Nestled in the heart of the Lakeside Yachting Center of Seabrook, Texas, you will find a charming eatery called the Seabrook Classic Café. It’s a wonderful restaurant with hearty meals making it an ideal stopover for anyone who’s been offshore in the Gulf all day.
“We’re well known by the locals,” head manager Amy Martin says. “Some of them will come in three times a day for all their meals. We’re an absolute staple in Seabrook, we’ve been here for a long time and we’re quite central to Seabrook.”
The Classic Café opened in 1985 and is celebrating their 37th year of service to the community this year. Local legend has it that a couple of months after they opened, Coca- Cola rebranded as Classic Coke—and as a result, Seabrook Classic Café was deemed Classic before Coke was!
Their menu consists of homemade meals from scratch, and they serve a variety of signature dishes such as chicken fried chicken, steaks, burgers, pasta and, of course, many different seafood options, such as fried shrimp. Much of their food is sourced locally, and all of it is fresh.
Their sister restaurant, the Cabo, hosts a fishing tournament in the summer. Oftentimes, they will see fishing teams come in fresh from the tournament to refuel with one of their fried chicken club sandwiches or homemade specials. These specials vary by day, and weekends usually will have their own special.
It’s very convenient, the anglers can practically pull right up to the parking lot because we’re on the water and in the yachting center.
– Amy Martin
However, during most of the spring and summer months there are plenty of anglers who stop in on their way to and from Mexico during their yearly migration chasing the bite. “It’s very convenient, the anglers can practically pull right up to the parking lot because we’re on the water and in the yachting center,” Martin says. “We have plenty of anglers and people off of their yachts come in, especially in season.”
The Classic Café also offers curbside takeout and dine-in options, which makes it easy for teams needing to quickly get back on the water. According to Martin, take-out was really what kept their business afloat during COVID-19.
“We’ve been able to stay on our feet really well,” she explains. “It’s nice to have a full house again for sure. Between tourists, our locals, and of course the anglers, we stay quite busy.”
The Classic Café also offers a full-service bar, with many signature cocktails they’ve created themselves. Perhaps the most popular is the Iceberg, which consists of frozen Absolut Mandarin Screwdriver with champagne poured overtop to create a sort of mimosa on steroids.
“I think we stand out from the rest of the crowd because of our authenticity,” Martin says. “Everything is homemade and fresh, and we put a lot of effort into our menu. Our employees stay here a long time, and we’re committed to consistently giving great customer service. Also, we’re very central to everything, from NASA to the Gulf, and that’s super convenient.”
With dedicated customer service, a wonderful homemade menu, and specials all week long, the Classic Café is sure to put a smile on your face after a long day of being out on the water.
