Mosquito Cafe, Galveston

After all the sparkling reviews I figured I couldn't miss. My wife and I were excited to jaunt down to Galveston from Houston one Sunday morning to sample brunch offerings. The presentation when plated was appealing but the taste and value fell flat. We tried one of the nicer fish special plates, both soups offered and some asian salads and shrimp starters. All I can say is bland and very average and we didn't get sick.

Mosquito Cafe used to be one of my favorite places to dine. USED TO BE. Tonight I had the pork special. I paid twenty-two bucks for four postage-stamp sized pieces of pork (tender and tasty though they were) ONE SPEAR of broccolli (which took me four bites to finish - I counted), and ONE ICE-CREAM SCOOP DOLLOP of some box-flake mashed potatoes (I'm not kidding about the scoop - they were in that shape) which were lukewarm (I'm being kind) and were only palatable after dipping them in the pork sauce, of which there was plenty (for once) as there was so little pork to soak it up... OH! How the mighty have fallen!

A decent place to order breakfast at the counter. Better than average in most respects and they do have some fancy baked goods and upscale menu choices.

We had a wonderful experience when we stopped in here for brunch this past Sunday. The quality of the food was equal to some of the best restaurants we have had during our travels. I would highly recommend this place to anyone during their visit to Galveston!

The food is great, the service is good. I have been at weddings where they have catered - I couldn't reccommend them higher.

I feel I am attacking a beloved Galveston landmark. I see that many like this cafe, but my experiences have not been favorable. Today was the worst. This cafe is popular and you usually have to stand in line to enter. That s OK, because the food is good. The problems are in the cafe itself. It is very small and tables are pushed together as tight as possible, so it is not the place for private conversations. Because of the crowded conditions it is very noisy, so you have trouble conducting a conversation of any type here. We arrived at 11:30, early we thought, because we wanted to get a table inside. We were too late. There were no tables available inside. So we headed outside. The temperature was 88 degrees and only three tables were shaded. They do have fans, but they are nowhere near the shaded tables. Our food arrived quickly. I got a shrimp sandwich that had to be taken apart to eat. So much lettuce tomatoes and shrimp were crammed into the bun that it was impossible to eat like a sandwich. Now we get to the bad part. As I said, it was hot, no fans, very little shade and then the flies attacked. They were on the food, your drinks, everything. You had to constantly swat them. Then the birds attacked. Big black birds landed right on our table and fought us and each other for our food, a scene only imaginable by Hitchcock. And, then came the namesake of the cafe, the mosquitos. So, the meal consisted of holding off flies, birds and mosquitos in the humid heat of Galveston. No matter how good the food was, and it was acceptable, but nothing special, it isn t worth the fight against the overwhelming forces of heat, insects and pushy, fearless birds. We left much of our lunch on the table and left the battlefield in defeat. By the way, the restrooms here are located in the dining room. No, not near the dining room, but in it. You sit upon the throne no more than a few feet from people dining. The restroom doors are not solid, but have louvered open air wooden slats allowing nearby conversations in the dining room to be heard very well in the restroom and the unmentionable sounds you might make in the restroom available to be heard by nearby diners. The Mosquito Café has pretty good food, but a lot of other neglected issues need to be addressed. If you don t find a table in the dining room, cancel your order and leave. Don t attempt to fight the battle outside. Those birds mean business.

This is by far our favorite place to eat at when we visit Galveston! (We go every year) The atmosphere is great and the food is incredible! Love the selection of unique items on the menu. I get something different everytime and and I'm always very pleased.

food, i do not know where to start it was all so good! yum it made my mouth water just looking at it. all the stuff on the menu but i had my eye on that chocolate cake. and thi place is just as good as the rinforest cafe. oh and just a note GET THE CHOCOLATE CAKE!!!