Dining
BY HALEY VELASCO
As Seabrook staple Barge 295 was hitting its groove in late 2023 and into 2024, all operations came to a halt when Hurricane Beryl struck the Greater Houston area in July 2024, causing the restaurant to sink into Clear Lake. Co-owner Michael Robinson said he thought the barge was “done for good.” “We were breaking records and on our way to probably having one of the best years as far as revenue goes,” Robinson said. “Then Hurricane Beryl hit—a major, major step back.” Despite the setback—as well as numerous obstacles from potential city restrictions, insur- ance coverage, delayed disaster loan funding and keeping everything organized during reconstruc- tion—Robinson said Barge 295 was able to come back better than ever. After operating for a year with just an outdoor patio, the business reopened its indoor space June 20. “It’s been a journey, and while very stressful, every one of us is extremely happy with what we have now,” he said. Zooming in Through its reopening process, the owners were able to replace 65% of the steel deck, which is the base structure of the barge. Robinson said this was vital for its reopening, as the barge has been in operation since the 1980s but has deteriorated the deck over time. “If the hurricane didn’t happen, and we never had the opportunity to address that, we would have really been ghting repairs just endlessly,” Robinson said. The history The restaurant originally opened in 1983 as The Turtle Club before Robinson took it over with Michael Hessemer and his brother, Patrick, in 2017. It was then that they renamed the business. Now overcoming two hurricanes, the owners and employees are continuing to serve up an assortment of drinks, including local craft beers and seafood, such as oysters, tuna, lobster rolls, shrimp and po-boys, among other items, according to the restaurant’s website. What’s next The next steps for Barge 295 will be to build a retractable roof system for performances at The Back a oat: Barge 295 reopens with new improvements
Shrimp, oysters and cat sh baskets with fries are some of what they serve on the lunch menu.
PHOTOS COURTESY BARGE 295
The restaurant serves a number of seafood dishes.
The business reopened its indoor space June 20.
Yard, Robinson said. The Yard is the business’s outdoor space where they host events such as musical performances. Robinson said he is very content with the turnout of reopening Barge 295. “I just remember sitting here after it sank and even through the construction process and just trying to envision what it was like with people in it again, and now we have people in it again. It’s overwhelming,” he said.
146
CLEAR LAKE
N
2613½ E. NASA Parkway, Seabrook www.thebarge295.com
15
BAY AREA EDITION
Powered by FlippingBook