Had a wonderful experience food was great our waitress Lynett was amazing I really enjoyed our conversation she told us the history of the restaurant will be back soon

Long drive restaurant is old and dated but has charm food is simple to the point good fish (fried Drum) and (fried) shrimp the tarter sauce or dip was awesome it's great on crackers and fish and everything waiter was a nice man he even brought extra fish because he said the ones he gave me looked overdone but to be honest I loved it extra crispy. If your expectations are a fancy beautiful building your gonna be disappointed it's a simple building with run down simple interior with great Fish/Shrimp the wait time looked scary lots of people but was surprised when i wasvseated like 10 minutes later. Overall I spent around $94 but it was worth it will return with more family next time.

Food was great (the fried drum was delicious)! And they carry Mexican Cokes, now 😋

Fantastic fish and shrimp and their special tartar sauce is to die for! But what pushes King's Inn's rating past the 5 stars given is the service. We had 6 people and a 1 yr. Old and Linette made sure we were taken care of from the very beginnIng. She got our order in quickly and even made sure the little one got his chicken strips early so he wouldnt be hangry. 😀 Overall, we had a fantastic experience again and will continue to enjoy King's Inn when we are in the area.

First time here, and they didn't disappoint. Everything was good. Visited to celebrate Mother's Day, and they were giving a flower to all the moms. 💗 lovely detail! I enjoyed the visit. Menu is simple, which I appreciate. One thing that stood out to me right away is the fact that they serve seafood and have carpet on the dining area. You would expect the place to have an unbearable smell, well, that's not the case at this place! That tells me the place is clean. Very clean.

Great food! Avocado salad was great! Had broiled Orange Roughy - which was good, but not as excellent as the fried Roughy i had last time - very fresh food - drove 40 miles out of my way to eat here - i consider eating here a real treat

Their shrimp is the best you are ever going to have. Their tarter sauce is so different and delicious! Had a 7pm reservation for 2 and got seated at 6.58pm!

Fried Shrimp Awesome !! Broiled Catfish Delish !!! Fried Catfish also Tasty !! Avocado Salad Great !! Negatives- No straws..no knives...and beverages in small glasses....

+3

Delicious as always. A quick tip for first-timers, there’s no menu. You order shrimp and fish by the pound. Shrimp orders start at 1 lb, fish at ½ lb. My go-to order is 1 lb of fried shrimp paired with ½ lb of blackened drum, perfectly seasoned and cooked every time. The avocado salad is also a standout and a great complement to the seafood. Grab an extra order of their tartar sauce to go. You’ll thank me later. To og orders are available as well. Weekends and lunch and dinner times can get busy.

We love to eat at King's Inn! Their fried shrimp is the best in Texas, & their special recipe tartar sauce is also the best! We have also had their boiled shrimp and fried oysters, and they are also delicious. I highly recommend their avocado & tomato salad and onion rings! You won't be disappointed with anything you have there!

Great place to relax and enjoy fresh sea food. The tartar sauce is excellent.

Everything we ate was delicious 😋 I dare say it was the best seafood I've ever eaten. It seems As if the fish jumped straight out of the water and into the frying pan. Our bill was a bit high but then again we ordered enough for about 5 people when we were only 3. Definitely worth it. If you're planning on visiting you should make a reservation. It's a popular place and you would end up waiting quite a while. Tartar sauce is like none I've ever had before. It is totally worth it. We will definitely make the trip and visit again. Great experience.👍

Probably like the best seafood restaurant ever, been going to this place for about 20 years now and it never disappoints! The avocado salad is my favorite! The fried cod is another favorite with some friend shrimp but the best of all is the homemade “seafood sauce” which we all call Tatar sauce it is to die for!

🍤 March 2025 - This place has not changed in decades. My elderly mother came here as a child in the 1950s. King’s Inn staff focus on the food, and the big crowds and waiting list are a testament to the appeal. Not in the most convenient location for large crowds, but folks clearly drive well out of their way to eat here. My group enjoyed our refreshing avocado salad, fried shrimp, onion rings, fries, and U Peel Em shrimp. My dad loves to spread their homemade tartar sauce on the Captain’s Wafers. 😀 The waitress was outstanding. I love the old wooden and glass counter where the cash register is. They don’t make them like that anymore! Enjoy it all… The historic carpet and ceiling tiles, the unpretentious bathroom, the rule against hats in the dining room. It works! Come and visit this local treasure on Baffin Bay because you never know when a place like this will close down. It has been open nearly a century!

So excited we got to go back to King's Inn after about 40 years. Syill some of the very besy shrimp I have ever had

We love to stop here on our trips south, best fried fish and shrimp! Great avocado salad to start. Not to get the onion rings also

This restaurant has been opened since 1945 and serves some of the best fried shrimp, catfish, and onion rings in Texas! We live in Round Rock and come for lunch or dinner when we visit Corpus Christi once a year.

Service was not as great as it used to be. Food was absolutely great, King’s Inn Tartar Sauce has always been a great hit.

+1

You can’t go wrong with Kings Inn. It’s always worth the pleasant drive. Serving all your favorite seafood entree’s family style. This has been our family’s celebrations for over 40 years. On the water for pleasant views. Dress casual or semi formal to formal. This is your place to be.

I made a reservation thw day before after the waitress's suggestion. It was a full house. We arriarrived on time, and were seated quickly. There is a menu outside the door. We ordered our usual by the pound drum and shrimp. The avocado salad is awesome, but we shared a small. The meal arrives with fries, but we ordered onion rings, too. All tea is unsweetened. Sodas come in 12 oz. cans. I enjoy watching the bay from the window. If you don't like seafood, they have a $20 steak!! Make sure you buy peanut brittle before you go...it's awesome!

What can I say....This is the World Famous Kings Inn. Fresh seafood caught in the Gulf of Mexico every day. The Drum and Shrimp were delicious. And the tartar sauce is in a league of its own . I've never tasted anything like it. And it's right on Baffin Bay. Best seafood in South Texas.

+1

Great food with great friends, fantastic time was had by all, thanks Kings Inn!!!

+1

The tarter sauce is so good I could order a gallon. I like to put it on the fresh tomatoes. The fried fish is so fresh it jumped off my plate. The cheese cake is so fresh.

I wouldn't think the name of this place = great service and food! Our waiter was fantastic and the chips and salsa was all world! The guacamole was also incredible. Hats off to this place! We will be back!!

It's a unique atmosphere. The menu is based on large portions (order by the pound). I recommend it for families. We ordered shrimp and fried fish with onion rings and fries, and everything came out very well.

AMAZING FOOD, GREAT WAITRESS, to bad I cannot remember her name. Nice ambiance. Clean restroom. I highly recommend the avocado salad. We had salad and shrimp. Shrimp was so good. Will be back to try the fish, I've heard it's delicious.

If you are coming in from out of town, and you want a calm, serene view from you seat then Kings Inn is a great option. You can feel the Bay breeze in your hair when get out of your vehicle. Right away you can smell thier fried onion rings. Ordering is simple. I recommend the avocado salad, fried onion ring, fried shrimp, fried catfish, fried oysters, and an iced soda. You'll always get fries and their amazing tarter sauce with every meal. I put there tarter sauce on everything. Its has just the right amount of jalapeño heat. They have few options, which insures that you get the same Great seafood everytime. Ive been enjoying their food for over 40 years, and I have never had any issues. Gentlemen, please remove you hat.

Nancy Huerta

First time coming here, Me and my daughter dined here, the location was breathtaking, right by the bay..Service awesome, We told our waitress Lynette it was our first time dining there so she suggested some grilled drum and fried shrimp, And avacado salad was exceptionally delicious, and hush puppies..The meal, scenery, and service was over and beyond my expectations. WILL DEFINITELY GO BACK SOON..

Scott Lilly

First off I do not like tarter sauce. I say that because their homemade tarter sauce steals the show! If you don't like tarter sauce just try it once, you might be amazed. All the food we are was fresh, cooked perfectly, not greasy. Can be a little pricey but it's fresh seafood. Would definitely go back and recommend. Great view, good atmosphere, friendly staff.

Maria Saenz

Everything was delicious with the exception of the first batch of onion rings. They were slightly cold. We asked for a 3nd batch, and we got alot more and freshly cooked. Delicious! Shrimp and fish was very good.

Frankie Alford

Awesome place. Great staff, friendly patrons. Great view.

+6

robert benitez

The legend in seafood outside of Kingsville Texas. Been here over 35 years. Makes the best tarter sauce in Texas. They serve family style. The best shrimp, fish, oysters, frog legs and additional items. Don't miss the avocado salad. The onion rings and fries are also good. I visit this location when in South Texas on a regular basis.

+15

Veronica Botello

Black Drum was excellent! Shrimp was lit! French fries...ehh... not a French fry person....service was ok... had to wait to get a refill on tea... restrooms needed attention.... I will definitely take another road trip to Kings Inn ....

Dale Jones

Probably the best shrimp we've ever had. Everything about our experience was 5☆. Our server, Lanette, was delightful. The food was delicious, the service was prompt and the atmosphere was pleasant.

Roxanne Nowell

This place is in the middle of nowhere. It is a destination stop, especially if you are in South Texas. It is located at the end of the road on Baffin Bay. Word of mouth is probably the only way you'll hear about it. It has a lot of history. The food....sold by the pound. Absolutely delicious. Do not go on weekends, we were told there is a 2 hour waiting list. Worth it! Everything is fresh fresh! The avocado salad is a must try, enough for 2 people. We had fried shrimp. Mmmmhhh good. We didn't get the onion rings. When a plate passed our table we wished we had! Hushpuppies and fries were great. Definitely would go again! Not fancy but very clean. We saw families, office workers, birthday party, etc. It is a mixed group clientele. They have home-made deserts, This is a old fashioned, well established restaurant. We highly recommend.

+2

Great food & Great Fellowship!\nPerfect atmosphere to sit & visit for awhile & pass platters of delicious food around!!

Great food & Great Fellowship!\nPerfect atmosphere to sit & visit for awhile & pass platters of delicious food around!!

Great food & Great Fellowship!\nPerfect atmosphere to sit & visit for awhile & pass platters of delicious food around!!

When you first see the place I was thinking no way! It's old, kind of mismatched, in the middle of nowhere. The menu is short, all served family style, and amazing! Best fried oysters ever! The staff…

Its a very rustic place by the water, the wait staff was welcoming, they even allowed us to bring our dogs in--:) I was told they could come in since very few people were dining at the time.. We …

Its a very rustic place by the water, the wait staff was welcoming, they even allowed us to bring our dogs in--:) I was told they could come in since very few people were dining at the time.. We ha…

Love taking a road trip to Kings Inn it's definitely worth the drive and it has awesome views.

We had the best meal. Everything cooked to perfection!\nService was quick and efficient. Our glasses were refilled frequently without having to ask.\nPlain simple ambiance.\nPlease remove your hats…

I love the avocado salad! It is a long wait but worth it! Fish is fresh, ambience is nice and calm.

Great family style restaurant. No individual plates. Everything is family style and served on platters. MAKE SURE YOU GET A reservation! Otherwise you might have a 30-60 minute wait. The Avocado Sa…

This was my 1st visit to this restaurant. The staff was exceptionally friendly, helpful, and efficient. The seafood selection was extensive, very well prepared and reasonably priced. I highly re…

This was my 1st visit to this restaurant. The staff was exceptionally friendly, helpful, and efficient. The seafood selection was extensive, very well prepared and reasonably priced. I highly re…

This was my 1st visit to this restaurant. The staff was exceptionally friendly, helpful, and efficient. The seafood selection was extensive, very well prepared and reasonably priced. I highly re…

best seafood I have had in a long time. They serve family style and their food is either fried, grilled or boiled. Choices are fish, shrimp, oysters and steaks. They have avacado salads prepar…

Went on a very busy Saturday afternoon. Steven and Amanda did their best to keep up with needy diners. Grilled platter, avacado salad and tarter sauce were top notch. Come here if you love fried everything as the menu has very limited grilled or blackened options.

It was packed, really busy, the staff still managed to be pretty nice but they should hire more people for sure. I never leave reviews, but I don't see the hype for this place, it was pretty decent, they give you more food than you would expect, but I got catfish and it had a couple pinbones, the food was pretty mediocre, not bad but not amazing, the frog legs were really good though.

Kings inn is a place known for its unique serving style. It serves in pounds and there is no menu but that didn’t stop me from ordering 6 pounds of fried seafood. Although there is nothing special about the main entrees, the fun shared over its plates of fried food and legacy is enough to make this restaurant worth a try. I also strongly recommend using their custom made tarter sauce or just using hot sauce.

Stopped for the first time to have dinner. Ordered shrimp and avocado salad. Staff was friendly and welcoming. Shrimp was delicious and highly recommend it, avocado salad was also great!

Nostalgia for my family. My mom grew up coming here with her family and we stopped through on our way home from South Padre. The place looked almost exactly as she remembered it from childhood. The food was good and the staff was nice, but they were struggling to keep up with large parties and a full dining room. The place also had a slight odor that was off-putting. Overall, it is still a positive experience and it's worth the detour to say you've been.

Great seafood, just be prepared to wait. To be fair, there was a huge family reunion when we happened to stop in, and it was posted to be “patient” so we were warned. After about 30 min we were seated, and a full basket of yummy crackers awaited us to snack on while we waited. I was a tiny bit disappointed they were out of ranch for my salad. The tartar sauce was good but oddly served too early and I partnered it with a dozen of crackers before the food came. But the nostalgia and view of Baffin Bay made up for the little things. We’ll be back I’m sure.

Food was, without a doubt, hands down the absolute best! However, I was not impressed with the smell and cleanliness of the entire restaurant.

We were looking forward to our lunch since we were driving through. Avocado salad was amazing. Very tasty & fresh. Onion rings & hush puppies tasted great too. Fried shrimp, fried fish, & grilled drum were good but missing some seasoning.

A friend told me I had to go to Kings Inn when he heard I was visiting Kingsville, so I did. It was a early on a Wednesday evening and it was not busy. I was sat right away and the server was very kind and attentive. I ordered grilled Drum and an avocado salad. The salad was fine, I would have preferred something other than iceberg lettuce (it's the potato chip of lettuce), but it had lots of avocado on it. The Drum was very good. I've never had it before and it was lightly seasoned and tasty. It's a bit rubbery, but not offensively so. Hush puppies are also good. Overall, a good meal. Not the best seafood I have ever eaten, but worth the trip.

Food was good, service was okay. FYI… No Split Checks, No Caps, if you use ur debit card, Kings Inn places a hold on the funds for up to seven days. Some people just want to go eat, too many restrictions ruins the experience.

The menu needs an adrenaline shot by adding different individual plates in addition to by the pound. It has been a few years since I've gotten off the main road to eat here, but I was a little disappointed that they shrunk the size of the formal full avocado salad plate to a Mr. Gatti's salad plate. Having a 1-sided menu is a negative, but accepting credit cards is a step in the right direction.

+6

David Jefferies

We haven't been in at least 10 years but same good food and service. Hushpuppies and oysters were delightful. Shrimp ok.

Armando Flores

Phenonimal tartar sauce. Fresh fish, light battered and avocado salad is my favorite

G SC

Place was busy it was a Saturday night. Staff was friendly and helpful. Food was delicious 😋

James Eric Thomas

Terrific fresh seafood, cooked perfectly, and very decent sized portions. My party had multiple platters of Shrimp, Oysters, and Fish, along with Fries & Onion Rings, and Avocado salads, which the salads were also awesome. The only thing I didn't really care for was their "tartar"/dipping sauce. Guess I'm just too much of a traditional style food guy. I think it's one of those "you love it, or hate it" kind of things. But absolutely a terrific dining experience. Can't wait to go back, but bringing my own tartar sauce, haha.

Amber Sissom

Family style restaurant. Food was hot and loved the sea side views. Drum fish was a little overcooked, but the cat fish was perfect. Avocado salad and tomato plate is a must. The jalapeno tarter is the reason to visit hands down. It was very packed and I recommend calling and getting a reservation if you have more than 4 people in your party. Lots of cute feral cats there, and it was the highlight of my children's day! They don't split checks, and only one payment is allowed. (No cash plus card) It is a family restaurant and has a strict no hat policy.

Javi

The menu is limited and great tasting food too. I really liked the fact that they ask that if you are wearing a cap or hat to please remove it while inside the dinning area. The inside is outdated but it does not matter if you're there to enjoy good eats rather decor. The place gets full at times although there is plenty of parking and sitting space. Give it try, this place has been around for over 40 yrs if I recall correctly.

food is awesome, but the weight stuff is terrible\nIt is worth the weight \nI called in reservations the day before and I still have to wait 45 minutes up to you

Food is awesome, but the weight stuff is terrible\nIt is worth the weight \nI called in reservations the day before and I still have to wait 45 minutes up to you

Food is awesome, but the weight stuff is terrible\nIt is worth the weight \nI called in reservations the day before and I still have to wait 45 minutes up to you

Service was poor, at best. Server didn't come back to refill drinks. We had to wave down another server to help. Food was ok, but came out cold. This was not surprising considering the level of att…

So sad. This used to be the mecca of seafood in South Texas. Movie stars flying in from movie locations to partake of legendary seafood. Now it's not worth a drive.

Traveled two hours. waited almost 2 hours for a table without a reservation. We were told that they take reservations over walk-ins. The food was delicious, but our server was horrible. She never b…

Traveled two hours. Waited almost 2 hours for a table without a reservation. We were told that they take reservations over walk-ins. The food was delicious, but our server was horrible. She never…

They were way understaffed on an early Saturday afternoon. Made a reservation, but didn’t get seated until 30 minutes past the time. Still love the fried catfish and huge fried shrimp. I’m a fan …

My family was there on a trip and we decided to vist this restaurant on a radom weekday, we made a reservation as we had looked through the reviews and seen that there was a long wait time. Our reservation was for 6:30, we were seated at 7:50. we waited outside for a while then decided to try and wait in the waiting room, it was insanely crowded and it, quite frankly felt as though I was being suffocated, so we went back outside. A waitress seated us and ask for out drink orders, when one of my family members asked about whether or not they had root beer, they said they did, only to double back around afterwards when someone actually ask for root beer and said that they didn’t have any, the same happened with lemonade. They only have one menu, ONE, for the whole restaurant to use. Overall, the wait time was long, the food was decent and the service was pretty good.

Well. I was very unimpressed. I heard this was the go to place when in Kingsville, so we went the extra miles out of the way and gave it a try. The hostess was nowhere to be seen, so the cashier seated us. Other tables that came in after my party of three were served their drinks before we were even acknowledged by a server. No menus, so we looked on line for our food choices. The food was underwhelming. Limp frog legs, weird tartar sauce, iceberg lettuce, tiny glasses of water. The fried catfish and hush puppies were good. We should have ordered the fried shrimp--that looked better than what we had. Anyways, been there, done that, not going back.

I’ve always loved the food here — it’s the main reason I keep coming back whenever I visit from Houston. I’ve been coming since I was a child, so there’s a lot of nostalgia attached. That said, the service continues to disappoint. The attitude from the servers is unwelcoming, and we actually had to get up and find someone just to get water, lemons, and tartar sauce. While waiting in the lobby, water was dripping from the A/C vents onto us — not a great first impression. With the amount of business this place gets, you’d think they could at least keep the entryway clean and the doors wiped down.

Food was delicious and service was great. I highly recommend this place AS LONG AS YOU ARE NOT IN A WHEELCHAIR OR IN NEEDS OF A WALKER. Not very handicap accessible. For being in business for so many years, they could make it a bit more handicap accessible. Drove over two hours to finally bring my mommy to taste their food and it was so hard for her because the COMPACT wheelchair would not make it through the door way. I had to carefully get her off the chair and walk her into the restroom praying she didn’t fall. Then to top it off, the one “handicap” stall had no grab bars what so ever. Our second trip to the restroom was worse because there were two ladies with walkers plus my mom in the chair trying to use the stalls. The other ladies and their families were having the same complaints as I did and were very vocal about the disappointment. As a caregiver and as those who need care, these small trips out are a bit of break from the hard times at home. The last thing we all want is to travel this far, pay add much as we did(@$200) and have such a bad experience simply going to the restroom. King’s Inn, please do better!

Nostalgic going there, since I cannot ever remember not going as a kid. Food is okay. Not quality and flavor it used to be. Scallops were small, looked they'd been sliced in half. Not sure about tartar sauce recipe but seemed very different than I remembered. Glad I went for old time sake but won't go back. Prefer to remember it as it once was. Had to wait a long time for our server. Finally, the hostess took our order. The young man who followed up to serve us was very pleasant.

William Short

The Kings Inn is a historical Texas Seafood Staple for just over 100 years now. My Grandfather was stationed in Corpus after WW2 in the 1950's this WAS the happening place back then. My mother came here for special occasions in the 1980's. I have been just for traditions sake. The interior is nostalgic if not a little dated. The menu is simple, and probably hasn't changed too much in the time it's been open. If you like fried seafood and salads reminiscent of the 1950's you should check this place out.

Rene Loredo

8.8.25 finally was able to make it out here for the first time. Not impressed the fried shrimp was just that fried with no seasoning. Hush Puppies taste like those out of a bag. Was impressed with the onion rings nicely thin and fried just right.

+1

waitress was good, brought refills, but… you now have to pay a 20 percent tip including on the tax, you do not fet an itemized ticket or receipt, will not be going back

waitress was good, brought refills, but… you now have to pay a 20 percent tip including on the tax, you do not fet an itemized ticket or receipt, will not be going back

Food was delicious and service was great. I highly recommend this place AS LONG AS YOU ARE NOT IN A WHEELCHAIR OR IN NEEDS OF A WALLET. Not very handicap accessible. For being in business for s…

food was delicious and service was great. I highly recommend this place AS LONG AS YOU ARE NOT IN A WHEELCHAIR OR IN NEEDS OF A WALLET. Not very handicap accessible. For being in business for s…

It's a bit expensive. Everything is charged separately, even though the waiter made it seem as though the salads were part of the meal. The only way to know the price is posted outside before you enter, and if you don't know that, they don't explain the pricing to you, just that everything is made by the pound. Our waiter was not very attentive and we had to wait for over 15 minutes before we were approached by him, after watching him serve other tables that were seated after us. Overall, the food was good, but not worth the price, and the service was terrible. It is definitely not a place we will be returning.

Mediocre at best. Definitely not worth the hype. Wife said she expected Gordon Ramsay to walk in for an episode of kitchen nightmares. Menu is wonky. Food was over cooked and greasy. Service was lacking although there were a lot of servers working. Place is old and it smells like it is but that’s to be expected. Hour and a half drive, really looking forward to it just to be disappointed. Not worth the trouble to drive out and try it again.

Been coming here for over 50 years…but I think this was my last time to make a trip for it. Reservation was at 1:30pm, arrived at 1:18pm. Seated at 2:14pm after three follow-ups. Then waited another 18 min before I went in search of a server. The server from the next section took our drink order but was so great that she just went ahead and took the whole order (I had it all ready with even the drinks to make it quick and easy). Our server took the table seated after us as her priority but looked to be friends of hers. The food…nothing really hit like it used to. Bombay Salad and Avocado Salad were ok but nothing special. Fried shrimp were large and in charge. The fried and broiled orange roughy was good. Onion rings were just grease, fries were cold and cardboard, hush puppies were overcooked and dry. Cold boiled shrimp tasted like the pre-boiled at the grocery store straight out of the freezer bag. Steak was so salty we had a discussion if someone spilled it. Over all..I will not be back.

Today 04/28/2021... it was just okay. The fish was great! Had the drum, but then we got the shrimp... shrimp was rubbery. It was depressing biting into each shrimp. One by one just eating them... I ate them because I was spending a good chunk a change on them and I hate just letting things go to waste. A family went previously and I quote. "It's not as good as it used to be." I decided to give the restaurant the benefit of the doubt but it sucked overall. I won't be going back anytime soon. I'll even upload a photo but the photo can be deceiving. Just rubbery shrimp. Go at your own risk.

Very expensive lunch for one person at Kings Inn Riviera Texas! $30.00 This restaurant only does family style serving. Do not come here by yourself! I was told this place was awesome, I thought it was just Okay.

Went there for a team building experience with my team and half of my team drove from Corpus and the other half drove from the valley. No one had been there before and were deeply disappointed. The waitress stated they were understaffed and was huffing and puffing everytime we asked for something. She was nicer to the gentleman’s table though. Never asked if we wanted refills and didn’t even come back to the table to allow us to ask for a refill. I asked her for a to go drink and she stated “No because the ticket was closed”. If your gonna enforce a mandatory 20% gratuity then your service she match that. And if you wanna hold your employees accountable our waitress was the one that wears a bun on the top of her head. I used to take my grandmother to this restaurant because it was her favorite. Hate to say it but service has really gone downhill. My steak being overseasoned wasn’t half as bad as the service.

Where to begin... Im keeping covid in mind not knowing the staffing issues. We went at like 3 oclock, after a 45 minute wait we got buzzed to a table. Many out there were saying they weren't accepting reservations that morning, we were asked if we had one. They clearly were because almost half of the tables were empty. Or Staffing? I don't know. The waiter asked what we wanted to drink and if we decided yet...? I said tea with extra lemon and informed him we have no menu, there's a QR code on the table but their password is locked so no way to access it...we recieved ONE menu and I was shocked that you couldn't get an actual meal. So my husband ordered a steak, and I ordered shrimp (cant leave after that wait time!). You get an order of fries, which is unfortunate because I don't like them and they don't substitute (too bad for me) and they don't really suit a steak. We got salads I added onion, but didn't get it. There were no dressing options, we went with house which was bland and left you very greasy. I asked for extra lemon THREE times. Thankfully they give you crackers and a thick dip so the next 45 minutes until the food came was bearable. I ordered hush puppies so I wasn't just eating a plate of shrimp. I didn't get them. The steak and the shrimp were average, not outstanding like the price $18 for 10 shrimp and $32 steak . So we paid over $70 for a steak with french fries, 10 shrimp, dip, crackers, mediocre dressing on iceberg lettuce with tomatoes, a few olives and small pepperocini (which added flavor). Ugg no veggies, no potato, no nothing on the side unless you pay for enough for a whole family. I also had the tiniest fork 😆 The lady took our money and asked how it was, I gave an underwhelming "ok" , I guess that was good enough for her, or she didn't really care. I left unsatisfied, and never need to return, which should help them out with wait times.

Wasn't greeted when we walked in, then employees were arguing with another employee almost picking on her. Food arrives french fries cold as if they were sitting for awhile asked for tartar suace received it 15 min later.

A Z

Food was great otherwise I'd give 1 star. However , ordered a salad to go and it took 45 minutes. We were done eating and just waiting on the salad. I asked to speak to the manager because I really was over it and just wanted a refund for the salad. But she (or he I don't even know who the manager is) didn't come out to speak to me, the poor girl up front was the one having to handle it all. So obviously the Manager didn't even care to come out and apologize for any of it. Front staff people kept saying they were working on the salad and I (along with another customer who was also waiting for her salads) kept seeing them go by with salads for other tables. After all is said and done, food is good but it's not worth the drive. You need good food AND service. Included pic of salad that took 45 minutes to make. 😅

Kings Inn in Rivera, Texas serves some of the best shrimp, but the service was extremely disappointing.\n\nMy husband and I stopped in hoping for a good lunch, but instead we left feeling targeted, h…

RUDE server. Slow service. Hot and moldy atmosphere. Server threw the food down on the table causing food to spill and she just walked off . I Do not recommend .

RUDE server. Slow service. Hot and moldy atmosphere. Server threw the food down on the table causing food to spill and she just walked off . I Do not recommend .

RUDE server. Slow service. Hot and moldy atmosphere. server threw the food down on the table causing food to spill and she just walked off . I Do not recommend .

Went to take my Dad to have a nice lunch last weekend for a special treat. \nGot as far as being seated, however, was never given a menu, no water, no waiter ever approached our table. Restaurant w…

Went to take my Dad to have a nice lunch last weekend for a special treat. \nGot as far as being seated, however, was never given a menu, no water, no waiter ever approached our table. Restaurant w…

So we drove all the way to riviera on our 35th wedding anniversary 2-17-24. Got there at 5:50 PM. Was told there was a 45 minute wait. Got a couple of beers waited for a while, then waited some…

The food was very bland. We made reservations for 3:30pm on a Saturday afternoon. Was seated at 3:33, however our food was was not out until 4:25pm. Was definitely not worth the wait. It was four o…

Extremely Disappointing Experience – Good Food, But Not Worth the Treatment We had a truly disappointing experience at King’s Inn on Saturday June 28, 2025. To begin, they opened late, which set the …

Extremely Disappointing Experience – Good food, But Not Worth the Treatment We had a truly disappointing experience at King’s Inn on Saturday June 28, 2025. To begin, they opened late, which set th…

Very busy. We made the mistake of not making a reservation. We were told the wait was about 30 minutes. An hour and a half later, the wait was still 30 minutes. Went down the road to Baffin Bay S…

Very busy. We made the mistake of not making a reservation. We were told the wait was about 30 minutes. An hour and a half later, the wait was still 30 minutes. Went down the road to Baffin B…

Very busy. We made the mistake of not making a reservation. We were told the wait was about 30 minutes. An hour and a half later, the wait was still 30 minutes. Went down the road to Baffin Bay…

Have been eating at King’s Inn for 40 years and tonight may have been the worst meal ever! Their tarter sauce has changed, the fried oysters were burned dark brown, could not eat them. The black dr…

Ordered food to go, I’ve been waiting over a hour and still no food!!!! I’m watching other people who have come in after me receiving their food!!!

The food was just okay nothing bad, but nothing memorable either. The service, however, was great. Our server was attentive, friendly, and really did their best. Unfortunately, the atmosphere took away from the experience. The restaurant feels very old and dirty, and it’s clearly in need of updates and a deep cleaning. What was most concerning was seeing used toilet paper that appeared to have been used to clean someone’s needles, which was unsettling and raised serious cleanliness and safety concerns.

Horrible experience. Front girls tried stealing $25 dollars from us, after we put a $0 tip on a to-go order. Worked the food industry before and that’s no accident. You have to manually put in a tip after checking if you are adding/not adding a tip to the right card number. Terrible service. They tried blaming our bank before admitting it was their fault.

The tartar sauce had the most flavor than the fried shrimp, catfish and drum but our waitress was excellent. The salad was pretty. But it was hot in there. Don't sit on the left side dinning area in the afternoon. Bad mistake.

Finally came to try this place after hearing good things for years. Re COVID: tables were decently spaced out, employees were wearing masks, and there were hand sanitizer dispensers. The food was not even mediocre. It was SO bland. I don’t get the hype at all. The tartar sauce was strange. It wasn’t terrible, but I definitely wouldn’t buy it to take home like so many others apparently do. We had the Bombay salad as a starter. Our server said there was curry. I didn’t see or taste it? Hushpuppies were a disappointment. Fries had no salt or seasoning. Tilapia was tasteless. The shrimp was probably the best tasting thing we got but still not great. Our server was attentive with the refills and such. However, he would touch the lip of the pitcher to our glasses when refilling. Even pre-COVID, this is a no-no. Not everyone uses a straw and will drink directly from their glasses. TLDR: overhyped for bland food. Not worth driving out here.

Nice location. Not enough windows to take advantage of the beautiful scenery. Interior needs refreshing. They serve soda in cans, no free refills.

+1

The front desk lady attended me more than the waiter, the food was okay but nothing special. I will say the tarter sauce was actually really good, but can't say much about the rest of the food. The scallops were plain, the tilapia was just salt and pepper, and the fried catfish wasn't much different.

I Sat there for 20 minutes waiting for service. A coupe came in, got crackers and butter, not me. The waiter came back and took their order, and ignored me. Hostess was too busy looking at her phone. Left without service, called to speak to manager, left my number, but never got a call back… it was my first time there, and will ever go back! The place looked grubby, on the verge of being condemned.

The food was good. Great concept. Private buffet style for those not a fan of public buffet. Service and atmosphere total opposite. Hubby normally holds me back because I am picky about service. He unleashed the beast. I held back because I didnt want to embarrass him. He told me he was not gonna hold me back cause they deserved all that he knew was coming to them. 1st we were asked if we had a reservation. We did not. It's a fishing town. You go to fish and smell like fish. We were sent to the waiting room for a table in a not so busy restaurant. The leaking AC vent dripping in the middle of the room raised my suspicions. I was offered mayo rudely when I wasn't a fan of the horse radish for tarter sauce. Was scolded because we wanted clean plates after our salad. Forget getting refills. Drink slow and sparingly. Bathrooms were a grade up from the nicest boat ramp bathroom I've been to. You hear other waiters talk about the cheesecake selections. You see them come out and we were told it was frozen when I wanted a to go one. The video is very misleading. If you can't fry it, its not an option. No on the snowcrab. Not in a long time. I've wined n dined numerous places. The food was good but they are not a fine dining experience they seem to think they are. They also are not in a location for that. Twilight zone experience is what im walking away with ....never to go back.

What a difference a year makes and what a disappointing turn the restaurant has made. We arrived, a large party, right at opening at 11:00 am, to an eye roll when we were asked if we had reservations and we replied with a “no”. I did not know this place required reservations? We get to our table and are asked right away if we know what we want to order…no menus given, literally right as we are all trying to find a seat, before we were even asked about drinks. The waitress was friendly enough, she was the only good part of the meal. Now onto the food…I have always loved eating here, it’s always the highlight of our trip, it’s an old building that needs a LOT of upgrades but the food used to be outstanding, so the age and lack of decor or aged decor and restrooms, was easily overlooked, until that day. We received our delicious avocado salads, those are always tasty, so it made the anticipation for the shrimp and fish even better. The batter in the past was always seasoned to perfection, the shrimp, plump, large and tasty, imagine our disappointment when we all served ourselves from the family style plates and discovered there has been a major change. FLAVORLESS, both the shrimp and the batter, the shrimp did not taste fresh, rather it had that old freezer flavor with a batter that absolutely lacked in seasoning. That pretty much was the same with the other fish we had ordered, same batter, same lack in flavor. Everything had that old greasy flavor, or rather “old” grease flavor. Truly a disappointing experience, especially since we had raved to some first timers in our group that this was THE place to eat seafood. I guess we’ll have to try the other seafood company down the street….goodbye to a tradition, bad service is excusable on occasion, but both service AND food? No thanks, I’ll spend my 300 elsewhere.

You can wear a torn shirt, so long as you take your cap off... what a bunch of..... foods not that great...

We have been waiting in the lobby with atleast another 25 individuals... It's been 1 hour and 25 minutes we've been waiting... They are saying thier waiting for the kitchen to catch up???!! What kind of restaurant is this... I talked to the owner Lisa and all she said was sorry we're having a "shift change" and that the phone orders are priority.... If your just driving thru this town in Texas and are wondering about this "Famous" spot, all I can say is keep driving. There is no apologies just excuses, she even said "this is a hard job, no one wants to work it". Wow.... Should we leave a donation?! .....After calling out Lisa to figure out what the problem was, I explained the responsible & courteous thing to do would be to go out to the waiting room and explain the situation to everyone waiting. She was mad, but did it; instantly we were all let into the "empty" restaurant.... Still not sure what the actual problem was BUT atleast we were all able to get a drink and relax knowing we would eat soon. Not too much to choose from in this town, especially if your just driving by. Btw the tartar sauce isn't really tartar sauce but more like a tuna salad and it's really good. Everything else is what's to be expected from fried food. Over all, maybe call in first to see what the current situation is before taking that drive off the main road to try out this place.

Fried food seemed to look and taste reheated. Was dark and dry. The onion rings were skinny messy and dripping in oil. The scallops were cut in pickle size pieces and fried. I couldn't understand why. I had been there years ago. The service was always bad but the food was amazing, which made it worth going back. The bathrooms look and smell old and were hot. Never ever remodeled. People spend enough money there to be able to have nicer restrooms.

This is place is often highly recommended and honestly I don't get it. First off, we had a reservation and we were sat 40 minutes after our reservation time. The waiting space is dusty (like the rest of the restaurant) and it was 85 degrees in the waiting area. When we were finally sat, I noticed dust on all of the wall decor and the carpeted floor was covered in straw wrappers, crumbs, and cracker wrappers. Our waitress was the only highlight, as she was polite and very attentive even though the kitchen was running very behind. Our food took 50 minutes to arrive after we ordered. Oh by the way, you cannot order an appetizer, you have to place your entire order at one time even though that does nothing to make the food come out faster. The restaurant does not have any menus, you have to scan a code to see the very limited menu. The restaurant only has beer, no mixed drinks or liquor. The plates are very old, you can literally see the top layer coming off. The water tastes disgusting so make sure you order a soda or extra lemons to avoid the taste of dirt. The avocado salad is served warm. The fish tasted disgusting and very fishy, not to mention the very small portions. The restroom is very unaccomodating, the stall doesn't lock, the toilet paper is stored on the floor and the restaurant is cooled with the dustiest window units I've ever seen. They should serve mints as you leave to get the nasty taste of the food out of your mouth for the ridiculously long ride home because this restaurant is so far out of the way.

Not my choice to meet there; it was selected by my cousin because it was convenient and near his home. Nothing stood out that I would return personally. I spent about 30 dollars on two omelets.

It had been a while since I had returned. I had had a good experience the last time. So when my best friend asked if we could go and eat here, I quickly said yes and demanded I treat he and his wife to a “good” meal. My girlfriend and I met the out of state couple there, during a recent rain storm. That meant there wouldn’t be many people there and therefore, we thought that we would get prompt and exceptional service. Wow!, were we ever wrong!! We were seated by the bay, and we sat there for about fifteen minutes, waiting for a waiter or waitress or anyone. There were three other tables with patrons seated at them. But otherwise the place was empty. There seemed to be enough staff to accommodate 20 tables being served. But no one would come and take our order. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to ruin the experience for our guests. They had driven in from Joplin, MO, so I let it slide and a rotund, condescending waitress finally approached us to take our orders. Again, there were hardly any other people at the restaurant but they took about 25 minutes to prepare what normally takes 15 minutes or less. (I am referring to the other times I had visited the restaurant). I let that slide as well. When the food arrived, we passed around the 5 or so plates of food, (1 lb of fried shrimp, 1 lb of fried drum, 1 lb of fried frog’s legs, onion rings, and French fries). We started eating and my girlfriend whispered that something was off. The food just didn’t taste the same. I played it off and watched our guests enjoy it. When it came time to pass the plates around for another helping, at least 20 minutes had passed and we still hadn’t been visited by our waitress. No drink refills, no “how is everything”…nothing. We continued eating and then my friend’s wife stopped to pull a 5 inch blonde hair out of a piece of shrimp, she was about to eat. We all saw it and I immediately felt embarrassed. My girlfriend even gasped. I took her plate and set it aside. We handed her a cleaner unused plate and she reluctantly tried to continue eating. I tried to get a waitress to see us and come to see what the problem was. I almost got up to head to the counter. And then another girl, not our original one, saw me and hesitantly came over to acknowledge me. “Yes sir?” I informed her that our friend had pulled a hair out of her food. Her response was more shocking than the hairy shrimp…”so…you want another shrimp?” She glared at me with a menacing, and upset look. I said, “is that all you’re going to say?” “Well, I will let the cook know”. And that was it! Nothing else was acknowledged. We finished up and left. When I got the bill, nothing was adjusted either. I went to pay, and the cashier’s, “how was everything?”, sounded more forced than the last drop of a shampoo bottle. I informed her of the poor service and poorly prepared food, and again, “oh, I’m sorry. That will be $120.56. Cash or card?” This place supposedly celebrated 90 years of service this month. I believe the best years of service are behind it. I don’t know if it’s under new management or if it was just a bad day, and no one wanted to be there. But, I will not return and I will let all of my friends and family know not to return either. If I’m going to be laughed at, and be expected to pay for it, I prefer it be at another place.

Extremely Disappointing Experience – Good Food, But Not Worth the Treatment We had a truly disappointing experience at King’s Inn on Saturday June 28, 2025. To begin, they opened late, which set the tone for everything that followed. When we finally got in, there was no greeting, no welcome—just a cold, uncomfortable atmosphere. The entire staff looked like they didn't want to be there, and unfortunately, that attitude carried into their service. We were the third group to be seated after they opened, yet we received our food long after others who arrived well after us. Our server, Sonia, was particularly unwelcoming and dismissive. When we politely asked for an update on our appetizers, Sonia became visibly upset, yelled at the kitchen staff in front of us, and said we were the reason she was asking. The food, when it finally came, was practically thrown onto our table, and Sonia looked visibly annoyed and angry the entire time. Sonia never came back to check on us, and when we asked for water and added an order of hushpuppies, those items never came. We tried several times to get Sonia’s attention to ask for our bill, but Sonia completely ignored us. When I finally got her attention, she handed our ticket to another server to bring to us, without a word. I still don’t understand why Sonia treated us this way—she seemed to dislike us from the moment we walked in, for no reason. It's clear she didn’t want to be there, but that’s no excuse to treat paying customers with such disregard. The food was good, but definitely not worth the frustration, disrespect, and lack of basic service. We won’t be returning.

Waitress gave poor service. Avacado salad was great! Shrimp was rubber and food sub par. I had great expectations from my visit 20 years ago, sadly I won’t be back.

Horrible service. The hostess never smiled, she looked like she was done with everyone. Just sour. The waiter took over 10 minutes to come to the table. No menus. He gave us a piece of tattered paper with the food items. We waited over an hour for greasy soggy onion rings, cold fries and cold oily shrimp. The waiter forgot about us until we went to the bar area! Once he saw us, the food was brought to the table, but again it was much much less than desirable. R waiter never came to bring us the check, we ultimately just went to the register. Once again the hostess couldn't be bothered. Just plain awful 2/10 will not be back.

Went to Kings Inn to celebrate my bday. Looks like the waitress did not want to assist us. I had to ask for service. The food was good. Asked for lemons. Asked for ketchup. Asked for tea refill which she took her time until she felt like it. She started doing something else. Another waitress passed by our table with a pitcher of tea. I asked her for a refill and she made a face and continued walking to serve her people. I feel people should not work in a restaurant if they don’t want to please their customers. Very disappointed in their service. I had been there before and had never had any issues. So sad.

Judy Tiller

We have been going to Kings Inn for many years and things have definitely changed. We always get a reservation before going....well that's a waste of time now. THEY DON'T HONOR IT. We waited 30 minutes over our reservation while others were being seated. Service was slow, slow. Shrimp was so tough and overcooked, crab patties were tasteless. We had out of town visitors with us and they were so disappointed! We will seriously question ever going back. We think they have new owners too. Maybe that's the problem.

Beth Massie

Terrible experience. We went to celebrate my birthday on a Wednesday at lunch. Not crowded. Waitress was too busy trying to fix the credit card machine to wait on us….her only table. She ruined our entire experience, never appeared again after food delivered, so I had to refill our drinks. Never even brought the check. She needs to find a job she loves, because this is not it. Fried shrimp were a greasy. Lots of pooled grease on the plate she brought them out on. I won’t go back anytime soon. So disappointed.

Raised Spirit

Normally, I would take the time to add photos to a review, but this restaurant does not meet any good standards. The shrimp was over-cooked. Might as well be jerky. The onions rings were burnt. Fried to a cinder. The crab cakes were devoid of flavor. There are far more restaurants in Texas worthy of reviewing. Worthy of photos. This is not such a place. If you want substandard, go for it. I was really looking foward to trying this place out. Especially, after driving over 80 miles to arrive. Major let down. Felt really bad for the friends we met there. Please don't waste your time or money here.