
For us, cruising out of Galveston isn’t just about the cruise. It is also about Galveston. We enjoy the city, and we always get there a couple of days early to enjoy it. Normally, we enjoy our first meal at Fisherman’s Wharf. This time we decided to try Willie G’s. This wasn’t our favorite spot in Galveston, but it was still a solid place to have lunch.
Let’s start with the considerable positives. The location is excellent. If weather allows, ask for a table outside. You will be able to see the activity in the harbor and the tall ship Elissa. If you eat inside, it is still a lovely (if crowded) setting. It is a reasonable walk to everything near the cruise pier. Four of us were dining, and everything we had was good.

That may, however, have been the problem. Everything we had at Willie G’s was good, but nothing was great. I had a dish with fried asparagus and crab. It was fine. My 11 year old had a sushi roll. It was fine. My 13 year old had a hamburger. It was actually pretty good. Willie G’s positions themselves as a premium restaurant, and they offer food that is pretty good.

The larger issue was time delays. We had a new server, and it took an exceedingly long time to get each dish. For example, I ordered a beer. It took rather a long time to come, so at some point I wandered over to the bar to see what other options they had. My server saw me, and she said she would get my beer right to me. She did. I do not know how many of the waits were systemic issues in the restaurant and how many were tied to a new server.
Would I go again? Absolutely. It was a nice meal, and the location is great. However, I prefer Fisherman’s Wharf. Those two restaurants share a parking lot and a corporate parent. I would certainly go to Willie G’s, but would suggest Fisherman’s Wharf instead.
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