The Best Meal on South Padre Island

One of the big perks about South Padre is that 90% of what goes on around the island occurs within a couple miles north of the bridge that connects it to the mainland of Texas. All of the clubs and most of the restaurants are along this stretch, whereas the portion south of the bridge is devoted more to jetties, surfing, fishing, camping and the like.

Accordingly, one of the island’s gems–missed by most spring breakers–is a little restaurant holed back with the piers called Dirty Al’s. If logic prevailed, folks would realize that the best seafood on the island should come from a restaurant with a pier out back. But, for several reasons, most have no reason to venture this far south.

Still, this the spot for my favorite dish on the island–the blackened fish tacos. In spite of the location, there used to always be a long wait to get a table. But, over the years, the restaurant’s success has allowed it to expand to three, similar islands elsewhere on the island.

But, the original is still the best. And if that’s not enough to compel you to visit, you can also see their sweetass logo with Al drinking a beer riding a fish.

Spring Break Tips for South Padre

Most of the tips I could offer for South Padre would apply most anywhere you go for spring break. Some, though, are specific to the island.

I’ve tried to group them, accordingly.

General Spring Break

Bring protection of BOTH kinds–Sun and sexy time.
Smile–It should be obvious, but it’s easy to overlook.
Get to the clubs early–Lines are shorter, drinks are cheaper.
Condos don’t have maids–Hotels don’t have kitchens.
Meet new folks–It’s a long drive just to party with folks from home.
Don’t sleep through checkout–It’s a hefty fine and you could miss your flight.
Expect traffic–It’s the flipside of the getting to party with a huge crowd at the clubs.

Specific to South Padre:

Glass containers are prohibited on the beach–It’s a $500 fine.
Whizzing in public is also prohibited–$185 fine.
Open containers are legal on the beach–But not on the street.
Don’t damage the condos–It’s a felony charge in Texas.
Kegs are NOT allowed in the condos–You’ll be evicted.
You can drink more here–Since we’re at sea-level, your tolerance goes up.

South Padre Frequently Asked Questions

Understandably, parents have a lot of concerns about their kids going on spring break. So, in the Inertia office, we end up answering a lot of the same questions repeatedly as the spring break season gears up.

Here are a couple of the most common:

Q. Where is South Padre?
A. It’s a long skinny island that runs along the coast of Texas.

Q. Is South Padre a part of Mexico or the U.S. or independent?
A. It’s a part of the U.S.

Q. Is South Padre safe, since it’s so close to Mexico?
A. We’re a full 40 minutes, one border, and several checkpoints from Mexico. So, not unlike Las Vegas, whatever is going on in Mexico, stays in Mexico.

Q. What’s the drinking age in South Padre?
A. It’s 21, like everywhere else in the States.

Q. What if I’m on a party cruise, don’t the laws change in international waters?
A. The party cruise sails around the bay between South Padre and Texas. It’s still the United States.

Q. South Padre is an island, but it doesn’t have an airport. So, do we have to take a boat there?
A. No. We’re connected to Texas by a bridge.

A girl’s bike!

The inhabited part of South Padre Island isn’t more than a few miles long. So, I sold my car awhile back in order to cruise around by bike.

I’m actually pretty jazzed about my bike. I got it in Austin on the cheap from a dude who’d fixed it up and thrown extra paint leftover from a Lexus on it. I’m not sure why, but that’s what he did.

In any case, it’s gotten a few nicks and some of the paint’s been scratched off only to reveal what seems to be a pink bicycle underneath.

This doesn’t bother me. It does appear to bother some of my co-workers, though, as they make repeated references to it as “a girl’s bike.”

If nothing else, it’s taking the heat off of my bike helmet–which usually bears the brunt of their scorn.

South Padre Island damage from Hurricane Ike

There wasn’t any. Period, and end of story. Galveston (where it made landfall) is 4 hours to the North, and South Padre was on the southside of this “swirl” instead of on the dangerous northside.

Top 10 things to do in South Padre Island on Spring Break

You can find a complete section on http://www.inertiatours.com/southpadreisland/advice.php

filled with helpful, real advice on booking a spring break trip to South Padre Island, Texas.

1. Being able to put on your bikini for the first time in seven months – as well as seeing one
2. Eating freshly caught Gulf shrimp from that very day – the World’s best tasting
3. Bringing your own booze into your own condo & as much as you want at that
4. Attending the Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras after the Party Cruise
5. Taking your own romantic “spring break walk” on the beach one night
6. Drinking a couple of Charlies’ Cherries (24 oz.) just to see what happens
7. Buying 10 t-shirts for $10.00 from one of the shops on the island
8. Attending the Keg parties during the day in front of the Full Throttle Beach stage area
9. The Pub Padre Crawl
10. The orientation party & check in

Interested in Spring Break Travel to South Padre Island for low cash? contact Inertia Spring Break toll free 800 821 2176 or email us: tripinfo@inertiatours.com