Best Restaurants in Kemah, TX: Boardwalk Seafood to Oak-Smoked BBQ
Date Published
Kemah is a town of fewer than 2,000 people with a restaurant scene built for boardwalk crowds. That makes eating here a two-speed game. On the boardwalk, you get big waterfront dining rooms, a fish tank you can eat beside and a ride pass's worth of cotton candy. Two blocks back, in the Lighthouse District and along Highway 146, you get the places locals actually argue about: an oak-smoked barbecue joint that began as a meat market, a 1970s burger counter that survived five feet of hurricane water, and an 18-course dinner cooked over open fire.
In Kemah, lunch comes with sharks and dinner comes with fire.
How we define Kemah here: the City of Kemah, the small bayfront city along State Highway 146 and FM 518 on the south side of the Clear Creek channel, including the Kemah Boardwalk and the Lighthouse District around 6th Street. Neighboring Seabrook, Clear Lake Shores and League City all have Kemah-adjacent restaurants (some with Kemah mailing addresses), but they're outside this list.
Three things even regulars don't know
- At the Aquarium, you eat seated around a 50,000-gallon tank stocked with fish, sharks and stingrays, according to the restaurant.
- Tookie's was named after a drugstore. The founder modeled the 1975 burger joint on the soda fountain at the Tooker Brothers drugstore he remembered from a small Texas town. Hurricane Ike's storm surge later put five feet of Galveston Bay inside it, and it was rebuilt with a full bar and a patio.
- Saltgrass Kemah serves weekend breakfast. The boardwalk location opens for breakfast at 8:30 a.m. on weekends, with country fried steak and eggs and a Bloody Mary garnished with boiled shrimp.
On the boardwalk
The boardwalk is free to walk in, and its restaurants are run by Landry's, which owns the property. These are the sit-downs worth planning around, plus the quick stops for when you're mid-ride.
1. Aquarium Restaurant
Best for: families, first-timers, anyone who wants dinner with a view of sharks.
The Aquarium is the most Kemah meal you can have: seafood, steaks and pasta served around floor-to-ceiling tanks. What to order: the macadamia-crusted mahi mahi with coconut shrimp, or the cornmeal-crusted Gulf oysters on the fried platter. On the first level, Stingray Reef lets kids touch and feed live stingrays, so plan the touch tank and dinner as one stop. The restaurant regularly runs kids' meal deals; check the site for the current one.
2. Landry's Seafood House
Best for: a classic Gulf seafood dinner with a patio over the bay.
Landry's Seafood House has both a dining room and an outdoor patio facing the water, where the parade of passing boats is the real entertainment. What to order: Gulf oysters, blackened redfish with crawfish étouffée, or the signature Fish Pontchartrain, broiled with crab and mushrooms. Happy hour typically runs Monday to Friday in the late afternoon, in the bar and lounge only.
3. Saltgrass Steak House
Best for: the steak-and-potato eater in your group, and weekend breakfast.
Saltgrass chargrills Certified Angus Beef steaks, chicken and seafood, with breads and soups made from scratch. What to order: a center-cut sirloin or filet at dinner; on weekends, come early for the Cowboy Skillet or country fried steak and eggs before the rides open.
4. Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
Best for: kids, movie fans and a margarita.
Bubba Gump is decorated with memorabilia, script pages and props from "Forrest Gump." What to order: the peel 'n' eat shrimp steamed in beer, and a margarita, which the restaurant hand-shakes at your table.
5. The Pizza Oven
Best for: a cheaper, faster sit-down with kids.
On the retail level of the Main Event Plaza, near the Aquarium, The Pizza Oven bakes thin-crust pizzas in a stone hearth oven and serves salads, beer and wine. It's the easiest way to feed a family on the boardwalk without committing to a full seafood dinner.
6. Sweet Scoops
Best for: dessert with a bay view.
Next to the Boardwalk Inn, Sweet Scoops makes waffle cones, shakes and malts, plus specialty sundaes such as the Strawberry Cheesecake Delight. Insider tip: buy your scoop, then walk to the railing over the channel and watch the boats come in.
Beyond the boardwalk
7. T-Bone Tom's
Best for: barbecue, steaks and live music.
T-Bone Tom's at 707 Highway 146 started as the Kemah Meat Market in the 1960s and became a barbecue restaurant in 1974. Briskets, ribs and homemade sausage are smoked on oak and made fresh daily, and the burger meat is ground in house. What to order: brisket and sausage, or the Armadillo eggs if you want a snack with your beer. Tom's Back Yard, the outdoor area, typically stays open later than the dining room, and the restaurant hosts live music six nights a week. If you're building a barbecue crawl, compare it with our best BBQ in Houston list.
8. Tookie's Burgers
Best for: a cheap, old-school burger.
Tookie's at 406 Texas Avenue has served the Bay Area since 1975, and the vintage 1970s decor is the point. Patties are made fresh daily. What to order: one of the specialty burgers, such as the Squealer or the Bean Burger, plus onion rings and a milkshake. There's a kids' menu, a full bar and a patio.
9. Tormenta Coffee & Kitchen
Best for: breakfast tacos and a proper coffee before the crowds.
Tormenta at 625 Highway 146, next door to T-Bone Tom's, is a scratch kitchen cooking Mexican-inspired breakfast and brunch, with coffee from Houston roasters. What to order: breakfast tacos and a latte. It typically opens at 6:30 a.m. and closes mid-afternoon, so it's a morning plan, not a dinner plan.
10. Skallywag Suds N Grub
Best for: a craft beer and pub food in the Lighthouse District.
Skallywag's at 600 6th Street pairs a long craft beer list with scratch-made Southern pub food. What to order: wings (the sauces run from lemon pepper to honey sriracha), the Buffalo Wyatt Earp burger, or a catfish or shrimp po' boy on a Leidenheimer baguette. It's a bar first and stays open late, so it's adults-leaning after dark.
11. VooDoo Hut
Best for: late-night food and weekend brunch.
VooDoo Hut at 511 Bradford Avenue, on the corner of 6th Street two blocks from the boardwalk, is a 14,000-square-foot bar and nightclub with a full kitchen that serves until 2 a.m. and a brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. The garden patio is all ages until 9 p.m.; inside is strictly 21 and up. Come for brunch or a late bite; the nightclub runs Thursday to Sunday nights.
12. Ishtia
Best for: the special occasion.
Ishtia at 709 Harris Street is the opposite of a boardwalk meal: a fire-cooked tasting menu where the chefs both cook and serve each course over two to three hours. The main dining room serves an 18-course menu at a single 7 p.m. seating, and the chef's table runs a 9-course menu at two seatings, typically Thursday to Saturday. Service starts promptly, so book through the restaurant's site and arrive on time. It's priced like the special-occasion dinner it is.
Save this: the Kemah eat-your-way route
- 7 a.m.: breakfast tacos and coffee at Tormenta on Highway 146.
- Mid-morning: walk the boardwalk while it's cool and quiet. On weekends, swap Tormenta for breakfast at Saltgrass.
- Lunch: a burger and a shake at Tookie's on Texas Avenue.
- Afternoon: touch the stingrays at the Aquarium, then a scoop from Sweet Scoops at the railing.
- Golden hour: oysters on the Landry's patio as the boats come in through the channel.
- Dinner: brisket at T-Bone Tom's with live music, or Ishtia if you booked ahead.
- Nightcap: a craft beer at Skallywag's or a late plate at VooDoo Hut.
How we chose
We started from the City of Kemah's own business directory and the Kemah Boardwalk's dining page, then checked every pick against its official website for an address, menu and current hours as of October 2026. We left out national fast-food chains and places we couldn't confirm were open. We aimed for a mix: two cheap-eats picks, two bars that cook properly, a morning spot, the boardwalk's sit-downs and one blowout dinner. Nobody paid to be included.
Tips for eating in Kemah
- The boardwalk is cashless. Bring a card for parking and food.
- Weekdays are easier. The boardwalk's gated lots are free Monday to Friday and paid on weekends, holidays and event days. Our Kemah Boardwalk guide has the lot-by-lot rules.
- Eat early in summer. Fireworks Fridays in June and July fill the waterfront tables by sunset.
- Book only Ishtia. Everything else on this list works as a walk-in, though a weekend wait at the boardwalk restaurants is normal.
- Bring the kids before 9 p.m. Several Lighthouse District spots turn into bars after dark.
Pair it with
Space Center Houston is a short drive up NASA Parkway, so a morning at Space Center Houston and a seafood dinner here is a classic day out. For more options just west, see the best restaurants in Clear Lake and our guides to Clear Lake and League City. Driving on to the island? Our Galveston day trip guide picks up where this one ends, and our best seafood restaurants in Houston covers the city side. More ideas live on our day trips hub.
Last verified: October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best restaurants in Kemah, TX?
For a waterfront meal, the Aquarium Restaurant and Landry's Seafood House on the Kemah Boardwalk. Off the boardwalk, T-Bone Tom's for oak-smoked barbecue, Tookie's for burgers, Tormenta for breakfast tacos and Ishtia for a tasting-menu splurge.
Where can you eat cheaply in Kemah?
Tookie's Burgers on Texas Avenue, Tormenta Coffee & Kitchen on Highway 146 and The Pizza Oven on the boardwalk are the easiest budget-friendly meals.
Do Kemah Boardwalk restaurants need reservations?
Most work as walk-ins, though weekend waits are normal. Ishtia, off the boardwalk on Harris Street, is the one place you should book ahead.
Is there breakfast in Kemah?
Yes. Tormenta Coffee & Kitchen typically opens at 6:30 a.m. daily, and Saltgrass Steak House on the boardwalk serves breakfast from 8:30 a.m. on weekends.
Is the Kemah Boardwalk free to visit for dinner?
Yes. There's no entrance fee to walk the boardwalk or eat at its restaurants. You pay for food, rides and parking, and the property is cashless.
Where can you eat late at night in Kemah?
VooDoo Hut's kitchen serves until 2 a.m., and Skallywag Suds N Grub in the Lighthouse District stays open late. Both are bars, so expect a 21-and-up crowd after dark.