Saltwater Cafe
1071 Tamiami Trl N, Venice, FL, 34285
Saltwater Cafe Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Venice for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Venice for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Venice for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
1071 Tamiami Trl N
Venice, FL, 34285 - Phone (941) 488-3775
- Website https://www.saltwatercafe.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 11
Specialities
- 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
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Dogs Allowed : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Pizza
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.
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Jim S.
Overall, I had a very good meal at Saltwater tonight. I had the Sea Bass and it was cooked perfectly (although on the small size for the price). I also had the Caesar salad that was good. Others had the stone crab claws (much smaller than Left Coast), the Coconut shrimps (which were a little over coked..), and the Oyster Ramono with Lobsters bisque. The soup was cold and had to be reheated and the waiter (who had more tables than he could handle) forgot several items during the night and had to be called back 4 times for forks, more bread, more oil and vinegar, more drinks... And then there was the small error on the bill.. But..., the happy hour drinks (and the Sea bass) were great!!
(4)Steve G.
Everyone in the Tampa Bay area knows Chef Rolf. He's kind of Tampa's answer to Chicago's Rick Bayless. Chef Rolf espouses something called "New Florida Kitchen". I'll let you look that up on the web to find out what it means, if anything. But Chef Rolf also owns restaurants, including the Saltwater Cafe in Venice, FL. I'll just tell you about my early evening meal there the other night. Started out with raw oysters -- lots of 'em. They were on sale for 40c each during happy hour. Me and my buddy split two dozen -- I think I ate more than half. They were pretty good, fresh, cold, no sand, although they weren't really full of flavor -- plenty of cocktail sauce and horseradish took care of that. Followed that up with the "red grouper". Very tasty fish, nice portion. Asked for red potatoes as my side, got one spud the size of a tennis ball. Hmm? Large restaurant, large bar. Lots of happy hour specials, and a HUGE menu. If you're a seafood fan, this is the place to go in this part of the state. I'll be back and I'm guessing I'll raise my rating after the next visit.
(3)J PAUL B.
We haven't been to the Saltwater Cafe in years and we have been missing great meals for a long time. I had the Crusted cedar plank salmon that was grilled to perfection. The presentation was unique being served on an actual plank of wood, which I guess was cedar. The creamed spinach, served with every meal was a joy. Our waitress, Nicole, was efficient,attentive and very pleasant. We will be back!
(4)Carol L.
We came here for Christmas Eve 2014 It was delicious. We were hesitant because the Yelp score wasn't terrific however we found it to be very good. We had the oysters, frog legs, baked halibut and kids meals.
(5)Kristy K.
We went here to have a special family dinner...The waitress was extremely friendly and helpful, however, for $24 you only get 4 tasteless scallops. Fried oysters were horrendous. We spent $ 160 then had to go get a few big Macs.... totally unacceptable. Avoid at all costs! Also we are from Boston and know good seafood..
(1)Kim D.
Bad food, worse service. Came here for Christmas with my family and waited 2 hours for the main dishes to arrive. When they did we didn't all get our orders filled. In fact, we waited 30 minutes after the first people received their food for other plates to arrive. During our wait we had empty glasses and no silverware, and our waiter was no where to be seen. Additionally, when the food did arrive, it was cold, items were missing, and some of our guests had their orders completely wrong. When this was brought to our waiters attention, he argued about the initial order placed. Needless to say, we will not be returning to the Saltwater Cafe.
(1)Karen C.
We have tried this so many times. The location is excellent, and it is a shame that we don't have a better restaurant there. The food is just ok. The service is barely adequate. Depending on your server, you can wait 20 minutes just to get a drink when you sit down, even if the place is not crowded. One high point is the lobster pizza. It is excellent. That is why I gave them two stars, instead of one. We've endured the terrible service a few times for it. We tried to call he other night to get one to take out, but after being placed on hold three times, we were disconnected. So, we got Chinese food instead.
(2)Joe S.
Food was OK not great, service was not good The four menus were very confusing A bait and switch with their happy hour, the 2 for 1 drinks are a farce, two martinis in one glass? Half glasses of wine? Stay clear of this ripoff
(2)Gerry J.
Ate there this evening. My husband ordered the low country boil and wheh is came the mudbugs were frozen. They took it back and "resteamed" it. Didnt help, he ssid ir was the worst boil he ever had. I had lobster tails- they were ok. They treid to make up for it with a free glass of wine and left over pumpkin pie and pecan pie from Thanksgiving. We won't be going back any time soon.
(1)Ed M.
Well my wife and I went to Saltwater on a Sunday when many places were closed. We decided to try again after a two year hiatus. Very good move. She had the grilled grouper which came out beautifully, not over done. It was also nicely thick, a Florida favorite. I had the prime rib which also came out exactly right medium rare. Meat was tender, a prime cut. The creamed spinach was good also, we both had it. Looks like Chef-owner Rolf got it under control again. He was there that evening. Worth trying again.
(4)Bill G.
After receiving a good review from a big wine magazine, I was very disapointed. House wine was dreadful. Wine list was small and mostly grocery store wine. Food was OK to Good. Side dishes were poor and forgettable. Sorry. I ordered a featured dish, haddock, I am am pretty sure it was Tilapia! Not bad, over cooked , but not what I ordered. My wife's lobster tasted chemical like. House wine was watery and weak. We won't be back. Sad. This place use to be good.
(1)Craig C.
Such a pleasurable evening ! Jane (our server) and Shannon ( the manager) were so attentive! Food was incredible!
(5)Tom F.
I like this place! I'm not sure what the heck all the negative reviews are about? New chef/management perhaps? The food was great! No one in my party had any complaints! My dish was fantastic! The chicken Marsala was awesome and the gravy on top was so darn tasty! Off the hook! And the shrimp with cheese base sauce, killer! A rockstar dinner!! I had the salad as an app. And it was tasty as BLANK! The presentation of the meals was fantastic. Some reason people over look this! Time is spent to have to do this! Atmosphere was great! Good time, great meal! I'll be back, why because it's great food! Disregard some bad drama posts and try this place as of 12-23-13
(4)Cary B.
I'm surprised to see some bad experiences posted. We stopped here after a miserable visit to Curry Creek Cafe down the road. We were a bit underdressed but nobody treated us differently. The wait staff appeared seasoned and our waiter did a great job. Four of us enjoyed their Maine lobster special and it was very good. I decided I didn't like creamed spinach but the others did. My son's shrimp went over well. Only my father-in-law had an issue. He ordered the endless fried fish and said it was the worse he'd ever had. That's why I dropped it to 4 stars. I wouldn't hesitate to eat there again or recommend it. I'm trusting that the fried fish was a fluke.
(4)Flo V.
Came in for a little snack, comfort food because it 50 degrees outside. Ordered the grill cheese sandwich,...... Terrible. Would not order that again. Came w/ black eyed peas...yuk.... Fries were better on husbands plate.. Very little cheese (only one slice) I was expecting more from this place. Not good.
(1)Tom Y.
This was an exceptional dining experience. We started with the old standby of calamari and it was a solid choice. The waiter recommended the muscles in an ale steam and this dish stole the shoe. It was awesome. The muscles were great but the ale butter sauce was out of this world. We soaked our bread in the broth and that was a meal right there. I then had the sea scallops and risotto which were very good. Our server was 5 star and took very good care of us. I will be back
(4)Kelly M.
Excellent happy hour (drinks and oysters), dog friendly patio, and great service. Went twice during our 5 day visit to Venice because it was that good.
(5)Jeff S.
Do not bother. We went here because our hotel recommended it. We had to wait five minutes before someone acknowledged us standing at the front. Then, our kids' food came out in about 10 minutes from ordering but ours didn't come until an hour after we got there. That didn't matter because I was already talking to the manager telling her that we were leaving and the service and food we got were well below average. We had to go to the back of the restaurant to get our own tea, the bread was cool and stale, and our son's hamburger had a lot of gristle in it. Definitely choose somewhere else. I got a sandwich from a local deli later and it was much better than what we had at saltwater cafe.
(1)Joshua S.
Great food! We had the filet and grouper cake special, and the fried shrimp and tilapia. Everything was great, service was fast, atmosphere was quiet!
(4)Dan Y.
Terrible. I have family in town, and they called us today, asking to meet them at the Saltwater Cafe. Looking up the phone number, I noticed the 2.5 star Yelp revlew. Uh-oh... Sure enough, we got there, 4 adults and a child, and were seated outside per our request. Waiter told us it was a very slow night, and judging by the parking lot, it was. I ordered the Fried Calamari as an appetizer, which was awful. Tasteless, and the marinara sauce was brown, and also tasteless. I ate a few bites, and left it. When the waiter finally returned after everyone in our party had finished their apetizers, I informed him that it was bad. He shrugged and took off with it. He then returned informing us that the kid's meal we ordered - plain pasta- didn't come with a side, he said that because of the bad Calamari he would throw in the broccoli side for my daughter. Main courses came out. Both my father and I had the WienerSchnitzel, and they were once again, tasteless. Mine was cooked OK, but my father's was undercooked. Both were very greasy. Like with the appetizer, the waiter didn't return until everyone was done eating, my father didn't eat any of his, awaiting the waiter to return to check on us, and I ate half of mine. When the waiter finally returned, and we told him the problem, he didn't seem to care much. He mumbled he'd bring the manager. The manager, a younger guy, came to the table and asked if there was a problem with the food. I told him about the food, and he asked if my father wanted something else. Of course everyone was finished, so we declined. The manager turned around, and with his hands in his pockets walked away saying he'd take it off of the check. I have rarely seen anyone care less about something. This guy literally didn't give a sh*t. When we got the bill, my father's Schnitzel was credited, as was my daughter's broccoli side ($2.99). My Calamari ($7.99) was still on there. We will never return to this place. Very sad. A guy like Chef Rolf would be expected to have his restaurant under control.
(1)Charlize R.
We were a group of 8 late on Saturday, so perhaps that could explain our waitresses attitude which all of us agreed was less than pleasant. I had lobster-shrimp bisque which was unremarkable and rather salty. 3 guests had the kale salad which was generously proportioned. One guest had blackened grouper which was mediocre and was accompanied by tatseless au gratin potatoes. One guest had a white garlic pizza which he said was excellent. One guest didnt get served because the waitress FORGOT to put his order in and she did not apologize for this mistake. The couple that recommended the restaurant said they had previously had good experiences at the restaurant. I will probably not return to this restaurant because there are so many fine restauants to choose from.
(2)Beth Ann D.
Poor service by Mickey. Unable to decipher when customer was ready to order! Never cleared dishes. Could not approve discount. Had to go get the manager to approve. Did not take 20% discount off bill. Left in anger. LOSERS!! Won't be back.
(2)Abby A.
My experience here was great! I ate at the bar and the bartender (Jim) was attentive, knowledgeable and friendly. I ordered the peel & eat shrimp along with the flatbread Napoli. The food was fantastic and the late night bar specials are awesome. Cool decor/ vibe... I don't understand why this place has negative reviews on Yelp. I'll definitely be back.
(5)Caryn J.
So disappointing. We went to celebrate my husband's birthday, because he wanted lobster. His lobster was OK, but that's the best we can say. His raw oysters were miniscule, and his lobster bisque was cold. Our server forgot to add the anchovies to my Caesar salad, so we just said don't bother. Our entrées came with broccoli, after we had ordered asparagus (which the server was careful to say was an upcharge). The manager came over about the time we mentioned that the server had forgotten our wine, and changed is to a different server. To three manager's credit, she comped our wine. But they charged us for the broccoli that they brought by mistake instead of the asparagus! The upshot - don't waste your money. There are fine seafood restaurants in the area.
(1)Courtney H.
Ok so after eating at Ophelia's recently I thought it couldn't get any worse. Yeah I was wrong. This place is worse than Ophelia's and that's hard to do. The exterior of the restaurant was being worked on. We didn't know if they were open or not. So we asked the construction workers and they said yes. So we walked in. There was no one at the host/hostess stand but we only waited a minute or so. During our wait I had the pleasure of staring at an employees fitness shake bottle that was left on the counter. Defiantly not a good first impression. The front entrance is cluttered with old food awards. They are hung in the manner a teenager hangs posters on the wall in his/her room. These must be remnants of an award winning era long gone, but not forgotten. We were seated by man with an accent who didn't seem to know much. He didn't even bother getting a kids menu for my 4 year old. Maybe he's new. We didn't wait long for our server. She arrived and was nice but looked as she just rolled out of bed. Messy hair, dry chapped lips. I was hoping the food tasted better than she looked. Nope. To top that the city "had turned off the water" so the manager brought us a bottle of spring water until the city water was turned back on. This was nice. We ordered and waited a little bit for our food. Maybe 30 mins. There wasn't but maybe 2 other tables in the restaurant. And my dining companion did order lobster and steak for lunch. The lobster was ok tasting. It wasn't chemical tasting like another reviewer said but it wasn't fresh tasting. The steak was over cooked (medium well) had no pink at all. It was more of a well done. But the flavor of the steak was lacking. My companion said that their steak from Chili's the previous day had more flavor. The spinach side dish was watery and inedible. The side pasta dish was also unappetizing. The sauce wasn't good and the pasta equally as bad. I had the French Dip sandwich. It was served with fries. The meat was very fatty and looked pale. The fries were ok but anyone can make fries. The au jus sauce wasn't my favorite and was only used to dip twice before I removed it from my plate. All in all. This place reminds me of a restaurant that needs to be on a TV show like Kitchen Nightmares where the whole restaurant gets overhauled and saved. This place has an identity crisis. It doesn't know if it wants to be a local seafood joint like it's portrayed from the outside or an Italian/French/ Etc that the menu supports. The menu is over sized and needs to be cut in half. I'd say get half the dishes and make them better than to offer tons of subpar dishes. I hope the best for this place. I would like to see it get back to where its award winning status once was. My companion said "I'd go back to drink", "but remind me I don't like this place to eat! Three times and all 3 were bad."
(1)Kate M.
I wish I could write a no star review. After hearing ads on the radio and driving past the Saltwater Cafe every day on our respective commutes, my husband and I finally stopped for dinner. This restaurant should be on Kitchen Nightmares. The hostess stand stood in front of a counter with dirty dishes piled on top of it- there were trash bags waiting by the door to be taken to the dumpster, and a server and the hostess standing at the bar, not minding guests, but arguing about seating. The place stinks-literally. There were more un-bussed tables than set ones (this at 7:30 at night) and the air had a distinctive palm of unwashed carpet. After balking at being seated at a table that was so close to another table that our hostess couldn't set the menu down, I got yelled at to "just pick a seat" in a room full of dirty tables. Long story short, we paid $90 for food that I wouldn't give to my dogs. Burned mozzarella sticks and frozen calamari in a brown marinara sauce that tasted like the bottom of whatever dumpster they'd scooped it out of. We both got grilled "Catch of the Day" (yellowfin tuna and grouper), which came with congealed hollandaise sauce (yay salmonella) and completely unseasoned boiled vegetables. We left them untouched. Save your money, go to the publix right up the street, and cook a better meal at home.
(1)Cynthia M.
We do agree there are way too many items on the menu, but what we ordered was great. I loved the bacon wrapped BBQ shrimp and we shared a Swiss pizza. It was delicious. The martinis were great are service was good and our waitress was professional. We like the outdoor seating area. A very pleasant experience but may be considered overpriced. 3 stars because of the paper table covers and the Red Lobster decor inside as well as cost
(4)Bob H.
Lunch on a Tuesday. (suckered by the location and banner touting tons of 13.99 seafood entrees) First the good: our waiter was excellent Sadly, my wife sent back the beer battered shrimp for being served raw (super thick uncooked coney dog dough is not my idea of beer battered). First time in 20+ years she's EVER, and I mean EVER, sent anything back. Didn't even want a repeated order prepared properly - she ordered a hamburger reluctantly. And the waiter was good about it. (the burger was good BTW - but it wasn't the expected shrimp). Shrimp scampi entrees and an AYCE fried pollack were also on our table. We selected sides of creamed spinach, caesar salads, house salad, and buttered linguine. The AYCE fish was actually very good - pollack but very very good. I'd go back for that. The creamed spinach was luke warm - tasty served in a hot dish - but cold throughout. It was like they were expecting the dish to warm it up again. Caesar salad wasn't bad but the romaine lettuce was pretty limp and wiltey (old). I'd give it another chance - some day...
(3)Martin C.
Extremely disappointing. The food was ok but the service was extremely poor. The restaurant also advertises "express lunch $5.99" which is misleading as there is only one item on the menu that fitted this description. We asked the waitress who confirmed that it was misleading.
(2)Connor D.
Party of 14 on a Sunday night, our server Rachel was amazing, answered every question and everything. If I could review her, she'd be 6 stars. But this restaurant, not so much. It took a while to get our food, and I got my Classic Burger with bacon and swiss. The fries had no salt on them really. As I'm writing this review I'm eating my leftovers. My burger, I had a few bites of it, it was OK, but you can get similar quality at an Applebee's or something was of that sort. Before dinner, my dad and sister got 2 sodas and a beer, and that was $12. Ouch. Anyway, back to the review. There was a lot of bacon on the burger, but it didn't overcome the "meh" of the food, And the bill for 14 people was $422 at the end of the night.
(3)Paul E J.
I was very disappointed. The oyser appetizer were the smallest I have ever seen served. My lobster bisque was served barely warm. After our read heated it was very unsatisfactory and I had to send it away. My wife ordered anchovies on her Cesar salad that were not on ths salad. We ordered asparagus worth our entrees and it did not come out. They brought us asparagus and then charged us for both broccoli and asparagus. The bernaise sauce was not, the butter for the lobster was not and the beurblanc was not. You need to avoid this place.
(1)Alton L.
Service sucks. Sat for20 minutes totally ignored. Bad attitudes from help. Food overcooked. Tourist trap prices. Don't waste your money. .
(1)IJules D.
It's a simple go to place for a quick bite to eat. Somewhat expensive, food as a rule is always lacking, inside is absolutely darling and cozy, full bar and specializes in seafood for the Florida saltlife! Service is consistently good and friendly. I could tweak everything on the menu, just for more flavor, if you like garlic, this is your heaven on earth! Large wine list and great ones by the glass! Love the sugar scrub with oil in the ladies power room, simply amazing!
(3)Amanda C.
Worst food ever and horrible customer service. Ordered tilapia and it definitely was not tilapia. Giving one star because you can't give 0
(1)Liz V.
I had the fresh grouper with pea risotto.. The fish was done perfectly and the risotto was creamy. My sister had all you can eat crab legs and they were sweet and came out steaming hot. Leslie, our server was delightful and attentive. There was also live music... All in all, a very nice dining experience and we will be back! Thanks Leslie!!!
(5)Gabi H.
We go to the saltwater cafe about 4 times a year. The happy hour oyster special can't be beat. We have had dinner here many times and been happy with the food and service. Today our server was so unpleasant and unfriendly I didn't want to stay for another round of drinks let alone dinner! It's a shame because we really have liked the food there. I won't name the server but if you read this review and know who you are, a word of advice. If you hate your job as much as you seem to hate it, do yourself a favor and find something else to do. "There are more ways to go through life then to be dragged through it kicking and screaming." (Hugh Prather notes on love and courage. )
(3)James B.
Lets just say one person gets bad food it's ok, all four of us got bad food. It looks like a fried seafood joint on the outside, but the inside looks like an Italian/french restaurant that someone threw a bunch of seaside decorations on the wall. I ordered the "award winning" Shrimp scampi (Italian style) with pasta. Shrimp were way over cooked (rubber band consistency) and soaking in butter with a few pieces of Roma tomato, Peas and a lemon wedge. No flavor at all and the pasta was plain. Nothing on them. My girlfriend got the choose two Shrimp. She got beer battered and coconut shrimp. The beer battered looked good but were frozen pre cooked shrimp that was dipped in batter and the "tempura-ish" batter was undercooked and recked of stale beer. The coconut shrimp was, how can I put this..., GRAY!!! Whatever was in the batter turned it the shrimp gray. My son got the Fried combo (shrimp, fish and calamari). Same issue with the beer battered shrimp. Calamari was over cooked rubber bands and look like Long John Silvers little crisps. The fish was a frozen unknown cutlet of panko breading with no flavor. My girlfriend's daughter got a personal cheese pizza. While it looked good and served on a wooden cutting board; the pizza / marinara sauce was spoiled. Needless to say this place suffers from an identity crisis. From the misleading advertisement out front, wanna be seafood place / Italian fine dining inside, an Ice Cream Counter at the front door and a Swiss Chef that wouldn't know flavor if it hit him in the head. I would like to say the Service was great, the Wait Staff were very attentive and did an excellent job, but the food... Horrible. We did go in on a Saturday during Lunch, and one would think that the Su Chef or a Line cook may have did the cooking, but no. Chef Rolf put in an appearance at the bar to talk to his local 'partakers'. I almost forgot to mention the Ice Cream Counter at the front door was ice encrusted so bad that the ice had migrated into the ice cream tubs themselves.
(1)Carlos V.
Let's start with the service, very poor. It took him more then 10 min for him to come back so we could request silverware & plates. Presentation of the food & does not match the price (compared to Applebee's presentation or worse) The food is a 7 out of 10.
(1)Chris J.
Will not return. Went there in a Tuesday afternoon at 2pm. The two ladies at the bat next to me had to cancel their order because it took too long. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger with mushrooms and mayo. The burgers are really just two thin patties of poor quality meat stacked on top of one another to make it look like a good sized burger. The fries were plain and unexciting. The worst part was the deceptive practices by the staff and on the menu. The bacon cheeseburger was listed as being $7.99... And it said all toppings free. I get the bill and it said bacon burger $7.49 and then a $0.99 up charge for cheese... pretty sure my math skills could catch that one. Even worse was right below that was a $2.79 charge for fries. Upon my order the bartender asked if fries were OK with it, which I assumed meant they were included. I guess not. A proper way to handle it would have been "would you like to add fries or another side to that"? At the end of the day I ended up being charged $11+ for a burger advertised as $7.99. And $4 for a pint of bud light. .. which apparently was happy hours that was never mentioned to me. When 3 out of 4 guests at the bar complain within a half hour is a sign that something bigger is wrong.
(1)Carrie S.
We went here because we read some good reviews online. The food was very average, I got the salmon with rice and veggie of the day which was creamed spinach. I love spinach but this was gross and tasted like frozen spinach which had just been thawed out and did not have cream. The portions were small (my husband got mahi mahi) and my daughter got terriaki chicken and did like it because the chicken was soggy but did eat the vegetables. The waiter was nice but service was slow and prices were high for the small portions and medicore food. I would recommend going somewhere with better food.
(2)Kristopher W.
I like going here about every month or so. The menu is insanely huge which means I usually end up getting the same thing. The food is always great I have never ate anything bad there. It's cool to go during snowbird season the cars that park in the front of this place are amazing .
(4)Mark L.
I have been twice in the last week, once for lunch and another time for dinner. The lunch was really good. Server was attentive and the food came out in a reasonable amount of time. Good burger. Fries weren't an option with the special, but didn't want them so no problem. I also had the Caesar Salad which was good but I like garlic. Very strong in this dressing. A couple of days later we returned for dinner and arrived early for the specials. .29 cent wings. When I inquired if I could get them spice buffalo I was told that spice wasn't an option because they cooked for an older clientele. If you live in Venice you are probably used to this but it still gets me irritated to be treated like my money is not the same color and I am not as important a customer as the senior crowd that dominates here. The wings were not worth much more than .29, so you get what you pay for. The service did bring me additional sauce when requested because the wings arrived looking like they came out of frier and to my seat w/out any. The pork tenderloin dinner I had was a great surprise. I really liked how moist it was and the sauce that came with it was really delicious. I also ordered one Guinness and it was good I stopped there because I only found out that it was an 8.00/glass draft beer after I got my bill. For Venice that is almost twice what most places charge. Even though the pork was really good I probably won't go back for a long time, like when I'm retired and no longer a minority.
(3)Ira F.
Went for a nice bike ride in Venice down to Casperson beach. Beautiful day, except the red tide was bad making me cough. For that reason we decided to look for someplace not right on the water to eat. Loaded up the bikes and drove to Nokomis and the Saltwater Cafes banner touting 20 entrées under $13.99 piqued my curiosity. The wife and I opted to split a seafood combo platter. First disappointment was the plater came with grouper of which they were out. The waiter offered to substitute Talapia. Whaaaahht? No comparison! After asking for other options we guilted him into additional scallops. Being fair, the waiter didn't seem to have a great handle on what he was allowed to offer. Service was a bit on the slow side, and not very attentive. All that being said......the food was great. If you're willing to forgive service a bit and just go for the food, this was a good find.
(3)George W.
We have been eating here on occasion for the last ten years or more because of its proximity to Casey Key, but it seems to be declining in quality & value every year. Today, we waited at the hostess desk for a table for about 5 minutes while two idiots discussed something important to them alone, I guess, in some language not readily identifiable as English nor European. We were totally ignored as well as a few other couples, even though they made eye contact with us. I guess they are related to the owner, although they were not speaking German or French. Bizarre. Not ever getting their attention & taking the initiative, we wandered into the bar area, where we sat at a dirty table, and a harried server requested that we sit at a clean "high tabletop" to save time for clearing. I hate high tables but guessed we would get quicker service if we complied. Our server was helpful, but was stretched thin, so I wandered about getting the "specials" menus from different tables & areas of the restaurant to find out what was available. At this point, I really wanted to leave. While sitting at our table waiting to order, I observed one of the "hostesses" getting a drink from the bar. We ordered our drinks: my husband likes Grey Goose with olives. He took a sip & frowned & asked our waiter to ensure it was Grey Goose. The waiter asked the (new) bartender & she said definitely it was Grey Goose. We believed her, because we didn't see any reason she wouldn't tell us the truth. We are reluctant to send anything back, but even though I hate vodka I took a sip & it was not Grey Goose,but some flavored, flowery perfumed product. Is some one substituting liquors in the bottles there? The meal was okay, our waiter was great, but the hostesses should be fired, the drinks need improvement & brand assurance, otherwise, Chef Rolf, we are not there. Casey Key Residents
(2)Tamara H.
We had read the reviews and I didn't want to go here but my husband and father wanted to go to Happy Hour so we came here. We sat in the bar area and our waiter was actually fabulous! We ordered drinks, wings and oysters. The kids had child meals, and my mom and I had Sunset menu dinners. Our waiter timed everything just right, wings and oysters arrived with the kids meals. Then the salads. Finally our meals with additional wings. We loved the hot wings which were hot but not terribly, the shrimp scampi was nicely done, and the fried shrimp was well fried shrimp. Apparently the oysters were good too, they must use quality oysters as we've had them before elsewhere and gotten ill. I'd certainly return here!
(4)Bill S.
Below average food and always playing games with specials.... "Oh, that special isn't available and you'll have to order the one that is $2 more to get what you want...". Service was over bearing and patronizing. We hadn't been to this place in several years and now I remember why. I would give it a 'no stars' if that was an option!
(1)Frank Z.
Haven't been here in awhile. We went there today for my wife's birthday. We were pleasantly surprised. We had fried calamari and seared tuna sashimi for appetizers. The calamari was very flavorful. The sashimi looked to be a little too cooked. I like my sashima where it is still red in the middle. For dinner we both had the prime rib. It was one of the best prime ribs we have ever had. It was medium rare and even the rare part was still very tender and easy to cut. The service was excellent. We recommend this place!
(4)Jeff W.
10 page menu, but the place doesn't even serve french fries. The steak was tough and full of gristle and the seafood platter was inedible. I generally like my salad to be fresh and there be no brown spots on my lettuce, but that's not an option here. The place was clean and the service was OK, but I'd suggest that you pass this place by.
(1)Kelly D.
So yes, Chef Rolf is supposed to be something of a local celebrity with his local access cable cooking show. Its actually the only reason we decided to try it out - thinking that the food would be good. We went for Mothers Day and the place was absolutely dead. Should have been an indication right then, on such a day when most people take the women in their lives out to eat. The menu is pure insanity. I am pretty sure it was no less than 10 pages long, and that's strictly food we are talking about. I don't consider this a good thing because its usually an indication that the ingredients will be less than fresh. Its also pricey - in that typical seafood restaurant kind of way. Appetizer, two mains and 1 dessert came to close to $80 with gratuity. The service was good, but it was quiet that night so I won't place too much weight on that fact. Given its location there are many other restuarants I would recommend going to instead: Sharkeys, Urbaneks, or even Crows Nest, all of which serve better food at the same or even lower prices.
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