Monument Inn

Great view of the harbor and warm ambience, excellent service, and wonderful food! Everything we look for in a restaurant! We recommend the gumbo, alligator bites, and catfish. So glad we chose this restaurant.

This is a great place to eat me and my husband go a couple times a month the stuffed peppers are so good and the shrimp is wonderful my husband fish was great. we will be going back

Just not for me. I had tilapia, but it did not have the light «unfishy» taste I prefer in tilapia. The pontchartain sauce was nothing special. The coleslaw was ok, but was just a couple of spoonfuls. The rice pilaf was NOT a usual rice pilaf, but more like a cajun pilaf.
The bread/​rolls are very good, as are the cinnamon rolls they serve with the dinner rolls.
The service is never great, and sometimes horrible.
We only go back to this place when we are with friends/​family that pick it as the meeting place. If I had a choice, I would not return.

I used to feel like the Monument Inn was one of the nicer seafood places in town, but after three visits in the past two years, especially the most recent, I have completely changed my mind.
Most recently I ordered a tuna steak, rare, and it was literally inedible. I don’t know how else to describe it. It was hard, extremely dry, flavorless, and definitely seemed like it had been frozen previously. For a seafood restaurant in coastal town with $ 25+ meals, this was totally unacceptable. I won’t be returning.
I will say that the staff has always been kind and helpful.

OK, so this is now the third time I’ve been to this place and I gotta say it really does live up to its hype! Going to a popular restaurant on Mother’s day is always a gamble but they definetly have their operation down, I gotta give them that. We were smart and got there early though. Good thinking Mom! Upon sitting we were immediatly greated and our drink and appetizers taken. We ordered the crabmeat stuffed jalapenos that comes with a side of ranch and they were the bomb! This place is known for there seafood cooked anyway you want and they do not disappoint. If you are on a diet this place may not be the restaurant you are looking for. The portions are huge and all come with a side of your choice and a side salad (bag salad though). Don’t plan on ordering a dessert because you’re not gonna be able to even think about anymore food after your meal and the complimentary dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls that come before your meal. Btw don’t forget to use the chair lift on the way down if you’ve eaten too much :\ lol
Service: ⁵⁄₅
Food quality: ⁴⁄₅

Wow! The best stuffed flounder ever. Great service, great wine and the cinnamon rolls were to die for. It’s really neat to sit by the window and watch the ships and barges go by. The place is decorated really coastal. Loved it!

A little out of the way but was very glade it was there after long day traveling and touring the battle ship and the monument.

This place is disgusting. They have the most awful bisque I have ever had the displeasure of tasting. The steak was dog food at best. Please, do not eat here because it’s «historical.» You are being bombarded by carcinogens just traveling here, and the food has to be contaminated. DO NOT EAT HERE!

Been eating here for many years as it’s close to home. It never disappoints when you want some great fried shrimp, raw oysters, fish and chips, or catfish. This place has a great selection but I’ve usually stuck with the basics here. It gets packed on the weekends and there can be a long wait but the food is good. One of the favorites is the fresh rolls and cinnamon rolls. Fantastic! Always a good option for fresh seafood.

Damn good cinnamon rolls offered as you wait. Offers a pretty large menu from burgers (under «light» fare) to pasta and gulf seafood.
Staff is attentive and delightful. Recommend anything fried during lunch this place is frequented by the plant workers nearby and foo platters aren’t made too often during working hours.

Was seated very fast with a great view of the ship channel. The waiter came very fast and got our drinks out quickly. Gave our party the perfect amount of time to order. The cinnamon rolls are very good. My chicken fried chicken is so very very good. Does get a bit loud in here, but no anything one cannot handle. I will say, when I am in the area, I know just where I will be eating. Waiter was so very good.

I love this place. The food is great ! Every time we eat here our server is always very nice and gets our order right. The food taste very good.
I wish they had more seating in the bar and the wait is usually long. It is worth the wait is all I can say,
we have never been disappointed when we eat here.

This is a little tough to review, and it’s probably my fault, as I chose to come here for Valentine’s Day. Yeah. I know. What was I thinking?! But dang it, been wanting to come here for awhile and I like trying new places. But on Valentine’s Day? Yeah. Not so much.
We got there around 4:00 pm or so and the wait was an hour. That’s fine; I knew it would be a long wait. The restaurant is upstairs, and although there’s a big sign that says so, people were confused at where to go. There’s not much waiting room upstairs, but down below is a big area to sit and they had cups and cold water available, so that was nice.
The wait really was an hour, so I was impressed that it was what they predicted. We were seated by the windows so that was cool, and that was where it started going downhill. Our waitress was not good at all. I don’t know if it was because she was busy, or what, but it seemed like she was totally ignoring our table. All the tables around us got their drinks and bread and rolls, and we got… nothing. Finally, she brought us water. And nothing else. Then she finally came back to take our order and still no rolls or bread and no explanation as to why. If she would have said they were baking some, that’s fine, just let us know! We finally got 1 cinnamon roll and 1 bread roll. Gee. Good thing we weren’t hungry after waiting… And yes, all the other tables around us had full baskets, even with just two people.
Now, although the service sucked, the food was good! The crab stuffed jalapenos were delicious, although could have been a little spicier. The salads that came with dinner were just wilted lettuce so that was disappointing as hubby loves a good salad. These were not good. I got fried shrimp and hubby got chicken fried steak. Both were delicious, and generous portions, so nothing to complain about there.
We did have to ask for more rolls and when I asked for more than one a piece, I got a little bit of attitude, which I didn’t appreciate. I understand she didn’t want to work on Valentine’s Day, but that’s not my problem. Find a different job if you hate it so much.
So the food was good, definitely a four; the service was a one, so I’m going to average it to three stars. I would like to go back, but just not on a holiday. So that’s my bad for that, but don’t punish me with crappy service.

How can anyone say no to a restaurant with a view in Houston! There’s not much to look at around here. I just might visit the monuments and battleship more often just for eating here.
We ordered a la cart this time, and the first try is so enjoyable that I am definitely coming back for the all-​you-​can-​eat meal.
Oyster on half shell is very cleanly freshly done, love it! Potato soup, gumbo and bisque are all good. Cinamon roll and bread are nice and warm. Fried cheese sticks and bacon wrapped shrimp are decent. However, cocktail shrimp and stuffed fish are not up to my Chinese expectation for seafood. I am used to live seafood from tanks. No comparison there so just stay away. Didn’t order any fried seafood because freshness from the sea is not meant to be fried. We should only do that to frozen stuff so no thanks.
Service was very good, you can tell they train the staff very well. Very enjoyable dining experience all around, highly recommended.

Excellent place to eat, very busy around meal time, get there early or a little later after the noon hour rush.
Food is always amazing. I have had a few different things and always stuffed when I leave. there are stairs to get to dining area but they have stair lift chair. The view is enjoyable as it overlooks the shipping channel and the ferry crossing. I would highly encourage the effort to get there and be aware of the ferry schedule on holidays.
Clean restrooms, great artwork, friendly service! good place for a business lunch or relaxing and leisurely dining experience.

We stumbled on this restaurant by accident after touring the Battleship Texas and I’m so glad we did.
Homestyle comfort Southern food with a view of the water and ships passing by were a winner.
Walking in is tricky because it looks confusing and empty-​but just take the stairs up to the main dining room and you’ll find the hostess stands.
Lots of windows and booths so kids have views of the giant cargo ships passing by which they’ll enjoy seeing.
Service was prompt and friendly.
Kids loved their food. Bread basket had some surprises like sweet rolls. Everything we had was devoured. Shrimp pasta was delicious. Fried green tomatoes were a nice surprise and yummy. Bisque was good and creamy, the crab cakes were crunchy and full of flavor. I didn’t order a main dish because we ordered so many appetizers.
It’s a hearty place so bring your appetite and imagination because you’ll find some interesting things on the menu like alligator!
Lots of families and big parties on this day.
Overall, I’ll be back if I’m ever out this way.

Hands down the best shrimp I have ever had! And I’ve had lots of shrimp lol
Monument Inn is a little off the beaten path, Located close to the Battleship Texas and San Jacinto Monument, very sacred ground for people in the region.
The prices are high but this is high end sea food. The Pan Fried Shrimp are out of the world and prepared in a way I’ve never found anywhere else. The cinnamon rolls are to die for!
If you go, check out all the Texas history in the area. It’s worth the drive…

Neat spot for some seafood with a bay view. The seating is all on the second floor, and they have a chair lift (rather than an elevator), if anyone in your party might have difficulty climbing the stairs.
The ambiance was casual, but a little nicer. It gave me an East Coast beachy vibe.
The place was packed when we went, though we didn’t have to wait to get a table. There were quite a few large parties – it seems like they are able to accommodate groups of 10+ very well.
It took a while to get our food because we got our order in behind some of the larger parties. Good thing I was stuffed from the sampler platter!
By the way, we got the sampler platter (wild catch? I forget the exact name). Loved the popcorn shrimp. The fried gator wasn’t too bad either. The fried crab in shell was amazing. By the time we got our food, I was pretty stuffed and didn’t have a whole lot of room my entrée. I got the «Half & Half» and made it through the shrimp etoufee (which was great)! but didn’t have any more room left for the cajun shrimp. Overall, had a good experience.

Suggestion: go after the dinner crowd and go around 8:30. We got a window seat and no wait.
Started out with the snack attack appetizer and it was delicious. They also bring out some amazing rolls and cinnamon rolls so it’s hard to exercise restraint. Do your best.
Son ordered the chicken fried steak and it was perfect. Daughter got fish and chips which are her favorite there. Our attentive waiter Richard helped me decide what to order: blackened tuna with crawfish étouffée sauce. It was perfect! Hubby got the blackened redfish with Ponchatrain sauce. He was not impressed with the sauce at all but the redfish was great.
We left hating ourselves and stuffed. I love this place. Highly recommended.

You may balk at the prospect of waiting over an hour to get a table, but stick with it. This place is the real deal. And you can always grab a very reasonably priced drink in the bar while you wait.
Monument Inn sets the standard for Gulf Coast fried seafood. I’m not as in love with the cinnamon rolls as everyone else seems to be, but they’re pretty good. I go for the shrimp and the stuffed crab – keep ‘em coming! This is *the* place to go after a day of touristing at the nearby Battleship Texas and San Jacinto Monument. Depending on where you sit, you can check out either the monument or the Lynchburg Ferry and watch the ships entering and exiting the Houston Ship Channel. Plenty of fun and even more great food – check ‘em out!