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Viva

4.4 (257 reviews)
Open • 11:30 am - 10:00 pm

Viva Photos

VIVA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating
Dogs allowed

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Tuna Tartare
Josey P.

I'd suggest making reservations! It was absolutely amazing. This was first time here and ordered two entrées: the Shrimp de la Torre (amazing sauce with vegetables and a baguette) and the tuna tarte (a large portion, perfectly cooked, rice was delicious) Both were absolutely amazing. I didn't catch the name of our server, but he recommended several dishes until we made our final choice! The sunset on the water was beautiful! Perfect, highly recommend.

Octopus appetizer
Emmanuel F.

Great ambience with good food. Reasonably priced and the service was great too! I would recommend for a Padre Island dinner treat.

Wyagu beef burger
Maria A.

We went on Friday night around 6pm. Was told 35 minute wait for a table with shade and we agreed. The whole restaurant is open air with fans on the bay. 2 level bay deck tables with umbrellas on most. 35 minutes later we got a text and we're seated. Server was amazing. Explained menu and made surey dietary restrictions were met (vegan). The other ordered tons of plates...the best they said was the yellow fin crudo. The roasted brussel sprouts had popcorn shrimpixed in. I think they were unnecessary. The sprouts alone were amazing. Cocktails were great and well balanced...not super sweet. I got the cauliflower steak with chimichurri...didn't taste like usual chimichurri but still was good. We love this place and always visit. When we come to SPI.

Shrimp tacos
flora a.

Will go again! A must if you're visiting. Such a nice outside area and great service! Great vibes and great food!!

Brown butter cake
Emily G.

Seriously, best food I've had in south padre. I've been going for a while now and don't really ever know where to go and the places I have gone for dinner haven't been that memorable. However, this past time we came across Viva and I saw a lot of great things about the food and service. Plus, the are right on the water so that is a huge plus. We had the corn appetizer was good & a little spicy. I had the shrimp del torre & my partner had the wagyu burger. For dessert we shared the brown butter cake. It was a little dry but still good. Both were phenomenal! I still think about the meal there and wish I could go back again but we live 5 hours away. The service was great I wish I remembered our servers name but he was very kind & great with kids. Will definitely be coming back here in the future & would recommend to anyone going to SPI.

Sunset from deck at Viva
Dina K.

Food was good, service was good. Their menu was ok. Ordered the 3 tacos and asked for a combo and it wasn't something they offered. We pushed our request and the manager came over and finally agreed to giving us 1fried and 2 blackened fish tacos. It was a build your own taco which was nice. Street corn - 2.5 out of 5, not sure if because we asked for the spicy sauce on the side, could have had more cheese on it. Best thing I had was the Cucumber Martini! Will go back for that one, need the recipe. Sunset was amazing! 4 stars for the drink, sunset and them accommodating our request, but we shouldn't of had to ask "the manager".

Ceviche Guacamole
Melva S.

What can fulfill your tastebuds better than fresh tasteful seafood alongside waves and seagulls Viva on SPI The service was on top of their toes eager to make sure that you felt welcomed and valued as a customer. The cocktails were perfectly presented and served with a smile. The atmosphere was energetic I was impressed by the quality and cleanliness from the minute I stepped in until I left. The music was subtle enough to enjoy our conversations and the Bar area has a TV that has a sports game playing in case you want to enjoy cocktails watching your favorite sport Highly recommended and prices were reasonable worth my stay while visiting SPI

(Virgin) mojitos
Celena B.

The food was so delicious! Notable mentions: the Brussels sprouts as an appetizer was a 10/10. I was part of a group of 12 and everything came out fairly quickly. Nice views, good service, and even better food. Will definitely be back next time I visit SPI

Shrimp tacos and Topo Chico!
Carolyn M.

Viva is always a must stop when I'm in the RGV for work. It's worth the drive, trust me. I've actually been sat in the same spot each time I've eaten here, too, which is just fine since it offers the best view of the water. The servers are always polite and helpful. Very attentive also. This last visit I got the blackened fish tacos. They were soooooo good. The papas bravas were super tasty as well. I've tried a lot of different dishes on their menu but this had to be my favorite so far.

Street corn appetizer
Andrea H.

Great place to grab lunch with the family. There was something for everyone on the menu and we all enjoyed it. Loved the open air vibe.

Fish tacos
Farrah A.

A friend recommended we try Viva for lunch, and it offered just about everything we wanted (besides oysters... we really wanted raw oysters). We enjoyed a nice view of the bay, margs, seafood tacos, and a fresh watermelon and feta salad. The "beet salad" was a bit misleading; it was really a "spinach salad" that happened to have beets, pears, goat cheese. We were expecting far more roasted beets. Ah well.

Guacamole
Frank W.

We were seated at an outdoor table overlooking the bay. The guacamole was fresh and beautifully shaped as a rectangular prism on the plate surrounded by crisp golden chips. It was delightful appetizer. Our beet goat cheese salads arrived shortly after, beautiful, fresh, and satisfying. It was the perfect entree for a summer evening. The service was excellent and the prices were reasonable considering the ambiance of the venue. They also offer a military discount.

Guacamole
Christina G.

Saturday, memorial Day weekend I made a resy for lunch at 1:15 p.m. party of 2. It was a nice breeze The perfect Day for lunch cocktail. I ordered share the tea, a green tea infused drink and it was delicious. Our server was prompt and friendly! We ordered the guacamole appetizer and the watermelon salad. The watermelon salad is one of the reasons why I chose this restaurant and I'm glad I did because it was so good. My boyfriend ordered the skewers that had a great flavor and he really enjoyed the rice. I ordered the house salad with a salmon the salad was refreshing and it was different because it had capers, And I love me some capers. Overall great experience on the water but fresh food and friendly service!

Shrimp steak skewers

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Reviews are largely positive. People highlight the fresh, flavorful food, friendly, attentive service, and beautiful waterfront ambiance. Cocktails are also well-liked.

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16 days ago

Food is fresh, service is awesome and ambiance is awesome with sunset views and cool breeze

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2 months ago

Excellent food, great atmosphere and quick service. Waiter was ok not very friendly just pretty much doing his job

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4 months ago

Never go wrong with anything you order at Viva. Food is fresh and tasty and their drinks are always on point!

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The Cafe On The Beach - Crab cakes

The Cafe On The Beach

4.0(679 reviews)
0.6 mi
•$$

My girlfriend and I really enjoyed this place during our South Padre trip. We went for dinner, sat…read moreoutside, and loved being right next to the ocean. The atmosphere was fantastic, especially with the ocean breeze coming through. We ordered the steamed mussels, the grilled red snapper sandwich, and the grilled red snapper entrée. Our favorite dish was the red snapper sandwich. It tasted fresh and had more of a homestyle feel rather than something overly polished from a professional kitchen, which we really appreciated. Honestly, everything tasted fresh, comforting, and well prepared. The service was also incredible throughout the night. The only slight issue we had was spotting a cockroach crawl from under one of the chairs when we pulled it out. However, considering the restaurant is basically right on the beach and outdoors, insects are somewhat expected, and it honestly didn't take away from the experience for us. Overall, great atmosphere, great food, and a really enjoyable dinner spot in South Padre.

The service was excellent, and the view was beautiful, but unfortunately, the breakfast was…read moreextremely disappointing. We both ordered the two-egg breakfast with eggs over medium, but what we received was closer to raw, with excessively runny whites. The hash browns were cold, greasy, and so hard they were nearly inedible. While we appreciated the wonderful service and atmosphere, the quality of the food left a lot to be desired. When a restaurant struggles to prepare something as basic as eggs and hash browns, it's hard to justify returning. Unfortunately, the great view and service weren't enough to make up for such a disappointing meal.

Photos
The Cafe On The Beach - Bar

Bar

The Cafe On The Beach - Grilled Red Snapper Sandwich

Grilled Red Snapper Sandwich

The Cafe On The Beach - Entrance to beach, with outdoor seating nearby

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Entrance to beach, with outdoor seating nearby

Yummies Bistro - You have to order the Mediterranean avocado toast. Blew me away!!

Yummies Bistro

4.5(1.2k reviews)
1.0 mi
•$$

Came here because the coffee looks amazing and it did not disappoint!…read more The latte and cappuccinos look visually appealing but if you're looking for a real cappuccino this might not be for you. It definitely seems like they just put a bunch of foam on top but it still tasted good. The waffle is also crispy and fluffy. The salon lox bagel is also so pretty but the large onion slices were too much. Service was great and they do get really busy.

During a quick weekend getaway to South Padre Island, I treated myself to brunch at Yummies Bistro…read moreafter seeing all the raving reviews online and it did live up to the hype. I arrived around 10:30am on a Friday, and although the restaurant was packed, was seated immediately at the bar. Our server greeted me promptly, took my drink order, and returned with my Spanish Macchiato. It was easily the highlight of the meal--absolutely five-star worthy. Not only was it Instagram-worthy, but it tasted just as good as it looked. Creamy, rich, and infused with notes of Mexican chocolate and cinnamon, it was one of the best specialty coffees I've had in a while and the artistry was incredible. For brunch, I ordered the CLEO (a lox bagel with egg) and the SPI Breakfast Platter. The CLEO had great flavors--the smoked salmon was fresh. My biggest critique was that the soft bagel, warm egg, and lox lacked a bit of textural contrast. Even so, the individual components were delicious. The SPI Breakfast Platter was hearty, well-executed, and exactly what you'd hope for from a classic breakfast. I'd love to come back the next time I'm in South Padre and try their lunch menu, the dessert case was very enticing.

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Yummies Bistro
Yummies Bistro - Lemon Poppyseed pancakes were soooo good!! Add blueberries and strawberries

Lemon Poppyseed pancakes were soooo good!! Add blueberries and strawberries

Yummies Bistro - Prickly pear mimosa

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Prickly pear mimosa

Viva - salad - Updated October 2026

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