98 THE COASTAL BEND MAGAZINE • January/February 2018 TheCoastalBend.com here. Home brewed beer in the adjacent bar, which is big enough for private par- ties. 1214 N. Chaparral St. • (361) 883- 6200 • RailroadSeafood.com • $$$ YO Philly Cheese Steaks While Philadelphia’s two most famous cheese steak shops have fought for decades over who’s best, there’s no questions whatsoever where you will find the best, most authentic Philly Cheese Steak sandwich in the Coastal Bend, and that is YO on North Beach. The true Philly sandwich starts with a heap of thin cut steak, sautéed with onions and mushrooms and topped with melting Provolone cheese. YO is also home to the monstrous Philly Jack 1/3 lb. burger plus 1/3 lb. sliced steak, real Italian hoagies, and more--made with specialty meats and cheeses from that City of Brotherly Love. YO also serves up hot dogs, roast beef, and terrific pizzas. 3314 Surfside Blvd. on North Beach • (361) 452-8750 $$ YO Philly’s Pier 99 Some of the best seafood, sandwiches and hamburgers in the Coastal Bend can be found at Pier 99, located on Corpus Christi Beach between the U.S.S. Lexington and Texas State Aquarium. This place is all about waterfront dining, with the biggest dining patio built over water in the area and the unique views of downtown and the bay offered from historic North Beach. Pier 99 features a huge, diverse menu with something for everyone, seafood lover or not, includ- ing awesome desserts like Key Lime pie and peach cobbler. Live country music, beach rock and Blues liven up the scene most evenings and all weekends over the summer. 2822 N. Shoreline Blvd., North Beach • (361) 887-0764 Pier99Restaurant.com • $$$ Vietnam Restaurant Corpus Christi’s true fine dining estab- lishment is home to classic fusion cuisine born in French-influenced Vietnam, featuring recipes served decades ago in the ancestral eatery of this restaurant’s owners. Diners return again and again to enjoy the finest, creative cooking that in- cludes Chateaubriand, Chilean sea bass in a white truffle sauce, halved and roast- ed chicken and duck, grilled eggplant in fish sauce, and memorable, fusion creations like black pepper fried jumbo gulf shrimp and a redfish in mushroom cream sauce. Vegetarians find delectable options at Vietnam Restaurant, including pepper fried broccoli, crispy sweet and sour tofu, plus the exceedingly popular Vegetarian Delight platter. Each evening Chef Lam offers forth off-menu features that are often seasonal in nature, and which always dazzle diners with rich fla- vor and spectacular presentation. Expect the finest service in Corpus Christi deliv- ered by a professional, knowledgeable staff. 701 N. Water St. • (361) 852-2682 Vietnam-Restaurant.com • $$$$ Vietnam JB’s German Bakery & Cafe and Strudel Mania The Coastal Bend’s first, and only, authentic German bakery opened to the raves of grateful Padre Islanders a few years ago, and JB’s popularity and notoriety has spread across South Texas. Stories of San Antonians’three-hour, spontaneous day trips to“the beach,” that always include a long stop at JB’s for a big bag of baked goods to go, have given way to more frequent testimonials of those who drive half an hour from“in town”for their taste of the best bak- ing in the region. JB’s pastries, breads, cakes, pies and yes, the strudel, will take you back to Europe if you’ve been, and will transport your taste buds to a new, delightful place if you’ve not. Owners Juergin and Brigitte exhibit their love of food daily through the hard work and precision with which they deliver culi- JB’s German Bakery