PHOTOS BY ILIASIS MUNIZ
Back in 1804, Padre Nicolás Ballí would have agreed: Family matters. When the priest extended his family’s ranching legacy to the Spanish land grant known today as South Padre Island, he continued the tradition of his mother, the first Cattle Queen of Texas. Over two centuries later, Island locals Jenna Ghilain and Briana Ghilain-Scanlan are expanding their own family’s four-generation legacy with Nautico Island Grill.
When the original Queen Isabella Causeway opened in 1954, commercial fishermen plied Gulf waters to establish the catch basin at Texas’ southernmost tip as a seafood nexus. The sisters’ prescient grandparents, legendary fisherman Captain Jim and restaurateur Jan Henry Ghilain, opened Jim’s Pier on the Laguna Madre. Captain Jim caught the fish and Jan offered table service to vacationers crossing over from the mainland. While Jenna fondly remembers fishing the Laguna Madre for redfish with her grandfather, today she casts her line for mahi-mahi.
After the spectacular 2.37-mile-long Queen Isabella Causeway opened in 1974, Jenna and Briana’s parents — Danny, a professional fishing captain, and Lee Ann Ghilain — opened businesses and restaurants, including the noteworthy Amberjack’s Bayside Bar & Grill in the 90s.
“We cut our teeth on Amberjack’s, and opening a restaurant had always been in the back of our minds,” says Briana. Fast forward to January 2023, when she and sister Jenna took the plunge. “With Nautico, we’re keeping it in the family. The name speaks to our local fishing and surfing vibe and the seafaring vessels of our dad and grandfather.”
Did it surprise their parents when the two daughters decided to hang out their own shingle? “Not really,” says Lee Ann. “They grew up on the Island surrounded by Gulf food and cooking, so it made sense. A few years before selling [Amberjack’s], we bought a sailboat and took Briana and her twin, Danni Lynn, on the adventure of a lifetime — homeschooled on the high seas.”
In fact, Briana had logged so many hours on the water with her dad, a private sport-fishing captain, by age 18 she’d earned her 100- ton captain’s license while navigating the Panama Canal.
One recent, sun-kissed day, our group spills into the cheery blue cottage with the vibrant ambience. A magenta swordfish points to walls brimming with local artwork, glimmering sunrises, windswept dunes, and O’Keefe- like hibiscus. Settling in among Nautico’s 100 seats, we ponder the inventive menu over lavender-infused mimosas and frozen basil lemonades in hefty goblets garnished with fresh orchids.
We begin with classic Tex-Mex antojitos that appear on a tray lined with agave print: guacamole casero, salsa rojo and melt-y chile con queso, but the shrimp appetizer stops the show. The chef stuffs them with cream cheese, pineapple jam and jalapeños, swaddles them in bacon then finishes them on the grill. More is more.
Nautico specializes in Mexican fusion and seafood — making the extra effort to source its seafood and produce locally — as well as handpicked Angus burgers and salads with homemade dressings. We navigate a flotilla of selections — ceviche, shrimp bisque, tampiqueña.
“My fave dish and what I always refer to everyone is the Poblano fish enchiladas,” says Briana. The wild-caught flounder in Poblano cream sauce and Oaxacan queso is drizzled with silky lime crema to impart a subtle complexity to the delicate fish. Having grown up in a professional fishing family, Jenna and Briana cater to anglers by offering cook-your-own-catch options. “If they bring in their own catch, the enchiladas are even better. The takeaway is just everyone loving the freshness of our food.”
The sisters’ hands-on managerial style supports an expert kitchen staff and front-of-house team. Nonetheless, arrive early for your carafe of Champagne and build-your-own chilaquiles to beat weekend brunchers. No shirt? No shoes? No problem. Nautico’s drive-through offers the full menu. Of the future, Jenna says, “We’re both moms, with nine- and four-year-olds. We’re doing this so they grow up with the family legacy and knowhow to serve our community.”
Family matters. That’s why, 70 years later, the Ghilains’ four-generation heritage of dining on historic South Padre Island endures.
Nautico Island Grill
1313 Padre Blvd., South Padre Island
(956) 772-7074
nauticoislandgrill.com
NAUTICO’S HISTORY
1950s: Great-grandfather Bruce Henry opens Tradewinds Cafe
1954: Grandparents Captain Jim and Jan Henry Ghilain build Jim’s Pier
1980s: Parents Danny and Lee Ann Ghilain operate Jim’s Pier
1994: The Ghilains own Amberjack’s Bayside Bar & Grill
2000: The Ghilains launch Bubba’s BBQ & Steakhouse
2023: Sisters Jenna Ghilain and Briana Ghilain-Scanlan open Nautico Island Grill
