Catch a Flavor Wave at Copano's

Copano's | Website

1008 E North St, Rockport, TX 78382

Tuesday - Thursday 5 PM - 8:30 PM

Friday & Saturday 5 PM - 9 PM

Cocktails: $10 - $15

Appetizers: $15 - $25

Entrees: $30 - $50

Parts Plus HVAC

  "For how many?" the perky hostess with brown, pin-straight hair asks when we walk through the door.

"Three," I say.

She leads us to a table in the main dining room. The lifted ceiling is framed by exposed rafters. On our immediate right, a massive freshwater fish tank is encased in brown paneling that takes the already sophisticated environment to a new height. The music is loud enough to be enjoyed without imposing on our conversation.

Our waitress appears with our waters in a blink. My husband opts out of a cocktail since he's driving, but my friend, Ryder, orders a cosmopolitan. The Cucumber Collins is tempting. Dancing between the two options, I settle on a tangerine margarita.

We look over the appetizers while she's gone, and by the time we've made up our minds, she's approaching with our bar drinks. Ryder orders the Brussels sprouts, and my husband and I decide to share the Parmesan truffle fries. After our waitress effortlessly rattles off the specials, she steps away, and we try our drinks.

The first sip of my margarita lifts my brows. The flavor reminds me of a tequila screwdriver; the prominent alcohol is balanced by fresh citrus, creating a potent and refreshing cocktail. "That's dangerous." My glass softly thuds against the table. "How's your cosmo?" I ask Ryder.

"It's good," he says. "Some people make them too strong, but I like it when I can't taste only alcohol."

"You can't taste the alcohol?" Our waitress asks as she nears, concern on her face.

After a brief explanation and a laugh, we place our order. My husband settles on the chicken scampi and a side of green beans with prosciutto. Ryder orders the seafood mac and cheese, accompanied by grilled broccolini, and I opt for the ribeye steak, medium, with a side of grilled asparagus. She flashes us a smile and assures us our appetizers are almost done before leaving to place our order.

She was right. Not even a minute later, our food hits the table. Every French fry is an explosion of flavors that effortlessly urges me to reach for another one. The decadent Brussels sprouts medley of textures and tastes elevates the controversial food to something undebatably delicious. The crispy exterior is coated in a rich sauce  and topped with crumbled, velvety goat cheese.

I'd like to commend our waitress and the kitchen on their timing. Once we polish off the appetizers, our plates are removed, and our food is right around the corner. My head tilts at the sight of my steak, resting on a bed of mashed potatoes, but after my first bite, I instantly understand it. The garlic mashed potatoes complement the simple yet powerful steak seasonings. At this point, I can confidently say every flavor choice is made intentionally. Our table gets quiet, so you know the food is delicious.

"How's your food?" I ask the table.

"So good. I've only tried the mussels so far, but the shrimp," —Ryder plucks one out of the cast iron dish, pinches the tail, and takes a bite— "oh yeah, that's good too." He drives his fork between the noodles and goes for another bite.

My husband cuts his chicken and swirls the noodles around his fork. His head bobs back and forth, and I watch his opinion form in front of me. "Yeah, it's good. Do you want to try it?"

I agree, and we trade a bite of my steak for a sample of scampi. I take the tiny portion off my plate and savor it. The noodles are cooked to perfection, and the chicken is flavorful, but the sauce doesn't leave an impression. With a bite of my steak, he agrees that I made the better  choice.

Parts Plus HVAC

We return to our meals. My husband and Ryder scrape their plates clean, but my ribeye is enormous, and there's no way I'm finishing it in one sitting. Our waitress stops by and offers to box up my food before offering us dessert. We accept both and settle on a plain piece of in-house-made cheesecake, opting out of the berry compote.

My food returns in a compostable paper box tucked inside a bag. It’s only a couple of minutes before the cheesecake finds its way to the table, three spoons on the plate. If you're wondering why we chose the plain cheesecake, the answer is simple. A good compote can make a bad cheesecake good, but a good piece of cheesecake can stand on its own.

Before I take my first bite, I can tell by the way the spoon slices through the dessert that it's going to be light and airy. Almost reminiscent of a key lime pie, it melts in my mouth and makes for the perfect ending. By the time the cake disappears, my sweet-tooth craving has been satisfied, and the dessert is so light that we were able to finish it without becoming overly stuffed.

"You hated it," our server says sarcastically.

"It was disgusting," we return the quip with a smile, appreciating her humor.

She takes the empty plate and leaves us the check. Ryder insisted on paying for himself, pulling our server aside earlier in the evening, so from this point on, we will be solely focusing on our tab.

After one tangerine margarita, an order of Parmesan truffle fries, a ribeye, one order of chicken scampi, a piece of cheesecake, and the tip, our total came out to $163.65. Honestly, we were expecting to spend $200 between my husband and I, so we were pleasantly surprised to see our bill.

We rank the dishes, the official table consensus ending with the ribeye taking the gold, followed by the seafood mac and cheese, and finally, the chicken scampi. The least impressive parts of the seemingly perfect meals are the sides. Although they were good, they weren't anything special, but I'm not mad about it.

Thankfully, we arrived at 5:30 P.M. on a Tuesday evening and were a walk-in they could immediately accommodate, but please note that reservations are highly recommended, especially when dining on a Friday or Saturday evening.

I can confidently say that we will be returning to Copano's. Atmosphere, flavor, service, and personality, Copano's has everything that justifies the cost. Whether you're celebrating something special or going on a random Tuesday, Copano's is more than worth a visit.