Restaurant Review: Lorelei (Islamorada)
Wednesday evening I had the pleasure of dining with my wife and mother at Lorelei Restaurant in Islamorada. My mother, visiting from Cincinnati, wanted an outdoor- Florida Keys style dining experience, and I knew that Lorelei was just the place for her to soak up the flavors of the Keys.
Below is my review of Lorelei Restaurant. I plan to make Florida Keys restaurant reviews a staple of FromtheYak.com (as long as my wallet allows), so check back soon and often to read more about the best and worst places to eat in the Florida Keys.
The menu: The Lorelei dinner menu offers basic fare with selections you’re more likely to find at your neighborhood Applebee’s than at a fine dining seafood establishment. The dinner menu is quite simple with eight sandwiches and seven entrees to choose from, as well as a dozen appetizers highlighted by peppercorn crusted yellowfin tuna, steamboat channel shrimp (fresh peel and eat), and tropical coconut shrimp served with an orange ginger dipping sauce.
The sandwiches, seemingly geared towards a bar crowd and anglers returning from a long day of pursuing bonefish in the backcountry, are anything but exciting. The sandwich selection reminds me of your run-of-the-mill chain restaurant menu and includes burgers, Philly cheese steak, prime rib and chicken sandwiches; with your only seafood option being the “catch of the day” (usually dolphin this time of year), or cracked conch.
The entrees, like the sandwiches, don’t jump out at you when reading about them on the menu. Baby back ribs, grilled chicken, prime rib, grilled grouper, fried shrimp, Alaskan Snow crabs and the “backcountry yellowtail snapper plate”- yellowtail snapper encrusted with parmesan cheese and topped with crabmeat and lemon beurre blanc, served with mashed potatoes & gravy and sauteed vegetables, are your only choices.
For desert, Lorelei offers chocolate fudge cake and of course, key lime pie.
The food: Since I do have a limited budget, and because I’ve had a craving for Philly cheese steaks ever since my last visit to Key West (Mr. Z’s), I decided to bypass the entrees and go with the Philly cheese steak sandwich. This turned out to be an excellent choice as the sandwich portion was large and it was loaded with peppers, onions, steak and CHEESE WHIZ, and came with fries. It may not have been the healthiest of choices, but it sure was delicious- and who eats healthy while on vacation anyway (unfortunately I’m not on vacation)? Plus, I was quite impressed with the moderate price of $8.95.
I’m guessing that my wife and mother, knowing that my wallet was a little light, took it easy on me and also bypassed the entrée menu, electing to go with the less expensive blackened fish sandwich (mahi) and cheese quesadilla. While there isn’t too much you can say about a cheese quesadilla, I will add that the fish sandwich was superb. The portion was above average, the seasoning was flavorful but not overpowering (you could taste the fish, not just the spices), and the dolphin was very fresh.
I can only speculate on the quality of the entrees but the consensus I gathered from looking around at other patron”s plates and from reading reviews online is that the entrees are good, but not great. As far as the sandwiches go, I would rate the Philly Cheese Steak and the blackened catch of the day 4 out of 5 stars- meaning I’d be happy to devour either one of them again.
The setting: The atmosphere, location and scenery at Lorelei are absolutely amazing! The setting, more than the food, is why you should come here for lunch or dinner. The landscape is tropical and waterfront, and Lorelei has its own beach where you can dine in the sand in your bare feet, as well as a tiki hut with live nightly music (and good music- Billy Davidson was playing); an unobstructed view of the summertime sunset (complete with moored sailboats to enhance your sunset photos); palms trees; a cabana bar; a marina; backcountry islands off in the distance; two tables set up as swings so you can sway back and forth while eating your meal; beautiful white wooden chairs and tables that add to the ambiance; a sandy area in back set up for receptions of private parties; and just about everything else you could possibly need to be reminded that you are indeed dining in the Florida Keys.
The service: My main complaint about Lorelei is the service. Our waitress was friendly and informative, but she rarely came around to check on us and she forgot to bring our drink orders on three occasions. Also, never once did she offer to refill our waters- which, when dining in 90-degree heat, is nice to have.
I don’t necessarily blame the waitress for the sub-par service as much as I do the setup of Lorelei. The tables are spread out across an extremely large property and the waitstaff has quite a hike to get from your table back to the bar and kitchen.
I suppose this is also why they have a limited menu- to try and keep things as simple as possible. Still, be prepared for a slow dining experience as the kitchen has a lot of dishes to put out.
My other complaint about Lorelei are the crowds. They do not take reservations and during season you will be hard pressed to find a table. From what I recall it is a ‘free for all’ if you’re trying to sit in the sand.
This is hardly a knock on the restaurant, after all, there has to be a reason they are busy. Just be warned that during tourist season you may have difficulty getting a table. Also be prepared for people to gather around your table and stand in front of you during sunset if you’re seated anywhere near the water.
The Value: The dinner prices are consistent with dishes found at other Florida Keys restaurants. $23.95 for the grouper entrée, $21.95 for the prime rib, $21.95 for the backcountry yellowtail snapper, and so on. The sandwiches were all very well priced and well worth the cost, and they did not charge extra for your choice of fries or sweet potato fries. The drinks- I had a double vodka with a splash of cranberry ($5.50), while my wife and mother had pints of domestic draft beer ($2.50), were also reasonable.
The Consensus: Definitely go to Lorelei, if only just once. This is the perfect place to grab a bite or cold drink on your first and/or last night in the Keys, to remind you why you came here to visit. The food is good, and the atmosphere is amazing! There are plenty of great indoor dining locations that serve more ‘advanced’ fare which you can dine at later on in your trip. None of them however, can match the ambiance of Lorelei.
Just remember to get here early during season as they don’t take reservations, and to bring your camera to photograph the sunsets over Florida Bay. The live music is great, very “Keysie,” and if you’re not hungry there’s a nice open-air bar to have a happy-hour drink at while overlooking the water.
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being stay far far away from, and 10 meaning it shouldn’t be missed on your trip to the Keys, I’d give Lorelei Restaurant in Islamorada a solid 8.5. It’s the type of place you came to the Keys for.
