I had eaten at Martin’s before and enjoyed the experience, but it had been awhile so my husband and I decided to take some friends who were visiting from out of town. Located at 917 Duval Street next to the Restaurant Nine One Five sits this pretty little place with indoor and outdoor seating with a sophisticated feel.
We were seated immediately and our server was amazing from the start. While Martin’s has a nice wine list, we stayed with water through our dinner. We started with a Caprese Salad and a Black Forest Salad. Presentation of both was beautiful. Loved the spin on the Caprese with cherry tomatoes rather than tomato slices. We did not enjoy the Black Forest Salad as much; it had bacon and sautéed onions served over greens and tomatoes. The veggies were fresh but the bacon was almost flavorless and did not add the punch of flavor that I was expecting.
We also ordered the tuna tataki which was garnished with a seaweed salad, ginger, and wasabi sauce. The tuna was fresh, but it was encrusted with black pepper. I enjoyed it but my husband did not as he cannot abide spicy foods. The fact that it was encrusted with pepper was not mentioned on the menu; if it had been he would have started with a different appetizer.
For dinner we ordered the wiener schnitzel since Martin’s is an upscale German restaurant. We also ordered the grouper special which was a grouper filet wrapped in bacon and topped with crab meat.
The Schnitzel was so tough and tasteless that I could not eat it. And on top of that it was extremely greasy. Thankfully, the waiter took the meal which I did not touch off of the bill.
The grouper had a very nice presentation but the taste was lacking. Here the bacon which was very underdone and it overpowered the taste of the grouper. And the crabmeat topper was laced with shells. And on top of that, the crab just did not taste right.
After the disappointment of the meal so far we decided not to do dessert. After this latest visit I am doubtful that we will be dining at Martin’s again. I would not mind enjoying a drink at their bar in the cooler months though. As I said initially, the service was wonderful and I certainly cannot ding them on this.
To see what is happening on Key West during your visit, check out our Key West Events Calendar to see other upcoming special events. For more information about the fun side of Key West… things to do and see in our island city, go to our Key West Web Site.
And before deciding where you are going to eat while visiting Key West, be sure to read my other restaurant reviews; check out our restaurant review section of this blog as well as our previous restaurant reviews.
Feel free to Email Me if you have any questions about Key West!!
Island Genn
Key West Concierge
