La Playa Restaurant And Cantina

We'd been planning a trip to Corpus Christi for a few months for our friends' wedding and we decided we'd take advantage of an opportunity to also enjoy some time with our children and some of the local cuisine there. My oldest son Jared just so happened to turn 11 on October 9th which is the day we took off. So we did the obligatory stop at Chuck E. Cheese's in San Antonio and spent some time overnight there. The kids got to really enjoy the games and also Krispy Kreme Donuts, Taco Cabana and an overnight stay in a hotel. I was really hoping for a couple of more chances to sample some local cuisine but that didn't really happen until Sunday after we enjoyed some early morning time at the beach. We took a little drive to Padre Island National Seashore Sunday morning after the wedding festivities of the day before. After that we came back to the hotel and packed up and headed for La Playa Restaurant and Cantina.

We arrived early Sunday morning feeling a bit guilty because we didn't go to church, but we were out of town so we just spent some family time together enjoying God's creation but I digress. What I mean by early is that we arrived at around 11:00 am at La Playa. This place came highly recommended by the newlyweds and as we arrived I could see this was a place that was on top of it's game. The atmosphere is very nice and as you can see since we came early we didn't have to wait to get a table. Normally an almost empty place like this would concern me but I knew things would pick up quickly and it was good to see the restaurant almost 3/4 full by the time we left.As we came in we were greeted promptly and seated at a table with ample room and of course being from San Angelo, Jared had to ask for white sauce. San Angelo is the only city where cole slaw and white sauce are part of most Tex Mex restaurant menus. Of course they didn't have white sauce here but they did have some very tasty salsas. As you can see a green and red salsa were provided and neither one disappointed. My wife said, "M, I can't stop eating this. It's so good!" Of course she was right! We went through quite a few chips but not before we ordered our meals.
I wasn't that adventurous on this trip and I had some excellent beef fajitas that came out to the table sizzling. This came with AWESOME, borracho, beans, guacamole, pico de gallo, and some of the moistest, most flavorful rice I've had in a while. The fajitas were nicely garnished with some caramelized onions, a slice of tomato and a slice of bell pepper. Excellent presentation and flavor. Tortillas were thin and a little too crispy for my taste. Grandma used to make tortillas really thick and fluffy so I guess it's just a personal bias.
My wife was the most adventurous of us all on this trip. She has heard about a plate that had a deep fried avocado, tortilla soup, two fish tacos, rice and beans so that's what she got. The avocado looked like a big fried ball with a crispy crust. She cut it open and it was wrapped in the breading then a layer of cheese, avocado, and then stuffed with shrimp. She really enjoyed it. Her tortilla soup had onions, cheese, and mushrooms in it and tasted wonderful. Fish tacos were also a hit. They were garnished with some lettuce and tomatoes and a lemony cream sauce. WOW! The bite I had was very tasty. This plate kind of helped both of us meet our seafood craving and from what I could see she really enjoyed it even though she was getting very full because of all those chips and green salsa!

Kandra had the fish and shrimp platter as you can see below. I didn't try it but she was very satisfied.

Jared had a burger as usual and Jonah had some enchiladas from the kid's menu. They both enjoyed their meals very much. Kids menu has a least 8 different things to offer.

This restaurant had moderate pricing, great atmosphere, excellent food choices, and super excellent service so I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is down in Corpus. They open at 11 on Sundays and I'm sure they fill up fast. I couldn't find a website but you can find La Playa at 4201 S. Padre Island Drive in Corpus Christi. I have no doubt that when you are on the road in this area you will love eating here.