I absolutely love eclectic little whole in the wall places. The usually have some of the freshest food, especially when that place is also a fish house. For a while Fishbusterz on Stock Island had a great little restaurant attached to it. And Skip One Fish House in Fort Myers, Florida has the most amazing seafood; my husband and I always make a lunch stop there when in the area. We really don’t need fancy. But decent service and good food are a must.
Saturday night we decided to try out the Wharf on Summerland Key, about a twenty minute drive from Key West. We figured that the food at this fish market had to be good. When we walked in we liked the funky Keys style atmosphere. We were told to sit anywhere we pleased, so we picked a table and relaxed, waiting for menus to be brought over to us. While waiting we watched our waitress bring the family seated next to us their food and actually smack the little kid in the head with a dinner plate. She was apologetic, but that did not bode well for the service. As it turned out, it was certainly not the worst service we have ever had at a restaurant, but it was not good either as the waitress was flighty and not very attentive.
We ordered a margarita since the sign outside said that they had the best in the Keys. And we also got a smoked fish dip to start. The margarita was awful and after a few sips I just could not go on. The fish dip was surprisingly bland. It had a consistency like paste and absolutely no flavor to it. It was clear why they served it with a pile of finely sliced red onions and jalapeños. My husband who cannot stomach spicy foods at all actually used the hot sauce on the table to try and give the dip some flavor.
We weren’t off to a good start, but we still had hopes for our entrees. I ordered a salad with blackened shrimp and my husband got the grilled hogfish po’boy. I have to say that my shrimp were good, not overcooked and not over seasoned. As for the rest of the salad, the roughage was brown and the dressing was awful tasting. My husband’s po’boy was a disappointment as well. It was difficult to eat as the fish did not fit on the small sub roll and the fish was overcooked and not very flavorful. On the plus side, the fries were delicious. I ordered a side of fries as I was still hungry after eating the shrimp on top of my salad which was the only edible part of the dish.
After the dinner experience I was not as hot to try dessert as I was when we got there, so we asked for the check. For $69 we could have eaten like kings at another restaurant. We decided that the Wharf will definitely not be getting another visit from us unless we just want a beer as I don’t think that can get too screwed up.
Before deciding where you are going to eat while visiting Key West, be sure to read my other restaurant reviews too; check out our restaurant review section of this blog as well as our previous restaurant reviews.
And 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.
Feel free to Email Me if you have any questions about Key West!!
