The Cafe on the Beach

♫♫ It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day in the neighborhood.... ♫ ♫
Ahhhh, well, you get the gist!

A couple of lady friends and I had lunch at The Cafe on the Beach at the Palm Resort today and, boy howdy, what a great day for beachfront dining.  We sat for 2 hours visiting, nibbling, and enjoying the beautiful South Padre Island beach view.  The water was unusually blue and the sky was nearly cloudless, a cool 72-74 degrees, and a slight breeze - simply glorious.  I know you wish you were here (if you aren't already that is :-).

The other ladies enjoyed several cups of Seattle's Best coffee and I sipped on a lightly flavored glass of Tropical Tea.  I'm not usually one for flavored teas - I like traditional iced tea.  This, however, was refreshing and, well...tropical!  Perfect for the day.

We caught up for a good while before ordering lunch because they weren't busy - before long all the tables were full, so we went ahead and ordered.  It was to be a salad day for the two of us actually eating.  KM saves her calories for nighttime nibbles and splurges, so she just sipped her coffee.

I had one of the best salads I've had in a long time.  The Beachfront Salad - full size - was my choice for the day.  I had it with grilled chicken breast.  The menu describes it as "Fresh spring mix lettuce with tomato, kalamata olives, hearts of palm, maytag blue cheese, sliced pears, and a mandarin orange-balsamic vinaigrette. Topped with parmisan crisp and caramelized pecans..."  I describe it as dyn-o-mite!  The mandarin orange-balsamic vinaigrette married the salad to achieve gastronomic perfection, in my humble opinion.  It was pricey - and not all that big (although it was absolutely adequate in size).  My tea, $2.75, and my salad, $17.95, totalled $22 and some change with tax.  Kind of more than I like to pay for a lunch salad - but I would order it again and again.  It was that good.

My friend raved about her petite Caesar Salad.  She said the croutons were tender, not break-your-teeth crunchy and the dressing and butter lettuce just perfect.  We both cleaned our plates!

I have heard they have a very fine cheeseburger as well.  The link will connect you to their online menu.  I'll go again to try their Muffaletta - not a common restaurant offering down here!  The Grilled Red Snapper Sandwich sounds like something the teen might enjoy.  They serve breakfast too - I'll have to get over there some morning as well.  They can be found at 3616 Gulf Blvd, on the beach front side of the motel.  This is the first time I've gone for food - I've had coffee there before - and a cold beverage.  I enjoy going when the restaurant is open to the the ocean.  They do have plastic protectors for those nippy times and some heaters - but that's not my favored time to visit.  A glorious October day is primo dining time at The Cafe on the Beach!

The company, the view, the fresh air, the food - all the good reasons I enjoy living at the Texas Gulf Coast.... living la vida isla!

SPI FLIP FLOP FOODIE RATING:

4 – Lip smackin’ - good quality – flip flops will definitely be parked under their table again!