Albatross

The girlfriend and I were visiting town. We like dive bars and we were told of this one. I'll be honest, neither of us are smokers so that was an issue but we both know dive bars are going to have smoke. This place needs to open a few doors or windows though.

Only here for our first afternoon in Galveston. Dropped in for a few drinks. Very friendly neighborhood bar. Honest bar. "Got white wine?" " Yes, but its terrible." Gin and tonics were great. Learned of a second bar - same owner. We'll be there another day.

Catfish serves up great drinks and great advice!

Incredible little bar, loved crushing the karaoke last Saturday. Drink specials were good and the beer was cheap and cold. Bartender was friendly and of homely European stock. Felt at home almost immediately. Will be returning.

This spot... damn you just can't say enough. The bartender CATFISH was bad ass, friendly, very attentive. The atmosphere was very hole in the wall, very divey. Found this spot driving by and was awesome to see only the locals hanging out. This is not a tourist spot... though I highly recommend going it may not be the spot if you don't like smoke, good ol folks, and those that speak their mind. I can't wait to be back. CATFISH thank you for a bad ass time.

First time customer, will be returning weekly! Service and atmosphere is welcoming to newcomers as most there have been going for 20-30 years. Responsible, caring staff and customers. They have karaoke, pool table, great food and bar drinks.

Albatross is now Social Tap. The service and drinks are greet. The food review is mixed. One in our party did not like the frito pie hot dog. Another loved the French dip. My burger was just okay. The string onions were a bit on the cold side and oily

I asked for a double shot of tequila along with a cup or sprite …. Old bartender had a hard time hearing me once I got the check and left a $10 tip I looked up and my 2 cups were completely gone so I kindly waited 5 minutes until he came back to my end of the bar to ask what happened to my drink … when I asked him he said “that ain’t what you ordered” so I said ok well can I get a double shot of tequila along with sprite again please he told well yea if you pay for it I said why would I ask for it free then he refused to serve me so I left next door horrible experience

It's where the locals go and hang out. Dive bar with class. Bring your ID because if Catfish doesn't know you then you'll be carded even if you're 78 years old. Been quite a few times. Im working out in my mind how I'll make it a staple. FRee bar pool on Sundays. Video game and nice jams too. Clean and safe. Id bring anyone here. It's also one of the few places on the island open when others close. Holidays. Etc. Easy access from street parking right out side or a quick walk on all the visits Ive made.

Great service and fun times for sure! All the bar tenders are very good.

Great neighborhood dive bar! Happy hour 7 days a week from 12-8. Colorful regulars and staff. Shafay is our favorite bartender here but they all rock. This place is not too far from the harbor so they are tourist friendly.

THE quintessential dive bar. Cheap drinks. Great service. Colorful regulars. Unwritten rules. Dark. Minimal natural light. Uninviting exterior. I will be back!

A group of ladies (and sometimes the men in our lives) like to get together and do some fun stuff, and hitting up a "dive bar" and having a fun night out was on the list.....so, we tried The Albatross. Most of us live off the island, and we happened to pick a evening where it had rained and flooded all over the Bay Area, but it cleared up by the time we headed over there. There were around twenty of us total. We started getting there just before 8pm, and I think the last of our group left right around midnight. The bartender Michelle was super nice and she suggested some drinks for us to try, and even made some specials for some of our non-drinkers/designated drivers. We spent some time on the outdoor patio, and they turned on the music out there for us, and because it was our first time there, she even gave us a few dollars "on her" to pick some songs off the juke box and to set the tone to our liking. A few other patrons/locals/regulars were very kind to us....opening doors, pulling out chairs, and even helping the bartender carry drinks. One nice lady even came over and offered to grab one of our camera and take some pics for us. There was a pool table that was pretty popular all night long, but we focused on getting a fun game of the Head Up Ap going, which they had WiFi accesses opened up for us to use. Everyone was so friendly and made us feel like we were welcome, and the service was just so great. I am sure we will make it a regular spot for our group to meet up and have a nice night out. (One thing that was a bit of a surprise.....if you can't handle smoking, it might be tough for you to be in there. We started on the patio, but ended up inside later that evening, and the smoke smell was a little rough at first, but we all got use to it.)

Super chill, good vibe dive. Friendly, local crowd. By far the cheapest drinks on the island! Karaoke on Thursdays. The patio was sunny, inviting and had the most amazing breeze blowing through the day we visited. I can't remember the bartender's name but she was a doll! It's a walk up bar and she had a full bar top but she kept coming outside to check on everyone. I want to say her name was Sheila but tequila has robbed me of a clear memory. So happy to have found this place.

local dive bar...with juke box, gambling machines, and one pool table went in for the sweet tea frozen lemonade $5.25--yum valerie---really cool and considerate bartender

Best dive in Galveston. Killer Jukebox, awesome bartenders and strong drinks. Local spot that you're looking for. Had such a great time shooting the breeze. Definitely coming back for more Jameson.

Proud to be a regular of the best 5 star dive bar on the Island. My husband and I are daytime drinkers. So, can't comment on the night crowd. The owner Brian and his wife and son are super nice people. Come and check out the Ole Smokey Throwdown in July. Gets bigger every year. Several blocks of competitors and anyone can sign up to be a judge. Great for families, as activities for all. Daytime bartender Linda is very entertaining, and certainly hasn't any problem throwing the "riff raff" out, tiny as she is! We usually just come in when she is working but have stopped by when Valerie is there and she is a hoot! Try it! Yes, smoking is allowed, but, they do have a "smoke eater" or whatever you call it. Nice outdoor patio, but I don't go there as I like to sit at the bar. And at MY seat, so if you are in it I will politely finagle you to move down a seat!

I'm not a negative person, looking faults in places that I go but I have to say that I'm propelled to give this negative based review on the exchange I had with a bartender there. I told him I was a musician. Bartender "what do yo do?. I said we play covers. Bartender " No , what do you do?" I said I sing and play guitar and my partner plays bass and sings. Bartender, shaking his head , "No I mean what do you do.? I start naming songs and bands we cover. He say what s your name? I tell him. Bartender " I never heard of Of you and I know every musician here on the island. I mention 5 different places we've played on the island. He says why don't you look me in the eye. Me "What? Bartender angrily, "Why don't you look me in the eye when you are talking to me" Me " ok , we just wanted to talk to the person who does the booking here" Bartender " See you did it again, you looked away. Me" nice talking to you" Bartender says slurring our " not nice talkin to you" I messaged them on Facebook and they said they were sorry I had this experience. I had never met this guy ever before. My friend Chris and my partner witnessed this exchange. I was completely taken off guard by his aggressive behavior and was on the defensive during the whole conversation as you would imagine. I would recommend this bar based on this one employee. Sad that this bartender is one, probably still working there and two has such a pathetic life that he gets drunk on the job and proceeds to bully and intimidate patrons.

Oh how we love the tross! My husband and i have been regulars there since the new owners took over. They turned a location with a bad reputation into an amazing place. Affordable drink prices, relaxing atmosphere, excellent location not in the middle of the busy areas but near by. Wonderful staff who are fun, friendly and courteous. The owners are an amazing couple who are Galveston natives who love the island, appreciate their customers and staff. It's a great place to have a cold drink, visit with friends, stop by on motorcycles and bikes. Even though we no longer live on the island we make a point to stop by when we are there. It's still a dive bar but a truly fantastic one.

I love dive bars and the reviews called out to me. But as a non-smoker, I couldn't get past the door jam. A handful of people inside yet the smell was overpowering. Disappointed. I really wanted to like this place.

The BEST of dive bars... quintessential! Very friendly atmosphere-my friend tripped on her way in the door and received all-around applause!!! We will definitely be back for girls' night!

The Albatross was our destination for an off-the-beaten path ladies night. Michelle, the bartender, was awesome and many of the locals were super sweet to us "foreigners". It's definitely a dive bar, but the drinks are made well (and served in clean glasses!), and there's an interesting mix of tunes on the juke box. If you're on the island and looking for a low-key place to hang out, The Albatross is a great option.

A true locals bar. Great bar food, good music and happy hour until 8pm daily. Super fun crowd and good jukebox. Service was good and we had a blast, definitely will revisit!

You will be checked for weapons at the door. If you do not have one, one will be issued to you. This is the only review, because none of the patrons know how to write.

when did hanging with hobos become cool....well my friend ever since i found this little gem it is. outta the way place really awesome, way better than lucky lounge!!!