Lauren Drewes Daniels
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This week, the James Beard Foundation announced the six recipients of its 2025 America’s Classics Award, and a seafood restaurant from Galveston was named one of the winners.
Gaido’s Seafood Restaurant has been a fixture along the Galveston seawall for 114 years. Luckily for diners back then, it was the same year A/C was invented. But this isn’t just any seafood restaurant on an island; this is the big daddy of seafood spots. White linen tables cloths, freshly shucked oysters and beach views. When in Galveston, you simply must do Gaido’s.
Italian immigrant San Giacinto Gaido arrived on the island and became an orphan two years later. Working in the service industry, he lifted himself out of poverty, opened his own sandwich shop, and then opened Gaido’s in 1911. Today, it’s operated by Nick Giado, the fourth generation of the Gaido family, and his wife, Kateryna.
The menu revolves around the best catch of the day. Even after 100 years, they still peel their Gulf shrimp, hand-shuck Galveston Bay oysters, and fillet fish by hand, the same way San Giacinto Giado did more than 100 years ago. Even the seasonings and sauces are made in-house using family recipes.
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The restaurant’s fish-shaped logo and giant crab atop the roof are among the most recognizable landmarks on the Seawall. It’s a beacon for Texans and tourists who come for fresh Gulf seafood, ocean views and hospitality.
America’s Classics
James Beard recognizes America’s Classics as locally owned restaurants with timeless appeal and quality food that are revered within their communities. Since the award was established, more than 100 restaurants across the country have been named to the list.
Every year, the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards voting body and the public are invited to recommend restaurants for the America’s Classics Award during the open call from October to November. The subcommittee considers all the recommendations and chooses the winners.
Six of the 12 Restaurant and Chef regions are included within each awards cycle and rotate the following cycle so that each region is represented every other year. All restaurants must have existed for a minimum of 10 years to be eligible.
The six regions highlighted in this cycle are the Great Lakes, Mountain, Northeast, Northwest and Pacific, South and Texas.
The other five winners were Lem’s Bar-B-Q in Chicago, The Pioneer Saloon in Ketchum, Idaho, Sullivan’s Castle Island in Boston, Lucky Wishbone in Anchorage and Dooky Chase in New Orleans.
Gaido’s and the other winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 16 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
