Pier 99 is located on 2822 N Shoreline Blvd. which means you have to go over this channel bridge to get to North Beach. This island is where the Texas State Aquarium and the USS Lexington are located, which makes Pier 99 a nice lunch or dinner spot after touring these facilities. Take I-37 south until it veers onto US-181 which takes you right into North Beach.
My friend BC took me to the coast while he conducted business here in mid August. I toured the aquarium and met BC for a late lunch. I only visited this restaurant once, so unfortunately only have two food photos for you.
Shrimp Po-Boy:
BC ordere the shrimp po-boy, and, as you can see, the shrimp is fried to perfection. The shrimp appears to have been rolled in white flour prior to frying. To me, that's the best way to fry up shrimp. I like lots of tarter sauce and pickles with my seafood po-boys.
Oyster Po-Boy:
I ordered the oyster po-boy and loved it. Battering oysters is not an easy task. White Flour and an egg wash won't stick to the oyster. Usually a little corn flour mixed in with the white flour does the trick. Pier 99 fries their oysters a tad bit longer than most places which gives it that extra crunchiness. That's not an easy trick, too long in the fryer burns the crust. To reach the crunchy state without burning means the fry cook knows exactly what to do.
Menu:
My guess is that their fried seafood plates are as good as their po-boys, so on a limited tasting, I recommend this place. Also on the menu are boiled shrimp and raw oysters. My guess is that this place has great boiled shrimp and raw oysters as well or they would be quickly out of business. With fresh seafood so available on the coast, the competition is strong among restaurants in Corpus.
After I return here for more food and pics, I will update this post. For a complete menu, go to http://www.pier99restaurant.com.
Ambience:
This is a covered outdoor shoreline restaurant. I need say nothing more about the ambience, but I will. Eating at Pier 99 is a relaxing experience. Just sit back and watch the tug boats nudge the barges past while you feel the cool breeze come off the bay.
If you're staying in a nearby hotel, walk over to Pier 99 and and enjoy some beer. Then walk back, otherwise, have a designated driver. BC and I were on a day trip from our homes north of San Antonio so we each had soft drinks with our po-boys instead of beer, and that's okay as well.
