Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Alexander.
Hi Robert, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been coming to Galveston since I was in diapers. My grandparents partly raised me here, with many days of the year spent on the beaches swimming in those clear waters, fishing on piers, and hanging around the old seafood docks on the Strand. My grandfather fished for the love of it (and we ate good fish too), my grandmother was all about the water, and we’d camp out, picnic, and swim till dark. That’s where I suppose “Island Time” got into my blood, long before I understood what it meant.
The business side starts in 2017 with my sister Karen. She came back from New Orleans inspired by a food tour she loved there and realized Galveston was missing something similar. So she created Taste of the Strand, which is the island’s first real food and drink walking tour. I helped her with the branding, marketing, many of the pairings, all that early foundational stuff.
Come 2020 and the pandemic, I walked the tours with her almost daily. She smartly split the original tour into smaller themed experiences to keep things safe, one of those was the adult nightlife version. After some time off island handling personal matters (and getting a good dose of “Pura Vida” slow living wisdom from my Costa Rican wife), I came back ready to take ownership of that locals focused, drinks forward leg and make it my own thing: Pubs N’ Grubs.
I officially launched it fresh in May 2025 as an adults only (21+), drinks forward walking experience with local brews and craft cocktails at every stop, and select hearty local bites, with live island music most nights. Guests visit up to 7 locally owned spots at a comfortable walking pace. No loud party bars, just small friendly groups. Real bartenders pouring real drinks with real Galveston hospitality.
That’s the short of it. It still feels like showing old friends where we actually go after work… only now a lot of those friends are stepping off cruise ships or coming down from Houston.
If you want more details on any part:
* Meet Robert (me) and the current chapter: https://www.pubsngrubs.com/about/
* About Pubs N’ Grubs overall: https://www.pubsngrubs.com/about-us/
* How a typical evening actually unfolds: https://www.pubsngrubs.com/how-the-night-unfolds/
* The original 2017 food tour history (where it all started with Karen): https://www.pubsngrubs.com/blog/galveston-original-food-tour-history/
* Full Pubs N’ Grubs origin story: https://www.pubsngrubs.com/pubsngrubs-origin-story/
* Growing up on the island (the real “Island Time” roots): https://www.pubsngrubs.com/island-time-pillar-page/
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Since taking over Pubs N’ Grubs, I’ve managed everything myself; building and fixing the website, handling bookings, payments, and logistics, often working 18–20 hour days just to keep things running. Early on, I dealt with agreements to build site change to stepping into a doing it all myself and encountering cascading tech failures, a website that often went offline, and over two months to get banking set up, all of which demanded my full attention. Being a solo operator means wearing every hat: webmaster, booking agent, marketing department, and problem solver all at once. Only recently have I been able to focus on promotion and growth, now that the foundation is solid and guests consistently have great experiences. Those first months were all about persistence, survival, and figuring it out as I went.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I run Pubs N’ Grubs, a walking tour in Galveston that grew out of a larger tour my sister created. I specialize in the adults-only, local-focused more of an immersive experience with a focus on showcasing LOCAL; casual local foods, craft beers, and drinks that locals actually love.
I had a vision which I originally believed was meant for me to come from Houston to Galveston later to eventually help my sister out, with a form of advertising co-operative and now I believe the vision was meant for me to help myself in addition to her and the other locals business who I now cherish.
I’m proud of taking this unique aspect while keeping the tour authentic and personal. What sets me apart is my focus on the real local experience, giving guests a taste of Galveston beyond the typical tourist stops. What drives me to see another tour booking, it comes down to seeing what islanders call “island time” come to live with a guest transformation right in front of my eyes.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
My perspective is that solo travelers will increasingly shape the future of tours and experiences, and booking platforms will need to adapt or risk being left behind.
While I’ve adapted part of the current booking system for Pubs N’ Grubs, my long-term vision is to refine it further to create a seamless, solo-friendly experience that fully delivers on what I see as the future of personalized, authentic tourism.
Ultimately, I may have to develop a system myself if the industry doesn’t do it for these small businesses who really need a better system than I’ve seen.
Pricing:
- $145 per person plus booking processing charges
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pubsngrubs.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/islandpourtours/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077928892917
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-alexander-550716393/
- Twitter: https://x.com/IslandPourParty
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PubsNGrubsGalveston
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/pubs-n-grubs-galveston-3
- Other: https://www.visitgalveston.com/directory/pubs-n-grubs-tours-galveston/
Image Credits
PubsNGrubs Tours Galveston Owner Robert Alexander
