Celebrating the Life of Our Co-Founder: Mrs. Chrissy Anthony
Mrs. Chrissy Anthony, co-founder of Sea Island Shrimp House with her late husband Dan and friend Henry Reed in 1965, passed away at the age of 89 on November 30, 2023, surrounded by her loving family after a courageous battle with cancer.
She spent her career building a legacy of service to the local community, both in involvement with her church, several nonprofit organizations and in her mission to provide a place where anyone could afford to bring their family and have a really good meal.
If you’ve visited Sea Island or been a regular at the original location on Rector, you would have often seen her at the hostess stand on Friday nights, welcoming in guests, chatting up families in line and treating everyone like family.
Chrissy has always been the heart and soul of Sea Island and will be greatly missed by those closest to her and her large network of restaurant family. We will continue to honor her legacy with the great recipes that began in her kitchen and giving back to our community with the same values she shared.
Our Story
Sea Island didn’t become the best seafood restaurant in San Antonio overnight! Our roots in this city date all the way back to 1912, when Tom Anthony opened the iconic Manhattan Café in downtown San Antonio.
When Tom’s son, Dan, took over the thriving restaurant, he still had his heart set on opening his own steakhouse. But, Dan had a special talent for preparing exquisite seafood dishes and Manhattan Café regular and old family friend, Henry Reed, convinced him that what San Antonio really needed a good seafood restaurant.
In 1965, Dan Anthony, his wife Chrissy, and Henry Reed opened the first Sea Island Shrimp House on Rector St. behind North Star Mall. The restaurant soon became one of the most well-known seafood restaurants in San Antonio.
Today, Sea Island has six locations in San Antonio and opened the New Braunfels location in 2016. No other seafood restaurant in South Texas can offer the same high quality, meticulously prepared seafood at such a great value! To this day, the Sea Island restaurant group continues to be a family-owned business. Dan and Chrissy’s son – Barclay – is now the CEO of the restaurant group and has devoted his entire career to carrying on his family’s legacy of quality, value, and service.
The Sea Island Experience
No other seafood restaurant offers a dining experience as unique as Sea Island’s! Fresh, high quality seafood made from scratch, a welcoming family environment, and fast and convenient service make Sea Island a local favorite. The first Sea Island opened its doors in 1965. Today, we continue our legacy of quality, convenience, and service at an affordable price. We believe that families shouldn’t have to sacrifice quality over price when eating out. Our mission is to be the best local seafood restaurant by always bringing you the most delicious dishes and the most comfortable environment – so you can just sit back and enjoy!
Over the years, we have become the leading local seafood restaurant. We make sure that every dish we serve is the best by paying attention to small details, like hand peeling our shrimp daily and selecting the best local ingredients.