Palapa's

I only give reviews if it’s the best or worst experience and this was indeed the best. It all started with being welcomed in as soon as I walked in by Matt who happened to the owner and was very hands on/ proud of his establishment (as he should be). The bartenders were great/ great drinks/ amazing food/ atmosphere/ live music. Wish I was in town longer and heard about this place earlier. Definitely give this place a try, you won’t regret it.

We came here once after fishing and it was such a cool vibe/people/drinks that we had to keep coming back after fishing mostly once every two weeks. My boyfriend and I have definitely tried other places in Kemah but have definitely not won for our go to place like this place has. Please come and give them your money and business

Fun and cool place. Paige is super friendly and helpful. Great selection of drinks or ask them to make something special. We’ll definitely return.

Great drinks, bartenders & service! Must stop. Cheers my friends!! 🥃

Low key compared to the rest of Kemah. Relaxing…smiles all around us…just ahhhhhhhh! Excellent drink and food choices. You gotta visit!

I NEVER leave reviews but I was so disappointed last night at how horrible this place was. A guy with tattoos that looks like a kid drew on him (seemed like a regular) tried attacking me and my family (all women) because he thought we were alone for changing a song. Definitely racist. The poor bartender was sweet to us but seemed like she didn’t want to intervene as this boy looks like he beats on women. There needs to be better security or someone with the workers if people like this are being allowed to stay and drink here. He should have been cut off and escorted out as he was clearly just trying to pick a fight and WITH WOMEN FOR NO REASON. Do better Palapas, thank you.

Palapas is such a fun spot in kemah. The staff is always friendly. Always going to see Kimberly there for specialty drinks and fun conversation. They have a great outdoor atmosphere and vibe from live music, theme nights, trivia and karaoke. There’s always something going on there to partake in. Highly reccomend stopping in for day drinking or for an evening out!

God I love this place, one of the best hang outs in kemah. LOVE the karaoke nights, and the tattooed bartender, Kim, is one of the best bartenders I’ve had!! Love palapa bar.

For some reason the bar tender did not want to serve, after closing out the first serve she decided to not check back despite being ten feet away from me from me for the next thirty minutes. Definitely never coming back

We went during a speed boat show and when we left the bartender flagged the police down and said we were drunk when we left to go to monkey bar. This place will over serve you and then call the cops on you. Literally the worst place in the area.

good drinks , good energy, fun staff. we will forsure be back!!! thanks paige for a good time :)

January 16, 2022 wee hours of the morning One of the stops along the pub crawl tonight. This place is 90% open air so with it being 38 degrees outside, it only had the (1) palapas open with plastic doors so, it was still cold within. Not much to it. This kind of atmosphere with the huts outside, bras on the ceiling (like in Cancun) needs to be in Galveston on the beach. Wasn't impressed enough to go back

Just OK... Went here with some friends after leaving another area restaurant/bar. It was late, and the place already had plenty of patrons who were enjoying the band while sipping brews. Service was fine here. Really enjoyed the band, if only because they played some Metallica covers. I doubt I would make this place a destination unless we were with a group and I am either out-voted or under a certain influence. Keep in mind though -- I'm getting old! ;-)

This is the worst bar in Galveston don't ever go Total waste of money, bartenders a very disrespectful

I've somehow lived in the Houston area for so long and just recently checked out what Kemah nightlife has to offer. One of the stops that night was to Palapas's. This bar is an open air bar so make sure to stop by when the weather is nice. And feast your eyes on the bras which adorn the ceiling. The bartender we had was friendly and on top of things. She even gave us some free cookies so props to her!

Came here for a friend's birthday party. The drinks were really good and the staff was great.

Great place. Staff are awesome! We've been several times and they take good care of you. Good folks hang out here. Stiff drinks!

Just a hop, skip and a jump away from the Kemah Boardwalk is a happenin' (and independently-owned!) bar/club/outdoor patio called Palapa's. It's decked out with lights, palapas, and a covered bar equipped with TVs, lots of seatiing, pouring all your favorite cocktails. Should you want to snag some A/C or a spot on the dance floor, head inside to the dark discotheque, or mosey upstairs for some more sports watching (seriously, there are TVs in and around this joint, so pull up a seat *right in front* and claim your own) I highly recommend you come around here and support this gem of a nightspot. No $10 beers or kiddies running about is always a plus. There's plenty of fun little photo ops (from the palapas to the souped-up monster truck outside). And if you (ladies only) take up the offer for a "free shot on the house," you gotta pin up your $40 Victoria's Secret brazier on their wall of shame (or is it fame?). Guess what happens in Kemah, stays in Kemah. Literally.

Picture a tiny back yard. Now add a bar, a few tables, bad drinks and disrespectfully flirtatious bartenders and you're at Palapa's. I haven't been there since the new owners took over so decided to give it a shot. Walked in and it looks the same except for the huge screen. My husband and I walk up to the bar to order and my husband asks the bartender for our drinks. Then it gets WEIRD. She starts flirting with him and tells him "no" jokingly, I guess. Super odd and immature. Then says to me "oh, I didn't see you, I wasn't going to serve him but then I saw you". Keep in mind we don't know this person. We get our drinks (bad) and finish them while talking to a couple other customers and left. Left and will NEVER GO BACK. Lame atmosphere, not much to offer. Luckily, there are nearby better options.

Palapa's in right off the Lighthouse district in Kemah, so the crowd consists of locals, Landry's restaurant employees looking to unwind (think 18 yr old waiters), and tourists. Once for happy hour, we went in late afternoon, sat outside (very comfy tables and chairs, btw) and just relaxed. The beer was cheap and cold so we were all good. I was surprised when someone invited me there on a Sat. night. But apparently it turns into a bit of a dance club late nights!! The inside (which we didn't even visit the first time) is mostly a dance floor, another small bar, and the bathrooms. Very few tables, chairs to hang out. Which can be good or bad- it gets people up and dancing.

Had a great time with my girlfriends. The DJ was jamming. I could have danced all night. The only negative is that it was hard to breath with all the smoke.

The drinks were good but small. 7 dollars for a little plastic cup. Each drink was a few good sips. The service was just meh. Not sure if we will go back or not.

So I decided to do a random bar crawl on a Saturday and stumbled upon this gem. The place is not much to look at, but the staff and $2.50 domestics made the experience a 5-star place in my book. I realize that Palapa's is better known for a night club-type place, but sadly, I was a bit too early for that experience. Only major downside to this place is that I am a bit hungry and am unable to grab some bites here. Nevertheless, in perusing this place's Facebook page I noticed that it has four tabs...Home, Facebook, Gallery, and Monster Truck. How can you go wrong with a place with a monster truck tab. In any case, the bar does have a special that provides a free shot for your bra...which I am sadly not wearing today. Next time I come back to this place I'll grab a bra on the way and see if I can't nab a shot of whiskey. This concludes bar 4 on the crawl. Stay tuned for Monkey Bar next!!!

Short and simple review for a short and simple bar in good ole Kemah, Texas. Here at the palapa bar the entire bar is outside... haha. When the weathers right so is your decision in choosing this bar. Prices here are a little extreme, but hey a shiner and a what im calling a "deep sea" coktail ended up being just ideal. A quick visit, but still the service was good. Thanks for being attenative at the right level for each customer. With a cheerful goodbye from the bartender i feel they deserve an overall 4/5 and will be back.

Great service from a real bartender. The rest of kemah should take note. Kemah has changed over the years. When you go into the majority of the bars the staff are idiot 18 year olds with no bar experience, they just look good. Good and stupid. As a bartender and bar owner I cant see the reasoning with having a fool behind a bar who cant turn out good drinks in record time pulling in as much money for the house as possible, What good are a bunch of leering men to me if the bartender is slow and useless. Sure she will make great tips but that doesnt pay the rent.. Here in Palapa's on the outside bar thats like a tiki hut the bartender is one of the finest I met in Kemah. I say that with high regard as I just bartenders harshly by hight standards.

Had a good time. Good music. However, the guy at the front outside bar was an azz. He gave the wrong change after forgetting to give change. Then at the end of the night when he mentioned having a son that was a teenager and I asked if he thought I was naïve jokingly to pay him a compliment and he replied saying "no, I was stupid." It was clear he was either drunk or under the influence of something. The bartenders inside weren't anything amazing either. Mediocre, not great. The guy inside was pretty funny though.

I've been there 3 times and it is always horrible.The bartenders are GREAT but the crowd is terrible and trashy.That poor stripper pole has seen some hard times. A guy offered me 100 dollars for sex and I told the police there.He sighed and rolled his eyes and asked if I wanted to press charges.I said I did and he tried to talk me out of it!! Horrible place.

tacky and trashy is the best way to describe this place. I went trying to have a fun Friday night, a fight started and the way the bouncer handled it was AWFUL. A man hit a women in the face and they kicked out the poor girl. will not be going back. Also, smoking inside? Gross.

I forgot my card at the 504 Bar that was literally across the street and when to pay for some drinks and realized my card was missing and they call the police over a $12 tab

I was overcharged on my credit card over $20 from what my receipt sais (after tip) the same night the staff lost someone else's credit card. Also phone number on receipt and online does not work so I have no way to contact them.

One of the only bars I've actually NEVER gone back to! They overcharge your card for drinks so be weary starting a tab. Then when you say "I only had 2 drinks not 4," they call the Kemah police over to make you pay and escort you out. I had a couple of friends with me that told them I wasn't lying but none the less...

Stopped in after work with some coworkers to talk about what is going on at the office. Ordered a couple of drinks and left before they got to the table. Locals at the bar seem to think that they own the place. Their demeanor and profanity made us embarrassed to be there. James, the bartender, had no training on how to manage belligerent patrons and actually seemed to be enjoying himself at the bar. We left, won't go back. Let the locals have it.

C'mon a purple thong wearing pirate as the mascot!! My kind of place!

I actually hate to give this a 3 star, as I have enjoyed this place for , as of last night, its been going 15 years strong. Went to celebrate 15 years in business. It had been over a year since I last went. When we arrived they played a few 80's and on , dance music. It was fun. I am middle aged, upper 40's, and as the night progressed, all that was played, until we finally left at 1:15, after NUMEROUS requests to play other music than rap music for HOURS, the DJ ignored not only me, but my group, all of us 45+ and continued to play rap, and Im not talking about the rap songs some dance to, but the type that sounds like one continuous song that just has the same BOOM beat. My experience of not only working in these establishments but being a patron, is to keep all the age groups in mind. Us older peeps tend to order more drinks and tip very well. I dont think I will be going there again anytime soon. The DJ was not very friendly, but seemed to enjoy all the younger female attention around his booth. Again, I truly hate saying this , I personally know the owner, and he is a terrific man, but I guess my tip for this place is, It does not cater to most, I would say, 30+...but if you are a youngster or an adult who likes that kind of rap, this is a great place for you. Oh, and good luck getting to the bar to order drinks, you not only get overlooked, but you have to get through the VERY rude younguns hanging out there, NOT ordering drinks. I was cussed at and actually pushed out of the way a few times.

I was down in the Seabrook area on business a few weeks ago and we decided to check out the Kemah Boardwalk one night for a couple beers. We stumbled upon this little outdoor tiki style bar and wandered up for a drink. As it was mid-December, the bar was occupied mostly by locals and fishermen in for the day, but everyone was welcoming and quick to share a story or conversation about just about anything. Shawn was the bartender that night and was just the same. Quick to pour a drink and even quicker to talk about hunting, fishing anything else Texas and outdoor related. It was the highlight of our time in the Houston area and a great night. The next time I'm in the area I'll be sure to stop back. I'm hoping to see the area in the summer.

cool place to have cocktails. AWESOME bloody mary, with nothing other thn the Goose of corse...

I love this place. There's no where like this that I know of where I live now. This place is off the boardwalk. You always feel welcome. The tequila sunrise is the BEST! This bar makes me feel like I'm om vacation on a beach somewhere.

One of my all time favorite hotspots in Kemah. You want to meet some real locals that aren't a bunch of a-holes. Go here. You won't regret it. Now if only I could talk Randall into putting a pizza kitchen somewhere inside, he'd have it going on. But regardless, the bartenders are awesome and all of the staff actually are really cool. Never ever had a bad time here.

I have a good time every time I go here. Mix of people, you can dress down with flip flops, or up with heels...what ever you are feeling. Laid back. Outside part is cool to relax and sit, smokers are aloud. Inside is open weekends i believe for dancing, DJ's are mostly good and some take requests. Limited seating inside, small dark area, nice "dancing pole" on dance floor. Summer time gets so hot in there if you are dancing, winter is the best for me because i work up a sweat. Police seem pretty good, they are always there, thats unavoidable...but if you have any issues with stalkers or whatever, they will be glad to help (personal experience). They are watching though, if you've had too much too drink and have keys in your hand, good luck. Just find a DD before you go, easier, safer and my child needs his mother! Over all, good chill place too go. I would go here over Monkey Bar any day!!!!