Island Grill

My daughter got married in Islamorada on February 6^th at a nearby resort. We hosted a Welcome party for over 100 people at the Island Grill on the Friday evening before. They put together an unbelievable Feast for our guests. It was a Pig Roast on their back beach with an amazing layout including tiki torches, table cloths, a tiki bar etc. Frank the manager and Lela the Event Coordinator went above and beyond to make our event a Grand Slam. The food, the atmosphere and the service were out of this world ! Thank you Frank and Lela and all your wonderful staff.

This place is on the ocean side. Beautiful view of the water from the bar side. Nice and cozy for a romantic dinner. Ordered the shrimp and grits.

The best tuna nachos in Islamorada. Great atmosphere with dockside and waterfront seating. Entertainment on the weekend is relaxing and enjoyable. Service is attentive and friendly. I recommend this to all of my clients.

Just got up and walked out after waiting 25 minutes for our waitress to come back and take our order. A couple that was seated after us got their food before we even placed our order! I waved at our waitress to get her attention and still nothing. When we came in sign said «wait to be seated» after 10 mins we seated ourselves. We threw down $ 12 for 4 cokes and walked out. The waitress seemed to act like she was recovering from a hang over.

Great atmosphere and amazing location right next to the water. Night time it has some super cool and creepy green lights in the canal right next to the place where boats pool up.
The outside deck is amazing and the view is spectacular, if it is day time.
The food is good and plentiful. I had the hog fish, first time and it was really good. My dad had the snapper, it was just as good and if you’re hungry, there is more meat on it than the hog fish.
It is not the cheapest place but well worth a visit m, especially if you’re a seafood lover.

Hit or miss here, the first time I went here everything was great! The second time, a few people in my party had their order’s incorrect. The last time I was there I ordered the same drink I had my previous visits; instead of comming frozen, it was on ice. When I asked my server they said it never came as a frozen drink… so what was I being served before?
They are home to the original tuna nachos, you can tell because they have the most expensive ones in town. They are delicious though!

I have seen the signs, advertising the Tuna Nachos every time I drive through the Keys. And every time I say «I need to try that». Well, I finally did and I was not disappointed! The service was friendly. The tuna was very fresh and flavor was on point! This is not a traditional nacho at all. It is more like sushi with a nacho presentation. I highly recommend it!
The drinks were perfect! We both had El Diablos (Patron Reposado, crème de cassis, lime and ginger beer). I will stop again just for the drink!!! They were strong!
The restaurant is right on the water and you can eat inside or outside. We were there on a Wednesday afternoon so seating was not an issue. I can imagine it gets pretty packed come the weekend. That being said, I am sure its a great time!
Why only 4 stars? Because the service is friendly but our server was not very attentive. We were able to get what we needed because we asked. Our needs were not anticipated. But overall, It was great!

It was if destiny made sure that we came here. That may sound dramatic but here is the back story.
We rented a boat from Dive In and he told us that Island Grill was a great place to stop for lunch, and if we told them he sent us we would get some % (I can’t remember the exact amount now) off our bill. As we were boating the weather started to turn. We could see a storm quickly moving in. We looked off to our right and there was Island Grill. We weren’t quite ready for lunch, but we wanted to avoid the rain. We quickly docked and right as we pulled in the rain started. As soon as we were done with our meal the rain stopped. So like I said, destiny.
The food here was really good. I wouldn’t say it was the best I had during our time in the Keys, but it was really solid. We started with the smoked fish dip. It was super yummy. I’m not a big fish fan, but I really liked this. It was smoky with a nice savory background. The smoke really cut out that fish flavor. It was a surprise hit for me.
I ordered a cuban to go (like I said wasn’t really lunch time). The cuban was also really solid. The meat ratio was good (not too much, not too little), the bread was nicely grilled, and the pickle provided a good acid flavor.
The service here was friendly but had a lot of character. The, what I assume was, the head waitress was being salty with the other wait staff. They were complaining about the big rush of people when it was the «off season» and she was reminding them to be grateful for being this busy. Had that sort of interaction happened at a fine dining place I would have been horrified, but given that this was a bar, it was kind of funny.
I think if you are looking for some good bar food this will not displease you. If you are looking for higher end stuff, well maybe try somewhere else.

¹⁰⁄₂₅ — We stayed at The Postcard Inn and walked from there. There is a sidewalk that end here. It is a safe walk, and a very scenic one.
The restaurant is on the water and it is very charming. You can bring your boat here and just step right into the restaurant. It is a little bit hidden right by the bridge, on mile marker 85, but there is a huge sign so you can’t miss it. I’m glad we didn’t, I found it through Unilocal.
We came here for breakfast. I ordered the Mahi Mahi with scrambled eggs, potatoes and rye bread. They serve a nice size portion. I was a bit disappointed with the Mahi, although a great spicy taste, it was flat. It was not fresh. The potatoes were my favorite, nicely seasoned. The eggs were not greasy, cooked perfectly.
Service was ok, they did what the job required. The views are amazing here, you see the boats driving by at all times.

The tuna Nachos were amazing … the services was terrible … the view was nice and music was good …

Big disappointment with Island Grill. It was packed with tourists, few locals. There was one waitress for the inside area for all the tables and the bar, she looked stressed and it made us feel uncomfortable as she barked at us to order. We wanted to share something since we had eaten lunch late. We went for the Mahi tacos and a slice of key lime pie. The two tacos came, there was so much slaw that everything was falling out, the chunks of mahi weren’t cut so we had to break them up to scatter them in. It was a big mess to eat, because the bottom was loaded with sour cream which soaked the tortilla and it broke. Quite the disaster. Above everything, two tacos for $ 15 is steep. The entrees ranged in the $ 30 range, which was on the ridiculous side. The key lime pie was yummy but didn’t seem homemade. Overall this place is over charging because tourists will come because of it’s location on the water, but the food is sub-​par, service is lacking and you’ll be out-​of-​pocket because of it.

Had the hog fish with broccoli, excellent. The fish was fresh and cooked perfectly. The broccoli was the best I’ve ever had. Been here a few times and never disappointed. Staff was very friendly and attentive. My friend had the lobster roll which was also excellent. The views are amazing, hence why I come.

4 not 5 stars. The staff was AMAZING. We live a few hours away and were down for Labor Day weekend. With a 2 yr old. By the time we got here, someone was very hungry and tired, and we were exhausted from cleaning the car from a sick baby. Unfortunately, as can happen at an outdoor restaurant in FL, the mosquitoes were feasting on him, and the two of us. The staff could not have been nicer, they got us bug spray and helped us get the first available table inside, a table that seated 8, but they hooked us up anyway even though they could have given it to a bigger party.
We each got a drink (well earned after a long day with a baby in the keys). And the Key Lime Martini is my new favorite! I will absolutely be back for another next time I am down. The Tuna Nachos were ok, chunks of rare ahi on top of seaweeds salad over 4 wantons, which got a tad soggy by the time we found them. I would have preferred a few shoved on the side and a spoon to head the tuna on top rather than digging them out from the bottom. They use seaweed salad on top along with the tuna and I’m picky about my seaweed salad but it was good. The fish tacos were just ok. Mine were with blackened shrimp, good not great. His were grilled mahi mahi, which he felt was beyond bland. Gave him the second of mine which he thought was just ok. But it didn’t come with anything on the side, just two tacos on a plate. For the price they could have thrown in some rice or something. Our two drinks, two orders of fish tacos, a kid’s Mac & cheese, and the tuna nachos was $ 80. So not terrible but not cheap either.
But when I unwrapped my silverware there was a small bug, maybe a European Earwig. I know it can happen but still sort of icked me out. And the bathroom (one room, with two stalls, one for men and one for women) was sort of gross. Someone peed all over the two stalls and the AC didn’t work. I thought the ladies stall was pretty bad and he agreed on the men’s. But the staff was so awesome, accommodating and kind we never mentioned the other stuff.
All in all I would go back.

ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS TUNA NACHOS! TRY THEM!
Ok, I’ll say more:
atmosphere is relaxing, restaurant is literally on the water.
staff is very friendly and helpful with explaining the menu items.
Aldo was our waiter and he was 5 star.
I will be back next time I’m in Islamorada.

I would give a 4.5 star rating if I could, (-.5 for the scowly server) but I am rounding up because I really enjoyed my meal!
We started with the Tuna Nachos, which were outstanding! Rather than standard tortilla chips, they use fresh fried flour tortilla chips — or wontons as they call them, then pile on seaweed salad, scallions & a very generous portion of fresh tuna & serve it with a delicious sweet/​spicy sauce. Thankfully I was sharing an app & an entrée with a friend, so half of those nachos were all mine!!!
For our main course, we ordered a whole fried hogfish, which was served with a delicious thai chili sauce. The fish tasted so fresh and the sauce was really fantastic! We had a baked potato & coleslaw for our sides — the coleslaw was really tasty — there were chunks of fruit in it — really different and refreshing.
Our waitress was really great — we were a party of 6, and she was friendly and accommodating. My only complaint is that the server literally threw our plates at us when serving with a scowl on his face. He must have been having a bad night!!!
I have read complaints about the $$ in other reviews. The hogfish was $ 30 or so, the same amount I paid for a whole fried snapper at Garcia’s (on the Miami River) a few days earlier. When you go out for seafood, especially in a touristy area like Islamorada, you are going to pay top dollar. That being said, I am OK with paying top dollar for a meal I thoroughly enjoy… and I totally enjoyed the food here… so much so that I wish I was eating that same meal for dinner tonight!!!

Very good!
Tuna nachos are great!!!
I little bit high on the price
But breakfast is cheap!

Absolutely gorgeous view of the ocean and naturally growing plants. Service was wonderful as well for Saturday lunch. Food unfortunately was over priced and not as good as the hype.
Tuna nachos are a Japanese dish with raw tuna over a bed of seaweed salad and not at all what I had in mind.
Overall, be prepared to pay for a view. Customer service was excellent. Thank you Aldo & Ruben!

Had a beer. Everyone’s huge whole fried fish looked interesting. We were a little hungry but didn’t partake in the food.
Maybe next time? Not sure we will be back.

Ok let me get straight to the point:
THE TUNA NACHOS HERE ARE AMAZING! Yes I agree that the concept sounds gross but hear me out. These are not «nachos» in the traditional sense as this dish is more Asian than it is Mexican.
For the «nachos» you have crispy wonton chips which are covered with a layer of seaweed salad and sushi-​grade ahi tuna. To top it off you have some soy sauce, sesame seeds, scallions, wasabi, and siracha.
They are famous for this dish and if you are a sushi fan, it is awesome. You could probably have this app for your entrée as it is also a good portion. In fact the tuna nachos are so good that I came here 2 days in a row just to have them.
The other food here is also pretty good. My wife had a salad topped with blackened shrimp which was cooked beautifully. The shrimp were juicy and with just the right amount of spice.
Overall you can’t go wrong here, you have the waterfront location, covered outdoor seating, full-​bar, great food, and laid back Keys attitude.

Just stopped here after a day of snorkeling. Ordered the Tuna Nacho’s and they were awesome! Very refreshing and filling. Our waitress Lala was very friendly and patient. The only thing when coming here just make sure you have a complete menu… mine was missing the page with drinks & desserts and my Hubby’s was missing the page with all the sandwiches. Other than that… I agree they are the home of the Tuna Nacho’s!
And they had a really tasty Warm Brownie with vanilla ice cream…