The PumpHouse Riverside Restaurant and Bar

The PumpHouse Riverside Restaurant and Bar is a restaurant in Victoria, TX, situated on W Stayton Ave along the Guadalupe River. The restaurant serves American cuisine and operates with a full bar, offering casual outdoor dining on decks overlooking the river as well as indoor seating. Diners can choose from lunch, dinner, Sunday brunch, kids, vegetarian, and gluten free food menus, alongside rotating wine and special drink menus. Happy Hour runs Tuesday through Saturday from 4 to 6 pm, and Sundays feature a full bar including Mimosas and Bloody Marys.

The property carries a long history that predates the restaurant itself. Title to the land passed from the Republic of Texas, with the original deed signed by Sam Houston, to the Township of Victoria in the mid 1800s. The site originally served as a water pumping station, drawing river water for the city until artesian wells replaced that use around 1908. The earliest photo of the property dates to 1909, with the original brick building, now the bar area, constructed from brick cooked on site. New buildings were added on each side in 1926 and 1936. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 and was named a Texas Historic Landmark in 2011, the same year The PumpHouse hosted its first event, the wedding of Dan and Cindi Pedone, before opening to the public in December of that year. Greeting visitors are 250 year old teak and iron gates leading into the compound of restored historic buildings.

Classically trained chefs develop the menus through extensive testing and tasting, keeping long-standing favorites while introducing new dishes with each update. The restaurant accommodates private events ranging from 2 to 200 or more guests, with seating for 65 in the formal dining room, 34 in The Pumproom, and additional options on the river-facing patios. Weddings, rehearsal dinners, bridal and baby showers, business forums, medical seminars, and holiday parties are among the events hosted on site.

The restaurant sits near Mount Salem American Baptist Church, Brownson Park, and Patti Welder Middle School, all within roughly a third of a mile, and is a short distance from North Laurent Street. Readers of The Victoria Advocate voted The PumpHouse Best of the Best Overall Restaurant in Victoria for nine years in a row. The kitchen is led by Executive Chef Cliff Denton, a Victoria High School graduate who trained at the Connecticut Culinary Institute, with General Manager Annette Fossati overseeing operations. The team takes reservations at (361) 572-9800.