Snoopy's Pier | Our Story
Born from the Texas coast
Snoopy's Pier has been a Corpus Christi fixture since 1980 — a place where fresh Gulf seafood, salt air, and views of the Intracoastal Waterway come together the way they always have. This is the story of how it got here.
The Redfish Wars
Shifting regulations in the late 1970s upended commercial fishing along the Texas coast. Ernie Butler, who knew these waters well, chose a different path — sharing the Gulf's seafood with his community.
The bait stand becomes a restaurant
In August 1980, Ernie and his wife Corliss bought a small bait stand and burger shack on a 600-foot pier. With family, friends, and treasured recipes, they built what Corpus Christi now knows as Snoopy's Pier.
Keeping it fresh
The Butlers added an on-site fish house and shrimp breading facility to ensure every plate reflected the Gulf's best. Peel-and-eat boiled shrimp was Snoopy's original dish — and it remains a menu staple today.
A full day on the water
In 1993, Scoopy's Ice Cream opened next door, making Snoopy's a full coastal destination. Four decades on, guests still arrive by land and by boat to experience what The Adventurist Magazine calls "on-the-water dining in the most literal sense."