New Galveston restaurant brings in Houston chefs

Ocean Grille & Beach Bar in Galveston. Ocean Grille & Beach Bar in Galveston. Photo: Bryan Davis Photo: Bryan Davis Image 1 of / 51 Caption Close New Galveston restaurant brings in Houston chefs 1 / 51 Back to Gallery

There's a new restaurant in Galveston that's poised to be an island dining scene staple.

Ocean Grille & Beach Bar (1228 Seawall Blvd.) just made its debut and brings with it a host of familiar names.

Restaurateur Randall Pettit and operating partner Bryan Davis brought on two Houston-area chefs to launch the place. Brian Peper, formerly of Urban Eats and Bellaire-area Costa Brava, is the executive chef, and Randy Evans, Pettit's longtime friend, served as a consulting chef.

After Evans' acclaimed Houston restaurant Haven called it quits, he kept busy with several restaurant consulting projects (including an in-house H-E-B eatery in the Galleria area and Local Pour in The Woodlands). Those who still miss Haven will be happy to see some of that restaurant's dishes on Ocean Grille's menu, including the shrimp corn dogs.

Evans is known for popularizing the farm-to-table dining concept in Houston. So it comes as no surprise that Ocean Grille will center on regionally-sourced, homegrown ingredients.

Fish and shrimp come directly from Katie's Seafood Market in Galveston, Akaushi beef is pastured in Gonzales, Texas, and spices are purchased at Maceo's, also in Galveston. Even dessert is island-sourced: Hey Mikey's ice cream, just blocks down the road, is served with after-dinner sweets.

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"(Evans) taught me a lot about the local farmers, fishmongers, and ranchers in the greater Houston area," Davis says. "(Peper) drives his golf cart down to Katie's Seafood in the morning to watch the boats come in, then rolls up to the restaurant with a cooler full of fish."

Since the restaurant scene often comes to a halt at the end of the tourist season, Evans wanted to appeal to the island's residents, not just those who drive out for fried shrimp.

"In Galveston, if you're only supported by tourists, you're not going to make it," Evans explains. "You need the support of the locals."

As for drinks, expect a lengthy list of options. Since Davis was Evans' wine buyer at Haven, he's familiar with quality bottles. "I am utilizing the same 1.8 to 2x markup on wine that drove the list at Haven," Davis said. "And my 50-bottle list will grow to around 150 selections."

Davis says, "We aim to be the go-to place on the Seawall, if not the island, for casual wine drinking with a well-curated list and a beautiful backdrop."