94 THE COASTAL BEND MAGAZINE • Late Spring 2019 TheCoastalBend.com La Playa Mexican Restaurant & Cantina In a city with over 80 taquerias, the quest for fresh, high quality Mexican food, especially for out of town visitors, can be a hit and miss effort to say the least. La Playa on SPID, just south of Weber Road, is your first and final stop for great food, the best Margaritas in town and friendly, prompt service like one would expect in Mexico itself. Enjoy delicious, sizzling fajitas prepared from beef, chicken, shrimp and sausage; the house signature delicacy, the stuffed, fried avocado; giant shrimp cocktails; traditional Tex-Mex tacos, enchiladas and tamales; a fantastic selection of gourmet seafood dishes from both coasts of Mexico; wonderful salads and soups; steaks and barbecue including Baby Back ribs, and even decadent desserts like tres leches cake. Full cantina bar offering house specialty drinks. 4201 S. Padre Island Dr. near Weber Rd. • (361) 853-4282 • $$ La Playa Mo Meaux’s Mo Meaux’s Less than a year after bringing new life to their SPID/Greenwood location, Mo Meaux’s Kitchen is making their name as one of the city’s best seafood establishments. The Cajun Fusion theme here will remind you of New Orleans, especially the less touristy spots where you find real Southern Louisiana cook- ing. Signature dishes include blackened fish topped with etouffee sauce, NOLA BBQ shrimp, Cajun pasta, and an awe- some surf-n-turf with a tender 10 oz. strip steak and grilled shrimp. Those in a more exotic mood should try the Swamp Plate, starring fried alligator and frog legs. 1933 S. Padre Island Dr. (361) 238-6968 • MoMeauxs.com • $$$ Staples Street Meat Market Chefs and competitive cooks from across South Texas know where to find the best products that meet a high standard that can be trusted, and that is Staples Street Meats on the far south side of Corpus Christi. Here you will find Certified Angus Beef, the real deal, sold in every cut, from the best Choice to real USDA Prime— and at prices that meet or beat super- markets every day of the week. Stake you claim as the barbecue king and pick up an Angus or Wagyu beef brisket—this is the meat that earned one local com- petitive cooking team“#1 Brisket”with a perfect score, and“#6 Overall”awards at the World Food Championships in Orange Beach, Alabama, just last year! Browse the extensive selection of spices and rubs in the well-stocked grocery market, and ask about smoked briskets, prime rib and other products cooked on- site. 7626 S. Staples St. • (361) 561-4111 StaplesStreetMeats.com Snoopy’s Pier Few establishments can claim true legend status, but in the world of Texas coastal seafood, Snoopy’s is the real deal. Stories of Steve Martin, Laura Bush and other celebrities stopping in gives way to the fact that, year after year, the very best fish, oysters, shrimp, and of course hush puppies, are served up in this waterfront fish house, which offers one of the best views in Texas, that of the beautiful Laguna Madre. While fried seafood made Snoopy’s famous, over the years their menu has expanded to include deviled crab, fish tacos, and the ever-popular Snoopyburger. Located on the Intracoastal Waterway, in the shadow of the JFK Causeway, Snoopy’s offers free boat docking for customers and whatever you do, don’t forget to hit Scoopy’s next door, the on-site dessert and ice cream shop. 13113 S. Padre Island Dr. North Padre Island (361) 949-8815 • SnoopysPier.com • $$ Snoopy’s Pier