By Les Thomas
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You can eat outdoors at the TopWater Grill in San Leon, Texas, and watch as shrimpboats unload on their docks.
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Fall for April Fool Point
Robert Jakubas grew up working in his father's bait shop at the edge of Galveston Bay in San Leon, Texas. But now he hooks customers who come to dine on shrimp and other succulent seafood specialties fresh off the boat at the TopWater Grill. "I wanted to cater to the fishermen and locals first," Robert explains. Now anglers have to backstroke for table space among the bankers, lawyers, secretaries, and other landlubbers who anchor for lunch and dinner at the hidden-away eatery between Houston and Galveston.
"People have told me they've been looking for this place for a week," says manager Brandon Hart. April Fool Point harkens back to pirate days when swashbuckler Jean Laffite picked it as a place to hide his loot.
About the best treasure you'll find here now is flavorful pecan-crusted snapper topped with lemon butter ($16.99) and fresh Drunken Red-fish cooked in a white wine sauce ($16.99). Start with an order of shrimp, grilled or fried. Sit outside on the deck, and watch as the catch is unloaded from the fleet of shrimpboats operated by Robert's father, Capt. Wally Jakubas. Then you'll see why the TopWater Grill is a secret too good to keep.
TopWater Grill: 815 Avenue O, San Leon, TX 77539; (281) 339-1232. Directions: From I-45, take State 517 east to the blinking red light in San Leon, and go right on Ninth Street to the water.
