palace

Where the customer is still KING!

2 Locations to serve you!

Island Liquor & Gifts

Please call for large orders!

Please call for large orders!

11th & Adams (Hwy. 185), Port O’Connor

1400 N. Virginia, Port Lavaca, TX

1923 W. Austin St., Port Lavaca, TX

361-983-2747

BAKER’S LIQUOR 1300 W. Main, Port Lavaca 361-552-2866 Tacos • Gorditas • Chalupas • Aguas Frescas

Los Rios Mexican Grill & Seafood

Steaks ∙ Soups ∙ Desserts Sopapillas ∙ Ice Cream LB of Barbacoa With Pico De Gallo Thursday Karoake 7-9 p.m.

WE DELIVER Monday-Friday: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Call for reservations of eight people or more Room Rentals For Special Occasions

Breakfast Lunch & Dinner ——— Kid’s Meals ——— Monday-Friday Daily Lunch Specials

361-552-0936

OPEN 6 DAYS A WEEK Mon.-Sat. 5:30 am-11:00 am Closed Sunday

361-552-6772

Fresh Coffee, Cappuccino, Hot Chocolate, Breakfast Tacos, Croissants, Pigs-In-A-Blanket PLEASE CALL IN ADVANCE FOR LARGE ORDERS!

Cathy’s All You Can Eat Shrimp & Fish Every Day!

Aguas Frescas

Lemonada Horchata Pineapple Mixed Drinks & Beer Available Daily Beer Specials

Hours: Monday - Saturday: 4 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Closed Sunday

125 W. Main St., Port Lavaca, TX 77979 361-484-7668 • www.LosRiosMexicanGrillandSeafood.com

DINING GUIDE

OPEN 6 DAYS A WEEK Mon.-Sat. 4:00 am-Noon Closed Sunday

All You Can Eat Buffet

Monday-Friday 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Banquet Room Available For Reservations

2581 W. Adams Ave., Port O’Connor

361-983-2880 Monday, Wednesday-Sunday: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Closed Tuesday

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Bienvenidos Amigos A ......

Welcome friends to La Antigua, where you will find a wide variety of authentic Mexican foods - dishes that have been prepared for decades & decades.

Come join us at La Antigua and make history with us.

Try Our Seafood Selections 737 N. Hwy. 35, Port Lavaca, TX • 361-552-7764 Hours: 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. Breakfast: 6-11 a.m.

Omar’s Bar OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK!

Pool Tables

All Major Credit Cards Accepted - No checks.

DJ

Full Bar

Dance Floor

Monday-Saturday: 10 a.m.-2 a.m.

Sunday: Noon-2 a.m.

1404 BROADWAY

361-552-9641

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DINING GUIDE

“We Speak Brisket - Low N Slow!”

Smoked Meats

Brisket • Spare Ribs • Turkey Breast • Pork Belly • Pulled Pork • Sausage (Made in-house) Beef Dino Ribs (Saturday) • Barbacoa Beef Cheeks (Sunday)

Sides

Jalapeňo Cream Corn • Potato Salad Mango Habanero Coleslaw Brisket Beans • BBQ Gumbo

Catering

Packages are available for your office/work/party.

Call for more information.

LaVaca BBQ, LLC

532 N. Virginia St., Port Lavaca, TX 77979 | 361-894-2333 | lavacabbq.com | Owners Lupe & Christine Nevarez

Thursday, Friday, Sunday: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.; Saturday: 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.

MAKE A MEAL OF IT!

Indianola Fishing Marina Come eat on the deck and watch the sun go down!

Great Family Fun!

• Ice • Live Bait • Boat Ramp • Lighted Pier (Open 24 hrs) • Fishing License • Food • Snacks • Cabins • RV Hookups Check Us Out On

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Burgers, Seafood, Appetizers • Friday Night Steak • Weekend Specials • Kayak’s Available for Rent • Outdoor Live Music Fri. & Sat. Evening (Weather Permitting) • Great for outdoor Weddings, Reunions, Birthdays & Anniversaries

Two Locations To Serve You!

DINING GUIDE

306 Highway 35 361-552-7300

Inside Walmart (on Highway 35) 361-552-6073

7 days a week from 5:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

(Fri. and Sat. till midnight) 361-552-5350 • 8 Bell St. in Indianola • (End of Ocean Drive)

From Port Lavaca, Texas - Take State Hwy. 238 south — straight on FM 316 at blinking light — stay right on Ocean Drive after bridge to very end. • www.indianolafishingmarina.com

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Speak The Lan

Lupe & Christine Nevarez, owners of LaVaca BBQ 8

DINING GUIDE

nguage of BBQ

... You walk up to a cutting board, and if you are eating brisket, you choose fatty or lean. If brisket is not your choice, then whatever meat you choose gets taken out and placed on a cutting board. The cutting board is soon saturated with juices coming from the meat, and it is cut and made to order. ...

At LaVaca BBQ the choices are tantalizing

BY ROSS STAPP rstapp@plwave.com t is rare that a restaurant comes into Port Lavaca and creates an immediate impact. LaVaca BBQ has done just that in less than four months. Most of that has to do with their slogan, “Jesus, Texas, Brisket.”

The laid back, friendly BBQ joint has already received notoriety from the prestigious Texas Monthly magazine, and owners Lupe and Christine Nevarez want to be a top 10 BBQ restaurant in the state of Texas.

The married couple has been BBQ’n since the 1980s and started in county-wide competitions in Matagorda County. That led to competing with IBCA (International Barbeque Cookers Association) for four to five years.

“Every time we competed we would come home with

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an award,” Christine said.

They decided to do something different, and since most of their shopping is done in Port Lavaca, they knew the area and decided to plant LaVaca BBQ smack dab in the middle of town on Virginia Street.

Lupe said the groundbreaking moment for him and Christine was when they were asked to BBQ for his sister’s class reunion a couple of years ago.

“At that point, after feeding nearly 70 people, the response was you need to open a business,” Lupe said.

Not only was that the groundbreaking moment it was also the prototype on how LaVaca BBQ would set up to serve food.

In that setup, you walk up to a cutting board, and if you are eating brisket, you choose fatty or lean. If brisket is not your choice, then whatever meat you choose gets taken out and placed on a cutting board.

The cutting board is soon saturated with juices coming from the meat, and it is cut and made to order.

Both Lupe and Christine say the everyday experience of owning a thriving restaurant in a community they love is surreal. That surreal experience keeps the extremely busy, but in the restaurant business, in most cases, being busy means being successful.

Lupe cooks roughly 20 briskets every Saturday and 15 on Sunday. The most he has cooked is 26 briskets in six hours.

The menu is one that you will not find anywhere else. Now, while they have your typical BBQ joint meats, they also have uncommon menu items that make LaVaca BBQ unique.

Lupe, Christine and the LaVaca BBQ crew treat

LANGUAGE OF BBQ, PAGE 14

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DINING GUIDE

Coffee • Ice Cream • Good Eats in 50s-Style Cafe & Diner 24 Flavors Blue Bell Ice Cream

Cones • Sundaes • Shakes

Barista-Made Espresso Drinks, Cappuccino Frappes, Lattes

Monday - Saturday: 7 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Sunday: 7 a.m. - 4 p.m.

468 Hwy. 35 S • 361-482-0470

THE OFFICE 2530 W. AdAms Port o’Connor

FULL BAR POOL TABLES OUTDOOR SEATING From the best local news reporting to all the sports & features, start your day informed with The Port Lavaca Wave.

Your Local & Trusted News Source - In Print, Online & Mobile

361.552.9788 • www.portlavacawave.com

DINING GUIDE

Sunday-Friday:

Noon - Midnight

Saturday: Noon - 1 a.m.

361-983-2900

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Come Join The Family At The

The Hard Hat Cafe staff offers a warm welcome and home-cooked food Monday through Friday for breakfast and lunch.

From left are Debra Kunze, Angie Barrientes, owner Denise Manning, Zeke Guerra, Lexxie Spacek and Tanna Koopman.

The metal logo was a gift from the staff to Manning and made by Chalres Longoria.

Point Comfort staple where everybody knows your name & what you like

BY DD TURNER dturner@plwave.com POINT COMFORT – Fresh food, a warm smile and no hard hats required is always on the menu at the Hard Hat Café, where you are welcomed like family.

The café, at 101 Lamar St., Suite 2, offers homecooked burgers, hotdogs and much more. Nothing is frozen, except for French fries, tater tots and onion rings, in which owner Denise Manning and her staff take great pride.

“We can’t buy in bulk and we’re not going to bring frozen or substandard food in. I have H-E-B cut my steaks, and I know exactly what I am getting. I’m a real stickler for fresh vegetables,” said Manning, whose restaurant will be in its seventh year in August.

“It’s home cooking, and everything is so good here,” said Angie Barrientes, who has worked at the Hard Hat Café as a waitress for four years. “We’ll make what anyone wants.”

“It makes for extra work for them, who make it all possible,” said Manning of Barrientes, Debra Kunze, Tanna Koopman, Lexxie Spacek and Zeke Guerra.

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“You know, if someone hollers into the kitchen they want potato soup, tomorrow we’ll have potato soup.”

As for the menu, you can select from the offerings or ask if they can put something together for you. “If we have it on hand, we will make it,” said Manning.

“We have good food here. We really do,” said Kunze.

Family flavors everything around Hard Hat Café.

Everyone knows your name and how you like your drink or food, and customer service rules the day.

“It’s not easy to know everyone’s name, but they do. They know if you like ice in your orange juice or if you like your coffee black or with sugar or cream – you don’t have to ask,” she said. “Customer service is very important. When I go out, if the customer service is bad, I won’t go back. People have forgotten that.”

“Here, it’s the customer is always right, and if we make a mistake, we fix it. People should pay for something the way they want it,” she said.

“We have some guys who come in and get married, show us the pictures. One guy talked to us for a week about how he was planning to propose to his girl and then brought us photos,” said Manning. “A lot of them

are far from home. Some of the first ones that came here were the same age as my son, and they were looking for where to hunt or fish, so I hooked them up with my son, who also liked to hunt and fish, and they are still friends to this day.”

In addition, her granddaughter has been helping out during the summertime as a waitress since she was eight. “She likes to cook and is coming through Spring Break to help me,” said Manning.

Also, Manning and the staff go on outings in the spring and around Christmas.

“She lets us invite the kids and the grandkids. At Christmas, we do the same. She is really good to us,” said Barrientes.

The family feel extends to veterans and first responders, as Rick Manning served in the Texas Department of Public Safety before joining Formosa as an instrument design engineer.

“It was important to him, to both of us, to give back to the community. They support us, so we want to

JOIN THE FAMILY, PAGE 14

DINING GUIDE

SKILLET’S HWY 35N EGGS & PANCAKES TO STEAK & SHRIMP BREAKFAST & LUNCH BUFFET WITH FULL SALAD BAR

HOURS:

Sunday - Wednesday: 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.; Thursday: 6 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Open 24 hours Friday & Saturday

2017 BEST BUFFET WINNER 2090 State Hwy. 35 N. • 361-551-2009

Breakfast & Lunch speciaLs Bar speciaLs

WAGON TRAIN RESTAURANT Open Mon.-Fri.: 6 a.m. - 8 p.m. and Sat.: 6 -10 a.m.

View Our Menu Online At ww.casajaliscomexicangrill.com

Breakfast served: 6 a.m. - 10 a.m.

Lunch special Mon. - Fri.: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Nightly specials served: 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.

KARAOKE

1928 W. Main St. Port Lavaca, TX 77979

361-482-0826

Wednesdays from 7-11 p.m.

HOURS

Monday-Friday: 5:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Saturday: 6 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Sunday: 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Visit Us In Victoria at 1706 N. Laurent St. ∙ 361-579-3386

Casa Jalisco On The Go! Serving: Steaks, Seafood, and Burgers.

Bring your own beer and wine to enjoy with your meal!

Homemade rolls made daily.

Now accepting most major credit cards.

TO GO ORDERS AVAILABLE!

145 N. Hwy. 35 Bypass, Port Lavaca

361- 552-3056

DINING GUIDE

Visit Our

Food Truck

in Victoria!

3208 Houston Hwy. 361-746-0690

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Language of BBQ From Page 9

their customers with love, respect and southern hospitality. So much so that they let me try one of each menu item.

We will start first with the meats.

The brisket, whether you get the fatty or the lean, will melt in your mouth. At most places, when you get lean, you get dry but not at LaVaca BBQ. Most pork ribs don’t have too much flavor unless they are drenched in BBQ sauce. Once again, not at Lavaca BBQ. For one, the sheer size of the pork rib is impressive, but the flavor is unmatched. I don’t know what spice Lupe puts in his seasoning or marinade, but whatever it is, it works.

The pulled pork is juicy, tender and you get a mountain of it on your sandwich. Lavaca BBQ does not serve chicken but does, however, serve a smoked turkey that makes you forget about chicken.

Then there is their sausage. You can choose from two different types; a Central Texas sausage or the serrano and white Mexican cheese sausage that has a spicy kick. Both were extremely good, but the serrano and white Mexican cheese sausage is the best sausage I have ever eaten.

To top it off, the sausage is made in-house.

On Friday, they grind and season the meat. On Saturday, the meat is stuffed in the casings and is smoked on Sunday. It is then chilled, bagged, and

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ready to be served throughout the week. They make anywhere from 250-300 links of sausage a week.

Just when you think nothing can top anything on the menu, in comes the signature LaVaca BBQ dish; the brisket tamale, wrapped in butcher paper and smoked, not boiled.

I promise it is something you have never had before.

It is made with masa, brisket and pork. It gives you a sense of Mexican food with BBQ, but they absolutely knock it out of the park with this dish.

Then you pair the tamale with the jalapeno cream corn and a link of the serrano and Mexican cheese sausage, and you have your ultimate Tex-Mex-BBQ dish. Tell me where else you can find something like that.

It comes with a homemade sauce and sprinkled with queso fresco.

“We wanted something to give back to the Texas BBQ culture.,” Lupe said.

Their service is also top-notch. The staff greets you with a smile, is courteous and knowledgeable about all menu items.

To check out the full menu, you can visit LaVaca BBQ at 532 North Virginia in Port Lavaca or their Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ mylavacabbq/.

As you finish your meal or exit LaVaca BBQ, do not forget to pick up your free Blue Bell Ice Cream cup.

Join The Family From Page 12

support them as well,” she said.

This is Manning’s first foray into the restaurant business, though her late husband Rick Manning’s family had been in the restaurant business. She credits Kunze with helping and teaching her the ins and outs of the business.

Kunze said she got started in the business working for a Dairy Queen in Oklahoma, moving up to manager, and “it’s gone from there.”

“I haven’t done anything like this in my life, but I absolutely love it. I don’t think of it as hard or easy, but that wouldn’t be the case without the staff I have. A lot of people don’t fully understand the restaurant business until you work in it,” Manning said.

The name came from Manning’s husband, and she designed the logo. “He drew the logo. He was an amazing artist,” she said of her husband, who died two years ago. “It’s very difficult. I miss him a lot. He made me laugh, he made me cry, and I do miss him. He came in here every day for breakfast.”

Rick Manning left his legacy on the menu with a sandwich called The Manwich. It’s a doozy; two pieces of Texas toast, ham, sausage or bacon (or all three if you wish), two eggs with hash browns on top.

“It’s a big sandwich, and we sell a lot of them. My husband was a big man, and he called it The Manwich,” she said.

The cohesive effort of the staff and owner has made The Hard Hat Café a lively place for breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday.

DINING GUIDE

Some Like It Hot L

With A Side Of Spice at La Terraza

DINING GUIDE

BY JARED VAN EPPS jvanepps@plwave.com a Terraza has been serving the community of Seadrift for 11 years with its Mexican style food.

The restaurant, owned by Areli Alvarez and Jesus Huerta, has been part of the Seadrift community since its opening.

La Terraza waitress Tamara Flores spoke on behalf of Alvarez and Huerta and talked about what draws the community to the restaurant.

“We love the community, and they love us,” Flores said. “The food is absolutely amazing. The atmosphere; everybody that walks in feels it’s very personal.”

Flores added customers are always greeted warmly and seated quickly after entering the restaurant.

La Terraza has two specials during the week; one is a chicken breast with ranchero sauce, and one has queso dip, Flores said.

“You can pretty much order anything off our menu, and you won’t be disappointed,” Flores said.

Flores added what draws the community is their street tacos and the mochalete that comes in a flaming hot cast iron bowl.

“Our Hacienda plate is another one that comes out on a hot skillet where it is sizzling the whole way down,” Flores said.

La Terraza is also known for its full-time bar with specials Monday through Friday.

“Our Margaritas are absolutely amazing. You can get different types of flavors. You can pretty much do whatever you want,” Flores said.

Flores went over the different kinds of specialty drinks at La Terraza from Bloody Marys and Mimosas to Micheladas and Mojitos.

La Terraza’s location is 720 W. Broadway Ave. in Seadrift.

Hours of operation: Monday through Thursday: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday: 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and Sunday: 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information on the menus please go to www.laterrazagrill.com.

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“Family Environment”

VISIT US FOR THE BEST SEAFOOD IN TOWN.

Come check out our daily specials!

We have a variety of food.

Hours:

Monday - Thursday 11 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.; Friday - Saturday 11 a.m. - 9:30; Sunday - 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.

361-552-7177

2055 State Highway 35 North, Port Lavaca, TX 77979 16

DINING GUIDE