We happened upon Galveston a couple times in the past. Once because we heard there was an open mic, and with Steve and I being musicians, this seemed like a nice way to get our foot in the musical door of the community. Another time it was a host to a back to school kick off. One other time we were there to actually dine. We haven't been back, because, well, we just haven't...until last night. In all honesty we were lulled by the 2 for $22 special that happens to be their Tuesday night mainstay.
Stepping back for a moment; Galveston's claim is that "Our community is the heart and soul of Galveston," and I couldn't agree more!
We were greeted by a familiar face, a student from the local high school. Our local school community was present and welcoming by way of the host staff. I saw yet another student busing tables. Across the room I saw one of my students enjoying dinner with a friend. The other side of the room one of my student's parents. It was community and it was bustling! We discovered that Tuesday night special is a big hit and the place was packed. We were told it would be 20 minutes until we would be seated. We found that there was ample room in the bar area to wait out the 20 minutes or so and they had a $3 Margarita special! The crowd was such that we didn't get served while we waited at the bar, but somehow observing the locals and taking in the specials, etc., filled the time and overshadowed what appeared to be an understaffed bar area. In actuality, the wait time proved to be less than 20 minutes.
Galveston's hospitality is truly one of their strong points. The wait staff was pleasant, helpful and service was with a smile. We waffled between ordering off of the special's menu or the regular menu. Having not eaten there in a very long time we weren't certain. Many places cut back on special's night and we didn't wanted to have a good impression of the place. So, we ordered two different things of the special menu so as to get a good look at the gastronomical side of Galveston. Steve ordered the chicken shish-ka-bob with rice and vegetables. The waiter said with a smile, "good choice." I was in the mood for beef, hence the other reason Galveston Steakhouse came to mind. I ordered the filet medallions with mushroom sauce and a sweet potato. We both chose the house salad with blue cheese dressing. The other option would have been a cup of cream of mushroom soup. I am now wishing one of us would have ordered soup. Soup and dessert are 2 items that, in my opinion guarantee a restaurant knows how to cook from scratch.
Every order comes with a dark sweet bread. The bread was fresh, warm and far too tempting for someone on a low-carb diet! How we resisted eating the whole thing, I have no idea! The salad, well, it was just a simple dinner salad, which is fine, because the food that followed was very good and more than enough.
I suffered from food envy immediately upon seeing Steve's plate arrive. It was a generous assortment of fresh, grilled vegetables, including my favorite; brussel sprouts, GRILLED! The seasoning used to bring together the myriad of flavors was perfect. The rice was maybe the best seasoned rice dish we have both had in a very long time. Perfection.
The medallions was equally good and very tender. The sauce, clearly house made with fresh mushrooms, not canned, (thank goodness) and the sweet potato was not your typical sweet potato loaded with butter, sugar and cinnamon, but it was served with a dark brown sugar sauce (almost caramel) on the side. Again, house made and delectable. Steve and I shared plates and were still able to bring home leftovers, which is Saturday Night Stever's absolute favorite thing to do. But Wait, we are not done yet...
On Tuesday nights you not only get a fabulous meal 2 for $22, you also get a dessert to share. The waiter asked if we would like one and at first we were reluctant, low-carbs, you know. He smiled and said, it is a homemade brownie with vanilla ice cream in a very luring tone. How could we resist his desire to please our palettes? The dessert was the perfect size for a sweet treat. The brownie was warm, fudge-y and delicious. Again, perfection.
We will be back without a doubt time and time again. Galveston's claim to be the heart and soul of the community is spoken truth. High quality food, great service and a friendly atmosphere, along with affordable prices makes Galveston a shining gem near the water's edge.
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