Jared Schaller:
Welcome to Behind the Pyramids a Moody Gardens podcast. I’m your host, Jared Schaller, and I’m very excited for today’s theme and, of course, our guest. Today, we’re continuing our focus on all things mom. Mother’s Day weekend is May 9th, 10th, and 11th. You still have time to plan some amazing experiences. You know, some of us are always last minute — I’m one of those people. Joining me now to discuss what’s going on for Mother’s Day weekend at Moody Gardens is Andres Castañeda, Attractions Director of Food and Beverage for Moody Gardens. Thank you so much for joining me.

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Andres Castañeda:
Thank you for having me, Jared.

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Jared Schaller:
Now that you’re married and a father, how important is Mother’s Day?

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Andres Castañeda:
That’s a good question. It’s very important. It’s a wonderful day to celebrate moms — a person that brings balance and love to the family. They keep us happy and excited all the time. So yeah, it’s a wonderful day.

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Jared Schaller:
It definitely is. My mom means the world to me. And honestly, I can’t cook at all. So I’m always looking for a nice new place to take her or two, just to make Mother’s Day memorable.
Moody Gardens has a lot in store for Mother’s Day — we have a hotel and spa weekend, three restaurants serving amazing meals with themed brunches or buffets. But I want to focus on the Garden Restaurant now. What can we expect for Mother’s Day weekend there?

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Andres Castañeda:
It’s a full buffet with a little bit of everything — desserts, appetizers, fruits, entrees, salads. There’s so much variety it can be overwhelming in a good way. Just a wonderful lineup.

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Jared Schaller:
Let’s talk a little more about the food. I have a little cheat sheet here. Off the top — shrimp gumbo, roasted chicken and lentil for soups. I mean, I’ve never seen a restaurant with six different types of salads. Can you tell me a little more about the menu?

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Andres Castañeda:
Sure! The gumbo is one of my personal favorites — I put a lot of love into it. It has great flavor. The soups, like roasted chicken lentil, also have a lot of love. For pastas, we have multiple options with a made-to-order pasta station where you can customize with shrimp, chicken, mushrooms, or just noodles and butter if you like it simple. We also have fresh, made-to-order crepes.
For entrees, we have redfish, and I’m trying out a berry-stuffed chicken breast — it’s a mix of sweet, salty, and spicy flavors. I think people will enjoy it.

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Jared Schaller:
Raspberry does make everything taste better. It just makes it seem more moist, I guess. I love how you mentioned that the buffet has stations where you get to choose exactly what you want — especially with the pastas. Like you said, you can have plain buttered noodles or gourmet style.

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Andres Castañeda:
Exactly. You can add chicken, shrimp, spices like crushed pepper or garlic and olive oil — whatever you want, we’ll make it happen.

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Jared Schaller:
That sounds delicious. And the crepe station — you can never go wrong.

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Andres Castañeda:
No, no. Some bananas and strawberries on the crepes are always a winner.

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Jared Schaller:
Sign me up for that right now. I haven’t had much to eat yet, so I’m a little hungry.
Okay, I was talking to my friend Rosemary — she doesn’t work for Moody Gardens, so this isn’t a fake testimonial. She visited the Garden Restaurant for Easter brunch and said everything felt so elevated. The food was amazing, they had white linen on the tables, and a lot of people may not realize the Garden Restaurant has an amazing view. Can you tell us about that?

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Andres Castañeda:
It’s right off Offatts Bayou, with floor-to-ceiling glass providing a beautiful wide view. Our landscaping crew — do an amazing job with flowers outside. It’s just a beautiful setting with lots of photo opportunities.
You can step outside or enjoy outdoor seating if the weather’s nice. People like to have a cocktail outside and take in the view. It’s a winning spot.

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Jared Schaller:
Today’s a perfect day to sit outside — I’ve been out there shooting stuff for the podcast and other things. That view, the breeze, and the awning for shade make it very comfortable.
Do people need to request outdoor seating specifically?

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Andres Castañeda:
They can put it in the notes when they make a reservation, and we’ll try to seat them outside.

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Jared Schaller:
That’s awesome. I want to take advantage of that more — I’m relatively new to Moody Gardens and still learning the tips. That view really is a winner.
Now, I’m a little mad at you because you only mentioned desserts briefly, but that’s one of my favorite parts of going out. Can you tell me more about the desserts served for Mother’s Day?

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Andres Castañeda:
Definitely. We have cakes, pies, bites, cookies, and made-to-order crepes like I mentioned. For fruit lovers, we have fruit too.
Dessert highlights include chocolate cake, coconut cream pie, strawberry cake, petit fours, meringue pies (chocolate, banana, coconut), and many little bites. People get excited when they see the spread — sometimes they don’t know what to choose, so there are plenty of options.

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Jared Schaller:
You literally mentioned like a hundred choices. So here’s a tough question — if you had to pick only one favorite dessert, what would it be?

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Andres Castañeda:
That’s a hard one. I love the coconut cream cake, and the chocolate raspberry cake is really moist with raspberry and chocolate mousse in the middle. And the crepes, fresh and warm with Nutella and whipped cream, are a favorite too. It’s tough to pick just one.

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Jared Schaller:
You had me at mousse.

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Andres Castañeda:
Chocolate raspberry cake — always a winner.

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Jared Schaller:
For those listening, what are the Garden Restaurant’s hours on Mother’s Day? Are reservations required?

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Andres Castañeda:
Hours are 11 AM to 3 PM. Reservations are recommended but not required. Walk-ins are welcome, but it’s filling up fast, so we suggest making reservations if you can.

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Jared Schaller:
So, I can just go to moodygardens.org and make a reservation easily?

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Andres Castañeda:
Exactly. You can walk in, too, but may have to wait a bit.

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Jared Schaller:
You may have to wait a little.

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Andres Castañeda:
Just remember to wait for mom — we try to get people in quickly. If there’s a wait, it’s right next to the Rainforest Pyramid. If it’s 30 minutes, you can speed-walk through the pyramid; if it’s an hour, maybe take a casual stroll. But we won’t keep you waiting long.

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Jared Schaller:
That’s good to hear. Some places have hour-and-a-half or two-hour waits, and you wonder if it’s worth it. But the view really pays off here, right?

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Andres Castañeda:
Definitely.

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Jared Schaller:
What do you hope moms and families take away from their meal at the Garden Restaurant?

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Andres Castañeda:
An experience — the ambiance, beautiful view, great food — it all creates a domino effect. People will enjoy it all and have a memorable day.

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Jared Schaller:
That’s awesome. I was talking with Chef Bobby, and honestly, I don’t always remember specific moments from a meal, just whether it was good or bad and if everyone had a good time. The few times I’ve been to the Garden Restaurant, everyone’s had a great time.
Now, we mentioned the Rainforest Pyramid — but let’s talk attractions. You can really make it an entire day or weekend celebration for mom. Start with a nice meal, then maybe head to Palm Beach or something else. What else do you have going on?

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Andres Castañeda:
Palm Beach opens its first weekend this year — including Mother’s Day weekend. So, after Mother’s Day brunch or buffet, you can bring your swimsuit and head down to the beach, enjoy the white sand, and relax in the Lazy River with a frozen margarita.

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Jared Schaller:
So you can get dressed up, eat at the Garden Restaurant, then change and go have some fun at Palm Beach?

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Andres Castañeda:
Exactly, enjoy a margarita, hang out in the Lazy River — make a whole day out of it. There’s plenty to do here.

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Jared Schaller:
That’s definitely true. I’m learning new things about Moody Gardens all the time.
If you want more information about the Garden Restaurant, to make a reservation, or anything we discussed, head to moodygardens.org. There are multiple times available; we suggest booking early to avoid last-minute stress.
Thank you so much, Andres Castañeda, Attractions Director of Food and Beverage for Moody Gardens.
I’m Jared Schaller. Thanks for streaming Behind the Pyramids and Moody Gardens podcast. Thanks so much for listening, and thanks again, Andres, for being here.

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Andres Castañeda:
You’re welcome. Thanks for having me. Have a great day, everyone.

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