Save room for this. I mean it. October in Port Aransas comes with two delicious events called food trails, and I already told you about the savory one in my Taco & Margarita Trail guide. This is the sweet side: 10 restaurants, 10 desserts, one whole month to sample them all.
Three of them are dessert tacos: a strawberry cheesecake taco at Castaways and an ice cream taco at both Saltwater Gypsies locations. And here’s the plot twist that makes planning this so much easier: six of the ten restaurants are also on the Taco & Margarita Trail, so you can do dinner and dessert at the same table. That’s a win for me.
Here’s everything you need to know, plus how I’d plan it so you actually make it to dessert number seven.
How the Sweet Traditions Trail works
The trail runs all of October as part of Beachtober events this fall. Each restaurant that participates offers a featured dessert at a set price, and those sweet deals last the whole month. There’s no order to eat them and no deadline pressure. Walk in, order the dessert, and enjoy.
TIP: If you're planning your beach trip to Port A soon, check current availability on VRBO or Expedia here. Popular dates like Spring Break, Summer weekends, SandFest and holidays book up fast, so don't wait to secure your rental ASAP.
The price cheat sheet, cheapest to priciest
| Restaurant | Dessert | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Crazy Cajun | Mini homemae pumpkin cheesecakes | 5.95 |
| Grumbles Seafood Co. | Key lime pie | $5.99 |
| Castaways | Cinnamon-crusted taco stuffed with strawberry cheesecake, topped with roasted pecans | $8 |
| Trout Street Bar & Grill | Banana mostachon cake with sweet cream cheese icing | $9 |
| Stingrays | Homemade banana pudding with whipped cream and ground cinnamon | $9.99 |
| Seafood & Spaghetti Works | Apple pie cobbler with vanilla ice cream | $9.99 |
| MacDaddy’s | Warm apple cobbler with a golden crumb topping | $11 |
| BlueWater Cowboy | Homemade brownie with homemade ice cream | $12 |
| Saltwater Gypsies | Chocolate-dipped waffle shell, small batch artisan ice cream taco | $12.95 |
| Saltwater Gypsies Market at Cinnamon Shore | Chocolate-dipped waffle shell, small batch artisan ice cream taco | $12.95 |
Allten desserts add up to about $98 before tax and tip. Share every one and the whole trail comes in around $49.
The 10 desserts, in the order I’d eat them
Four of these sit within a few blocks of each other around Beach St. and Alister, so that’s where I’d start. The other four take a short hop or a drive.
Part 1: The Beach Street stretch (6 stops)
MacDaddy’s Family Kitchen (118 Beach St.), $11 A warm apple cobbler with a golden crumb topping. MacDaddy’s is known for barbecue, so this is a great excuse to try it for the first time if you’ve always walked past.
BlueWater Cowboy (229 Beach St.), $12 A homemade brownie with homemade ice cream. It’s pricey, but it’s made in house, and it’s the easiest one to split with a friend.
→ Taco & Margarita Trail featured combo: Fried shrimp poblano tacos + Port A Vice (strawberry coconut) margarita $28
Crazy Cajun (303 Beach St.), $5.95 Mini homemade pumpkin cheesecakes, which is the most October dessert on the whole trail, and now the cheapest.
Stingrays Tap House & Grill (401 Beach St.), $9.99 Homemade banana pudding topped with whipped cream and ground cinnamon. That’s a Southern classic, and the cinnamon on top is a nice touch for October.
→ Taco & Margarita Trail featured combo: Chicken street taco + Blue Marlin margarita
Castaways Seafood and Grill (337 N. Alister St.), $8 Here’s the one that made me do a double take: a cinnamon-crusted taco stuffed with strawberry cheesecake and topped with roasted pecans. It’s a dessert taco on a dessert trail, at a restaurant that’s also on the taco trail. Castaways is the only stop where you can eat a savory taco and a dessert taco at the same table.
→ Taco & Margarita Trail featured combo: Crispy ceviche taco + Apple Cider margarita $22
Saltwater Gypsies (403 N. Alister St.), $12.95 A chocolate-dipped waffle shell filled with small-batch artisan ice cream. It’s the second dessert taco on the trail, and it’s a short walk from Castaways, so you can compare the two.
Part 2: The short hop (2 stops)
Trout Street Bar & Grill (104 W. Cotter Ave.), $9 Banana mostachon: a cracker and nut meringue cake topped with sweet cream cheese icing and sliced bananas. It’s the most unusual dessert on the trail, and I’d guess the one most people have never tried. The patio faces the marina, so this one is a sunset dessert.
→ Taco & Margarita Trail featured combo: Agua chile shrimp taco + banana reposado margarita $17
Grumbles Seafood Co. (850 Tarpon St.), $5.99 Key lime pie, and one of the cheapest desserts on the whole trail. It’s a coastal classic at a price that makes it an easy add-on. Here’s my Local Spotlight on Grumble’s if you haven’t been.
→ Taco & Margarita Trail featured combo: Two blackened tuna tacos + Island Heat margarita $21.99
Part 3: The drive (2 stops)
Seafood & Spaghetti Works (910 State Hwy 361), $9.99 Apple pie cobbler paired with vanilla ice cream. Jay’s is a favorite in our family, and I’ll always pick warm cobbler with ice cream.
→ Taco & Margarita Trail featured combo: Two fish tacos + house margarita $24
Saltwater Gypsies Market at Cinnamon Shore (5009 Hwy 361), $12.95 The same chocolate-dipped ice cream taco as the Alister St. location, so pick whichever is on your route.
Three showdowns I’m watching
This dessert trail handed me three built-in taste tests, and I can’t ignore them.
The banana battle: Stingrays’ banana pudding ($9.99) vs. Trout Street’s banana mostachon ($9). One’s a creamy classic, and the other is a cake most people have never heard of.
The apple face-off: MacDaddy’s warm apple cobbler with a crumb topping ($11) vs. Seafood & Spaghetti Works’ apple pie cobbler with vanilla ice cream ($9.99). Same fruit, two very different ideas of cobbler.
The dessert taco face-off: Castaways’ cheesecake taco ($8) vs. Saltwater Gypsies’ ice cream taco ($12.95).
Try both sides of each and tell me the winner you prefer. For the full breakdown of every taco & margarita combo, see my Taco & Margarita Trail guide.
My sweet Saturday plan
If you want to hit the highlights in one day without overdoing it, here’s how I’d do it. Download the Sweet Traditions Dessert Trail Checklist first (which also includes the Taco & Margarita Trail restaurants), then plan your first stop here…
- Lunch at Castaways: Order the crispy ceviche taco combo, then share the cheesecake dessert taco. That’s your savory taco and your sweet taco at one table.
- Afternoon: Walk off lunch along Beach Street, then stop at MacDaddy’s for warm apple cobbler to share.
- Dinner at Trout Street: Time it for sunset, order the agua chile taco combo, and finish with the banana mostachon.
- Late-night bonus: If you still have room, walk to Stingrays for banana pudding and settle the banana battle.
That’s two tacos, four desserts, and a lot of walking.
My made-up rules I’m following
- One dessert for two people. Splitting is the only way to see the whole trail. Otherwise I’m stuffed after the second stop.
- Lunch is your friend. Take the dessert before the dinner rush.
- Save the drive for the drive home. Seafood & Spaghetti Works and Saltwater Gypsies Market at Cinnamon Shore are the outliers that’s aren’t walkable, so tuck them into a day you’re already out that way.
- Score as you go. I made a printable checklist so you can rate each dessert and pick your top three.
Making a weekend of it
October is one of my favorite times to be on the island. The crowds thin out, the beach is wide open, and midweek stays are easier on the budget. If you want to turn the Sweet Traditions Trail (and the Taco & Margarita Trail) into a weekend trip, check current availability on VRBO or Expedia here.
The short version for skimmers
- The Sweet Traditions Trail runs October 1 through 31 with 10 participating restaurants, alongside the Taco & Margarita Trail
- Each restaurant has one featured dessert at a set price, from $5.95 to $12.95
- Six of the ten are also on the Taco & Margarita Trail, so plan dinner and dessert together
- Watch for the banana battle and the apple face-off
- Share every dessert and download the free checklist to score your favorites
Grab the free printable checklist
My free 2026 Beachtober Food Trails Checklist has both trails in one PDF: all the taco combos on page one and all the desserts on page two, with room to rate each one and note your top three.
Keep planning your trip
- Taco & Margarita Trail in Port Aransas
- Port Aransas Restaurants: My Full Guide
- 5 Reasons to Visit the Beach in the Fall
- Local Spotlight: Jay’s Seafood & Spaghetti Works
- Port Aransas Annual Events Calendar
- Where to Stay in Port Aransas
- Start Here: Your Port Aransas Planning Hub
See you on the trail (I’ll be the one with two forks).