Wanting to try someplace new and a bit out of the ordinary, I had lunch at the Islamorada Fish Company, which is attached to the Bass Pro Shop at the 202 & Dobson Rd. I have never been to the Bass Pro Shop, but have heard that they have a good restaurant.\n\nThe restaurant was large - I didn't even make it into the store. I didn't feel like I was in Key West, despite the Jimmy Buffet music playing. I felt like a Red Lobster exploded. It was much larger than Red Lobster, but the d\u00e9cor was similar. One key feature was the large aquarium behind the bar. Fish were circling on the ceiling and there were photos of fish people had caught on the walls. \n\nThe menu had a large selection to choose from. I ended up choosing the Pan Fried Trout with potatoes, corn and a corn muffin ($11.99). The first item to arrive was a mini-loaf of bread. The bread was good, but it had a bit of honey glazed across it, which made it sticky. I liked the bread, but wasn't impressed with the sticky sensation. Next thing to arrive was the trout. It came on a cast iron skillet and I felt if I were a kid, went fishing with my grandfather and fried up the day's haul...except I never did those things and there were no heads and cleaning wasn't required. BUT if I had caught fish with my grandfather and cooked it on a cast iron skillet over a camp fire, this might be what it would taste like. All the fun of fishing and camping, but without the nasty parts. The trout arrived with a lemon and a sprig of rosemary. The thickly cut potatoes were seasoned with salt and pepper and quite tasty. The corn, not so much. It was grilled, but tasted like a twice-grilled unflavored Niblet that stuck to your teeth. Save some for later I suppose. The corn muffin was dry, corn-mealy and kind of tasteless. I ordered dessert - the apple pie - and it was cast iron galore again. A scoop of ice cream with the pie and it was a nice end to a tasty meal. \n\nThe restaurant wasn't busy, despite it being lunchtime on the 4th of July. Even the bathrooms were nice - big and clean. The only downside was when I walked in to wash the sticky honey off of my hands and a guy was sitting in the stall holding a conversation on his cell phone. \n\nI would definitely try this place again. Good food and the service wasn't bad either.
places reviews