John OlivaCorpus Christi Caller Times
Several new restaurants opened in Corpus Christi this year.
At the same time, several eateries shut its doors. One even opened and closed shortly afterward, while another converted its brick-and-mortar into a food truck.
Here's a roundup of those businesses that opened and closed in 2024.
Now a food truck
Hornsby's Seafood and Mo — 2202 Agnes St.
The local seafood favorite closed its doors in spring 2024. But after a few months, it reopened as a food truck that can be found at various locations throughout the week. It is cash only.
It will be located at the Family Dollar at 2224 Agnes St. on Monday, Tuesday and Friday. It will be located at Cash America Pawn at 2110 Agnes St. on Wednesday and Thursday.
New restaurants
Bell'Aroma Café Southside — 6601 Everhart Road
The business opened a second location in Corpus Christi's Southside in November. This cafe offers coffee drinks, sandwiches and sweets.
It is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.
Daily Fix Cafe — 6237 Kostoryz Road
Daily Fix Cafe, located near the new Carroll High School, opened in February to provide healthy options for the community. The menu includes coffee drinks, smoothies and lunch meals.
It is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
Frida's Mexican Restaurant — 414 Starr St.
Frida's, named after the renowned Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, specializes in breakfast, tacos, smoothies and other Mexican dishes. The restaurant opened in the middle of February.
It is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
Gallery 41 Water's Edge Grill — 100 N. Shoreline Blvd.
Located at the Art Center of Corpus Christi, the new restaurant includes an outdoor patio with a view of the water. It opened in March 2024.
It is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Grind Coffee Co. — 615 N. Upper Broadway St.
This new coffee shop, found in uptown Corpus Christi, opened its doors in August 2024. Grind Coffee Co. serves iced and hot coffee, and non-coffee drinks.
It is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m Monday through Friday.
The Grind Grill & Bar — 3202 Leopard St.
The Grind Grill & Bar opened in the city's Westside in September 2024, and serves burgers, beer, hot dogs and cocktails. The new restaurant has happy hour specials throughout the week, including $3.50 Jack Daniels drinks from 3 to 7 p.m.
It is open from 11 a.m. to midnight daily.
Hooters — 4551 S. Padre Island Drive
After closing in 2021 from a fire, Hooters reopened its doors in June 2024. The popular sports bar rebuilt its former building at its old location.
It is open from 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday; 11 to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday.
Marty McPies — 300 N. Shoreline Blvd.
One of Corpus Christi's most popular food trucks opened a brick-and-mortar location in downtown Corpus Christi in June 2024. Marty McPies specializes in pizza, but also serves wings, salads and cookies.
It is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Merida's Tapas & Cantina — 15137 S. Padre Island Drive
After losing Mikel May's to Hurricane Hanna, owner Merida "May" Mendoza knew she wanted to open another restaurant. In came Merida's Tapas & Cantina, which opened in January and serves tapas, seafood and more.
It is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m Friday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.
Mia Mia's Pizzeria — 2806 Santa Fe St.
The owners of Sugarbaker's and Fork & Vines opened their third business in June 2024, Mia Mia's Pizzeria. The pizza shop is also home to Sebastian's Scoop Shop — an ice cream shop featuring shakes, ice cream sandwiches and more.
It is open from 3 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
OK HI-FI — 415 Peoples St.
The latest hot spot to hit Peoples Street in downtown Corpus Christi is OK HI-FI, which opened in May 2024. It not only specializes in cocktails, but also sets an atmosphere with a DJ and mood lighting.
It is open from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Wednesday through Friday and 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday.
On The Rocks Downtown — 429 Schatzell St.
On The Rocks Downtown, a restaurant bar, opened its doors in late June 2024. It specializes in cocktails and finger foods.
It is open from 4 p.m. to midnight Tuesday through Thursday; 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday; and 2 to 11 p.m. Sunday.
Prohibition — 326 N. Chaparral St.
Located in downtown Corpus Christi, Prohibition is one of the newest bars that has a "speakeasy" feel. The bar, which serves pizza and other food, celebrates the era from 1920 to 1933 with décor of gangster mugshots, newspaper front pages about Prohibition and mob films playing on nearly all four televisions.
It is open from 7 to 11 p.m. Thursday and 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
Tacos Locos & Margaritas — 7426 S. Staples St.
A new taco shop opened up on Corpus Christi's Southside in July 2024, specializing in tacos, margaritas, lemonades and more.
It is open from 11 a.m to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 2 to 7 p.m. Sunday.
Restaurants that closed
Calypso Starr Street Cafe — 414 Starr St.
The second location of Cafe Calypso closed in early 2024. It originally opened in late November in 2022.
The original spot, right next to Half-Price Books in Moore Plaza, is still open and serves customers regularly.
Coral Bean Cafe — 7426 S. Staples St.
This coffee shop in the city's Southside closed its doors this year after opening in 2020. The business was known for itsin-house specialties and house-made ingredients.
Cruzy's Bar & Grill — 7042 S. Staples St.
In August 2024, Cruzy's announced on its Facebook it was shutting down. After opening in 2020, the business faced challenges repeatedly before reopening in February this year. The post teased to a new concept in the existing space on South Staples Street, but details weren't given.
Johnny Carino's — 1652 S. Padre Island Drive
Johnny Carino's, a popular Italian restaurant, called it quits in Corpus Christi right at the beginning of 2024. The closest location is in San Antonio.
Las Braza's Cocina Bar & Grill — 4425 S. Alameda St.
The Mexican American restaurant opened in March 2023, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner options. It closed in early 2024.
Milky Coffee Bar — 5892 Everhart Road
The intimate coffee shop in The Market on Everhart closed its doors in late August 2024. Milky Coffee Bar opened in October 2022, and provided coffee drinks, banana pudding, seasonal drinks and more.
Mimi's & Papa's — 4242 Laguna Shores Road
Mimi's and Papa's was first known as My Mimi's Kitchen, and used to be located next to the H-E-B Plus in the Flour Bluff area before relocating to the old Laguna Reef Restaurant in March 2024. Six months later, the restaurant closed down.
Salty Oak BBQ — 4855 S. Alameda St.
One of Corpus Christi's most popular barbecue eateries shut its doors to its Alameda location in early 2024. The owners initially had plans to open a new location in the city's Southside area in April 2024, but plans fell through due to "multiple hurdles," according to a Facebook post from Salty Oak BBQ.
TGI Fridays — 5217 S. Padre Island Drive
TGI Fridays in Moore Plaza closed in the early days of 2024. The restaurant opened in Moore Plaza on Oct. 6, 1997.The company announced it had closed 36 underperforming locations, including the Corpus Christi location.
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John Oliva covers entertainment and community news in South Texas. Contact him at john.oliva@caller.comor Twitter@johnpoliva.
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