You can’t get fresher than caught the same day as you buy at local seafood markets.
Corpus Christi is renowned for its fresh red snapper, but that's not the only local catch available for aspiring seafood chefs. Cooking your own fresh seafood can be a fun way to experience the flavors of the Gulf while visiting the Corpus Christi area, especially with so many vacation rentals that have fully stocked kitchens. Here's a typical fresh catch you can expect to find at area fish markets.
Blue Crab
Blue crabs have a distinctive savory, sweet-and-salty flavor. The claws and legs have a stronger flavor than the body, but it's all delicious when you're enjoying locally caught steamed or boiled blue crab.
Oysters
Ninety percent of domestic oysters come from the Gulf of Mexico. Fried oysters are popular in po-boys, or you can enjoy them barbecued or served fresh on the half shell.
Red Snapper
Versatile red snapper pairs well with almost anything thanks to its sweet, nutty flavor and firm texture. Gulf Coast fish markets deliver some of the freshest red snapper around.
Brown Shrimp
From May through September, Corpus Christi seafood markets are filled with the freshest brown shrimp. Fresh-caught shrimp have a distinctively different flavor than the frozen stuff that's shipped from shore to shore, so don't pass these up.
White Shrimp
White shrimp are the second most common shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico. You’ll find them when visiting in the fall and winter. White shrimp are larger than brown shrimp and have tender flesh, which soaks up sauces when cooked.
Now that your appetite for fish is whetted, pick up a variety of locally caught seafood at these fish markets around Corpus Christi.
Corpus Christi Fish Markets
Captain Joe's Seafood
324 E. Goodnight Ave., Aransas Pass, TX 78336
(361) 758-3893
Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
Flower's Shrimp Market
1119 S. Church St., Rockport, TX 78382
(361) 790-5751
Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
Groomer's Seafood
4002 E. Causeway Blvd., Corpus Christi, TX 78402
(361) 730-1514
Hours: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Wednesday; 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday; and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday
Morgan Street Seafood Market
602 Morgan Ave., Corpus Christi, TX 78404
(361) 881-9288
Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 8 a.m.-noon Sunday
Paul’s Seafood Market
9810 South Padre Island Drive, Corpus Christi, TX 78418
(361) 939-7447
Hours: 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday
