Sailfish Marina

Reviews

Name: Olivia Foster
Occupation: Bartender
Lives In: Jupiter
Restaurant Pick: Sailfish Marina
Reviewed Sailfish Marina: September 7th, 2009

At the hostess stand, we waited for only a brief moment until a friendly hostess fluttered over and greeted us with a bubbly, “Hi Guys! How many?” Responding with “3”, she glanced over at our gangly six year old and jokingly rebutted, “2 and a half?!”. A side note: Dear hostesses all around Palm Beach County: “Hi guys” is a nauseating way to greet patrons, and you might not want to refer to our children as “half persons”. Okay, so she inadvertently relegated my son. Still, not cute.

It was around 8 pm on a Monday night as she led us through a semi-full dining room straight to the prime real estate of the restaurant, waterfront seating! The table had a great view of the restaurant and the waterfront view, score!

Our server was a pleasant young lady with a friendly genuine smile. Her service was fast, uncomplicated and best of all, she acknowledged our son and prioritized his needs equally to ours. We truly appreciated that.

The warm basket of mini baguette style bread with whipped butter came just in time as we sipped our beverages and enjoyed the amazing view. Over to our left on the lower level of the dining room, a lively, but not intrusive bartender entertained patrons. Outside, ceremonious rows of white yachts moored to the pier provided a postcard like scene from our seats.

I ordered the cioppino, a stew with sautéed lobster tail, jumbo shrimp, clams, green lip mussels and redskin potato in a tomato saffron broth. Straight road to my epicurean heart is a sultry bowl of fish soup brimming with fresh fruits of the sea. Add saffron to it, and I am in heaven.

Upon the arrival of this highly anticipated bowl of goodness, I was instantly disappointed with the heaping amounts of red skin potatoes. I felt as it they were there to add weight and take up space where more shellfish could have been. The potatoes acted like little greedy sponges, soaking up the precious crimson broth. Other than my annoyance with having to shove giant chunks of potatoes to the left and right, the dish was actually quite lovely. The jumbo shrimp were jumbo, clams wide open, and not a single mussel unoccupied. The Florida lobster tail crowned the summit (compliments of the space taking potatoes) of the dish just as promised on the menu. Delicious! The broth boasted an amazing deep red tint with just enough saffron and heat. The broth was actually my favorite part of the dish, if there were more of it! (again, those greedy potatoes!) Omit the potatoes, pour in more broth and this cioppino could be out of this world. True to his manner, my husband ordered the Chef’s special: Sautéed Swordfish topped with fresh spinach; sun dried tomatoes and feta cheese, inished with key lime beurre blanc. The Swordfish was meaty, thick, remarkably fresh and beautifully sautéed. The spinach was on point, sautéed just enough to preserve its vibrant green, yet remain tender and succulent. Piling a perfect bite onto our forks, the briny morsels of feta cheese and the tart moist bits of sun dried tomatoes welcomed a combination of flavors and textures that complimented each other marvelously.

After our dinner we enjoyed a simple key lime pie and chocolate cake. The desserts were average and not really noteworthy. After we paid, we strolled along the seawall and fed the freakishly giant fish that occupied the waters below while we discussed how best to describe The Sailfish Marina. Collectively, we termed the food as “Floribian Comfort Food”. A combination of generous portions, fresh ingredients, mingled with taste from the sea, the islands and a hint of international influences.

The service is heartfelt and uncomplicated. We were neither neglected by an absent order taker, nor bombarded with an over enthused corporate hybrid. Everything was in perfect balance. The Sailfish Marina Restaurant provides the best of everything that South Florida living offers. Amazing view, waterfront accessibility, great food and a place where you can sit at the bar and enjoy a cold drink with boat captains, locals and snow birds alike. Everything in this Restaurant is uncomplicated, but not without attention to quality and detail. The Sailfish Marina does not need to “try hard” to be a great place. It just is.

Name: James Brogan
Occupation: Private Investigator
Lives In: Jupiter
Restaurant Pick: Sushi Rock, Boca
Reviewed Sailfish Marina: September 7th,2009

Parking is at a premium – only valet parking. I tried to ask if I could remove an item from the seafood chill. I was told that it’s already put together (pre-cooked). My wife ordered coconut shrimp - $13.95. It came out (3) shrimp (regular size shrimp not jumbo), needed salt and the salsa was very bland. She also ordered the conch soup no flavor – very watery- needed salt.

My seafood chill – was served in a large white bowl with mostly yellow rice in the middle. It was supposed to be served hot but it came out barely warm. Not much flavor plus too much salt. We sat in the middle of the restaurant. The atmosphere: very high ceilings and very hard to hear your conservation. Acoustics are very poor. The view is blocked by large umbrellas, not a view of the intracoastal waterway.

No dessert menu. The waitress brings you what they have. My wife had the key lime pie – very tangy, too much lemon. I had banana cheesecake. It was creamy, plus delicious: the best thing I had. The food is way overpriced, considering it was lunch plus my wife only had the soup and shrimp appetizer. Total $67.55 with tip.

Name: Yocasta Valdez
Occupation: Corporate Recruiter
Lives In: Boynton Beach
Restaurant Pick: Victoria’s Peruvian Cuisine
Reviewed Sailfish Marina: September 12th, 2009

All visitors should be advised that the parking for this restaurant is “valet only”. After dropping off our vehicle, we realized the restaurant is located behind the store. Initially, we entered the store thinking this was the restaurant, but no big deal, the restaurant is around the front of the store, a short distance away. Since we attended after normal lunch hours, the restaurant was not very crowded. We were seated right away and were given a table we requested right in front of the docks. Seated here you can view boats that stop by for eating or refueling. The scenic view is a plus! The water view had a soothing effect and made for a fine dining experience. The service was very good. The waitress attended us promptly and offered suggestions for the house specialties.

The calamari we ordered for an appetizer was very good and fresh. We were provided with two additional sauces aside from the tomato sauce the calamari came with. It was easy to see that the calamari was freshly prepared. They were crisp and tasted fresh, no sign of staleness in the oil used for frying (when oil is not changed often enough) or rubbery texture to the food (when it’s not fresh) as is sometimes common with this particular appetizer.

For the main lunch, we ordered the lobster wrap and fish & chips. Once again, the food appeared to be prepared fresh and tasted good. The lobster wrap had generous portions of lobster, and the fish & chips were crisp and tasted fresh. Portion sizes for both were adequate, meaning they were not too big nor too small.

The key lime pie we ordered for dessert was very good, not overly sweet, which can sometimes ruin a good key lime pie. The pie slice was of a good size and served to tie out a pleasant afternoon lunch. Afterwards, visitors can be treated to a unique view of various Florida fish as they swim around the dock freely and very close to the walking platforms, as if accustomed to people looking and walking around them.

It is also worth mentioning that guests can schedule a tour of the Palm Beach coast for a reasonable $28.00 pp. Though we were not able to schedule one due to bad weather, it appeared that the tour is a great point of interest and it’s recommended to the patrons of the restaurant that come from Broward or Dade counties and are not regulars to the establishment.

Restaurant Information