Terrace Cafe

My girlfriend and I came down from Houston to use a groupon for Terrace Cafe. We got there right as it opened and spent a while talking to the owner who was running the place alone that night. He was a really nice guy, very kind and conversational with some interesting stories about his family. We sat out on the patio which was a glorious experience: a delightful gulf breeze and the happy sounds of the amusement park floating from down the block. We both got burgers, jalapeno for me and chili for my girlfried. The burgers were solid and the fries very good. We left very satisfied and will hopefully have a chance to stop by again soon. It's not much to look at if you get there before anyone else, but don't be fooled, it's a very cool place. more

Really had a good time last night. Once again, the Kemah Boardwalk has kicked off summer with their annual, month of June, Friday night fireworks show. The problem is finding a relaxing place to watch them, that isn't too crowded. We found a hidden gem. The Terrace Cafe has one of the best views of the fireworks show on their ""giant"", 2nd story , almost roof-top dinning, outside patio. Because it is on the second story there was an enjoyable gulf breeze keeping us cool while we enjoyed the show....not to mention the fantastic margarita that I was sipping on didn't hurt things either. We ordered dinner after the the fireworks ended and that was more amazing than the fireworks. The food was ""yummy...""homemade""....it was heartwarming good. I had the Italian Mixed plate and the meat sauce was....""authentic"". Service was good, but a little on the slow side, but well worth the wait. The stairs are a little much. It is best to take the time and find the elevator. more

I hadn't been to the Terrace Cafe in awhile and WOW! They really switched the place up. It is more family friendly, and they still have the best drink specials. I never tried their burger, so today was the day....it was awesome. I had the double meat bacon swiss burger....it was huge! My girlfriend had the mixed Italian plate, ....a very tasty .....satisfying dish, and the portions were gigantic... I was drinking vodka and sprite and when I got the bill I was shocked. On Wednesday, all well drinks are '50 cents""......that's insane!!! Terrace is one of those places were I always leave full and happy and I feel like I got more than my money's worth..... more

This place seems to have it all. The food is outstanding and the drink prices are too cheap to believe. I had the lasagna, which might be the best I have ever had. My friend had the mixed seafood plate which I sampled the gumbo...it was great. I kind of got a euphoric feeling after I tasted the gumbo. The atmosphere is cozy. The waitstaff was friendly, and the owner was very charming and witty, when he stopped by our table....nice guy. The drink special on Sunday is crazy. 50 cents for a vodka tonic or bourbon & coke.....that is ""insane"". more

This is a place that doesn't allow cussing and has great food. The service is down-home Texas style. The decor and atmosphere is ""pop culture meets old school"". The food is home cooking at it's best. They offer a variety of dishes. A mixed plate of spaghetti, ravioli, and lasagna, which was fabulous. They also had a mixed seafood plate of gumbo, fried oysters, and fried shrimp, which was so good that it was indescribable. I have never had gumbo like that. My favorite was the Tex-Mex pasta which is soon to be featured in The New York Times restaurant review of 100 best pastas in the U.S. Tex-Mex pasta is chili and spaghetti smothered in cheese, onions, tomatoes, jalapenos, and then decorated with freshly made tortilla chips. The owner proudly told us about that, and it is a dish he created for his father's restaurant , Sonny's, in Galveston. My only complaint about the place, is that, ...I think the portion sizes are ridiculously ""too"" large, ....but I don't think anyone will really complain about that.... more

I have been going to the Terrace Cafe since they opened and I am never disappointed in what they have to offer. I was eager to see the remodeling that makes the place more family friendly. On this visit I tried their Gumbo. It was unbelievable. It had a dark rich color ....almost murky...the taste was ...BAM! Emeril might be jealous of this Gumbo. They offered a mixed seafood plate with fried oysters, fried shrimp, fries and a cup of gumbo. The shrimp & oysters were perfect. Lightly battered and fried to perfection. Now, I will have a hard choice of choosing between their fantastic Italian food or their seafood, but I think it is a struggle I can look forward too. more

I just died and went to heaven!!! All these years I have been eating muffulettas and thought the best was in New Orleans. Man was I wrong. I have had Central Grocery's Muffuletta, I have had Napolean House's Muffuletta, I have had Maspera's Muffuletta, ....etc.....but so far, the Grilled Muffuletta at Terrace Cafe is ....is....MAGIC! Make sure you ask for it to be grilled. They don't offer it on the menu, you just have to know and ask for it. For those of you who do not know what a muffuletta is....it is a sandwich with ham, salami, Italian bologna, swiss cheese, provolone cheese and something called olive salad. The bread ranges from vienna bread to sour dough bread and it is usually saucer shaped, which is fitting because the muffuletta I just had is out of this world! more

We really enjoyed the spaghetti that is supposedly an old family recipe. It was ""unbelievable""! It may very well be the best.... We sat outside on the patio and just had a really relaxing day. It was one of the few places that allowed our dog and they immediately brought a bowl of water and doggie treats. We we were overwhelmed with service and genuine kindness. The owner waited on our table and apparently he is the chef as well. The wine selection was a little small, but they did have a full bar. Not a fancy place, but ....it was relaxing and laid back, .....and we really enjoyed the food. It was fun having the owner give us personal attention. It might have had something to do with the great weather, but it was a perfect day. Magical! more

Food for the Soul! They advertise the best spaghetti in the world and it was ""Outstanding""....even the garlic bread was something to write home about.... My wife had a Grilled Muffuletta and when she took her first bite...well, I haven't seen her smile like that in years. I sampled the Lasagna as well, and that might be the best Lasagna ever..... We really had a hard time finding the place...it's upstairs! When we got there, we walked in and the first thing we saw were pool tables and video games .....and the whole place was empty. We started to turn around and leave and the owner popped out of the kitchen and charmed us into staying. I am so glad he did. We dined on the patio and it was very cozy. It is a mom and pop place, so, service is not fantastic, maybe the decor could use some help, ....but the owner , the food, and genuine uniqueness of the place more than makes up for it. more

We had a fantastic time! Great food! Great Service! Great atmosphere! Large portions and Cheap Drinks! I thought I had died and gone to heaven. The outside patio is large & inviting, and they allow dogs on the patio. They are also, kid friendly. This is sort of like a friendly neighborhood tavern / restaurant that welcomes all. There is a cozy bar for the late night crowd. They enforce a ""Watch Your Language"" policy which was hard to obey, but I quickly adapted to it. Actually, it was kind of refreshing. The owner gets that from his grandfathers place in Galveston, Sonny's Place, and he is very proud of his heritage. The ""Watch Your Language"" policy seems to add a level of class to the place. The menu items are unique. Hometown Goodness! OMG! Yummy! Delicious! They offer items like Tex-Mex pasta, a Grilled Muffuletta which is to die for!, ...and they claim to have the best Spaghetti & Meat Sauce and the best Lasagna in town. I have to agree. The spaghetti was absolutely delicious! Out of this World!!! They have a large menu as well, ...from burgers to shrimp. The kitchen is open late....a full menu is served until 1:30 am! The drinks are cheap and they offer some interesting shots......a Bombpop that taste like the frozen treat and a Snazberry from Willie Wonka. Chrissy, the bartender, kept us entertained all evening. I let the ""F"" world slip and she pulled out a metal spoon and popped me on the rear. It was all in good fun! Don't let the pool tables fool you. My first thought was this place is a dive, but actually it is far from that. The place has real character. The cash register they use is from 1912. The beer signs are vintage. They have some classic Budweiser signs, but they don't serve Bud on tap. I questioned this and their answer was that they bought all of the signs on Ebay , because Bud won't bring them any signs and that is why they don't serve it on tap. The Terrace Cafe is hard to find. It is upstairs at the corner of 7th & Bradford. If you take the elevator it comes up on the opposite side of the building from the restaurant. It is really hard to find, but worth the effort!!! more

I went to this place a few times over the years, both with friends and solo. I'm really surprised by that one star reviewer Lovely13 as I have never experienced what she (he???) experienced in terms of the owner being a 'sleeze'. Perhaps you were being ugly and needed to be thrown out??? My personal experience with the owner was that he was friendly and professional. Think about this... seriously... how could someone who throws a client out for cussing also at the same time be sleezy? I know I cussed a few times and didn't get thrown out... you really must have done something worth while to get booted out. I know I didn't cuss like a sailor and my intention wasn't to be ugly at all, so perhaps you were just being ugly. Who wants to be near anyone that is drinking so heavily that they make other patrons feel uncomfortable??? I know I don't. The owner did good to get rid of you, imho! This just doesn't make any sense and is so incongruous a review! C'mon. Think about it! Sounds to me and I believe I also speak for other intelligent thinking folks out there, that this really sounds like sour grapes on the part of the person who was misbehaving and leaving this review... I personally enjoy a place that I can meet my buddies, let my hair down, laugh out loud and just have a good time which this place allows me to do so. This place really reminds me of that TV show ""Cheers""- where everyone is treated like a friend by owner and bartender alike. And you know what? I personally enjoy the friendly attention and banter that the owner and his staff shows. Creepy? Really? Dudette, maybe you should look in the mirror and see the definition of sleeze. Oy vay lady. Cut me a break and make some sense for crying out loud. more

I am a huge football fan. It is almost impossible to find a nice place to relax and watch a game anywhere in the Kemah area. I basically stumbled upon this place last year during football season and thought it was great. As football season is approaching this year, I thought I would check to make sure it was still there. Glad to see it is. Relaxing, nice crowd, yada, yada, yada. more

I like the food, bartenders make the place. The owner on the other hand, wants a family place yet his way with his bartender and female customers is just horrible. He is a sleezy man. So if you go out there avoid the owner and dont cuss he will throw you out but its ok just not around the bar. But the bartenders are the best place about it. They will really get to know you and have fun with you. Pros: Bartenders very friendly and quick Cons: Owner very strict and hits on every woman there more

I just went to this quirky little joint for the first time, even though I've lived near it for years. It is relatively small, but has a large terrace, and the smaller nature of the place makes it a little more cozy, in my opinion. My friend and I sat down at the bar and seemed to immediately become buddies with the bartender (who definitely wasn't hard on the eyes and had a wonderful sense of humor) and another patron. For a Saturday night, it was quite slow and only a couple of groups came in, but to me that was a refreshing change from the large, crowded meat markets. more

My friends and I went to the Terrace Cafe last week. The patio is real nice, I also liked being able to take my dog. We all ate cheeseburgers and they were excellent and so was the cold beer. I thought the bartender was funny. We are going back in June to try the big New Orleans sandwich ( I forget what it is called)! Pros: something different, drinks pretty cheap, dining inside and out Cons: upstairs - a little hard to find, but nice view more

We visited this bar on a spring break Saturday night. Surprisingly it was not at all busy. They have a great balcony which we enjoyed a drink on. Indoors leaves something to be desired - almost sports bar like. Unfortunately nothing separated this bar from all the others Kemah which also lack sophistication. Pros: Outdoor seating, music at conversation level, good service Cons: nothing special more