Executive Surf Club

Executive Surf Club (ESC) is an old school bar / live music venue / American food restaurant that has been around since the 80's I believe. It exemplifies Corpus' vibrant and historic "surfing" culture, although the city is less well known for that now. According to their website: "Located on popular Chaparral Street in Corpus Christi Texas the Executive Surf Club is the perfect spot to grab a casual meal, listen to the best in live local music, or simply enjoy the Coast!"As someone who has lived here twice over the last decade or so, I can attest to this statement. In fact, the first time I lived here I worked right across the street.ESC is part of the "Water St. Market" family of restaurants and venues, and sits snuggly in a cozy downtown "market" most visitors and every resident will recognize. It's very inviting, very casual, very interesting.The food is good; above average for American "bar food". The atmosphere and crowd is a great representation of peak South Texas culture, which is why it's such a magnet to visitors during "tourist season".I suppose the thing I enjoy most about the place is its management and staff. Let me explain: like many restaurants of this caliber, it's a revolving door for local youth and such finding their way through life, etc. However, unlike other nearby restaurants (I won't name names), they consistently maintain great service standards. Always friendly, always "South Texas casual" professional. Many visitors to the city invariably end up downtown. It's the nature of visiting new or infrequently visited places. If that should be you, and you are looking for a casual place for a drink, a break, or good meal that fits the bill as I have described, consider stopping by. I doubt you'll be disappointed.

Atmosphere is cute and music gives this place good vibes. The service is absolutely great! I got the classic burger with onion rings, which was very messy, but good. Downside was that I sat outside and there was so many birds and flies swarming me for food. You can tell this is where they normally eat, but it made me feel super super rushed when eating! Food was fast.

Service seems to vary greatly based on who is working. At first had amazing service but they left and service went downhill with the different employees. The food was quick to the table. The queso is not recommended but the burger was delicious.

It is iconic and a fun place with live music, just don't expect a lot from the kitchen. We ordered stuffed Serrano peppers to start and received fried cheese balls with the tiniest sliver of pepper in the center. We told the manager that we were disappointed in the misrepresentation and he was very kind and went above and beyond to make up for it. It's a fun bar but the food is meh.

For decades now, if I'm in Corpus, I'm stopping in here for a meal. The ambience is great and the food is still pretty good. The burgers are always a safe bet and the staff is still as friendly as ever.You can go anywhere for a meal, but this is a chill spot to spend time and enjoy the scene. As the kids say: "it's a vibe".

My son had the burger and he said it was good. CFS and hand cut fries, no so much. I think this place is more of a fun bar with good live music. People were friendly and service was nice.

Very unexpected and delicious! The vibe of this place is what really stuck out to me. It was packed on both sides and everyone was having a good time. Their menu is eclectic and reasonably priced. You order at the counter and your food is delivered to your table. They have a bar attached if you want to get any drinks, there is also a huge outdoor patio with live music which we loved.

Recently went for dinner on 06-03-24. Wife had a margarita and I had a beer to start. Typical drinks for downtown. The fried pickles were very tasty as was there fish and chips. It's not your traditional cod dipped in wet batter more like tilapia fried traditionally but still delicious. The wings were just ok. Overall the service was attentive and I would return.

I've been going here since the glory days of the Hotrod Gang. I even used to work across Chaparral at Tom Foolery's. It's a shining example of what Corpus has to offer in terms of good times, good food, and awesome music. Really, this is an awesome venue. No place is perfect, especially when you've been going there for over a quarter century. Sure, I've had some concerns in the past. But, somehow the people at this place keep addressing them without making a big deal out of it. My wife and I usually go for daytime food and fun on the weekend, when there is consistently a solo performer from noon-4pm (Sat/Sun). Also, the open mic with Rick on Wednesdays is great. I know they have a trivia night (Drinks with Geeks) on Mondays. They also host a lot festivals, and they supplement the other festivals downtown. I've met some cool local musicians over the years and I highly recommend this family and dog friendly place. They do have indoor and outdoor seating, plenty of good food options (no u-peel-ems though), a full bar, and a wide selection of drafts (that changes with the seasons and availability). Here's some pics from spring break 2024. Pro tip: Get the surf burger (has beans, Fritos, and salsa). If you get the salad, have the house dressing (it's a Walnut dressing)

Good burgers, good onion rings, good band playing. Feels like a dive bar that is kinda run down, but it appeared clean.