we ate lunch here and then came back for snacks at dinner time. we were greeted by karen and waited on by kyle. both were amazing individuals - friendly, personable. kyle was the best in refilling my soda glass each time i emptied it out. karen gave us some tips on where to find a quiet and peaceful beach. the seating area is alongside the water and walkway. you can see the iguana's wandering around. and the food was terrific.
(4)
Valerie S.
The grilled shrimp & grits were amazing!!!!! My husband got a pizza & it was good but a little greasy (course it was sausage, bacon & pepperoni). The services was great & the view was even better!!! If we're back in Marathon again we'll definitely be back!!
(5)
Joe H.
Very limited menu. Zero non fried seafood except the $32 specials. Pizza was norm. Service okay.
(2)
Jess K.
Quite possibly the worst food on island. The sever was nice, when we saw her. We will never come here again, especially for the money they charge... $100 for two terrible "French dips" that were served on hamburger buns, completely devoid of flavor and full of fat and gristle. The fries were soggy and cold. Our salad was served with balsamic which was actually oil. We asked for a side of vinegar for the salad and that arrived steaming hot. All in all a massive let down...
(1)
Ann B.
I had high hopes for this place because the ambiance was what I needed. Very chill. The service was good and bad. Good: he put down the drapes when it started raining. Bad: I have a dairy allergy and told the server no cheese on my flatbread. He brings out a flatbread with cheese on it and proceeds to make me feel bad like I had made the mistake. I've never had that happen before and it started the night off with a negative vibe.
(2)
Ben R.
Just Love the place. First time there. Great service. The filet mignon was great. Comes with 2 sides mash poteto and green beans are the one I'll recommend
(5)
Steve K.
Fantastic, we dined here last night, food was great! Atmosphere was great! Staff were friendly and were happy to be doing their jobs, a few times they apologized for the delay in getting our food to us but we had not noticed it being delayed, menu you is very good with many interesting choices. I didn't get the pizza but I really wanted it! Going back tonight for Christmas buffet! Go here, you'll be glad you did!
(5)
Emilee G.
Great wood fired pizza - the "Piglet" is the way to go with pulled Cuban pork, bacon and andouille sausage, delicious! My husband had the blue cheese, avocado, bacon burger and it was perfectly cooked to medium - this seems to be a problem with other restaurants but not here, they know what they're doing. Also recommend the smilin' seafood dip, it's great on the pita crackers they give you and on the tomatoes and gherkins that also accompany the app. Drinks we good and reasonably priced considering the other options on Marathon. Overall we were very pleased, we will be back!
(5)
Cindy G.
Hubs and me got to have an evening away while vacationing on Marathon. A week with two families, including 5 children gave us cause to want dinner with just two of us. Tarpon Creek was within walking distance of our rental home in Key Colony. I would describe it as sophisticated tropical...clean lines, carved wood, and sea breezes with no bright parrot colors. My Mango Marathon cocktail was enormous and strong...perfect. Hubs enjoyed his White Russian...I know, not tropical, but whatever. I had the gazpacho, which came in a large shallow bowl and was topped with four perfectly grilled shrimp. Hubs had the Cuban rice balls and said they were great. I would've tried them if he hadn't eaten them so quickly! He had Steak Frites and after the first bite, his audible Mmmmmmm said it all. My Shrimp and Grits with chorizo was delicious. The grits might be the best I ever had...thick and cheesy, but somehow not gut-busting. Chocolate mousse was served in a large martini glass and was just the right amount of sweet and rich. Service by Tina, our server, and two different runner/bus boys was perfect. Very attentive without intrusion, friendly and smiling. Too bad it's a five hour drive, or we'd go again soon!
(4)
Tom T.
Unfortunately I was unable to sample the cuisine here. My party of 4 arrived at 9:25pm and were told it was a 20-30 minute wait. I was put on the list for a table and was directed to the bar to wait. We ordered a round and waited. We were sat at 9:48. The server came to our table and said she would be with us in a few minutes. Having drinks we didn't mind and started browsing the menus in from of us. She returned, introduced herself, and took our drink order. When she returned she informed us that it was now 10pm and the kitchen was closed. We promptly told her of the preceding and she went to the manager. Se returned and said we could not eat but we could pay for the round she just sat down that none of us had touched. We told her the manager can pay for them and we left. We scurried to find a place to eat and wound up just north across the street. The manager said the kitchen was cleaning up but we could sit and order. we told him what happened across the street. He could not believe the lack of customer service. He even apologized saying that most places were closed at 10 and we would have been out of luck because they waited so long to tell us. I would not recommend this place on principle alone. Two thumbs down. Way down.
(1)
Nancy Z.
Wow... We just left here - without eating or drinking a thing!!!! We were told to seat ourselves and "someone would be right after us". It's a beautiful day, most people must be out on the water because there weren't many people dining - three tables of people outside and us. My husband and I sat for what seemed like 10 minutes (was probably five or six) nobody asked us what we wanted. A few minutes later, a waitress asked the table next to ours if everything was fine, then she left. Never asking us if we needed menus or saying she'd send someone over. A few minutes after that, a waiter came by and asked the other two tables if they needed anything. Us- nothing! Really???? What's with that? There are way too many places to eat in this area for us to sit around waiting for them to decide whether or not they felt like serving us.
(1)
Lila W.
Dinner was fantastic! Beer steamed shrimp was awesome! Staff was very friendly! Also had breakfast there, omelets were very good. highly recommend!
(4)
Ann B.
I had high hopes for this place because the ambiance was what I needed. Very chill. The service was good and bad. Good: he put down the drapes when it started raining. Bad: I have a dairy allergy and told the server no cheese on my flatbread. He brings out a flatbread with cheese on it and proceeds to make me feel bad like I had made the mistake. I've never had that happen before and it started the night off with a negative vibe.
(2)
Valerie S.
The grilled shrimp & grits were amazing!!!!! My husband got a pizza & it was good but a little greasy (course it was sausage, bacon & pepperoni). The services was great & the view was even better!!! If we're back in Marathon again we'll definitely be back!!
(5)
Ben R.
Just Love the place. First time there. Great service. The filet mignon was great. Comes with 2 sides mash poteto and green beans are the one I'll recommend
(5)
Diane C.
we ate lunch here and then came back for snacks at dinner time. we were greeted by karen and waited on by kyle. both were amazing individuals - friendly, personable. kyle was the best in refilling my soda glass each time i emptied it out. karen gave us some tips on where to find a quiet and peaceful beach. the seating area is alongside the water and walkway. you can see the iguana's wandering around. and the food was terrific.
(4)
Joe H.
Very limited menu. Zero non fried seafood except the $32 specials. Pizza was norm. Service okay.
(2)
Jess K.
Quite possibly the worst food on island. The sever was nice, when we saw her. We will never come here again, especially for the money they charge... $100 for two terrible "French dips" that were served on hamburger buns, completely devoid of flavor and full of fat and gristle. The fries were soggy and cold. Our salad was served with balsamic which was actually oil. We asked for a side of vinegar for the salad and that arrived steaming hot. All in all a massive let down...
(1)
Cin M.
The bar and grill was fantastic! They have great pizza great happy hour and cooked our catch perfectly! Beautiful views of the marina. Great live music! The Tarpon Creek Marina next door was awesome! Great merchandise and prices. Bonnie was so helpful for what to do and see in the area not just her offerings! She hooked us up with a great fishing trip! She is very professional -it is definitely a great dock store!
(5)
Bill W.
This restaurant has by far the best atmosphere for a real outside experience, inside. The food is well presented and prepared perfectly. The service is phenomenal, our waitress Rachel was very attentive to our needs and went over and above for our group. The Key lime Pie was good and creamy. Overall we had a wonderful dining experience.
(5)
Cathy C.
The pizza was good. I had the special of the day Cuban tacos very good. People are nice but service is a little slow We have eaten both lunch and dinner
(4)
Bonnie C.
Great ambiance. Food was just ok; everything was pretty bland. We had calamari, fried pork balls, peel and eat shrimp, pork tacos, fish tacos and churrasco steak. I'd go for drinks & appetizer, but dine elsewhere.
(3)
R S.
We came here last week for dinner and loved it! Dining right on the canal was beautiful and we enjoyed the overall atmosphere! Our server was prompt and friendly and the food was super tastey. Can't wait to come back next time we're in the Keys!
(5)
Elizabeth H.
Our server, Marri, was the most attentive we have had on our vacation! The Cuban sandwich was wonderful!
(4)
John C.
Great setting. Fantastic views and a great tiki bar. Food was okay. Skip the french dip, it is well done fatty roast beef on a hamburger bun. Chicken tender app is dry and flavorless. Filet was okay. Looked like a pre packaged frozen filet. Cuban sandwich was good. For some reason they charge $2.00 extra if you want fries with a sandwich. Really has potential, but the food has to really improve.
(2)
Autumn D.
As a local I am used to the same old....Surprise! Great food & great happy hour pour. Had the hummus app & it was enough for dinner. Complete with veggies. Loved it.highy recommend as an alternate to the same tired menu offered here in the Keys. Great setting too!
(5)
Angie C.
Rude server, she literally tossed plates on our table! Food was ok, burned pizza. Would not try again.
(1)
Fernando R.
Great food, fast service, pizza was delicious, Cuban rice balls were on point, the restaurant itself is very clean and in a great area with a view of the ocean.
(5)
Sean R.
Great food, great service, great location (although it is hard to find if you don't know it's there). Try the rice balls. Amazing!!!
(5)
Matt O.
Great spot, it is hard to find but on the water and it is very nice. The food was good and prices were reasonable. Really good craft beer selection and the Key Lime martini was amazing. I was impressed this restaurant and preferred it over any place else I went while in Marathon. We went for dinner and then back for dinner and drinks a second night.
(4)
Ellen M.
Four of us dined here at lunch during the week. This place is difficult to find as it is not visible from the main drag which may have accounted for the lack of patronage at the height of lunch hour. The short and long of it as noted elsewhere is that the location and facility is good but the food can be unpredictable. We had the following: cobb salad was fine; pepperoni pizza was only fair; the Cesar salad was normal; the steak sliders were not good -- the steak is whole (not ground) and it was tough and chewy, had to be eaten with a knife / fork which is not what sliders are designed for. Also you only get two sliders as where everywhere else you get three. I hope things improve there as it could really be a great place.
(3)
Natasha M.
Worse experience in the Keys. We pulled up on the boat, sat down at the bar. My friend went outside, I ordered drinks. The bar only had 3-4 people plus 1 table. 15 minutes later two bartenders proceeded to clean glasses and serve others and didn't pay attention, despite us making wave signals with our hands. After another few humiliating minutes of that we decided to leave and on the way commented "Thanks for excellent service guys" and in return only heard "oh we're sorry". No attempt to fix things. If you want boring scene + crappy service = you are in the right spot!
(1)
Greg S.
I have a vested interest in someone seeing this review and making much needed changes. I own a home within walking or kayaking distance of this place and we want so badly for it to be good. To be fair, we haven't eaten there. We tried again last week and had a bizarre and rude encounter with the hostess. It really was inexplicable. In 1990, you could probably get away with an apathetic approach to tourists. Not today. DON'T BE RUDE!
(1)
niki t.
Do not bother with eating here. I find the food in the keys so far sort of average, this place is just not worth eating. My husband and I ate here because we were staying at the Holiday Inn Express just in front of the restaurant and were too tired to drive to other recommended places. I ordered the catch of the day fish tacos and all I could eat was the fish out of the tacos and only because I was hungry. My husband ordered the Cobb salad and it was a big pile of iceberg lettuce with a small amount of bacon, tomatoes, boiled egg. He had to ask for some dressing. He said it was the worst Cobb salad he ever had. Go to the Keys Fisheries and you will at least get something eatable.
(1)
Laura Y.
No longer a great place to eat! Great last time we were in the area. Food, service and management were great! Gone back twice since, both times have had bad service and poor food! When asked for the manager we met last year, we were told he no longer worked for the company. What a shame! The place has really gone downhill. We will not go back, there are way better places interested in making our experience wonderful!!!
(1)
Elle L.
Our waitress was nice. Overall very slow service. Food was alright. Would not return to this restaurant.
(2)
Michelle V.
Beautiful view of water. Easy, relaxed atmosphere. Very family & kid friendly (at least during the early evening when we went which was around 5:30 PM and again the next day to get take out at 2:00 PM). The food was surprisingly good. We thought it was just a cheap, hotel restaurant bc we were staying at the holiday inn express which was connected, but it was better than we expected. Order the Key Lime Martini. It's frothy, creamy & delicious--just like you're eating an actual key lime pie. Peel & eat shrimp was delicious & the fish tacos were excellent. Leave the ceviche--it was more onion than fish.
(4)
John K.
Our first time to Tarpon Creek. Beautiful location in a quiet area. The evening started off kind of rough when we asked for an outside table and the hostess said inside is less than 30 minutes and I don't know about outside. After waiting 45'minutes, we saw others who arrived later than us get seated outside and inquired. Interesting that the hostess blamed us as being hard to find while we were at the corner of the bar right in front of her. After being blackballed by the hostess, we had low expectations. However, the server, Melanie, was prompt and a pleasure. We brought some Yellowtail Snapper that we caught. The chef prepared it very nicely blackened and fried. The sides were excellent. Overall a good experience one we got past the hostess.
(2)
Glyn D.
This place is pretty good. We ate here for dinner and got half off on all appetizers (we timed it to order at the end of happy hour). The fried calamari was good (I tried it, never had it before) and I got a build-your-own burger with cheddar cheese and bacon. It was really good. The service was a little slow once we got our food, but getting our dinner was incredibly speedy. I would suggest eating inside rather than outdoors. We ate outside and there were tons of flies flying around us. They weren't bad until our food came out, so we moved indoors. We were visiting, and it was a good find. It has a great look and atmosphere. Being outside allows you to see the water, and possible an iguana!
(4)
Lynda M.
Nicer bar in the Marathon area. Professional staff, and good food. A refreshing change, since most of the places we have found in the area are dive bars serving drinks in flimsy plastic cups. We tried a pizza, and liked it well enough. They have a great selection of wine, as well as many craft beers and top shelf liquors. We will definitely go back.
(4)
MA G.
We are on vacation at Key Colony Point and could not wait to try Tarpon Creek. The restaurant looks amazing, it's a great combo of indoor and outdoor dining. The food was good, the service was not. I will say that we did not make reservations. Apparently they were already expecting a large party, but when we arrived there were two tables eating. The manager scowled at us after hearing we were a large group even though we happily sat in two groups. Our food came out with no sides, appetizers and entrees at the same time. We had all but finished our meal before the second table of our group started to order. When we asked for dessert, again the manager acted like we were an inconvenience at best. One of our group overheard one of the cooks saying that we had better hurry up and eat then 'get out.' The food was good, but not good enough to justify the rude staff and management. There are ample places to eat on Marathon that are delicious AND pleasant. Hopefully Tarpon Bay figures out a better approach to customer service.
(2)
Cindee T.
The restaurant is gorgeous & located right on the water with an amazing view. My friends raved about the food which made my expectations pretty high. I ordered the ranch shrimp bacon pizza with no bacon (I'm a pescetarian) & a side of French fries; my friend ordered the same pizza & got my extra bacon on his. The pizza was very disappointing, I had one small slice & was over it, the French fries were pretty good, they had a special BBQ seasoning on them. Will I ever return? Probably not, but cool place for tourists for sure.
(2)
Barb K.
HORRIBLE SERVICE! All our stars go for the kitchen and bar. The restaurant is an upscale tiki bar. Large, airy and with a gorgeous view of the water. You can come in your boat. We were in a group of 7, including 3 children. The restaurant was only 1/4 full. Our waitress (Penny) was rude from the beginning, didn't even try to smile. We ordered some appetizers and kids food first. Appetizers came in and only one kid got his food (pizza from a wood burning oven, great by the way!) then we ordered our entrees. That's when things went sour. She brought 2 meals we didn't order and when we said we never ordered that, she became agressive, never appologized and insisted we were wrong. Then acted very annoyed to replace our order, insisting we would try the one she brought and keep it. We finally got our order but one side was missing. One of the kids never got their meal. We then called the manager and she kept walking by our table to hear what we were telling him. The manager was very nice and apologetic, had her removed from serving our table and comped our drinks. Really BAD service from our server. The kitchen staff did a great job on everything! The catch of the day was amazing, the yellowfin so fresh and the shrimp huge and so tasty! My mojito was also done very well. we will come back if we get a different server.
(3)
Sarah M.
OH MY GOD! best meal ive had in the keys in years! sat at the bar with a beautiful view. i started with the black beans and rice balls. simply amazing. they even had great craft pumpkin beer. my boyfriend ordered the shrimp bbq ranch pizzza and loved it ! i had the fried snapper and grits. I ate every last bite. growing up with southern grand parents it reminded me of home cooking! i will definitely go back my next vacay to the florida keys !!!
(5)
Carla V.
This is a very nice looking place - all open and on a marina. The bar has a great view. Our kids enjoyed exploring a little while waiting for the food. Sue was our waitress and she was super attentive to us and our kids. The rice balls are not to be missed. I could have made a meal on 2 servings of these! Conch fritters, also good. 2 of us got the shrimp, andouille sausage and grits. We were not blown away. The grits were pretty bland - yes, I know, that sounds silly. Lots of cheese and seasoning would have helped. Kids meal came with the most amazing fries that were sprinkled with a BBQ seasoning that was amazing...yes, I finished my daughter's fries. Although the entree was a little disappointing, there were other items I would order upon a return visit next year!
(4)
Ray H.
I'm not sure why there are negative reviews on this place. I had the prime rib & she had the shrimp and grits. We were both pleased with our meal. My meat was properly prepared and very tasty. The green beans and twice baked potato, were also good. The staff was very friendly, and the place is very clean. Go check it out!
(4)
John C.
Good food, great service, really cool atmosphere with indoor and outdoor seating and bar area. Mahi Mahi was excellent.
(4)
Kathy B.
WOw. We had a fantastic dinner here last week. Teressa, our server was great!!! The open air dining was lovely after a very short wait. I loved the grilled mahi mahi. We will go back the next time we are in Marathon Key.
(4)
Jeff H.
Amazing, I've made 3 attempts over the past couple years with no chance of having a meal or just a drink at the bar without having to walk away disgusted. Never had that experience anywhere else. Will never know what their food or drinks are like since service seems to be an anomaly. Totally disgusted and optimistic about the next ownership change to try again...
(1)
M C.
Excellent food excellent service. I've eaten at the best in New Orleans. This place is 11 out of 10.
(5)
Henry L.
Little overpriced and food lacks taste. Don't think i would go back.
(2)
Brianna O.
Amazing food and great service. This is our second time here. First time was during a huge wreck on Long key bridge. The wait staff was so accommodating/understanding in just letting us sit back and relax while we waited for traffic to clear out. Today our waiter, Tom, was amazing!!!! Never rushed us and recommended some amazing beers.
(5)
Mary S.
We have been here three times. The food is very good and reasonably priced. The staff is friendly and eager to please. The manager stopped by our table to make sure all was OK. The decor is unique, and it's on the water. Check it out.
(5)
T S.
Great food. I had Mahi Grilled. My husband enjoyed his Salsa burger. Children liked their fish tacos. Staff seemed friendly, but Service was too slow though. The staff seemed easily overwhelmed even though the place did not seem too busy when we were there. Ambience was Caribbean, with tiki torches and thatched roof. Some local art wood sculptures of large fish looked interesting. Menu had a lot of variety for all types of eaters. Limited for desserts.
(3)
Tootie M.
I just had to write a review of this place. I had the best prepared Grouper that I have ever had. The wood fire grill items are amazing. It was served with coconut risotto, also delicious. My son had one of their yummy pizzas, and the dessert of key lime pie was wonderful. We were impressed with the restaurant decor as well.
(4)
Dana T.
Sadly the only thing this place had going for them is that it's on the water facing west. I seated myself after being told there would be an hour wait, then come to find out the entire bar was out of draft beer. Ok no problem I ordered a domestic bottle only To have the waiter come back with a imported beer I never heard of as she told me "sorry were out of the beer you wanted but the bar tender suggested this" the cherry on top had to be when she dumped my beer into the mug.. I guess it was too much work to walk back and ask what beer I would like instead. I ran out of there after waiting 30 minutes for my check.. Place SUCKS!!
(2)
Munsieng S.
Extremely slow service. Charged us 20% tip for lousy service. A disappointment. It is such a nice restaurant.
(2)
Carlos Q.
This place is a pleasant surprise in the Keys. Great food and service. Classy waterfront ambience.
(4)
Kretta M.
I am a Floridian and I've had my fair share of seafood restaurants. The good, the bad, the ugly and absolute worst. The location and view and atmosphere of this place is absolutely incredible. We went for dinner time and it was just romantic and so relaxing. The sever was nice and answered all of our questions and was knowledgeable about the items. We started off with an appetizer that I believe were the "Cuban rice balls" which were extremely delicious and I wish I would've order 3 plates of it for my dinner. It s pork with rice and beans and deep fried with a nice siracha dipping sauce it was just so amazing my mouth is watering just thinking about it again. The drinks were okay, a little on the strong side but nothing special from any other place. Now for the entrees, being in the keys I should've just stuck to seafood and I probably would've been happy, but since it was my 2nd day in the keys and all I had been eating was seafood I opted to try something different. I decided to try the steak frites.. It's just a filet grilled with a side of fries and vegetables. Probably what I regret most ordering and I ate off my boyfriends plate and he ended up finishing my meal. The steak was barely seasoned I had to add Salt and pepper to it, overcooked, (ordered it MR got it MW; imagine my disappointment) and was just very bland. The fries were good. I had asparagus which were grilled and tasted like I was eating burnt paper not even squeezing lemon juice helped. My boyfriend had the lobster pot pie which tasted amazing and was right in every way. In the end, I feel it was a little over priced (its the keys what can I say) and the food was average. I gave it 2 stars based on the atmosphere, service, and appetizer and the one good entree (lobster pot pie) that I enjoyed. I didn't order dessert because I was slightly disappointed already and didn't want to make matters worse. Would I race back again? Probably not but it was worth the try.
(2)
Carolina B.
Just left this restaurant and I have to say that the prime rib was inedible. I would have to run it over with a truck in order to make it soft enough to eat. The pizzas were neither great nor terrible. Service was great. Our waitress, Mary, was very nice and she's the only reason I'm giving a 1 star.
(1)
Neal S.
Had dinner here last night. The food was good but the service was pretty bad. Having worked in customer service for more than a decade, I understand the difference between good and truly bad service. I ordered the BBQ pork burger and after it came out I noticed that it didn't have the coleslaw that the menu stated it came with. After asking the waitress for the coleslaw I figured no big deal. Then the bills came and she tried charging my friend for my coleslaw that was supposed to be included. She argued with me about it blaming the chef for the charge until I pulled up the menu on my phone to show her. Then she finally agreed not to charge me but still gave us an attitude. I'll try them again but if I get her for a waitress I will get up and move. Hopefully I'll be able to adjust my review.
(2)
Michael F.
Happy hour in the evening is the bomb! Half prices apps and discounted wells. The Cuban rice balls and the peel and eat shrimp are where it's at!
This could be a real gem. Great ambiance and location. Unfortunately, that is all this place has to offer. The service was atrocious and the food was subpar. Avoid any of the main entrees.
(2)
Louise K.
If you go by first impressions in this visual category, this place is everything you would hope for in a Keys tiki bar-thatched roof building overlooking the water with great tropical tunes of Buffet, Marley and UB40 blaring from the speakers. BUT that's about as far as I go on GOOD first impressions-the hostess was not very friendly and seemed annoyed to even address us in an inviting manner. The service by the waitress was about on par with with the hostess-inattentive and spacey. The food was average and lukewarm so I'm not even recommending this place for anything other than a stop for a beverage and then moving on to a place with a better reception and food. I'm glad I did not order the pot pie for $25.00. (It was filled with lobster according to the menu, but my guess is it would have had one or two chunks of seafood and likely not worth the money. I shouldn't speculate, but a pot pie for $25, really?) The higher marks come from the fact that the place was very clean and had a great atmosphere. It could be the perfect Keys tiki bar if someone fired the restaurant manager and hired someone who could properly train the staff. I don't blame the staff so much as it appears there is more of a lack of leadership and pride in the service being delivered. Step up your game or we won't come back.
(3)
John Z.
Went there with mom for dinner. Order the rice balls for an appetizer. They were delicious and crunchy with a spicy sauce. I had the island chicken with mango salsa portion was generous and food was well done. Waitresses were friendly and accommodating
(4)
Iliana R.
We decided to try this place for happy hour. Not bad as all the drinks and appetizers were half off so we got to sample a lot of things. Peel and eat shrimp is amazing!!!! So fresh! Really chunky, sweet flavor! My favorite by far! The shellfish Rockefeller was a bit bland. Needs more seasoning. Ceviche was mediocre. Cuban balls were really good! Fresh catch of yellow tail was very good and the fries were seasoned well. Seems like the pizza here is very good although we didn't try it. They have a fire oven and they make their dough fresh right in front of you. It's a very pretty restaurant under a huge tiki but and marvelous water views. There's a great bar and they play sports on the tv's. I thought it was a good deal for happy hour. If not it could be a bit pricey.
(3)
Thomas B.
Service was quick which was nice after reading some bad reviews. I talked with the pizza chef and discovered that the wood fired pizza oven uses pre-made crusts that are purchased and ordered in. They do not make fresh dough for their wood fired pizzas. This fact is pretty crazy. We still tried the margarita pizza and found it tasty but it lacked the chewy char crunch that you would expect from a quality wood fired pizza place.
(3)
Krystal S.
I have to say that I was pretty disappointed with just about everything here. Looks can be deceiving and this place definitely deceived us. To start with hostess was rude. Seemed annoyed the min we walked in. Never gave us menus. Service was extremely slow even though they weren't busy when we first arrived. Food was subpar. Appetizers were no good, bland. Shrimp basket was good but you only got 5 medium shrimp definitely not jumbo like they said. Will not be returning
(2)
M B.
Excellent food and ambience. Definitely a must try in Marathon
(5)
Susan B.
Went here just to have a beer and pizza at the bar. Got a beer, had to beg for a menu & then ignored. Finally ordered pizza which should have taken no more than 10 minutes but got 30 minutes later. Cold. Bartender seemed more concerned about how many hours he was going to get in the coming week than the paying ( tipping!!) patrons sitting right in front of him. Won't be going back. Too bad - could have & should have been a good experience.
(1)
Peggy Sue R.
Very friendly staff also great food, good sized meals. Offers lemon for water quick and easy sit down and kid friendly and a real environment. I think I've watched a lot of tv so I expected The Keys to be fancy and first class but this restaraunt met my expectations. First time ceviche eater and was pleased.
(5)
Joe T.
3 stars only because the view of the water was beautiful but besides that the food was bland and tasteless. It was under seasoned or just tasted like grease, would not recommend. Save your money, if anything have a drink and watch the water but don't waste your money on the food.
(3)
Dina Bean P.
Not a great night. It took a long time to get our apps, and when we got them we didn't get them all. Tasted like the oil in the deep fryer needed to be changed. Meals all came out at different times, and one member of our party didn't receive his meal until everyone else was almost finished. The shrimp was either old or overcooked, and I'm hoping for the latter because I really don't want to have food poisoning on my vacation. Our check was all wrong when we got it and it took a long time to get it fixed. Pretty disappointed.
(1)
Abbi B.
This place is wonderful! Last night I had the peel shrimp with a small salad. The shrimp were so good and the salad was also! Tonight I had the pep pizza and it was amazing I will def order this again. Our servers name was frank he is the best!! Overall great food. My only negative comment would be the service was very slow but I could tell they were short handed.
(5)
Judith K.
Went with a crowd of 8 after being told we would have an hour wait at the Castaways. Arrived with our table ready and sat down immediately. Very friendly staff. Food was very good. We had the Cuban rice balls, fried jumbo shrimp and blackened yellowtail. All was great. Only problem was finding the place. Yelp directions told us to make a uturn which brought us to The Island. Being behind the Holiday Inn makes one think it is a Holiday Inn restaurant. We will return.
(5)
Les B.
Great atmosphere and creative food (shrimp and grits yummy). Highly recommend this little gem! Open air modern tiki hut with lots of ceiling fans that kept us cool in the middle of July. Great live music.
(4)
Jacob H.
The cajun rice balls are great. The service is horrid. We had to ask our waiter to order and when she brought water she refused to take our order for the bar. She came back 10 minutes later. After we asked to order she walked by our table at least 5 times before she stated she was ready. Horrible horrible service
(2)
Roberta S.
I read Nancy Z, Krystal S and Niki t reviews; but we decided to go there anyways. If you don't believe me, then believe Nancy Z, Krystal S and Niki T. The hostess was rude to us as well. She didn't care if we stayed or left when we arrived. She said that we could go into the bar if we wanted to. I got the feeling that we saved her the time by seating ourselves there. We ordered the Crab Pot Pie. Undercooked! We complained, and got a new Crab Pot Pie that was acceptable. Look, the restaurant is appealing from the outside, but it is the inside that counts. The ownership of this business needs to become aware of this "sinking ship". My impression is that this is a "lipstick on a pig" situation.
(1)
Kretta M.
I am a Floridian and I've had my fair share of seafood restaurants. The good, the bad, the ugly and absolute worst. The location and view and atmosphere of this place is absolutely incredible. We went for dinner time and it was just romantic and so relaxing. The sever was nice and answered all of our questions and was knowledgeable about the items. We started off with an appetizer that I believe were the "Cuban rice balls" which were extremely delicious and I wish I would've order 3 plates of it for my dinner. It s pork with rice and beans and deep fried with a nice siracha dipping sauce it was just so amazing my mouth is watering just thinking about it again. The drinks were okay, a little on the strong side but nothing special from any other place. Now for the entrees, being in the keys I should've just stuck to seafood and I probably would've been happy, but since it was my 2nd day in the keys and all I had been eating was seafood I opted to try something different. I decided to try the steak frites.. It's just a filet grilled with a side of fries and vegetables. Probably what I regret most ordering and I ate off my boyfriends plate and he ended up finishing my meal. The steak was barely seasoned I had to add Salt and pepper to it, overcooked, (ordered it MR got it MW; imagine my disappointment) and was just very bland. The fries were good. I had asparagus which were grilled and tasted like I was eating burnt paper not even squeezing lemon juice helped. My boyfriend had the lobster pot pie which tasted amazing and was right in every way. In the end, I feel it was a little over priced (its the keys what can I say) and the food was average. I gave it 2 stars based on the atmosphere, service, and appetizer and the one good entree (lobster pot pie) that I enjoyed. I didn't order dessert because I was slightly disappointed already and didn't want to make matters worse. Would I race back again? Probably not but it was worth the try.
(2)
Carolina B.
Just left this restaurant and I have to say that the prime rib was inedible. I would have to run it over with a truck in order to make it soft enough to eat. The pizzas were neither great nor terrible. Service was great. Our waitress, Mary, was very nice and she's the only reason I'm giving a 1 star.
(1)
Neal S.
Had dinner here last night. The food was good but the service was pretty bad. Having worked in customer service for more than a decade, I understand the difference between good and truly bad service. I ordered the BBQ pork burger and after it came out I noticed that it didn't have the coleslaw that the menu stated it came with. After asking the waitress for the coleslaw I figured no big deal. Then the bills came and she tried charging my friend for my coleslaw that was supposed to be included. She argued with me about it blaming the chef for the charge until I pulled up the menu on my phone to show her. Then she finally agreed not to charge me but still gave us an attitude. I'll try them again but if I get her for a waitress I will get up and move. Hopefully I'll be able to adjust my review.
(2)
Michael F.
Happy hour in the evening is the bomb! Half prices apps and discounted wells. The Cuban rice balls and the peel and eat shrimp are where it's at!
(4)
Dana T.
Sadly the only thing this place had going for them is that it's on the water facing west. I seated myself after being told there would be an hour wait, then come to find out the entire bar was out of draft beer. Ok no problem I ordered a domestic bottle only To have the waiter come back with a imported beer I never heard of as she told me "sorry were out of the beer you wanted but the bar tender suggested this" the cherry on top had to be when she dumped my beer into the mug.. I guess it was too much work to walk back and ask what beer I would like instead. I ran out of there after waiting 30 minutes for my check.. Place SUCKS!!
(2)
Munsieng S.
Extremely slow service. Charged us 20% tip for lousy service. A disappointment. It is such a nice restaurant.
(2)
Carlos Q.
This place is a pleasant surprise in the Keys. Great food and service. Classy waterfront ambience.
This could be a real gem. Great ambiance and location. Unfortunately, that is all this place has to offer. The service was atrocious and the food was subpar. Avoid any of the main entrees.
(2)
Cin M.
The bar and grill was fantastic! They have great pizza great happy hour and cooked our catch perfectly! Beautiful views of the marina. Great live music! The Tarpon Creek Marina next door was awesome! Great merchandise and prices. Bonnie was so helpful for what to do and see in the area not just her offerings! She hooked us up with a great fishing trip! She is very professional -it is definitely a great dock store!
(5)
Bill W.
This restaurant has by far the best atmosphere for a real outside experience, inside. The food is well presented and prepared perfectly. The service is phenomenal, our waitress Rachel was very attentive to our needs and went over and above for our group. The Key lime Pie was good and creamy. Overall we had a wonderful dining experience.
(5)
Cathy C.
The pizza was good. I had the special of the day Cuban tacos very good. People are nice but service is a little slow We have eaten both lunch and dinner
(4)
Bonnie C.
Great ambiance. Food was just ok; everything was pretty bland. We had calamari, fried pork balls, peel and eat shrimp, pork tacos, fish tacos and churrasco steak. I'd go for drinks & appetizer, but dine elsewhere.
(3)
R S.
We came here last week for dinner and loved it! Dining right on the canal was beautiful and we enjoyed the overall atmosphere! Our server was prompt and friendly and the food was super tastey. Can't wait to come back next time we're in the Keys!
(5)
Elizabeth H.
Our server, Marri, was the most attentive we have had on our vacation! The Cuban sandwich was wonderful!
(4)
John C.
Great setting. Fantastic views and a great tiki bar. Food was okay. Skip the french dip, it is well done fatty roast beef on a hamburger bun. Chicken tender app is dry and flavorless. Filet was okay. Looked like a pre packaged frozen filet. Cuban sandwich was good. For some reason they charge $2.00 extra if you want fries with a sandwich. Really has potential, but the food has to really improve.
(2)
Nancy Z.
Wow... We just left here - without eating or drinking a thing!!!! We were told to seat ourselves and "someone would be right after us". It's a beautiful day, most people must be out on the water because there weren't many people dining - three tables of people outside and us. My husband and I sat for what seemed like 10 minutes (was probably five or six) nobody asked us what we wanted. A few minutes later, a waitress asked the table next to ours if everything was fine, then she left. Never asking us if we needed menus or saying she'd send someone over. A few minutes after that, a waiter came by and asked the other two tables if they needed anything. Us- nothing! Really???? What's with that? There are way too many places to eat in this area for us to sit around waiting for them to decide whether or not they felt like serving us.
(1)
Lila W.
Dinner was fantastic! Beer steamed shrimp was awesome! Staff was very friendly! Also had breakfast there, omelets were very good. highly recommend!
(4)
Louise K.
If you go by first impressions in this visual category, this place is everything you would hope for in a Keys tiki bar-thatched roof building overlooking the water with great tropical tunes of Buffet, Marley and UB40 blaring from the speakers. BUT that's about as far as I go on GOOD first impressions-the hostess was not very friendly and seemed annoyed to even address us in an inviting manner. The service by the waitress was about on par with with the hostess-inattentive and spacey. The food was average and lukewarm so I'm not even recommending this place for anything other than a stop for a beverage and then moving on to a place with a better reception and food. I'm glad I did not order the pot pie for $25.00. (It was filled with lobster according to the menu, but my guess is it would have had one or two chunks of seafood and likely not worth the money. I shouldn't speculate, but a pot pie for $25, really?) The higher marks come from the fact that the place was very clean and had a great atmosphere. It could be the perfect Keys tiki bar if someone fired the restaurant manager and hired someone who could properly train the staff. I don't blame the staff so much as it appears there is more of a lack of leadership and pride in the service being delivered. Step up your game or we won't come back.
(3)
John Z.
Went there with mom for dinner. Order the rice balls for an appetizer. They were delicious and crunchy with a spicy sauce. I had the island chicken with mango salsa portion was generous and food was well done. Waitresses were friendly and accommodating
(4)
Iliana R.
We decided to try this place for happy hour. Not bad as all the drinks and appetizers were half off so we got to sample a lot of things. Peel and eat shrimp is amazing!!!! So fresh! Really chunky, sweet flavor! My favorite by far! The shellfish Rockefeller was a bit bland. Needs more seasoning. Ceviche was mediocre. Cuban balls were really good! Fresh catch of yellow tail was very good and the fries were seasoned well. Seems like the pizza here is very good although we didn't try it. They have a fire oven and they make their dough fresh right in front of you. It's a very pretty restaurant under a huge tiki but and marvelous water views. There's a great bar and they play sports on the tv's. I thought it was a good deal for happy hour. If not it could be a bit pricey.
(3)
Thomas B.
Service was quick which was nice after reading some bad reviews. I talked with the pizza chef and discovered that the wood fired pizza oven uses pre-made crusts that are purchased and ordered in. They do not make fresh dough for their wood fired pizzas. This fact is pretty crazy. We still tried the margarita pizza and found it tasty but it lacked the chewy char crunch that you would expect from a quality wood fired pizza place.
(3)
Krystal S.
I have to say that I was pretty disappointed with just about everything here. Looks can be deceiving and this place definitely deceived us. To start with hostess was rude. Seemed annoyed the min we walked in. Never gave us menus. Service was extremely slow even though they weren't busy when we first arrived. Food was subpar. Appetizers were no good, bland. Shrimp basket was good but you only got 5 medium shrimp definitely not jumbo like they said. Will not be returning
(2)
Greg S.
I have a vested interest in someone seeing this review and making much needed changes. I own a home within walking or kayaking distance of this place and we want so badly for it to be good. To be fair, we haven't eaten there. We tried again last week and had a bizarre and rude encounter with the hostess. It really was inexplicable. In 1990, you could probably get away with an apathetic approach to tourists. Not today. DON'T BE RUDE!
(1)
niki t.
Do not bother with eating here. I find the food in the keys so far sort of average, this place is just not worth eating. My husband and I ate here because we were staying at the Holiday Inn Express just in front of the restaurant and were too tired to drive to other recommended places. I ordered the catch of the day fish tacos and all I could eat was the fish out of the tacos and only because I was hungry. My husband ordered the Cobb salad and it was a big pile of iceberg lettuce with a small amount of bacon, tomatoes, boiled egg. He had to ask for some dressing. He said it was the worst Cobb salad he ever had. Go to the Keys Fisheries and you will at least get something eatable.
(1)
Susan B.
Went here just to have a beer and pizza at the bar. Got a beer, had to beg for a menu & then ignored. Finally ordered pizza which should have taken no more than 10 minutes but got 30 minutes later. Cold. Bartender seemed more concerned about how many hours he was going to get in the coming week than the paying ( tipping!!) patrons sitting right in front of him. Won't be going back. Too bad - could have & should have been a good experience.
(1)
Peggy Sue R.
Very friendly staff also great food, good sized meals. Offers lemon for water quick and easy sit down and kid friendly and a real environment. I think I've watched a lot of tv so I expected The Keys to be fancy and first class but this restaraunt met my expectations. First time ceviche eater and was pleased.
(5)
Joe T.
3 stars only because the view of the water was beautiful but besides that the food was bland and tasteless. It was under seasoned or just tasted like grease, would not recommend. Save your money, if anything have a drink and watch the water but don't waste your money on the food.
(3)
Dina Bean P.
Not a great night. It took a long time to get our apps, and when we got them we didn't get them all. Tasted like the oil in the deep fryer needed to be changed. Meals all came out at different times, and one member of our party didn't receive his meal until everyone else was almost finished. The shrimp was either old or overcooked, and I'm hoping for the latter because I really don't want to have food poisoning on my vacation. Our check was all wrong when we got it and it took a long time to get it fixed. Pretty disappointed.
(1)
Abbi B.
This place is wonderful! Last night I had the peel shrimp with a small salad. The shrimp were so good and the salad was also! Tonight I had the pep pizza and it was amazing I will def order this again. Our servers name was frank he is the best!! Overall great food. My only negative comment would be the service was very slow but I could tell they were short handed.
(5)
Judith K.
Went with a crowd of 8 after being told we would have an hour wait at the Castaways. Arrived with our table ready and sat down immediately. Very friendly staff. Food was very good. We had the Cuban rice balls, fried jumbo shrimp and blackened yellowtail. All was great. Only problem was finding the place. Yelp directions told us to make a uturn which brought us to The Island. Being behind the Holiday Inn makes one think it is a Holiday Inn restaurant. We will return.
(5)
Les B.
Great atmosphere and creative food (shrimp and grits yummy). Highly recommend this little gem! Open air modern tiki hut with lots of ceiling fans that kept us cool in the middle of July. Great live music.
(4)
Jacob H.
The cajun rice balls are great. The service is horrid. We had to ask our waiter to order and when she brought water she refused to take our order for the bar. She came back 10 minutes later. After we asked to order she walked by our table at least 5 times before she stated she was ready. Horrible horrible service
(2)
Roberta S.
I read Nancy Z, Krystal S and Niki t reviews; but we decided to go there anyways. If you don't believe me, then believe Nancy Z, Krystal S and Niki T. The hostess was rude to us as well. She didn't care if we stayed or left when we arrived. She said that we could go into the bar if we wanted to. I got the feeling that we saved her the time by seating ourselves there. We ordered the Crab Pot Pie. Undercooked! We complained, and got a new Crab Pot Pie that was acceptable. Look, the restaurant is appealing from the outside, but it is the inside that counts. The ownership of this business needs to become aware of this "sinking ship". My impression is that this is a "lipstick on a pig" situation.
(1)
Carla V.
This is a very nice looking place - all open and on a marina. The bar has a great view. Our kids enjoyed exploring a little while waiting for the food. Sue was our waitress and she was super attentive to us and our kids. The rice balls are not to be missed. I could have made a meal on 2 servings of these! Conch fritters, also good. 2 of us got the shrimp, andouille sausage and grits. We were not blown away. The grits were pretty bland - yes, I know, that sounds silly. Lots of cheese and seasoning would have helped. Kids meal came with the most amazing fries that were sprinkled with a BBQ seasoning that was amazing...yes, I finished my daughter's fries. Although the entree was a little disappointing, there were other items I would order upon a return visit next year!
(4)
Ray H.
I'm not sure why there are negative reviews on this place. I had the prime rib & she had the shrimp and grits. We were both pleased with our meal. My meat was properly prepared and very tasty. The green beans and twice baked potato, were also good. The staff was very friendly, and the place is very clean. Go check it out!
(4)
John C.
Good food, great service, really cool atmosphere with indoor and outdoor seating and bar area. Mahi Mahi was excellent.
(4)
Kathy B.
WOw. We had a fantastic dinner here last week. Teressa, our server was great!!! The open air dining was lovely after a very short wait. I loved the grilled mahi mahi. We will go back the next time we are in Marathon Key.
(4)
Jeff H.
Amazing, I've made 3 attempts over the past couple years with no chance of having a meal or just a drink at the bar without having to walk away disgusted. Never had that experience anywhere else. Will never know what their food or drinks are like since service seems to be an anomaly. Totally disgusted and optimistic about the next ownership change to try again...
(1)
M C.
Excellent food excellent service. I've eaten at the best in New Orleans. This place is 11 out of 10.
(5)
Henry L.
Little overpriced and food lacks taste. Don't think i would go back.
(2)
Michelle V.
Beautiful view of water. Easy, relaxed atmosphere. Very family & kid friendly (at least during the early evening when we went which was around 5:30 PM and again the next day to get take out at 2:00 PM). The food was surprisingly good. We thought it was just a cheap, hotel restaurant bc we were staying at the holiday inn express which was connected, but it was better than we expected. Order the Key Lime Martini. It's frothy, creamy & delicious--just like you're eating an actual key lime pie. Peel & eat shrimp was delicious & the fish tacos were excellent. Leave the ceviche--it was more onion than fish.
(4)
John K.
Our first time to Tarpon Creek. Beautiful location in a quiet area. The evening started off kind of rough when we asked for an outside table and the hostess said inside is less than 30 minutes and I don't know about outside. After waiting 45'minutes, we saw others who arrived later than us get seated outside and inquired. Interesting that the hostess blamed us as being hard to find while we were at the corner of the bar right in front of her. After being blackballed by the hostess, we had low expectations. However, the server, Melanie, was prompt and a pleasure. We brought some Yellowtail Snapper that we caught. The chef prepared it very nicely blackened and fried. The sides were excellent. Overall a good experience one we got past the hostess.
(2)
Glyn D.
This place is pretty good. We ate here for dinner and got half off on all appetizers (we timed it to order at the end of happy hour). The fried calamari was good (I tried it, never had it before) and I got a build-your-own burger with cheddar cheese and bacon. It was really good. The service was a little slow once we got our food, but getting our dinner was incredibly speedy. I would suggest eating inside rather than outdoors. We ate outside and there were tons of flies flying around us. They weren't bad until our food came out, so we moved indoors. We were visiting, and it was a good find. It has a great look and atmosphere. Being outside allows you to see the water, and possible an iguana!
(4)
MA G.
We are on vacation at Key Colony Point and could not wait to try Tarpon Creek. The restaurant looks amazing, it's a great combo of indoor and outdoor dining. The food was good, the service was not. I will say that we did not make reservations. Apparently they were already expecting a large party, but when we arrived there were two tables eating. The manager scowled at us after hearing we were a large group even though we happily sat in two groups. Our food came out with no sides, appetizers and entrees at the same time. We had all but finished our meal before the second table of our group started to order. When we asked for dessert, again the manager acted like we were an inconvenience at best. One of our group overheard one of the cooks saying that we had better hurry up and eat then 'get out.' The food was good, but not good enough to justify the rude staff and management. There are ample places to eat on Marathon that are delicious AND pleasant. Hopefully Tarpon Bay figures out a better approach to customer service.
(2)
Cindee T.
The restaurant is gorgeous & located right on the water with an amazing view. My friends raved about the food which made my expectations pretty high. I ordered the ranch shrimp bacon pizza with no bacon (I'm a pescetarian) & a side of French fries; my friend ordered the same pizza & got my extra bacon on his. The pizza was very disappointing, I had one small slice & was over it, the French fries were pretty good, they had a special BBQ seasoning on them. Will I ever return? Probably not, but cool place for tourists for sure.
(2)
Barb K.
HORRIBLE SERVICE! All our stars go for the kitchen and bar. The restaurant is an upscale tiki bar. Large, airy and with a gorgeous view of the water. You can come in your boat. We were in a group of 7, including 3 children. The restaurant was only 1/4 full. Our waitress (Penny) was rude from the beginning, didn't even try to smile. We ordered some appetizers and kids food first. Appetizers came in and only one kid got his food (pizza from a wood burning oven, great by the way!) then we ordered our entrees. That's when things went sour. She brought 2 meals we didn't order and when we said we never ordered that, she became agressive, never appologized and insisted we were wrong. Then acted very annoyed to replace our order, insisting we would try the one she brought and keep it. We finally got our order but one side was missing. One of the kids never got their meal. We then called the manager and she kept walking by our table to hear what we were telling him. The manager was very nice and apologetic, had her removed from serving our table and comped our drinks. Really BAD service from our server. The kitchen staff did a great job on everything! The catch of the day was amazing, the yellowfin so fresh and the shrimp huge and so tasty! My mojito was also done very well. we will come back if we get a different server.
(3)
Sarah M.
OH MY GOD! best meal ive had in the keys in years! sat at the bar with a beautiful view. i started with the black beans and rice balls. simply amazing. they even had great craft pumpkin beer. my boyfriend ordered the shrimp bbq ranch pizzza and loved it ! i had the fried snapper and grits. I ate every last bite. growing up with southern grand parents it reminded me of home cooking! i will definitely go back my next vacay to the florida keys !!!
(5)
Tom T.
Unfortunately I was unable to sample the cuisine here. My party of 4 arrived at 9:25pm and were told it was a 20-30 minute wait. I was put on the list for a table and was directed to the bar to wait. We ordered a round and waited. We were sat at 9:48. The server came to our table and said she would be with us in a few minutes. Having drinks we didn't mind and started browsing the menus in from of us. She returned, introduced herself, and took our drink order. When she returned she informed us that it was now 10pm and the kitchen was closed. We promptly told her of the preceding and she went to the manager. Se returned and said we could not eat but we could pay for the round she just sat down that none of us had touched. We told her the manager can pay for them and we left. We scurried to find a place to eat and wound up just north across the street. The manager said the kitchen was cleaning up but we could sit and order. we told him what happened across the street. He could not believe the lack of customer service. He even apologized saying that most places were closed at 10 and we would have been out of luck because they waited so long to tell us. I would not recommend this place on principle alone. Two thumbs down. Way down.
(1)
Autumn D.
As a local I am used to the same old....Surprise! Great food & great happy hour pour. Had the hummus app & it was enough for dinner. Complete with veggies. Loved it.highy recommend as an alternate to the same tired menu offered here in the Keys. Great setting too!
(5)
Angie C.
Rude server, she literally tossed plates on our table! Food was ok, burned pizza. Would not try again.
(1)
Fernando R.
Great food, fast service, pizza was delicious, Cuban rice balls were on point, the restaurant itself is very clean and in a great area with a view of the ocean.
(5)
Sean R.
Great food, great service, great location (although it is hard to find if you don't know it's there). Try the rice balls. Amazing!!!
(5)
Laura Y.
No longer a great place to eat! Great last time we were in the area. Food, service and management were great! Gone back twice since, both times have had bad service and poor food! When asked for the manager we met last year, we were told he no longer worked for the company. What a shame! The place has really gone downhill. We will not go back, there are way better places interested in making our experience wonderful!!!
(1)
Elle L.
Our waitress was nice. Overall very slow service. Food was alright. Would not return to this restaurant.
(2)
Lynda M.
Nicer bar in the Marathon area. Professional staff, and good food. A refreshing change, since most of the places we have found in the area are dive bars serving drinks in flimsy plastic cups. We tried a pizza, and liked it well enough. They have a great selection of wine, as well as many craft beers and top shelf liquors. We will definitely go back.
(4)
Brianna O.
Amazing food and great service. This is our second time here. First time was during a huge wreck on Long key bridge. The wait staff was so accommodating/understanding in just letting us sit back and relax while we waited for traffic to clear out. Today our waiter, Tom, was amazing!!!! Never rushed us and recommended some amazing beers.
(5)
Steve K.
Fantastic, we dined here last night, food was great! Atmosphere was great! Staff were friendly and were happy to be doing their jobs, a few times they apologized for the delay in getting our food to us but we had not noticed it being delayed, menu you is very good with many interesting choices. I didn't get the pizza but I really wanted it! Going back tonight for Christmas buffet! Go here, you'll be glad you did!
(5)
Emilee G.
Great wood fired pizza - the "Piglet" is the way to go with pulled Cuban pork, bacon and andouille sausage, delicious! My husband had the blue cheese, avocado, bacon burger and it was perfectly cooked to medium - this seems to be a problem with other restaurants but not here, they know what they're doing. Also recommend the smilin' seafood dip, it's great on the pita crackers they give you and on the tomatoes and gherkins that also accompany the app. Drinks we good and reasonably priced considering the other options on Marathon. Overall we were very pleased, we will be back!
(5)
Cindy G.
Hubs and me got to have an evening away while vacationing on Marathon. A week with two families, including 5 children gave us cause to want dinner with just two of us. Tarpon Creek was within walking distance of our rental home in Key Colony. I would describe it as sophisticated tropical...clean lines, carved wood, and sea breezes with no bright parrot colors. My Mango Marathon cocktail was enormous and strong...perfect. Hubs enjoyed his White Russian...I know, not tropical, but whatever. I had the gazpacho, which came in a large shallow bowl and was topped with four perfectly grilled shrimp. Hubs had the Cuban rice balls and said they were great. I would've tried them if he hadn't eaten them so quickly! He had Steak Frites and after the first bite, his audible Mmmmmmm said it all. My Shrimp and Grits with chorizo was delicious. The grits might be the best I ever had...thick and cheesy, but somehow not gut-busting. Chocolate mousse was served in a large martini glass and was just the right amount of sweet and rich. Service by Tina, our server, and two different runner/bus boys was perfect. Very attentive without intrusion, friendly and smiling. Too bad it's a five hour drive, or we'd go again soon!
(4)
Matt O.
Great spot, it is hard to find but on the water and it is very nice. The food was good and prices were reasonable. Really good craft beer selection and the Key Lime martini was amazing. I was impressed this restaurant and preferred it over any place else I went while in Marathon. We went for dinner and then back for dinner and drinks a second night.
(4)
Ellen M.
Four of us dined here at lunch during the week. This place is difficult to find as it is not visible from the main drag which may have accounted for the lack of patronage at the height of lunch hour. The short and long of it as noted elsewhere is that the location and facility is good but the food can be unpredictable. We had the following: cobb salad was fine; pepperoni pizza was only fair; the Cesar salad was normal; the steak sliders were not good -- the steak is whole (not ground) and it was tough and chewy, had to be eaten with a knife / fork which is not what sliders are designed for. Also you only get two sliders as where everywhere else you get three. I hope things improve there as it could really be a great place.
(3)
Natasha M.
Worse experience in the Keys. We pulled up on the boat, sat down at the bar. My friend went outside, I ordered drinks. The bar only had 3-4 people plus 1 table. 15 minutes later two bartenders proceeded to clean glasses and serve others and didn't pay attention, despite us making wave signals with our hands. After another few humiliating minutes of that we decided to leave and on the way commented "Thanks for excellent service guys" and in return only heard "oh we're sorry". No attempt to fix things. If you want boring scene + crappy service = you are in the right spot!
(1)
M B.
Excellent food and ambience. Definitely a must try in Marathon
(5)
Mary S.
We have been here three times. The food is very good and reasonably priced. The staff is friendly and eager to please. The manager stopped by our table to make sure all was OK. The decor is unique, and it's on the water. Check it out.
(5)
T S.
Great food. I had Mahi Grilled. My husband enjoyed his Salsa burger. Children liked their fish tacos. Staff seemed friendly, but Service was too slow though. The staff seemed easily overwhelmed even though the place did not seem too busy when we were there. Ambience was Caribbean, with tiki torches and thatched roof. Some local art wood sculptures of large fish looked interesting. Menu had a lot of variety for all types of eaters. Limited for desserts.
(3)
Tootie M.
I just had to write a review of this place. I had the best prepared Grouper that I have ever had. The wood fire grill items are amazing. It was served with coconut risotto, also delicious. My son had one of their yummy pizzas, and the dessert of key lime pie was wonderful. We were impressed with the restaurant decor as well.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Touristy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
Diane C.
we ate lunch here and then came back for snacks at dinner time. we were greeted by karen and waited on by kyle. both were amazing individuals - friendly, personable. kyle was the best in refilling my soda glass each time i emptied it out. karen gave us some tips on where to find a quiet and peaceful beach. the seating area is alongside the water and walkway. you can see the iguana's wandering around. and the food was terrific.
(4)Valerie S.
The grilled shrimp & grits were amazing!!!!! My husband got a pizza & it was good but a little greasy (course it was sausage, bacon & pepperoni). The services was great & the view was even better!!! If we're back in Marathon again we'll definitely be back!!
(5)Joe H.
Very limited menu. Zero non fried seafood except the $32 specials. Pizza was norm. Service okay.
(2)Jess K.
Quite possibly the worst food on island. The sever was nice, when we saw her. We will never come here again, especially for the money they charge... $100 for two terrible "French dips" that were served on hamburger buns, completely devoid of flavor and full of fat and gristle. The fries were soggy and cold. Our salad was served with balsamic which was actually oil. We asked for a side of vinegar for the salad and that arrived steaming hot. All in all a massive let down...
(1)Ann B.
I had high hopes for this place because the ambiance was what I needed. Very chill. The service was good and bad. Good: he put down the drapes when it started raining. Bad: I have a dairy allergy and told the server no cheese on my flatbread. He brings out a flatbread with cheese on it and proceeds to make me feel bad like I had made the mistake. I've never had that happen before and it started the night off with a negative vibe.
(2)Ben R.
Just Love the place. First time there. Great service. The filet mignon was great. Comes with 2 sides mash poteto and green beans are the one I'll recommend
(5)Steve K.
Fantastic, we dined here last night, food was great! Atmosphere was great! Staff were friendly and were happy to be doing their jobs, a few times they apologized for the delay in getting our food to us but we had not noticed it being delayed, menu you is very good with many interesting choices. I didn't get the pizza but I really wanted it! Going back tonight for Christmas buffet! Go here, you'll be glad you did!
(5)Emilee G.
Great wood fired pizza - the "Piglet" is the way to go with pulled Cuban pork, bacon and andouille sausage, delicious! My husband had the blue cheese, avocado, bacon burger and it was perfectly cooked to medium - this seems to be a problem with other restaurants but not here, they know what they're doing. Also recommend the smilin' seafood dip, it's great on the pita crackers they give you and on the tomatoes and gherkins that also accompany the app. Drinks we good and reasonably priced considering the other options on Marathon. Overall we were very pleased, we will be back!
(5)Cindy G.
Hubs and me got to have an evening away while vacationing on Marathon. A week with two families, including 5 children gave us cause to want dinner with just two of us. Tarpon Creek was within walking distance of our rental home in Key Colony. I would describe it as sophisticated tropical...clean lines, carved wood, and sea breezes with no bright parrot colors. My Mango Marathon cocktail was enormous and strong...perfect. Hubs enjoyed his White Russian...I know, not tropical, but whatever. I had the gazpacho, which came in a large shallow bowl and was topped with four perfectly grilled shrimp. Hubs had the Cuban rice balls and said they were great. I would've tried them if he hadn't eaten them so quickly! He had Steak Frites and after the first bite, his audible Mmmmmmm said it all. My Shrimp and Grits with chorizo was delicious. The grits might be the best I ever had...thick and cheesy, but somehow not gut-busting. Chocolate mousse was served in a large martini glass and was just the right amount of sweet and rich. Service by Tina, our server, and two different runner/bus boys was perfect. Very attentive without intrusion, friendly and smiling. Too bad it's a five hour drive, or we'd go again soon!
(4)Tom T.
Unfortunately I was unable to sample the cuisine here. My party of 4 arrived at 9:25pm and were told it was a 20-30 minute wait. I was put on the list for a table and was directed to the bar to wait. We ordered a round and waited. We were sat at 9:48. The server came to our table and said she would be with us in a few minutes. Having drinks we didn't mind and started browsing the menus in from of us. She returned, introduced herself, and took our drink order. When she returned she informed us that it was now 10pm and the kitchen was closed. We promptly told her of the preceding and she went to the manager. Se returned and said we could not eat but we could pay for the round she just sat down that none of us had touched. We told her the manager can pay for them and we left. We scurried to find a place to eat and wound up just north across the street. The manager said the kitchen was cleaning up but we could sit and order. we told him what happened across the street. He could not believe the lack of customer service. He even apologized saying that most places were closed at 10 and we would have been out of luck because they waited so long to tell us. I would not recommend this place on principle alone. Two thumbs down. Way down.
(1)Nancy Z.
Wow... We just left here - without eating or drinking a thing!!!! We were told to seat ourselves and "someone would be right after us". It's a beautiful day, most people must be out on the water because there weren't many people dining - three tables of people outside and us. My husband and I sat for what seemed like 10 minutes (was probably five or six) nobody asked us what we wanted. A few minutes later, a waitress asked the table next to ours if everything was fine, then she left. Never asking us if we needed menus or saying she'd send someone over. A few minutes after that, a waiter came by and asked the other two tables if they needed anything. Us- nothing! Really???? What's with that? There are way too many places to eat in this area for us to sit around waiting for them to decide whether or not they felt like serving us.
(1)Lila W.
Dinner was fantastic! Beer steamed shrimp was awesome! Staff was very friendly! Also had breakfast there, omelets were very good. highly recommend!
(4)Ann B.
I had high hopes for this place because the ambiance was what I needed. Very chill. The service was good and bad. Good: he put down the drapes when it started raining. Bad: I have a dairy allergy and told the server no cheese on my flatbread. He brings out a flatbread with cheese on it and proceeds to make me feel bad like I had made the mistake. I've never had that happen before and it started the night off with a negative vibe.
(2)Valerie S.
The grilled shrimp & grits were amazing!!!!! My husband got a pizza & it was good but a little greasy (course it was sausage, bacon & pepperoni). The services was great & the view was even better!!! If we're back in Marathon again we'll definitely be back!!
(5)Ben R.
Just Love the place. First time there. Great service. The filet mignon was great. Comes with 2 sides mash poteto and green beans are the one I'll recommend
(5)Diane C.
we ate lunch here and then came back for snacks at dinner time. we were greeted by karen and waited on by kyle. both were amazing individuals - friendly, personable. kyle was the best in refilling my soda glass each time i emptied it out. karen gave us some tips on where to find a quiet and peaceful beach. the seating area is alongside the water and walkway. you can see the iguana's wandering around. and the food was terrific.
(4)Joe H.
Very limited menu. Zero non fried seafood except the $32 specials. Pizza was norm. Service okay.
(2)Jess K.
Quite possibly the worst food on island. The sever was nice, when we saw her. We will never come here again, especially for the money they charge... $100 for two terrible "French dips" that were served on hamburger buns, completely devoid of flavor and full of fat and gristle. The fries were soggy and cold. Our salad was served with balsamic which was actually oil. We asked for a side of vinegar for the salad and that arrived steaming hot. All in all a massive let down...
(1)Cin M.
The bar and grill was fantastic! They have great pizza great happy hour and cooked our catch perfectly! Beautiful views of the marina. Great live music! The Tarpon Creek Marina next door was awesome! Great merchandise and prices. Bonnie was so helpful for what to do and see in the area not just her offerings! She hooked us up with a great fishing trip! She is very professional -it is definitely a great dock store!
(5)Bill W.
This restaurant has by far the best atmosphere for a real outside experience, inside. The food is well presented and prepared perfectly. The service is phenomenal, our waitress Rachel was very attentive to our needs and went over and above for our group. The Key lime Pie was good and creamy. Overall we had a wonderful dining experience.
(5)Cathy C.
The pizza was good. I had the special of the day Cuban tacos very good. People are nice but service is a little slow We have eaten both lunch and dinner
(4)Bonnie C.
Great ambiance. Food was just ok; everything was pretty bland. We had calamari, fried pork balls, peel and eat shrimp, pork tacos, fish tacos and churrasco steak. I'd go for drinks & appetizer, but dine elsewhere.
(3)R S.
We came here last week for dinner and loved it! Dining right on the canal was beautiful and we enjoyed the overall atmosphere! Our server was prompt and friendly and the food was super tastey. Can't wait to come back next time we're in the Keys!
(5)Elizabeth H.
Our server, Marri, was the most attentive we have had on our vacation! The Cuban sandwich was wonderful!
(4)John C.
Great setting. Fantastic views and a great tiki bar. Food was okay. Skip the french dip, it is well done fatty roast beef on a hamburger bun. Chicken tender app is dry and flavorless. Filet was okay. Looked like a pre packaged frozen filet. Cuban sandwich was good. For some reason they charge $2.00 extra if you want fries with a sandwich. Really has potential, but the food has to really improve.
(2)Autumn D.
As a local I am used to the same old....Surprise! Great food & great happy hour pour. Had the hummus app & it was enough for dinner. Complete with veggies. Loved it.highy recommend as an alternate to the same tired menu offered here in the Keys. Great setting too!
(5)Angie C.
Rude server, she literally tossed plates on our table! Food was ok, burned pizza. Would not try again.
(1)Fernando R.
Great food, fast service, pizza was delicious, Cuban rice balls were on point, the restaurant itself is very clean and in a great area with a view of the ocean.
(5)Sean R.
Great food, great service, great location (although it is hard to find if you don't know it's there). Try the rice balls. Amazing!!!
(5)Matt O.
Great spot, it is hard to find but on the water and it is very nice. The food was good and prices were reasonable. Really good craft beer selection and the Key Lime martini was amazing. I was impressed this restaurant and preferred it over any place else I went while in Marathon. We went for dinner and then back for dinner and drinks a second night.
(4)Ellen M.
Four of us dined here at lunch during the week. This place is difficult to find as it is not visible from the main drag which may have accounted for the lack of patronage at the height of lunch hour. The short and long of it as noted elsewhere is that the location and facility is good but the food can be unpredictable. We had the following: cobb salad was fine; pepperoni pizza was only fair; the Cesar salad was normal; the steak sliders were not good -- the steak is whole (not ground) and it was tough and chewy, had to be eaten with a knife / fork which is not what sliders are designed for. Also you only get two sliders as where everywhere else you get three. I hope things improve there as it could really be a great place.
(3)Natasha M.
Worse experience in the Keys. We pulled up on the boat, sat down at the bar. My friend went outside, I ordered drinks. The bar only had 3-4 people plus 1 table. 15 minutes later two bartenders proceeded to clean glasses and serve others and didn't pay attention, despite us making wave signals with our hands. After another few humiliating minutes of that we decided to leave and on the way commented "Thanks for excellent service guys" and in return only heard "oh we're sorry". No attempt to fix things. If you want boring scene + crappy service = you are in the right spot!
(1)Greg S.
I have a vested interest in someone seeing this review and making much needed changes. I own a home within walking or kayaking distance of this place and we want so badly for it to be good. To be fair, we haven't eaten there. We tried again last week and had a bizarre and rude encounter with the hostess. It really was inexplicable. In 1990, you could probably get away with an apathetic approach to tourists. Not today. DON'T BE RUDE!
(1)niki t.
Do not bother with eating here. I find the food in the keys so far sort of average, this place is just not worth eating. My husband and I ate here because we were staying at the Holiday Inn Express just in front of the restaurant and were too tired to drive to other recommended places. I ordered the catch of the day fish tacos and all I could eat was the fish out of the tacos and only because I was hungry. My husband ordered the Cobb salad and it was a big pile of iceberg lettuce with a small amount of bacon, tomatoes, boiled egg. He had to ask for some dressing. He said it was the worst Cobb salad he ever had. Go to the Keys Fisheries and you will at least get something eatable.
(1)Laura Y.
No longer a great place to eat! Great last time we were in the area. Food, service and management were great! Gone back twice since, both times have had bad service and poor food! When asked for the manager we met last year, we were told he no longer worked for the company. What a shame! The place has really gone downhill. We will not go back, there are way better places interested in making our experience wonderful!!!
(1)Elle L.
Our waitress was nice. Overall very slow service. Food was alright. Would not return to this restaurant.
(2)Michelle V.
Beautiful view of water. Easy, relaxed atmosphere. Very family & kid friendly (at least during the early evening when we went which was around 5:30 PM and again the next day to get take out at 2:00 PM). The food was surprisingly good. We thought it was just a cheap, hotel restaurant bc we were staying at the holiday inn express which was connected, but it was better than we expected. Order the Key Lime Martini. It's frothy, creamy & delicious--just like you're eating an actual key lime pie. Peel & eat shrimp was delicious & the fish tacos were excellent. Leave the ceviche--it was more onion than fish.
(4)John K.
Our first time to Tarpon Creek. Beautiful location in a quiet area. The evening started off kind of rough when we asked for an outside table and the hostess said inside is less than 30 minutes and I don't know about outside. After waiting 45'minutes, we saw others who arrived later than us get seated outside and inquired. Interesting that the hostess blamed us as being hard to find while we were at the corner of the bar right in front of her. After being blackballed by the hostess, we had low expectations. However, the server, Melanie, was prompt and a pleasure. We brought some Yellowtail Snapper that we caught. The chef prepared it very nicely blackened and fried. The sides were excellent. Overall a good experience one we got past the hostess.
(2)Glyn D.
This place is pretty good. We ate here for dinner and got half off on all appetizers (we timed it to order at the end of happy hour). The fried calamari was good (I tried it, never had it before) and I got a build-your-own burger with cheddar cheese and bacon. It was really good. The service was a little slow once we got our food, but getting our dinner was incredibly speedy. I would suggest eating inside rather than outdoors. We ate outside and there were tons of flies flying around us. They weren't bad until our food came out, so we moved indoors. We were visiting, and it was a good find. It has a great look and atmosphere. Being outside allows you to see the water, and possible an iguana!
(4)Lynda M.
Nicer bar in the Marathon area. Professional staff, and good food. A refreshing change, since most of the places we have found in the area are dive bars serving drinks in flimsy plastic cups. We tried a pizza, and liked it well enough. They have a great selection of wine, as well as many craft beers and top shelf liquors. We will definitely go back.
(4)MA G.
We are on vacation at Key Colony Point and could not wait to try Tarpon Creek. The restaurant looks amazing, it's a great combo of indoor and outdoor dining. The food was good, the service was not. I will say that we did not make reservations. Apparently they were already expecting a large party, but when we arrived there were two tables eating. The manager scowled at us after hearing we were a large group even though we happily sat in two groups. Our food came out with no sides, appetizers and entrees at the same time. We had all but finished our meal before the second table of our group started to order. When we asked for dessert, again the manager acted like we were an inconvenience at best. One of our group overheard one of the cooks saying that we had better hurry up and eat then 'get out.' The food was good, but not good enough to justify the rude staff and management. There are ample places to eat on Marathon that are delicious AND pleasant. Hopefully Tarpon Bay figures out a better approach to customer service.
(2)Cindee T.
The restaurant is gorgeous & located right on the water with an amazing view. My friends raved about the food which made my expectations pretty high. I ordered the ranch shrimp bacon pizza with no bacon (I'm a pescetarian) & a side of French fries; my friend ordered the same pizza & got my extra bacon on his. The pizza was very disappointing, I had one small slice & was over it, the French fries were pretty good, they had a special BBQ seasoning on them. Will I ever return? Probably not, but cool place for tourists for sure.
(2)Barb K.
HORRIBLE SERVICE! All our stars go for the kitchen and bar. The restaurant is an upscale tiki bar. Large, airy and with a gorgeous view of the water. You can come in your boat. We were in a group of 7, including 3 children. The restaurant was only 1/4 full. Our waitress (Penny) was rude from the beginning, didn't even try to smile. We ordered some appetizers and kids food first. Appetizers came in and only one kid got his food (pizza from a wood burning oven, great by the way!) then we ordered our entrees. That's when things went sour. She brought 2 meals we didn't order and when we said we never ordered that, she became agressive, never appologized and insisted we were wrong. Then acted very annoyed to replace our order, insisting we would try the one she brought and keep it. We finally got our order but one side was missing. One of the kids never got their meal. We then called the manager and she kept walking by our table to hear what we were telling him. The manager was very nice and apologetic, had her removed from serving our table and comped our drinks. Really BAD service from our server. The kitchen staff did a great job on everything! The catch of the day was amazing, the yellowfin so fresh and the shrimp huge and so tasty! My mojito was also done very well. we will come back if we get a different server.
(3)Sarah M.
OH MY GOD! best meal ive had in the keys in years! sat at the bar with a beautiful view. i started with the black beans and rice balls. simply amazing. they even had great craft pumpkin beer. my boyfriend ordered the shrimp bbq ranch pizzza and loved it ! i had the fried snapper and grits. I ate every last bite. growing up with southern grand parents it reminded me of home cooking! i will definitely go back my next vacay to the florida keys !!!
(5)Carla V.
This is a very nice looking place - all open and on a marina. The bar has a great view. Our kids enjoyed exploring a little while waiting for the food. Sue was our waitress and she was super attentive to us and our kids. The rice balls are not to be missed. I could have made a meal on 2 servings of these! Conch fritters, also good. 2 of us got the shrimp, andouille sausage and grits. We were not blown away. The grits were pretty bland - yes, I know, that sounds silly. Lots of cheese and seasoning would have helped. Kids meal came with the most amazing fries that were sprinkled with a BBQ seasoning that was amazing...yes, I finished my daughter's fries. Although the entree was a little disappointing, there were other items I would order upon a return visit next year!
(4)Ray H.
I'm not sure why there are negative reviews on this place. I had the prime rib & she had the shrimp and grits. We were both pleased with our meal. My meat was properly prepared and very tasty. The green beans and twice baked potato, were also good. The staff was very friendly, and the place is very clean. Go check it out!
(4)John C.
Good food, great service, really cool atmosphere with indoor and outdoor seating and bar area. Mahi Mahi was excellent.
(4)Kathy B.
WOw. We had a fantastic dinner here last week. Teressa, our server was great!!! The open air dining was lovely after a very short wait. I loved the grilled mahi mahi. We will go back the next time we are in Marathon Key.
(4)Jeff H.
Amazing, I've made 3 attempts over the past couple years with no chance of having a meal or just a drink at the bar without having to walk away disgusted. Never had that experience anywhere else. Will never know what their food or drinks are like since service seems to be an anomaly. Totally disgusted and optimistic about the next ownership change to try again...
(1)M C.
Excellent food excellent service. I've eaten at the best in New Orleans. This place is 11 out of 10.
(5)Henry L.
Little overpriced and food lacks taste. Don't think i would go back.
(2)Brianna O.
Amazing food and great service. This is our second time here. First time was during a huge wreck on Long key bridge. The wait staff was so accommodating/understanding in just letting us sit back and relax while we waited for traffic to clear out. Today our waiter, Tom, was amazing!!!! Never rushed us and recommended some amazing beers.
(5)Mary S.
We have been here three times. The food is very good and reasonably priced. The staff is friendly and eager to please. The manager stopped by our table to make sure all was OK. The decor is unique, and it's on the water. Check it out.
(5)T S.
Great food. I had Mahi Grilled. My husband enjoyed his Salsa burger. Children liked their fish tacos. Staff seemed friendly, but Service was too slow though. The staff seemed easily overwhelmed even though the place did not seem too busy when we were there. Ambience was Caribbean, with tiki torches and thatched roof. Some local art wood sculptures of large fish looked interesting. Menu had a lot of variety for all types of eaters. Limited for desserts.
(3)Tootie M.
I just had to write a review of this place. I had the best prepared Grouper that I have ever had. The wood fire grill items are amazing. It was served with coconut risotto, also delicious. My son had one of their yummy pizzas, and the dessert of key lime pie was wonderful. We were impressed with the restaurant decor as well.
(4)Dana T.
Sadly the only thing this place had going for them is that it's on the water facing west. I seated myself after being told there would be an hour wait, then come to find out the entire bar was out of draft beer. Ok no problem I ordered a domestic bottle only To have the waiter come back with a imported beer I never heard of as she told me "sorry were out of the beer you wanted but the bar tender suggested this" the cherry on top had to be when she dumped my beer into the mug.. I guess it was too much work to walk back and ask what beer I would like instead. I ran out of there after waiting 30 minutes for my check.. Place SUCKS!!
(2)Munsieng S.
Extremely slow service. Charged us 20% tip for lousy service. A disappointment. It is such a nice restaurant.
(2)Carlos Q.
This place is a pleasant surprise in the Keys. Great food and service. Classy waterfront ambience.
(4)Kretta M.
I am a Floridian and I've had my fair share of seafood restaurants. The good, the bad, the ugly and absolute worst. The location and view and atmosphere of this place is absolutely incredible. We went for dinner time and it was just romantic and so relaxing. The sever was nice and answered all of our questions and was knowledgeable about the items. We started off with an appetizer that I believe were the "Cuban rice balls" which were extremely delicious and I wish I would've order 3 plates of it for my dinner. It s pork with rice and beans and deep fried with a nice siracha dipping sauce it was just so amazing my mouth is watering just thinking about it again. The drinks were okay, a little on the strong side but nothing special from any other place. Now for the entrees, being in the keys I should've just stuck to seafood and I probably would've been happy, but since it was my 2nd day in the keys and all I had been eating was seafood I opted to try something different. I decided to try the steak frites.. It's just a filet grilled with a side of fries and vegetables. Probably what I regret most ordering and I ate off my boyfriends plate and he ended up finishing my meal. The steak was barely seasoned I had to add Salt and pepper to it, overcooked, (ordered it MR got it MW; imagine my disappointment) and was just very bland. The fries were good. I had asparagus which were grilled and tasted like I was eating burnt paper not even squeezing lemon juice helped. My boyfriend had the lobster pot pie which tasted amazing and was right in every way. In the end, I feel it was a little over priced (its the keys what can I say) and the food was average. I gave it 2 stars based on the atmosphere, service, and appetizer and the one good entree (lobster pot pie) that I enjoyed. I didn't order dessert because I was slightly disappointed already and didn't want to make matters worse. Would I race back again? Probably not but it was worth the try.
(2)Carolina B.
Just left this restaurant and I have to say that the prime rib was inedible. I would have to run it over with a truck in order to make it soft enough to eat. The pizzas were neither great nor terrible. Service was great. Our waitress, Mary, was very nice and she's the only reason I'm giving a 1 star.
(1)Neal S.
Had dinner here last night. The food was good but the service was pretty bad. Having worked in customer service for more than a decade, I understand the difference between good and truly bad service. I ordered the BBQ pork burger and after it came out I noticed that it didn't have the coleslaw that the menu stated it came with. After asking the waitress for the coleslaw I figured no big deal. Then the bills came and she tried charging my friend for my coleslaw that was supposed to be included. She argued with me about it blaming the chef for the charge until I pulled up the menu on my phone to show her. Then she finally agreed not to charge me but still gave us an attitude. I'll try them again but if I get her for a waitress I will get up and move. Hopefully I'll be able to adjust my review.
(2)Michael F.
Happy hour in the evening is the bomb! Half prices apps and discounted wells. The Cuban rice balls and the peel and eat shrimp are where it's at!
(4)Nan L.
Uneven, but overall an ok experience. Some aspects of the meal were great: the ahi tuna was perfectly seared, and the yellow rice and black beans were tasty. The grilled mahi mahi sandwich was blah: the fish was fresh, but sautéed with onions (definitely not grilled), and tasteless, on a pasty hamburger roll. The boiled shrimp bowl was decent, but I was disappointed in the rice balls--not very crispy and kind of doughy. The key lime pie (house made) was outstanding. Service was barely ok, and the host (make) was brusque at best; not at all welcoming. Not what it should be for $95 for two. On the other hand, we had a long drive, needed a break and it was convenient: the atmosphere is really nice--airy, lighthearted, and relaxing. Overall 3-
(3)Oscar A.
This could be a real gem. Great ambiance and location. Unfortunately, that is all this place has to offer. The service was atrocious and the food was subpar. Avoid any of the main entrees.
(2)Louise K.
If you go by first impressions in this visual category, this place is everything you would hope for in a Keys tiki bar-thatched roof building overlooking the water with great tropical tunes of Buffet, Marley and UB40 blaring from the speakers. BUT that's about as far as I go on GOOD first impressions-the hostess was not very friendly and seemed annoyed to even address us in an inviting manner. The service by the waitress was about on par with with the hostess-inattentive and spacey. The food was average and lukewarm so I'm not even recommending this place for anything other than a stop for a beverage and then moving on to a place with a better reception and food. I'm glad I did not order the pot pie for $25.00. (It was filled with lobster according to the menu, but my guess is it would have had one or two chunks of seafood and likely not worth the money. I shouldn't speculate, but a pot pie for $25, really?) The higher marks come from the fact that the place was very clean and had a great atmosphere. It could be the perfect Keys tiki bar if someone fired the restaurant manager and hired someone who could properly train the staff. I don't blame the staff so much as it appears there is more of a lack of leadership and pride in the service being delivered. Step up your game or we won't come back.
(3)John Z.
Went there with mom for dinner. Order the rice balls for an appetizer. They were delicious and crunchy with a spicy sauce. I had the island chicken with mango salsa portion was generous and food was well done. Waitresses were friendly and accommodating
(4)Iliana R.
We decided to try this place for happy hour. Not bad as all the drinks and appetizers were half off so we got to sample a lot of things. Peel and eat shrimp is amazing!!!! So fresh! Really chunky, sweet flavor! My favorite by far! The shellfish Rockefeller was a bit bland. Needs more seasoning. Ceviche was mediocre. Cuban balls were really good! Fresh catch of yellow tail was very good and the fries were seasoned well. Seems like the pizza here is very good although we didn't try it. They have a fire oven and they make their dough fresh right in front of you. It's a very pretty restaurant under a huge tiki but and marvelous water views. There's a great bar and they play sports on the tv's. I thought it was a good deal for happy hour. If not it could be a bit pricey.
(3)Thomas B.
Service was quick which was nice after reading some bad reviews. I talked with the pizza chef and discovered that the wood fired pizza oven uses pre-made crusts that are purchased and ordered in. They do not make fresh dough for their wood fired pizzas. This fact is pretty crazy. We still tried the margarita pizza and found it tasty but it lacked the chewy char crunch that you would expect from a quality wood fired pizza place.
(3)Krystal S.
I have to say that I was pretty disappointed with just about everything here. Looks can be deceiving and this place definitely deceived us. To start with hostess was rude. Seemed annoyed the min we walked in. Never gave us menus. Service was extremely slow even though they weren't busy when we first arrived. Food was subpar. Appetizers were no good, bland. Shrimp basket was good but you only got 5 medium shrimp definitely not jumbo like they said. Will not be returning
(2)M B.
Excellent food and ambience. Definitely a must try in Marathon
(5)Susan B.
Went here just to have a beer and pizza at the bar. Got a beer, had to beg for a menu & then ignored. Finally ordered pizza which should have taken no more than 10 minutes but got 30 minutes later. Cold. Bartender seemed more concerned about how many hours he was going to get in the coming week than the paying ( tipping!!) patrons sitting right in front of him. Won't be going back. Too bad - could have & should have been a good experience.
(1)Peggy Sue R.
Very friendly staff also great food, good sized meals. Offers lemon for water quick and easy sit down and kid friendly and a real environment. I think I've watched a lot of tv so I expected The Keys to be fancy and first class but this restaraunt met my expectations. First time ceviche eater and was pleased.
(5)Joe T.
3 stars only because the view of the water was beautiful but besides that the food was bland and tasteless. It was under seasoned or just tasted like grease, would not recommend. Save your money, if anything have a drink and watch the water but don't waste your money on the food.
(3)Dina Bean P.
Not a great night. It took a long time to get our apps, and when we got them we didn't get them all. Tasted like the oil in the deep fryer needed to be changed. Meals all came out at different times, and one member of our party didn't receive his meal until everyone else was almost finished. The shrimp was either old or overcooked, and I'm hoping for the latter because I really don't want to have food poisoning on my vacation. Our check was all wrong when we got it and it took a long time to get it fixed. Pretty disappointed.
(1)Abbi B.
This place is wonderful! Last night I had the peel shrimp with a small salad. The shrimp were so good and the salad was also! Tonight I had the pep pizza and it was amazing I will def order this again. Our servers name was frank he is the best!! Overall great food. My only negative comment would be the service was very slow but I could tell they were short handed.
(5)Judith K.
Went with a crowd of 8 after being told we would have an hour wait at the Castaways. Arrived with our table ready and sat down immediately. Very friendly staff. Food was very good. We had the Cuban rice balls, fried jumbo shrimp and blackened yellowtail. All was great. Only problem was finding the place. Yelp directions told us to make a uturn which brought us to The Island. Being behind the Holiday Inn makes one think it is a Holiday Inn restaurant. We will return.
(5)Les B.
Great atmosphere and creative food (shrimp and grits yummy). Highly recommend this little gem! Open air modern tiki hut with lots of ceiling fans that kept us cool in the middle of July. Great live music.
(4)Jacob H.
The cajun rice balls are great. The service is horrid. We had to ask our waiter to order and when she brought water she refused to take our order for the bar. She came back 10 minutes later. After we asked to order she walked by our table at least 5 times before she stated she was ready. Horrible horrible service
(2)Roberta S.
I read Nancy Z, Krystal S and Niki t reviews; but we decided to go there anyways. If you don't believe me, then believe Nancy Z, Krystal S and Niki T. The hostess was rude to us as well. She didn't care if we stayed or left when we arrived. She said that we could go into the bar if we wanted to. I got the feeling that we saved her the time by seating ourselves there. We ordered the Crab Pot Pie. Undercooked! We complained, and got a new Crab Pot Pie that was acceptable. Look, the restaurant is appealing from the outside, but it is the inside that counts. The ownership of this business needs to become aware of this "sinking ship". My impression is that this is a "lipstick on a pig" situation.
(1)Kretta M.
I am a Floridian and I've had my fair share of seafood restaurants. The good, the bad, the ugly and absolute worst. The location and view and atmosphere of this place is absolutely incredible. We went for dinner time and it was just romantic and so relaxing. The sever was nice and answered all of our questions and was knowledgeable about the items. We started off with an appetizer that I believe were the "Cuban rice balls" which were extremely delicious and I wish I would've order 3 plates of it for my dinner. It s pork with rice and beans and deep fried with a nice siracha dipping sauce it was just so amazing my mouth is watering just thinking about it again. The drinks were okay, a little on the strong side but nothing special from any other place. Now for the entrees, being in the keys I should've just stuck to seafood and I probably would've been happy, but since it was my 2nd day in the keys and all I had been eating was seafood I opted to try something different. I decided to try the steak frites.. It's just a filet grilled with a side of fries and vegetables. Probably what I regret most ordering and I ate off my boyfriends plate and he ended up finishing my meal. The steak was barely seasoned I had to add Salt and pepper to it, overcooked, (ordered it MR got it MW; imagine my disappointment) and was just very bland. The fries were good. I had asparagus which were grilled and tasted like I was eating burnt paper not even squeezing lemon juice helped. My boyfriend had the lobster pot pie which tasted amazing and was right in every way. In the end, I feel it was a little over priced (its the keys what can I say) and the food was average. I gave it 2 stars based on the atmosphere, service, and appetizer and the one good entree (lobster pot pie) that I enjoyed. I didn't order dessert because I was slightly disappointed already and didn't want to make matters worse. Would I race back again? Probably not but it was worth the try.
(2)Carolina B.
Just left this restaurant and I have to say that the prime rib was inedible. I would have to run it over with a truck in order to make it soft enough to eat. The pizzas were neither great nor terrible. Service was great. Our waitress, Mary, was very nice and she's the only reason I'm giving a 1 star.
(1)Neal S.
Had dinner here last night. The food was good but the service was pretty bad. Having worked in customer service for more than a decade, I understand the difference between good and truly bad service. I ordered the BBQ pork burger and after it came out I noticed that it didn't have the coleslaw that the menu stated it came with. After asking the waitress for the coleslaw I figured no big deal. Then the bills came and she tried charging my friend for my coleslaw that was supposed to be included. She argued with me about it blaming the chef for the charge until I pulled up the menu on my phone to show her. Then she finally agreed not to charge me but still gave us an attitude. I'll try them again but if I get her for a waitress I will get up and move. Hopefully I'll be able to adjust my review.
(2)Michael F.
Happy hour in the evening is the bomb! Half prices apps and discounted wells. The Cuban rice balls and the peel and eat shrimp are where it's at!
(4)Dana T.
Sadly the only thing this place had going for them is that it's on the water facing west. I seated myself after being told there would be an hour wait, then come to find out the entire bar was out of draft beer. Ok no problem I ordered a domestic bottle only To have the waiter come back with a imported beer I never heard of as she told me "sorry were out of the beer you wanted but the bar tender suggested this" the cherry on top had to be when she dumped my beer into the mug.. I guess it was too much work to walk back and ask what beer I would like instead. I ran out of there after waiting 30 minutes for my check.. Place SUCKS!!
(2)Munsieng S.
Extremely slow service. Charged us 20% tip for lousy service. A disappointment. It is such a nice restaurant.
(2)Carlos Q.
This place is a pleasant surprise in the Keys. Great food and service. Classy waterfront ambience.
(4)Nan L.
Uneven, but overall an ok experience. Some aspects of the meal were great: the ahi tuna was perfectly seared, and the yellow rice and black beans were tasty. The grilled mahi mahi sandwich was blah: the fish was fresh, but sautéed with onions (definitely not grilled), and tasteless, on a pasty hamburger roll. The boiled shrimp bowl was decent, but I was disappointed in the rice balls--not very crispy and kind of doughy. The key lime pie (house made) was outstanding. Service was barely ok, and the host (make) was brusque at best; not at all welcoming. Not what it should be for $95 for two. On the other hand, we had a long drive, needed a break and it was convenient: the atmosphere is really nice--airy, lighthearted, and relaxing. Overall 3-
(3)Oscar A.
This could be a real gem. Great ambiance and location. Unfortunately, that is all this place has to offer. The service was atrocious and the food was subpar. Avoid any of the main entrees.
(2)Cin M.
The bar and grill was fantastic! They have great pizza great happy hour and cooked our catch perfectly! Beautiful views of the marina. Great live music! The Tarpon Creek Marina next door was awesome! Great merchandise and prices. Bonnie was so helpful for what to do and see in the area not just her offerings! She hooked us up with a great fishing trip! She is very professional -it is definitely a great dock store!
(5)Bill W.
This restaurant has by far the best atmosphere for a real outside experience, inside. The food is well presented and prepared perfectly. The service is phenomenal, our waitress Rachel was very attentive to our needs and went over and above for our group. The Key lime Pie was good and creamy. Overall we had a wonderful dining experience.
(5)Cathy C.
The pizza was good. I had the special of the day Cuban tacos very good. People are nice but service is a little slow We have eaten both lunch and dinner
(4)Bonnie C.
Great ambiance. Food was just ok; everything was pretty bland. We had calamari, fried pork balls, peel and eat shrimp, pork tacos, fish tacos and churrasco steak. I'd go for drinks & appetizer, but dine elsewhere.
(3)R S.
We came here last week for dinner and loved it! Dining right on the canal was beautiful and we enjoyed the overall atmosphere! Our server was prompt and friendly and the food was super tastey. Can't wait to come back next time we're in the Keys!
(5)Elizabeth H.
Our server, Marri, was the most attentive we have had on our vacation! The Cuban sandwich was wonderful!
(4)John C.
Great setting. Fantastic views and a great tiki bar. Food was okay. Skip the french dip, it is well done fatty roast beef on a hamburger bun. Chicken tender app is dry and flavorless. Filet was okay. Looked like a pre packaged frozen filet. Cuban sandwich was good. For some reason they charge $2.00 extra if you want fries with a sandwich. Really has potential, but the food has to really improve.
(2)Nancy Z.
Wow... We just left here - without eating or drinking a thing!!!! We were told to seat ourselves and "someone would be right after us". It's a beautiful day, most people must be out on the water because there weren't many people dining - three tables of people outside and us. My husband and I sat for what seemed like 10 minutes (was probably five or six) nobody asked us what we wanted. A few minutes later, a waitress asked the table next to ours if everything was fine, then she left. Never asking us if we needed menus or saying she'd send someone over. A few minutes after that, a waiter came by and asked the other two tables if they needed anything. Us- nothing! Really???? What's with that? There are way too many places to eat in this area for us to sit around waiting for them to decide whether or not they felt like serving us.
(1)Lila W.
Dinner was fantastic! Beer steamed shrimp was awesome! Staff was very friendly! Also had breakfast there, omelets were very good. highly recommend!
(4)Louise K.
If you go by first impressions in this visual category, this place is everything you would hope for in a Keys tiki bar-thatched roof building overlooking the water with great tropical tunes of Buffet, Marley and UB40 blaring from the speakers. BUT that's about as far as I go on GOOD first impressions-the hostess was not very friendly and seemed annoyed to even address us in an inviting manner. The service by the waitress was about on par with with the hostess-inattentive and spacey. The food was average and lukewarm so I'm not even recommending this place for anything other than a stop for a beverage and then moving on to a place with a better reception and food. I'm glad I did not order the pot pie for $25.00. (It was filled with lobster according to the menu, but my guess is it would have had one or two chunks of seafood and likely not worth the money. I shouldn't speculate, but a pot pie for $25, really?) The higher marks come from the fact that the place was very clean and had a great atmosphere. It could be the perfect Keys tiki bar if someone fired the restaurant manager and hired someone who could properly train the staff. I don't blame the staff so much as it appears there is more of a lack of leadership and pride in the service being delivered. Step up your game or we won't come back.
(3)John Z.
Went there with mom for dinner. Order the rice balls for an appetizer. They were delicious and crunchy with a spicy sauce. I had the island chicken with mango salsa portion was generous and food was well done. Waitresses were friendly and accommodating
(4)Iliana R.
We decided to try this place for happy hour. Not bad as all the drinks and appetizers were half off so we got to sample a lot of things. Peel and eat shrimp is amazing!!!! So fresh! Really chunky, sweet flavor! My favorite by far! The shellfish Rockefeller was a bit bland. Needs more seasoning. Ceviche was mediocre. Cuban balls were really good! Fresh catch of yellow tail was very good and the fries were seasoned well. Seems like the pizza here is very good although we didn't try it. They have a fire oven and they make their dough fresh right in front of you. It's a very pretty restaurant under a huge tiki but and marvelous water views. There's a great bar and they play sports on the tv's. I thought it was a good deal for happy hour. If not it could be a bit pricey.
(3)Thomas B.
Service was quick which was nice after reading some bad reviews. I talked with the pizza chef and discovered that the wood fired pizza oven uses pre-made crusts that are purchased and ordered in. They do not make fresh dough for their wood fired pizzas. This fact is pretty crazy. We still tried the margarita pizza and found it tasty but it lacked the chewy char crunch that you would expect from a quality wood fired pizza place.
(3)Krystal S.
I have to say that I was pretty disappointed with just about everything here. Looks can be deceiving and this place definitely deceived us. To start with hostess was rude. Seemed annoyed the min we walked in. Never gave us menus. Service was extremely slow even though they weren't busy when we first arrived. Food was subpar. Appetizers were no good, bland. Shrimp basket was good but you only got 5 medium shrimp definitely not jumbo like they said. Will not be returning
(2)Greg S.
I have a vested interest in someone seeing this review and making much needed changes. I own a home within walking or kayaking distance of this place and we want so badly for it to be good. To be fair, we haven't eaten there. We tried again last week and had a bizarre and rude encounter with the hostess. It really was inexplicable. In 1990, you could probably get away with an apathetic approach to tourists. Not today. DON'T BE RUDE!
(1)niki t.
Do not bother with eating here. I find the food in the keys so far sort of average, this place is just not worth eating. My husband and I ate here because we were staying at the Holiday Inn Express just in front of the restaurant and were too tired to drive to other recommended places. I ordered the catch of the day fish tacos and all I could eat was the fish out of the tacos and only because I was hungry. My husband ordered the Cobb salad and it was a big pile of iceberg lettuce with a small amount of bacon, tomatoes, boiled egg. He had to ask for some dressing. He said it was the worst Cobb salad he ever had. Go to the Keys Fisheries and you will at least get something eatable.
(1)Susan B.
Went here just to have a beer and pizza at the bar. Got a beer, had to beg for a menu & then ignored. Finally ordered pizza which should have taken no more than 10 minutes but got 30 minutes later. Cold. Bartender seemed more concerned about how many hours he was going to get in the coming week than the paying ( tipping!!) patrons sitting right in front of him. Won't be going back. Too bad - could have & should have been a good experience.
(1)Peggy Sue R.
Very friendly staff also great food, good sized meals. Offers lemon for water quick and easy sit down and kid friendly and a real environment. I think I've watched a lot of tv so I expected The Keys to be fancy and first class but this restaraunt met my expectations. First time ceviche eater and was pleased.
(5)Joe T.
3 stars only because the view of the water was beautiful but besides that the food was bland and tasteless. It was under seasoned or just tasted like grease, would not recommend. Save your money, if anything have a drink and watch the water but don't waste your money on the food.
(3)Dina Bean P.
Not a great night. It took a long time to get our apps, and when we got them we didn't get them all. Tasted like the oil in the deep fryer needed to be changed. Meals all came out at different times, and one member of our party didn't receive his meal until everyone else was almost finished. The shrimp was either old or overcooked, and I'm hoping for the latter because I really don't want to have food poisoning on my vacation. Our check was all wrong when we got it and it took a long time to get it fixed. Pretty disappointed.
(1)Abbi B.
This place is wonderful! Last night I had the peel shrimp with a small salad. The shrimp were so good and the salad was also! Tonight I had the pep pizza and it was amazing I will def order this again. Our servers name was frank he is the best!! Overall great food. My only negative comment would be the service was very slow but I could tell they were short handed.
(5)Judith K.
Went with a crowd of 8 after being told we would have an hour wait at the Castaways. Arrived with our table ready and sat down immediately. Very friendly staff. Food was very good. We had the Cuban rice balls, fried jumbo shrimp and blackened yellowtail. All was great. Only problem was finding the place. Yelp directions told us to make a uturn which brought us to The Island. Being behind the Holiday Inn makes one think it is a Holiday Inn restaurant. We will return.
(5)Les B.
Great atmosphere and creative food (shrimp and grits yummy). Highly recommend this little gem! Open air modern tiki hut with lots of ceiling fans that kept us cool in the middle of July. Great live music.
(4)Jacob H.
The cajun rice balls are great. The service is horrid. We had to ask our waiter to order and when she brought water she refused to take our order for the bar. She came back 10 minutes later. After we asked to order she walked by our table at least 5 times before she stated she was ready. Horrible horrible service
(2)Roberta S.
I read Nancy Z, Krystal S and Niki t reviews; but we decided to go there anyways. If you don't believe me, then believe Nancy Z, Krystal S and Niki T. The hostess was rude to us as well. She didn't care if we stayed or left when we arrived. She said that we could go into the bar if we wanted to. I got the feeling that we saved her the time by seating ourselves there. We ordered the Crab Pot Pie. Undercooked! We complained, and got a new Crab Pot Pie that was acceptable. Look, the restaurant is appealing from the outside, but it is the inside that counts. The ownership of this business needs to become aware of this "sinking ship". My impression is that this is a "lipstick on a pig" situation.
(1)Carla V.
This is a very nice looking place - all open and on a marina. The bar has a great view. Our kids enjoyed exploring a little while waiting for the food. Sue was our waitress and she was super attentive to us and our kids. The rice balls are not to be missed. I could have made a meal on 2 servings of these! Conch fritters, also good. 2 of us got the shrimp, andouille sausage and grits. We were not blown away. The grits were pretty bland - yes, I know, that sounds silly. Lots of cheese and seasoning would have helped. Kids meal came with the most amazing fries that were sprinkled with a BBQ seasoning that was amazing...yes, I finished my daughter's fries. Although the entree was a little disappointing, there were other items I would order upon a return visit next year!
(4)Ray H.
I'm not sure why there are negative reviews on this place. I had the prime rib & she had the shrimp and grits. We were both pleased with our meal. My meat was properly prepared and very tasty. The green beans and twice baked potato, were also good. The staff was very friendly, and the place is very clean. Go check it out!
(4)John C.
Good food, great service, really cool atmosphere with indoor and outdoor seating and bar area. Mahi Mahi was excellent.
(4)Kathy B.
WOw. We had a fantastic dinner here last week. Teressa, our server was great!!! The open air dining was lovely after a very short wait. I loved the grilled mahi mahi. We will go back the next time we are in Marathon Key.
(4)Jeff H.
Amazing, I've made 3 attempts over the past couple years with no chance of having a meal or just a drink at the bar without having to walk away disgusted. Never had that experience anywhere else. Will never know what their food or drinks are like since service seems to be an anomaly. Totally disgusted and optimistic about the next ownership change to try again...
(1)M C.
Excellent food excellent service. I've eaten at the best in New Orleans. This place is 11 out of 10.
(5)Henry L.
Little overpriced and food lacks taste. Don't think i would go back.
(2)Michelle V.
Beautiful view of water. Easy, relaxed atmosphere. Very family & kid friendly (at least during the early evening when we went which was around 5:30 PM and again the next day to get take out at 2:00 PM). The food was surprisingly good. We thought it was just a cheap, hotel restaurant bc we were staying at the holiday inn express which was connected, but it was better than we expected. Order the Key Lime Martini. It's frothy, creamy & delicious--just like you're eating an actual key lime pie. Peel & eat shrimp was delicious & the fish tacos were excellent. Leave the ceviche--it was more onion than fish.
(4)John K.
Our first time to Tarpon Creek. Beautiful location in a quiet area. The evening started off kind of rough when we asked for an outside table and the hostess said inside is less than 30 minutes and I don't know about outside. After waiting 45'minutes, we saw others who arrived later than us get seated outside and inquired. Interesting that the hostess blamed us as being hard to find while we were at the corner of the bar right in front of her. After being blackballed by the hostess, we had low expectations. However, the server, Melanie, was prompt and a pleasure. We brought some Yellowtail Snapper that we caught. The chef prepared it very nicely blackened and fried. The sides were excellent. Overall a good experience one we got past the hostess.
(2)Glyn D.
This place is pretty good. We ate here for dinner and got half off on all appetizers (we timed it to order at the end of happy hour). The fried calamari was good (I tried it, never had it before) and I got a build-your-own burger with cheddar cheese and bacon. It was really good. The service was a little slow once we got our food, but getting our dinner was incredibly speedy. I would suggest eating inside rather than outdoors. We ate outside and there were tons of flies flying around us. They weren't bad until our food came out, so we moved indoors. We were visiting, and it was a good find. It has a great look and atmosphere. Being outside allows you to see the water, and possible an iguana!
(4)MA G.
We are on vacation at Key Colony Point and could not wait to try Tarpon Creek. The restaurant looks amazing, it's a great combo of indoor and outdoor dining. The food was good, the service was not. I will say that we did not make reservations. Apparently they were already expecting a large party, but when we arrived there were two tables eating. The manager scowled at us after hearing we were a large group even though we happily sat in two groups. Our food came out with no sides, appetizers and entrees at the same time. We had all but finished our meal before the second table of our group started to order. When we asked for dessert, again the manager acted like we were an inconvenience at best. One of our group overheard one of the cooks saying that we had better hurry up and eat then 'get out.' The food was good, but not good enough to justify the rude staff and management. There are ample places to eat on Marathon that are delicious AND pleasant. Hopefully Tarpon Bay figures out a better approach to customer service.
(2)Cindee T.
The restaurant is gorgeous & located right on the water with an amazing view. My friends raved about the food which made my expectations pretty high. I ordered the ranch shrimp bacon pizza with no bacon (I'm a pescetarian) & a side of French fries; my friend ordered the same pizza & got my extra bacon on his. The pizza was very disappointing, I had one small slice & was over it, the French fries were pretty good, they had a special BBQ seasoning on them. Will I ever return? Probably not, but cool place for tourists for sure.
(2)Barb K.
HORRIBLE SERVICE! All our stars go for the kitchen and bar. The restaurant is an upscale tiki bar. Large, airy and with a gorgeous view of the water. You can come in your boat. We were in a group of 7, including 3 children. The restaurant was only 1/4 full. Our waitress (Penny) was rude from the beginning, didn't even try to smile. We ordered some appetizers and kids food first. Appetizers came in and only one kid got his food (pizza from a wood burning oven, great by the way!) then we ordered our entrees. That's when things went sour. She brought 2 meals we didn't order and when we said we never ordered that, she became agressive, never appologized and insisted we were wrong. Then acted very annoyed to replace our order, insisting we would try the one she brought and keep it. We finally got our order but one side was missing. One of the kids never got their meal. We then called the manager and she kept walking by our table to hear what we were telling him. The manager was very nice and apologetic, had her removed from serving our table and comped our drinks. Really BAD service from our server. The kitchen staff did a great job on everything! The catch of the day was amazing, the yellowfin so fresh and the shrimp huge and so tasty! My mojito was also done very well. we will come back if we get a different server.
(3)Sarah M.
OH MY GOD! best meal ive had in the keys in years! sat at the bar with a beautiful view. i started with the black beans and rice balls. simply amazing. they even had great craft pumpkin beer. my boyfriend ordered the shrimp bbq ranch pizzza and loved it ! i had the fried snapper and grits. I ate every last bite. growing up with southern grand parents it reminded me of home cooking! i will definitely go back my next vacay to the florida keys !!!
(5)Tom T.
Unfortunately I was unable to sample the cuisine here. My party of 4 arrived at 9:25pm and were told it was a 20-30 minute wait. I was put on the list for a table and was directed to the bar to wait. We ordered a round and waited. We were sat at 9:48. The server came to our table and said she would be with us in a few minutes. Having drinks we didn't mind and started browsing the menus in from of us. She returned, introduced herself, and took our drink order. When she returned she informed us that it was now 10pm and the kitchen was closed. We promptly told her of the preceding and she went to the manager. Se returned and said we could not eat but we could pay for the round she just sat down that none of us had touched. We told her the manager can pay for them and we left. We scurried to find a place to eat and wound up just north across the street. The manager said the kitchen was cleaning up but we could sit and order. we told him what happened across the street. He could not believe the lack of customer service. He even apologized saying that most places were closed at 10 and we would have been out of luck because they waited so long to tell us. I would not recommend this place on principle alone. Two thumbs down. Way down.
(1)Autumn D.
As a local I am used to the same old....Surprise! Great food & great happy hour pour. Had the hummus app & it was enough for dinner. Complete with veggies. Loved it.highy recommend as an alternate to the same tired menu offered here in the Keys. Great setting too!
(5)Angie C.
Rude server, she literally tossed plates on our table! Food was ok, burned pizza. Would not try again.
(1)Fernando R.
Great food, fast service, pizza was delicious, Cuban rice balls were on point, the restaurant itself is very clean and in a great area with a view of the ocean.
(5)Sean R.
Great food, great service, great location (although it is hard to find if you don't know it's there). Try the rice balls. Amazing!!!
(5)Laura Y.
No longer a great place to eat! Great last time we were in the area. Food, service and management were great! Gone back twice since, both times have had bad service and poor food! When asked for the manager we met last year, we were told he no longer worked for the company. What a shame! The place has really gone downhill. We will not go back, there are way better places interested in making our experience wonderful!!!
(1)Elle L.
Our waitress was nice. Overall very slow service. Food was alright. Would not return to this restaurant.
(2)Lynda M.
Nicer bar in the Marathon area. Professional staff, and good food. A refreshing change, since most of the places we have found in the area are dive bars serving drinks in flimsy plastic cups. We tried a pizza, and liked it well enough. They have a great selection of wine, as well as many craft beers and top shelf liquors. We will definitely go back.
(4)Brianna O.
Amazing food and great service. This is our second time here. First time was during a huge wreck on Long key bridge. The wait staff was so accommodating/understanding in just letting us sit back and relax while we waited for traffic to clear out. Today our waiter, Tom, was amazing!!!! Never rushed us and recommended some amazing beers.
(5)Steve K.
Fantastic, we dined here last night, food was great! Atmosphere was great! Staff were friendly and were happy to be doing their jobs, a few times they apologized for the delay in getting our food to us but we had not noticed it being delayed, menu you is very good with many interesting choices. I didn't get the pizza but I really wanted it! Going back tonight for Christmas buffet! Go here, you'll be glad you did!
(5)Emilee G.
Great wood fired pizza - the "Piglet" is the way to go with pulled Cuban pork, bacon and andouille sausage, delicious! My husband had the blue cheese, avocado, bacon burger and it was perfectly cooked to medium - this seems to be a problem with other restaurants but not here, they know what they're doing. Also recommend the smilin' seafood dip, it's great on the pita crackers they give you and on the tomatoes and gherkins that also accompany the app. Drinks we good and reasonably priced considering the other options on Marathon. Overall we were very pleased, we will be back!
(5)Cindy G.
Hubs and me got to have an evening away while vacationing on Marathon. A week with two families, including 5 children gave us cause to want dinner with just two of us. Tarpon Creek was within walking distance of our rental home in Key Colony. I would describe it as sophisticated tropical...clean lines, carved wood, and sea breezes with no bright parrot colors. My Mango Marathon cocktail was enormous and strong...perfect. Hubs enjoyed his White Russian...I know, not tropical, but whatever. I had the gazpacho, which came in a large shallow bowl and was topped with four perfectly grilled shrimp. Hubs had the Cuban rice balls and said they were great. I would've tried them if he hadn't eaten them so quickly! He had Steak Frites and after the first bite, his audible Mmmmmmm said it all. My Shrimp and Grits with chorizo was delicious. The grits might be the best I ever had...thick and cheesy, but somehow not gut-busting. Chocolate mousse was served in a large martini glass and was just the right amount of sweet and rich. Service by Tina, our server, and two different runner/bus boys was perfect. Very attentive without intrusion, friendly and smiling. Too bad it's a five hour drive, or we'd go again soon!
(4)Matt O.
Great spot, it is hard to find but on the water and it is very nice. The food was good and prices were reasonable. Really good craft beer selection and the Key Lime martini was amazing. I was impressed this restaurant and preferred it over any place else I went while in Marathon. We went for dinner and then back for dinner and drinks a second night.
(4)Ellen M.
Four of us dined here at lunch during the week. This place is difficult to find as it is not visible from the main drag which may have accounted for the lack of patronage at the height of lunch hour. The short and long of it as noted elsewhere is that the location and facility is good but the food can be unpredictable. We had the following: cobb salad was fine; pepperoni pizza was only fair; the Cesar salad was normal; the steak sliders were not good -- the steak is whole (not ground) and it was tough and chewy, had to be eaten with a knife / fork which is not what sliders are designed for. Also you only get two sliders as where everywhere else you get three. I hope things improve there as it could really be a great place.
(3)Natasha M.
Worse experience in the Keys. We pulled up on the boat, sat down at the bar. My friend went outside, I ordered drinks. The bar only had 3-4 people plus 1 table. 15 minutes later two bartenders proceeded to clean glasses and serve others and didn't pay attention, despite us making wave signals with our hands. After another few humiliating minutes of that we decided to leave and on the way commented "Thanks for excellent service guys" and in return only heard "oh we're sorry". No attempt to fix things. If you want boring scene + crappy service = you are in the right spot!
(1)M B.
Excellent food and ambience. Definitely a must try in Marathon
(5)Mary S.
We have been here three times. The food is very good and reasonably priced. The staff is friendly and eager to please. The manager stopped by our table to make sure all was OK. The decor is unique, and it's on the water. Check it out.
(5)T S.
Great food. I had Mahi Grilled. My husband enjoyed his Salsa burger. Children liked their fish tacos. Staff seemed friendly, but Service was too slow though. The staff seemed easily overwhelmed even though the place did not seem too busy when we were there. Ambience was Caribbean, with tiki torches and thatched roof. Some local art wood sculptures of large fish looked interesting. Menu had a lot of variety for all types of eaters. Limited for desserts.
(3)Tootie M.
I just had to write a review of this place. I had the best prepared Grouper that I have ever had. The wood fire grill items are amazing. It was served with coconut risotto, also delicious. My son had one of their yummy pizzas, and the dessert of key lime pie was wonderful. We were impressed with the restaurant decor as well.
(4)