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Island Way Grill
Categories: Restaurants Sushi Bars Restaurants Seafood Restaurants Steakhouses Sushi Bars, Seafood, Steakhouses
20 Island WayClearwater Beach, FL 33767
(727) 461-6617
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 4 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 4 pm - 11 pm
Sun 11 am - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot, Valet
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
43 reviews for Island Way Grill
Review Highlights
"Another favorite is the Sunday Brunch - a great value and..."
(in 4 reviews)
"Great place near the beach for seafood, sushi and more."
(in 10 reviews)
"Their sister local is Salt Rock in Indian Shores."
(in 2 reviews)
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43 reviews in English
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Review from Joe P.
Tampa, FL
12/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place has amazing fresh seafood. The sushi was very good, and the entrees were also very good. I had the sea bass and it was excellent.
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Review from Randall C.
Troy, MI
2/1/2012
I have to say that I have eaten in this restaurant more than a dozen times in the last 7 years. I was not disappointed until this trip and they did everything wrong all in one trip. I was with business clients and one of the people had an eating restriction. We asked the waiter for help we were met with an attitude of not caring. When the manager he came over it was even worse. He could care less about the restrictions my associate had.
The table was uneven and the waiter got on the floor to level the screw-out disk to stabilize the table. The issue is he came off his hands and knees and grabbed the wine bottle and filled our glasses without washing his hands. As I sat in this new décor I noticed several things had changed. The sushi workers did not wear gloves. When it came time for our sushi to arrive it went to the next table and sat there for three minutes or more until the waiter was called over and he picked up the plate from the other table and brought it directly to our table. It is clear that more than the décor has changed. I traveled from Detroit to find below average service and food quality that was not worth the money. Then the heath issues ..... All I can say is stay clear there are so many other great choices. -
Review from Riley Y.
Chicago, IL
1/28/2012
Made reservations and still had to wait 20 minutes. I'm not cheap but for this price this was awful. Undercooked mussels, no soy sauce with sushi. The soup was only Crab Bisque, which was the best part of the meal. The main entrees were equivalent of a bad chain restaurant. For $30 fish the waiter should go outside and catch it. The dumpy frenchy restaurants on the island can be a healthier choice if you don't order fried. If you like to eat crap and pay triple you may like this place.
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Review from Chris F.
Clearwater, FL
1/22/2012
Horrible! I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. The only good thing about it was the view. My filet was tough and overcooked and my wife's "fresh grouper" was bland and soggy. We had to wait 45 minutes to be seated and we had a reservation...that was completely uncalled-for. The wait staff had no personality. They didn't seem to be happy in their work at all.
For all the good things I had read about this place...it was a huge disappointment in my experience. I'll never go back. No thank you, not for that price!!
I'll give it a one-star rating just for the view of the water. -
Review from Leslie J.
Edison, NJ
12/29/2011
Great atmosphere, good service, a little on the pricey side, but well worth it! I had the lamb and it was cooked perfectly to my specifications. The pomegranate martini was also excellent. The bathrooms were immaculate. I would LOVE to go back when I have the chance to get back to Clearwater!
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Review from Louis F.
Clearwater, FL
11/27/2011
I went to this restaurant with my parents for thanksgiving. I made reservations, and I'm glad I did because this place was packed. Buffet was ok but not a slam dunk. Waiter was very nice but she was so slammed she barely had time to stop at our table. I think they overbooked. I would like to est off three menu one time.
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Review from Jane M.
Danbury, CT
11/15/2011
Restaurant was recommend to us by the captain and first mate of the Little Toot. We decided to try it out for dinner. It was such a good experience, we went back a second night. All the food was awesome. The staff was terrific. The bill was a bit on the high side, but not nearly as high as we would have expected. Loved the decor. No complaints. We had the Clam Pot, Clams Casino, Shrimp Cocktail, Surf and turf trio, King Crab Legs, and Stuffed Lobster Tails. All great!
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Review from Jim B.
5/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Meh.
Best descriptor ever.
So, we decided to trek over here for Sunday Mother's Day brunch... yeah, a terrible idea, but there were were.
We called to make a reservation a week or so in advance, and were advised that they were busy until 2:30 - oh yes, that was truth in advertising right there. We should have moved on, but the die was case.
My sister confirmed the price was 23.95 per person (although the website said 21.95) and double checked to see if it was the same on Mother's Day. More on that later. Oh, and we asked if the mimosas were included - we were told 'yes'
Soooooo..... we arrive at about 2:30 - yeah, they were running behind and it would be at least 30 minutes to be seated. The place was an epic cattle call. Loud, slammed, crazy.
*worried look*
We found a bench, hit the bar for mudslides (a bright point - 5.62 for a pretty awesome drink actually - we were hopeful at this point...) and waited.
And waited.
3:05 rolls around and they get us a table and send us to the buffet tables... where diners were slopping food on their plates as fast as it came out. Lots of empty stations. Hm.
Trays of fresh food started appearing (good) but were devoured in short order - many trips required to sample the victuals desired. I asked about the eggs benedict and was informed they were changing from breakfast to dinner foods - this did not make me happy. I found a manager and stated my desire to have some eggs... to their credit, they fixed a tray special and delivered them to our table.
Wow. If only the rest of the food had been this fresh and tasty.
We ate our fill of buffet foodstuffs and eventually got the check.
31.75 per person? Um... no. 15.00 for mimosas? um, no.
Two trips to managers later, the bill was adjusted to what we were told, but the manager seemed kinda pissy about making it what we were told, defensive even.
See, the eggs, peel your own shrimp, raw oysters and lox were great. The steak diane (fresh out of the kitchen) was really good. If the whole thing had been that calibre we'd be at 5 stars.... but they overbooked and the front desk girls admitted that when we got there.
This was not fine dining. This was a cattle call. If you want to shovel epic amounts of overly rich food down your gullet in a place that is simply overwhelmed by people, then by all means hit them up on a holiday. If you want well prepared food in a nice atmosphere then try them out on a regular day - I'm betting that order off the menu is a nice experience.
View: Nice
Build out: Modern and airy
BONUS points for the Duncan McClellan glass works sprinkled liberally through the place.
So, yeah..... 'meh' -
Review from LaKisha S.
Waxhaw, NC
10/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Very nice atmosphere; great decor. Drinks were fabulous but the sea bass was overcooked.
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Review from Diane D.
Clearwater, FL
9/20/2010
My husband and I have been to the Island Way Grill many, many times. We LOVE it!
You can sit outside when the weather is nice which I highly recommend.
Some of our favorite dishes are the Thai Clam Pot, the Seafood Tower and the Frankie's Roll.
Another favorite is the Sunday Brunch - a great value and an amazing selection of awesome foods. -
Review from Carol T.
Elkview, WV
8/1/2011
The best Sunday brunch in Clearwater - at least I think so - make a reservation and get there at 11 for outside in the sun seating - enjoy a complimentary glass of champagne the dive - seafood, breakfast, lunch, the selection is amazing - don't forget the desert room - homemade waffle cones in a bowl with bananas foster or cherries jubile. For $25 you will definitely get your monies worth
Comment from Sheri A. of Island Way Grill 8/2/2011
Hi Carol, We look forward to seeing you again soon!!! More » -
Review from Meg D.
Irving, TX
12/26/2010
I can see this restaurant being very busy during the peak season, we were there the day after Christmas. The ambiance is great and the bathrooms are very nice. The drinks were good so we ordered the Jumbo Shrimp Tempura as an appetizer from the bar.
These were by far the worst shrimp tempura we've had, so bad we didn't bother to order anything else. The presentation was nice but the tempura was soft and it looked more like beer batter. Plus there was nothing jumbo about the shrimp. -
Review from Cynthia L.
Minneapolis, MN
3/25/2010
This place said that they were booked until 830pm on a Thursday night but we thought we would try our luck anyway. After reading "Waiter Rant" we figured that they are just saying that so that they can get more people to come in after the rush hour crowd.
When we arrived, they spoketh the truth! It was packed in there. The bar was packed but luckily the sushi bar had 6 seats available. We stole two right away.
The sushi chef - Jason, was very sweet and accomodating to our needs. He is knowledgable and let's you sample things if you are unsure of it. Thanks Jason for a job well done!! We ordered one roll and boy oh boy....it was one of the best rolls I've had in a while - the ATOMIC. It had baked grouper (because I'm prego), crab, scallion, cream cheese, spicy aioli, and masago. It's heated in the oven and it's just heavenly. I would order it again and again.
We then ordered the wok fried soft shell crab and the conch fritters as apps. Three soft shell crabs are arranged on a plate, lightly battered and fried. Very tasty especially with the sauce. Not overdone and well-seasoned. I would order this again.
The conch fritters were also good. Fluffy and light and was enhanced with the thai chili sauce that accompanied them.
For dinner we split a special - miso seabass. It came topped with a seaweed salad that complimented the seabass perfectly.
Overall a fine meal. I would recommend this to anyone in Clearwater. Definitely one of my fave restaurants of all time. -
Review from Jay W.
Bethel, CT
12/30/2008
Island Way Grill is so heavily promoted on a variety of Clearwater Beach and Florida tourism websites, in hotel tourist magazines, in airline magazines, and a variety of online reviews, but I was SHOCKED to find that no one had yet reviewed it here. So here goes....
Summary: Dinner for 6 on post-Christmas Eve (12.26) was a visual and culinary delight but a service NIGHTMARE. An excellent wine list (when you can find one they ACTUALLY have), delicious and fresh sushi, and a broad menu of pacific rim and carribbean island selections may allow you to forgive the unprofessional and uninformed wait staff.
Detail: This well-designed restaurant, located in a prime location on the causeway leading to Clearwater Beach, offers a variety of steak, seafood and even sushi to satisfy nearly every family members appetite. The restaurant is large and very attractive. It has an open kitchen area and sushi bar located just past the main entrance, plus several beautiful dining areas which seat over 300. Island Way also features a large outdoor dining area overlooking the harbor, with waterfront bar. You can even arrive via boat, with docking slips to accommodate even large (40') boats.
Arriving just before 8:00pm for our reservation Saturday night in our 20' powerboat, we were only 1 of 2 boats to take advantage of docking slips. However, that was not an indicator for the attendance at the restaurant. The place was packed! We felt that 8pm was a reasonable time to dine, but apparently the peak seating is between 6 and 7:30pm. 8:00pm seemed to be the last seating of the night. After first being seating in the back corner of their "harbor" room, we waited 20 minutes, never being asked once for a drink, offered water, or bread. At that point I returned to the hostess and asked to be reseated in the main dining room, where a few tables had now opened up. We shuffled over to our new seats, and after about 5 minutes, our server, Linda, apologized for our wait and told us that she would return in a few minutes to take our drink order.
15 minutes later... and now 45 minutes after we first arrived, we finally received our drinks. Island Way was featuring a "Wine Deals" page on their menu, with the intent of clearing out their wine cellar. As a fan of Zinfandels, I selected a mid-range bottle. Unfortunately, when Linda returned with our first (and only) round of drinks, she informed me that the particular wine was not available. As my family placed their dinner orders, I selected another Zin and my dinner order as well. Alas, Zin was not meant to be for me. Linda returned again to inform me that no Zinfandels were available from the Wine Deals menu. Unfortunately, she had failed to find an available alternative, leaving me to once again scour the 300+ bottle list for another selection. I chose a Malbec, an Argentinean cousin to the Bordeaux.
Island Way promotes itself as a great steak, seafood and sushi restaurant and our table ordered each of their specialties. Our appetizer plate featured a selection of various sushi, including a dragon roll, spicy tuna roll and a firecracker roll. All of them were delicious.
All of our dinner selections were quite good and dessert also met with our liking. -
Review from Emily G.
1/7/2009
This was as close to a perfect meal as one can get, the best experience I've had in a restaurant in a long time.
My mom chose Island Way Grill from the review in the St. Petersburg Times for my Dad's 66th birthday dinner, which can always be a scary thing for out-of-towners. When we first walked in the restaurant, I was astounded at the size of the place, with endless tables both inside and dockside and a wine cellar with over 800 different selections.
The service was impeccable, which I guess is all luck of the draw based on the other reviews here. Our waiter was extremely accessible, despite the huge crowd on a Monday night and was not only knowledgeable about the menu selection, but even gave us West Coasters a quick lesson on catching stone crabs. Each course of meal was brought out at a leisurely pace (We spent 2 and a half hours in the restaurant!), but for some that might be a negative.
The food was incredibly fresh and innovative. My mom, my sister, and I ordered the Thai High Mussels appetizer, and the broth was exquisite. Though not very spicy as advertised, it was flavored with just the right amount of lemongrass. We were then served with the house salad, which was light with a citrus vinaigrette, jicama, and roasted sunflower seeds for an added crunch. Delicious!
For our entrees, all of us ordered off the daily special menu - Mom and Sis had stone crab, Dad had the Atlantic salmon, and I opted for the swordfish oscar - The fish was cooked perfectly, flaky and moist, the crab mounded on top with quite possibly the best hollandaise sauce I've ever had. Seriously, I need it bottled so I can use it on all my poached eggs - or maybe to drink straight. My only teensy complaint was my asparagus still had a bit of the woody end on it, which was a little out of step for a fine dining establishment. Still, this entree was fantastic.
Our waiter brought us the dessert sampler with a candle for my dad, even though we were all stuffed like moose heads in a taxidermist's den. The creme brulee had a nice touch with the ginger, and the molten lava cake was decent as well. The key lime pie with the toasted macadamia nut crust was excellent, and I don't think I'll ever make one again without replicating that delectable crust.
My only real quibble with the Island Way Grill was the noise in the restaurant. Of course a large restaurant will have a certain amount of volume to the dining area, but it didn't seem quite in step with the rest of the atmosphere. Also, this is not a place for kids. I'm all for children, but its off-putting when there are bleeps emitting from a 7 year old's Nintendo DS at the table next to you. Get a babysitter and leave the little ones home.Listed in: They've All Gone To Look For…
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Review from Luke H.
4/14/2009
It gets highly recommended by tourists and locals alike.
Personally it is too clean and generic for my taste, but I can see why some people love the generic waterside ambiance.
I would rather have beach front casual fare at Palm Pavilion or Frenchy's Rockaway, and get to see the sunset over the white sand. -
Review from Todd P.
3/3/2009
I have an appetizer problem. Or more specifically, an appetizer eating problem. You know...you're at a Mexican restaurant, you gorge yourself on chips and salsa before your meal arrives, and then you go ahead and cram the meal in your gut as well, culminating in an uncomfortable, bloated "roll" home.
Unfortunately I over did it eating way too much while having apps at a friend's house before a group of us ventured to the Island Way Grill for dinner. And then to top that off, someone ordered fried calamari for the table, and can I resist those lightly battered, crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside delectable morsels? No!
Needless to say, I chose to go conservative for my meal, since I'd already eaten enough to feed a small impoverished nation so far that night, so I ordered a spicy tuna roll and a vegetable stir fry. The sushi roll was so good -- fresh fish, intense chili sauce spice, it was perfect. The veggies were also good, cooked in Thai coconut broth, but by the time the dish had arrived I was pretty much past the point of having any room left in the stomach, so I picked at it and gave up, feeling the pending food coma rapidly approaching.
For the most part, our group experience at this popular spot was good and everyone else seemed to really enjoy their selections. They could improve their service a bit, though. At times our server was MIA, and when I asked him about a specialty martini, he said "Hmm, I'm not sure if it's any good. I'm more of a Jack and Coke kind of a guy." Okaaay...not the best of answers, but at least he was honest.
Roll me home, Betty. Papa's stuffed. -
Review from Budlette N.
Savannah, GA
5/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Excited to eat here but was a little worried after seeing they had a pan asian/fusion approach. Should have listened to my gut. Two people ordered the mahi island style, it was supposed to be wok seared with ginger, Thai curry, garlic oil etc. and rice. Instead, they got several strips of breaded and fried mahi, served with mashed potatoes and drowned in a bland red curry sauce. We asked the employees if it was supposed to come with rice, he kept saying no we can get you some though. We felt dumb, like we had misread the menu so we let it go. I have since checked the menu online and we were right. I guess the guy just didnt speak English or flat out lied. Either way, it wasn't what we wanted nor what we ordered. That wasn't the only thing wrong with our meal but my arm/hand is aching from typing on my iPhone. just do yourself a favor and dont eat at this crap hole.
If you want to know what else sucked, feel free to message me. -
Review from Linda B.
Tampa, FL
3/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went with a group of about 15 with reservations for 6:15. A few of us arriving early were shown to the bar but then as others arrived on time they were seated but the hostess never came to get the rest of us. Good thing one of us was keeping an eye out :) Service was s-l-o-w and sporadic, which was strange because every other server in the place seemed to be on speed. Had a couple of near misses just walking to the restroom. The noise level is cacophonous but a little better way in back near the wall where we were seated. Food was good although the oysters that were supposed to be in season were pretty small for the price charged. Almost no one ordered dessert as we'd already been there over three hours. Maybe it was just a bad night but after reading other reviews, this place seems somewhat randomly hit or miss.
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Review from Jeff L.
Culver City, CA
6/3/2008
Although Island Way Grill has a rather eclectic menu, and seems like it's striving to be known as a "fusion" restaurant, you get the feeling that they don't know what their specialty is. At least not yet. After having gone to good "Fusion" seafood restaurants such as Roy's, I have to say that the food at Island Way Grill is good but not great. It gets 4 stars for variety and location, but closer to 3 stars for taste.
Most of the seafood dishes I've ordered here seem like it's missing something. For instance, the Sea Bass doesn't taste like it was cooked with any seasoning or marinade, although the bisque-like cream sauce has most of the flavors but yet doesn't seem to go well with the fish. Unlike Roy's Sea Bass entree or even P.F. Chang's Sea Bass dish)
Communication between waiters and hosts/hostesses could be better as our waiter didn't know that we had been seated so we waited a good 20 minutes before I had to go ask for a waiter. We went on Memorial Day, when everyone was at the beach, so the restaurant had many open tables. So not sure if it was a fluke or what. Maybe on one of their better nights, I would give it a higher rating as I think my taste buds that night were somehow affected by the quality of service that we received.
I've heard good things about their Sunday Brunch, but haven't tried it yet. -
Review from TootTootTootsie G.
New York, NY
11/7/2008 1 photo
We have yet to eat dinner here, but the Sunday champagne brunch, served from 11:00am until 3:00pm, is a spectacular buffet of breakfast favorites with all the typical sides plus a wide assortment of seafood and meat entrees, salads, and an amazing selection of mouthwatering desserts.
Given the wide variety of dishes offered and a high quality of food often missing at buffets like these, $21.95 for adults and $8.95 for kids is quite a bargain price.
The atmosphere is casual chic with panoramic views of the beautifully landscaped grounds and waterfront. -
Review from Talithia M.
Largo, FL
7/21/2010
Great view, great food , great service.
I took my cousin here on her visit from California. We were lucky to sit outside, very comfortable atmosphere. We had sushi, then calamari, then dinner then dessert. We wanted to experience it all, and I am glad that we did! Deelish! -
Review from Ali A.
Boston, MA
2/24/2010 1 Check-in Here
This is a fantastic restaurant. It was buzzing on a Saturday night when our group arrived. The interior is gorgeous - all marble and wide open.
Foodies should love this place. It's definitely more upscale than your typical seafood-on-the-water joint. We started with some amazing apps: Pork and Chicken Pot Stickers (the Gyoza Cilantro Plum Sauce was to die for!), Wok Fried Calamari, and Szechwan Seared Tuna. There was not a morsel of food left from the three. Then came the individual salads. Who knew we were getting those?! That was a nice little surprise. Throw some bread into the mix and it was clear we were leaving with full bellies. The entrees arrived piping hot and did not disappoint. The twin filets were cooked perfectly, the rack of lamb enormous and tasty, and several specials lived up to their delicious descriptions.
With all the food we ordered, the waitress and kitchen did a good job of spreading it out, allowing us to take our time and not feel too rushed or too full.
I'll say 4.5 stars overall. The only thing that keeps the Island Way Grill from a full five stars was the sheer volume. Blame the floor plan/marble combination, but the noise hits you like a wall when you walk in. I don't like having to holler to across the table just to be heard at a nice dinner.... -
Review from Virginia G.
Saint Petersburg, FL
1/27/2010
Came by boat and had a nice dinner here last night. THankfully it's cool out so we could still be dressed approprately straight off the boat as the rest of the crowd was dressed the same, no casual shorts or t's to be seen.
Started with Thai mussels which were just delicious in a nice coconut broth. Also tried the Firecracker and Atomic rolls that were both very good and fresh tasting but the Firecracker was our favorite.For dinner we split the Citrus scallops and got it with half prawns and a hot pot on the side. Wow was it good, and plenty for two. The scallops and prawns were served over noodles with all kind of asian vegis and hot pot was delicious, crisp vegis, piping hot broth. Of course had to have a bottle of Chateau St Michelle Eroica Resiling which is my new fav andf reasonably priced at $42 per bottle! They also honor the take home policy so we could open a second bottle, have one glass and take the rest home.
All in all it was a delightful evening, with excellent food and service that knew when to be there and when to go away. Total was $158 plus tip. Not bad at all!!We'll be back! -
Review from Natasha B.
Land O' Lakes, FL
5/8/2008
All I can say is that----I LOVE THIS PLACE. Awesome seafood. Great ambiance as well. You can dine outside on the deck that overlooks the intercoastal water way. The wine cellar is to die for. The best crab bisque ever!!!
Explicite menu---so much to choose from. Their sister local is Salt Rock in Indian Shores. -
Review from Ed D.
Belleair Bluffs, FL
4/19/2009
This used to be a fine restaurant, but not last night! When we were seated, we found what appeared to be spilled milk on the floor below the table (and not just a few dribbles). The seater cleaned it up right there, but if this had happened at this restaurant on the past we would have been shown to another table.
The overwhelming taste for our Sushi roll appetizer was spicy hot. Nothing else was detectable beyond that. The salad would have been excellent, except it was over powered by too much cheese. My fish main dish was not fresh and appeared to have been compressed. My wife's fish was fresh, but blandly prepared.
We came here for an excellent meal (as we've had many times in the past) but were very disappointed! -
Review from Mellie R.
Saint Petersburg, FL
10/17/2010
Beautiful location and decor. Go with reservations or be prepared to wait. We had reservations and were seated right away at 7:30 but I overheard the hostess tell another guest that the wait for a table could be up to 90 minutes. On this Saturday night, most of the diners were couples with a few small groups. The main dining room is a little dim and we were provided with a flashlight to use to view the menu.
Food was average. Prices are reasonable and in line with the quantity and quality. Husband and I both agreed that the salads were the highlight of the meal, if that tells you anything. Nothing wrong with the food, we just didn't feel like it was anything special. We ordered sushi and oysters for an app along with prosecco. For dinner we had the mixed grill and sirloin with a bottle of cotes du rhone. It was weird that the mixed grill could only be ordered in one temp for both the steak and lamb. As it was the lamb was perfectly cooked but the beef was overdone by more than just a bit. So while we were required to order to one temp, that's not what we got. The temp on the sirloin was spot on. Neither of us were fans of the wasabi mashed potatoes. They weren't bad, just overwhelmed our meals rather than complimented. Because of this, I am surprised they serve the same potatoes with their fish dinners. While we considered the key lime pie, we ultimately decided to go elsewhere for dessert and coffee because of the service.
Our waiter was capable but barely. Maybe we've just been spoiled by excellent service elsewhere. Certainly we got our food but he didn't seem familiar with the menu or wine. We requested a colored napkin rather than white as my husband was wearing black slacks. Our waiter brought the colored napkin but then let the white one sit on the table throughout the meal (we even moved it to the corner so it was obvious and yet, he let it sit). He cleared my husband's unfinished salad plate without asking and had his hands on my husband's dinner plate before he thought to ask if he was done. Well, he certainly was at that point! Waiters come and go so I wouldn't let the strange service stop us from returning but when added to the average food, it won't be on our regular rotation. -
Review from ryan w.
Apollo Beach, FL
12/16/2010 3 photos
The steak I had here was awesome! see the picture. All the meals at our table had great reviews.
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Review from Andres C.
Arlington, VA
9/23/2010
For dinner, the lowered lights were lowered a bit too much - the server even offered a flashlight...overkill on the romantic mood. The hostesses, while courteous and friendly, couldn't have been over 13. Service was attentive if a bit too friendly, almost felt like we should invite our server to join us for dinner. Food was very good, well prepared. Overall a good experience, would recommend.
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Review from Gourmet G.
San Francisco, CA
7/14/2005
The main dining room is both elegant and casually comfortable, with towering ceilings, lots of glass and wood, and large windows for viewing passing boats on Mandalay Bay. A deck provides a beautiful setting for alfresco dining, although eating outdoors is highly impractical in the hot and humid weather that generally prevails from May through October. The regular menu is a blend of Continental and Pacific Rim cuisines with a Pan-Asian flair. However, for two reasons, the best time to dine here is on Sunday - the extensive buffet is self-service, meaning you don't need to deal much with the frequently arrogant and usually maddeningly slow service, and for a price lower than that of many of the dinner entrees, you can indulge in a wonderful feast with live entertainment. Priced at $19.95 for adults (who receive a Mimosa or glass of champagne) and $8.95 for children (who often can outeat their parents), it includes a wide assortment of typical breakfast items - Eggs Benedict, Belgian Waffles, French Toast, fruit-filled blintzes, donuts, muffins, and a variety of breads. An omelet station prepares them to order, and serves them with sausage, bacon, and wok-fried potatoes. Seafood selections include smoked salmon, sushi rolls, easy-peel shrimp, Cajun crawfish, and half-shell oysters. Those looking for heartier fare will find carved ham and roast beef, assorted hot and cold entrees, international cheese platters (including baked brie), fresh pate, fresh garden and prepared salads, and seasonal fresh fruits. Those with a sweet tooth will delight in the dessert table, laden with cakes, pies, and pastries, specialties such as Cherries Jubilee and Bananas Foster, and create-it-yourself ice cream sundaes. Bottomless cups of coffee or cappuccino help wash it all down. Brunch earns four stars, otherwise due to overpriced entrees and service running the gamut from indifferent to abominable, this is a two-star experience.
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Review from Justin H.
Melrose, MA
10/7/2009
The first thing I noticed was how clean and open the place was. It's not Crappy Bills or Cooters (heh), so don't go in with the beach bar mentality. You walk in and can see the spacious bar, the kitchen, and the hostess station. Arriving around 6:15 on a thursday evening, our party of five adults and one 10 month old were promptly seated at a corner table overlooking their dock. Evidently you can drive your boat right to dinner. Gotta try that sometime. Of course I'll need a boat first. The place doesn't seem casual at first, but looking around, you see all kinds of people from dressed up to t shirts and shorts. So they don't descriminate.
The meal:
Appetizers: Calamari was well prepared with a sweet lime dipping sauce that was excellent. The sushi roll was gone before I even looked up.
Entree: My Filet was one of the best I've ever eaten. It was so tender I hardly had to chew it. Heather O's crab sushi was really good, and the lobster tails were quite tasty.
Drinks: Not a wine drinker, but it looks to have a pretty extensive list of options. I stuck to beer.
Service: Attentive, but not in your face, so cool with me.
Price: It was my brthday, so I never saw the complete bill. I imagine it was around$150 for the five of us, which wasn't too bad for drinks, appetizers, and entrees at a nice place.
This place is a good change of pace from the beachside casual bar and grill scene littering the area near the pier. I'd recommend getting reservations during the high season, but we didn't really need it when we were there. If I'm in the area again, I'll be back. -
Review from Bill C.
Clearwater, FL
4/17/2009
Food is always excellent. A little pricey but a very safe place for dinner.
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Review from Stephanie N.
Clearwater, FL
2/2/2006
Had dinner here once and it was really good, interesting sounding food. Great atmosphere and environment that was elegant as noted below :) Sushi selection was very good, but I've had better. Other pple I went with enjoyed it a lot too.
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Review from peter k.
Nyack, NY
4/22/2011
The food was dry, tasteless and over cooked. Expresso and the desserts were terrible too. The bathrooms were clean but we sat outside and the cigar smokers stank!!!! we had better experiences in the past. We would no longer recomend this restraunt.
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Review from M. W.
Washington, DC
10/14/2008
For starters, the sushi was great. If I were only reviewing the sushi, it would get 5 stars.
The evening we went, the service was off. I couldn't tell if our waiter was overworked or just incompetent. The mojito I ordered was probably the worst one I've ever had. It was sickeningly sweet. Someone else at my table sent their drink back because it tasted odd. Our desserts took so long that the ice cream was mostly melted by the time it made its way to our table.
The entrees were fair. Nothing spectacular. For a change of pace from the usual beachy restaurants, give this place a try. -
Review from C L.
Clearwater, FL
12/26/2008
Excellent food, great atmosphere and views of the water.
Good and original salads and entrees. I think it's owned by the people that own Salt Rock Grill. Recommended. -
Review from Emily H.
Chicago, IL
3/28/2010
Recommended to us from a few people here in Clearwater. Service was mediocre. The girl who was our wait person acted more like a cocktail waitress. Not very acute on what we needed when our dishes arrived, ie; we ordered appetizers - soft shell crab and thai mussels. We had to use our bread plates for our plates instead of coming back to check and seeing if we needed anything. Okay so the service was not up to par. I can be a little forgiving on that part. But the food.... there is NO excuse for the bad, tasteless food. The restaurant is known for seafood with a pan-asian flare. Well, I wanted the snapper and was told they haven't had that dish for some time now. What!!! Why have it on the menu if you don't have that dish. So instead I ordered the mixed grill which was beef tenderloin, lamb chop, two shrimps with asparagus in a bernaise sauce. There was no taste in any of the meat dish and the asparagus was overcooked to death where you can't even tell what vegetable you're eating.
Overall, I did not think this place was worth the money or time. Save your money and go somewhere else.
This place is overrated and over priced! -
Review from David R.
Morton Grove, IL
2/13/2010
Walking into this restaurant my first impression was that ambiance and decor were both very nice. Then we met our waitress Danielle, whose was very attentive and made fantastic suggestions, which I both ordered and enjoyed. In terms of food presentation, we were all impressed. The prices are reasonable for the excellent quality and proportion of the entrees. I would recommend this restaurant. If I ever come back down from Chicago, I would definitely eat here again. By the way, order a Mojito....it was very good. ;)
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Review from M M.
St Petersburg, FL
10/31/2010
I went with a group of seven for a friend's birthday dinner. Our server was terrible. She never smiled. She would only ask one or two people if they wanted another drink, which was quite strange. We felt we were treated poorly because we were on separate checks and in our 30s. The withered asparagus that came out on two of our plates was unacceptable. The food was simply average. To be fair, the manager did send my friend a gift card after she wrote a detailed letter about our experience. However, our experience at the Salt Rock Grill was also terrible.
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Review from Norm H.
Tampa, FL
6/26/2010
6 of us went for a birthday party last night. Restaurant is very noisy and desperately needs some background music. The front dining room is all marble therefore the sound echos loudly off the walls and floor. I was actually surprised at how many vacant tables they had on a Friday night. The bar area was crowded but the back dining room wasn't .We ordered the macadamia nut mahi mahi and after taking our order, the waiter returned from the kitchen, to let us know they were out. The rest of our party ordered sushi. We had the seared tuna appetizer with a seaweed salad which was very fresh and good. Entrees and sushi came out timely and hot. Our replacement choices were a Chilean sea bass and grilled mahi mahi with crab meat. Chilean sea bass was not fresh and tasted incredibly fishy, was suposed to have crab meat per the waiter and didn't and was comped by the restaurant. My grilled mahi mahi with crab meat was average at best. I guess they use a red crab meat and I was expecting lump crab so I was dissappointed because the red crab had no flavor at all and is a cheap choice for a restaurant. We ordered a side of asparagus which wasn't cooked or cleaned properly and had very tough woody stems. The sushi according to the other 4 in our group was good. I'm very surprised to see restaurants still carrying Chilean sea bass on their menus since it's over fished. Our service was good and the food came out hot. It was just average tasting though and could have been so much better. The appetizers were good and so was our wine. I've heard the Sunday brunch is great and I might hit that next time. Restaurant selections in Clearwater are thin. This was an average restaurant that could be excellent.
