The site of Corpus Christi’s first Raising Cane’s chicken fingers restaurant was once a Taco Cabana. One of Moore Plaza’s first tenants, Taco Cabana closed in 2017. The building was demolished in early July. Photo by Roland Chiapoco
Options for where to eat and drink in Corpus Christi continue to grow with the addition of three new restaurants, a new brewery, a second location for a local favorite, and the grand opening of another old favorite in a new location.
Vick’s Famous Hamburgers cuts the ribbon on its new, bigger restaurant at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, July 12, at 626 N. Port Ave.
The city’s fifth Chick-fil-A restaurant also opens July 12 after a 24-hour campout on its site at 5929 Saratoga Blvd. Free meals for a year will be awarded to 100 Chick-fil-A fans willing to spend 24 hours in the parking lot before the grand opening.
Also coming to Corpus Christi are Raising Cane’s, a chicken fingers restaurant, in Moore Plaza on South Padre Island Drive, Nueces Brewing Co. in downtown, and, Burgerim on S. Staples.
J.P. Bombers is opening a second location downtown lafter closing is original restaurant on Everhart a year ago.
VICK’S FAMOUS HAMBURGERS
Vick’s Famous Hamburgers has been an area favorite for 42 years at two locations: one at 4989 Ayers St. and now at the new location on Port Avenue. That new location happens to be next door to its original location, which opened as Vick’s Fried Chicken in 1976. Customer acclaim for the burgers led to the name change.
“Owning this restaurant has been part of my family’s American dream,” owner George Pollakis said. “I was 12 years old when my parents followed other family members from Athens, Greece, to Corpus Christi. My degree in restaurant management from Del Mar College has been instrumental in my success.”
Although known for its burgers, Vick’s also serves chicken, fish, shrimp, and Tex-Mex.
CHICK-FIL-A NO. 5
At least 100 people will be camping out in the parking lot of the city’s fifth Chick-fil-A on Thursday-Friday, July 11-12, all to win a year’s worth of free chicken dinners. The fourth franchise to open on the Southside, the new Chick-fil-A is expected to provide 100 new jobs. It will include an indoor play area and free Wi-Fi.
A community celebration, the campout will include a book drive for Moore Elementary School. Owners Maria and Kevin Sharp, who are new to Corpus Christi, said the book drive is just one way they plan to be active, supportive members of the community.
RAISING CANE’S
Where once stood a Taco Cabana will soon be a Raising Cane’s restaurant. When it opens in about six months, it will be the first Raising Cane’s in the Coastal Bend with the nearest one located in San Antonio.
Named for the owner’s dog, Raising Cane’s serves fried-chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, coleslaw, Texas toast, and a variety of Cane’s sauces. The restaurant will be built in Moore’s Plaza shopping center, at South Padre Island Drive and Staples Street, where a Taco Cabana was recently torn down.
Raising Cane’s comes in as Moore Plaza changes hands. Weingarten Realtor Investors sold to Ranier Realty Investments in Dallas in February. Taco Cabana opened in Moore Plaza in 1989 as one of the shopping center’s first tenants. It closed in 2017.
NUECES BREWING CO.
A familiar abandoned downtown building might soon be getting a facelift as Nueces Brewing Co. prepares the old Tradewinds Ford dealership for its planned microbrewing operation. Located at 401 S. Water St., the brewery states on its Facebook page that it will “brew a craft beer that is drinkable when we go fishing all day, or surfing, or kite-boarding.”
“We do not want a beer that gives us that bloated, drunk face feeling,” the post continues. “We want something light, crisp, and refreshing that is perfect for when we #goplayoutside.”
Strictly a brewery, the operation plans to include an outdoor patio for food trucks along with a tasting room.
BURGERIM
California-based burger chain Burgerim plans to open a franchise at 6418 S. Staples St., where Gracia Mexican Cantina used to be. Famous for its mini-burgers, Burgerim offers variety packs of 2.8-ounce burgers with an array of buns, sauces, and toppings. The packs come with one, two, three, or 16 mini-burgers that you can design yourself with three different buns, six sauces, 11 patties, and nine toppings.
J.P. BOMBERS
A year ago, J.P. Bombers closed its original restaurant, leaving the location at 5201 Everhart Road as the only place to chow down on its hamburgers, sandwiches, nachos, buffalo wings, chicken, seafood, and salads.
Advertised as “a place like no other,” J.P. Bombers opened its newest location in July at 622 N. Water St.
