This was our first trip to the "Strand" shopping area in Galveston, and I was surprised that there were not more "restaurants" along the actual "strand." There are plenty of bars, a burger joint, and a mediterranean grill. There is a steak and seafood restaurant a little off the path, but it is not open in the early afternoon. There is also a Fuddrucker's. We were looking for a decent place to have lunch with our relatives who were in town and we happened upon Luigi's.
The atmosphere was nice and cozy. It is not very big inside and there are only about 20 tables. Italian themed paintings cover the walls and there is "Italian" music playing in the background. We were seated promptly, but there were not many people there because it was early afternoon on a weekday. They brought us water right after seating us which was a nice touch and it's also hard to come by these days. They also brought out two small loaves of bread and an olive oil pesto sauce for dipping. The bread was not warm or as tasty as I have had at other Italian restaurants but the sauce was very good.
The menu is not very extensive, but is pretty expensive (in my opinion). They have a minestrone soup, two or three salad options, a few pasta dishes including fettucine alfredo and spaghetti, and a few chicken dishes including chicken marsala and chicken parmigian. The "cheapest" item on the lunch menu was $10.95 and that seemed to be the standard price for the pasta dishes as well as the salads. The chicken dishes were $11.95.
My in-laws were with us and they both ordered salads with shrimp on top. They said that they enjoyed them, but they didn't look much different (with the exception of the shrimp) from the salads that were served with our entrees and I definitely would not have wanted to pay $10.95 for them. I ordered the chicken marsala. The portions were VERY generous and I had a large chicken breast left over. There was a variety of mushrooms, which were very good, but the marsala sauce was not as flavorful as what I have had at other places. It is served with boiled potatoes and spinach. My husband got the fettucine alfredo and he said it was good. His portions were generous and he was not able to finish his meal, either.
This restaurant is not very "kid friendly." The "kid's menu" included only 4 items (spaghetti, buttered noodles, and two pasta dishes). They were each $6.95 and I did not feel that my daughter would have enjoyed any of the items listed. Something like pizza, which was included on the adult menu for a few dollars more, would have probably been more appropriate. I just shared my meal with my daughter.
We glanced at the dinner menu, which was posted on the window outside the restaurant, and it was pretty similar to the lunch menu, but the "cheapest" item on this menu was $18.95. For that price, I can think of a lot of places that I would rather go.
If you're shopping on the Strand and looking for a nicer restaurant and a place to eat lunch and get out of the heat, this is a good option. I'd probably look for other options such as the steak and seafood restaurant up the street for dinner, though.
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