I’ve said it before, but one of the most difficult decisions to make on this island is where to eat. We are blessed with an abundance of great places to eat, both in terms of taste and in terms of experience and service. Rudy & Paco, an island favorite, recently earned the distinction of being one of the top 100 restaurants in the country based on the reviews of Open Table users.
Think about it – how many restaurants are out there in the country? And our tiny island is now home to one of the top 100, officially. Those of us around here already knew we had one of the best in Paco’s place. From the moment you walk in the door and are greeted by the trademark “Welcome home, baby,” you know you’re in for a dining experience like no other.
Paco’s story is that of a movie. A young man leaves his home in Nicaragua for a better life in America. A chance encounter with Johnny Mitchell a few years before gave him a connection in Houston and his first job as a dishwasher in a restaurant. That was 1978. Then, less than 20 years later, that former dishwasher opens what would become one of the top 100 restaurants in the country. He has a scholarship in his name to help others with the same dream make it in to the hospitality industry. And he’s a beloved member of his island home.
Francisco Paco Vargas is an island icon for sure. Walk around the corner of 21st and Postoffice on any given evening (except Sunday, Paco’s is always closed on Sundays), and you’re likely to see Paco standing in front of the restaurant waving at patrons and friends driving or walking by. He’ll hold court of sorts, visiting with people out in front of his restaurant. It’s the character of Paco that make the restaurant as much as the food.
But the food. Yeah, the food is good. Beyond good. Amazing good. Steaks so tender and juicy and always perfectly prepared. Seafood prepared in ways you will not find in any other island restaurant. Every morsel of food that comes out of the small kitchen is prepared to perfection, every single time. You will not find a bad item on the menu. And then there are the desserts. Friends and I differ on which is best. I have some who swear by the cuatro leches cake, which is like a traditional tres leches cake but taken up a notch with the added layer of caramelized milk serving as a frosting of sorts on top. So rich and moist and delicious. It’s good. But the real star of the Rudy & Paco dessert menu is the bread pudding. I have eaten a good number of bread puddings around the country and I have yet to find one that even remotely compares to what you get at Rudy & Paco’s. I’m not sure what they put in that sauce, but you’ll want to lick your plate dry at the end, it’s that good.
Galveston has a few exceptional, high-end restaurants. But there is something about Rudy & Paco that you just don’t get anywhere else. I can’t quite explain it, but perhaps it’s just as simple as the consistent quality of the food and the service. The staff at Rudy & Paco is no fly-by-night wait staff. His team can talk wine as well as any sommelier out there. They can lead you to the best pairing for your meal. The South American flare isn’t flamboyant in Rudy & Paco’s. It’s an understated elegance that blends fine dining, Latin flavors and Gulf Coast favorites. And the presentation—I’ve been eating at Rudy & Paco’s since they opened and I’m still in awe of how food is presented there. No matter how many people seem to be at the table, everyone seated is presented their food at the same time. It’s a Paco thing, and it’s just one of many that make that restaurant a special place.
It is definitely one of the pricier restaurants on the island, and I have been known to part of a 2-person tab that exceeded $100 with wine and dessert. But I will also add, it is one of the few restaurants where I can without question say it is worth every single penny for the food and the experience.
I have eaten in restaurants around the country with similar price tags, but have many times left wondering what all the fuss is about. They weren’t THAT amazing. Rudy & Paco never leaves you feeling that way.
When I went to see John Lithgow at the Grand 1894 Opera House a few years ago, he even raved about Paco. Before his show, he talked of the friendliness of Galvestonians, and how in the few short blocks from his hotel to the theater he was greeted no less than a dozen times. And then he ate at this place where the owner greets you at the door with “Welcome home, baby” and the audience knew without question where Lithgow ate dinner. Countless Opera House performers have dined at Paco’s, and he proudly hangs his pictures with them in the entrance.
Rudy & Paco deserves its recent top 100 recognition. Looks like our island secret is out, though. If you haven’t been, get in there quick. I suspect reservations are going to fill up quickly now that the secret is out to the rest of the world.
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