Rusty Pelican – Miami

Kevin in the lounge is the best! Will come back to just to see him! I preferred him over our actual server even though he is training :)

One of the best views in Miami. The food is very good here. Especially the seafood. I should be obvious.

It’s really amazing view! I definitely like an atmosphere there. A service is good as well. I just didn’t like food so much. No, it’s not bad, but it also nothing special. Sometimes u can be really surprised about food, but there it’s just regular.

Had a family lunch on saturday, the view is amazing!!! The Miami Beacj skyline in the other side with the ocean in between, with yachts, boats, jet skis, etc passing by. Really a wonderful setting.
The décor is very modern and clean, place was packed so recommend getting a reservation ahead of time!
The lunch menu was definetly gourmet, with twists in regular plates (snapper is brought in whole!) and a breakfast/​brunch section that seemed delicious.
Highly recommended: short rib empanadas as appetizer!!! This was amazing! Keep in mind only 3 emapanadas per order, really worth getting one each as you may not want to share!!!
I ordered some sushi rolls Maki with fried crab, it was absolutelt delicious, but rolls were small, so you need an appetizer!
Someone in our party got the snapper, it’s a sight, and apparently very good with hardly any bones.
So I recommend this restaurant as a fancy gourmet meal, pricey but of course you would expect that for the view and type of dishes.

Everything about this restaurant is great; the food, the service, and of course the view.
I went with my girlfriend not knowing what to expect. When we walked up to the table, the hostess pulled out the chair and was very nice. Our waiters name was Andres and he couldn’t have been better. He was very helpful and informative about the food on the menu. All of his suggestions were delicious. He was also very polite.
The food was amazing. It came out in a timely manner. My girlfriend had the Lobster Risotto and I had the Tequila Orange Chicken. Very delicious.
The drinks were also great.
Dessert was delectable. I would personally suggest the Rum Tres Leches.
Overall, this was the best restaurant that I have been too. I will definitely be going back and would suggest this to everyone.

I have been there many times with my ex Nelly Vasquez, she loves this rest.
if you want to impress a special lady, invite her to eat or just for a cup of tea.

Restaurant: Rusty Pelican
Meal: Brunch
Cost: Reasonable. Mains in the teens-​twenties. Unlimited mimosa’s will run you like $ 18.
Summary: Great restaurant with really good food, and probably the best view in Miami. This place is located on Key Biscayne, kind of set back out of the way, with a really nice outdoor dining area which overlooks the bay and has a backdrop of the Miami Skyline. In the fall, there is usually a pod of dolphins which hang out and play in the waves nearby, so it is not uncommon to see those. Really has the tropical, vacation vibe here. Oh and the food is really good as well.
Service: Not bad, can be slow when it is busy. Not the selling point here, but it gets the job done.
Ambiance: Great atmosphere here. I wouldn’t say casual feel, as this place is a little more upscale than that. It is basically made up of an indoor dining area which is broken up into several rooms most with a view via floor to ceiling windows. They have a great wine room as you walk in, and the bar has a great scotch selection. The outdoor area is beautiful. Right on the water with enough space where you don’t feel crowded. The views are incredible and they have nice fire pits throughout with comfy chairs.
What they do well: Ok so ambiance is the selling point here, and by itself would be enough of a reason to make this a must come to, however the food here is also excellent. It is nice to see that they don’t just rest on the views and actually provide a great product, I mean this is a restaurant.
Best Dishes: Crab Cake Benny… It is a must get here. Ok also, the banana cinnamon french toast is excellent.
Score: Service was ok, however with this view and ambiance of the restaurant, along with the good food, it is really deserving of a 5 star rating.

This was my second time eating here. The first time was much better. Today was horrible. It began with the parking lot. The valet guy made me move from a parking space not clearly identified as valet. I asked him where to park because there were no spaces available, and he shrugged his shoulders like he couldn’t care less. I finally found a tiny space where I could barely open my car door.
When we walked inside, we were greeted by two women at the desk. I asked for a table outside because the weather was beautiful. It was a 15 minute wait. No problem. We were brought to our table by a robot. We politely thanked her for seating us and she wouldn’t even make eye contact. She never said a word. Then it took 10 minutes until someone could bring us water. It appeared that there was only one server outside for 6 different tables. Our server finally come and we ordered the fried calamari to start. It was ok. Nothing crazy to report. We also ordered the lobster salad wraps. They came with fries. The guy set our food down and walked away. No ketchup? All the people working were robots. No one smiled or attempted to be helpful in any way. Not like the last time we were there. I had to wait longer to grab the waiter to get ketchup. Almost immediately after eating I felt sick to my stomach. We left a 20% tip and left. I drove all the way home holding my stomach. Hours later we both feel sick still. I will never go back again. The bill was $ 63 plus tip and it was not worth it. Go somewhere else!

For owner please read
(This week I was there twice also reservation always made by my friend i will not tell you name of the waiter don’t fire him)
First I don’t rate and review restaurant cause most of the time people who does that has no idea about hospitality business but this it is about my favorite restaurant in Miami because I like this restaurant very much and I have to do it this place where I always have my business dinner with my company executives.
1.we came by the door with brand new Cadillac Escalade 2016 model No one open the door 4 valet just standing, my chauffeur open my friend door I open my door we are just walking in 3 of us my chauffeur is by the car and valet trying to give ticket to my business visitor that s so wrong .give to chauffeur not us .
one open restaurant main door also glass door has lots of dirty finger print .
one is SMiLiNG no greeting nothing .
4.Hostes not sure what she is doing one hostes was talking to than other one took over she no table outside okay .it is next party went outside table again that is okay
5.Friday restaurant manager direct us to our table yesterday one of restaurant manager or supervisor just was drinking red bull behind Hostes no greeting no eye contact while Hostes taking caring of us he was interrupting I think he is name was robin
6.Hostes show us the table did not even pull the chair no hospitality skill nothing than 2 of the chair has some bread crams on it I wipe it of my self front of the hostess I look her eyes she just ignored .
7.waiter came did not mentioned his name no proper way of greeting no hospitality skill no smiling nothing, you don’t feel like it is an elegant restaurant talking like came slang guys guys what guys sir madam should be.
wine menu offered asking this that wine I am asking he saying no no no that’s okay you don’t have world famous wines etc. just say we have this and that whatever waiter does not what they have .
complain about food, food excellent as always thank you chef you and your team did great job .
10.waiter did not ask for refill of drinks he ask only for water refill
11. Bread never came I realize there was no bread on the table while we were having main course I asked for bread waiter said it may take 30 minute I said what than he said there is big group next to you that’s why taking time than he got it in 10 minute when we all Finnish our main course .
12. I had pasta spaghetti I have to eat with fork and knife no spoon, I call him over than ask for spoon and slat pepper, I got spoon and only salt no pepper
When waiter served main dishes he must offer fresh pepper but never they do that .he never check back did we like main course or how is our dinner did not ask .
13.dessert we what share did not giver any service plate or cutlery to share
Anyway I am putting this for owner to read
I tell you what to do
Restaurant business one of the most difficult business, you print out this and make a meeting with restaurant manager and supervisor first than take all your worker seat together and read them tell this guy who put this comment was working in hospitals business 20 years work for top class restaurant and trained them all over the world.
So tell them if you want to be a good restaurant see people as your guest not just a customer ‚
Smile
Greet
Intrudes them self
Ask how is your table location or you like somewhere else always give option
Make them your gust feel special
Open the door
Pull the chair
Ask always is there anything else I can get for you madam sir
How is your meal or dinner whatever
Give them option then them our chef cook this meal amazing this a great wine bla bla know it is hospitality business all about how much care about your guest
This all I mentioned needs to be train by your restaurant manager so he needs more red bull maybe if think he can do that there some companies can do for you .
And please make sure after this daily base training and meting must be held everyday for smooth operation make sure that your restaurant manager walking around checking all tables this how is everything how the team performing, to see every single table must be observed are they happy with food and service .
I hope you can do that otherwise you will get more negative comment .
Best regards
Cihan

Probably the best view in all of Miami grabbing a couple drinks with a great view and a nice breeze can’t be better. The best drink I’ve ever had Agave Sunset! Amazing!

Food was ok, the view is amazing. So overall, the dinner is worth the price. Nothing to rave about, but our sever was very attentive. Would come back for a special occasion.

I absolutely love this place! Its expensive but well worth it. The food was delicious, especially the calamari, and the view is beautiful. They have mini fire pits to sit around by the water and is beautiful decorated on the inside as well. I always recommend this place when anyone comes to Miami for a classy dinner and drinks.

I must be lucky that I’m friends with DJ Irie. I went here for brunch and we had all the top service and best table. Endless mimosas. I have a strict diet so I was unable to eat some things but my guest loved everything & the food I did have was good. It was more of the ambiance and style that I enjoyed.
The views are amazing and you can rent it out for private events. It would be a cool if it were a seafood/​bbq spot. :)

The best thing about the Rusty Pelican are the views. If you live in Miami, it’s definitely worth going to once. I went as part of a banquet so we had a set menu. Parking is difficult, there is little free parking, and 75% of the lot seems to belong to valet. Valet itself isn’t too expensive at $ 6, but it’s still annoying because there isn’t anywhere else to park so you don’t really have a choice. We had an open bar, and the drinks were good with charismatic bartenders. The service at the Rusty Pelican is excellent. The waiters are very attentive and professional. That being said, the food itself is second-​rate.
We started off the course with a salad, which was probably the best part of the 3 course meal. It had a fried cheese ring on top with iceberg lettuce, croutons, and what seemed like creamy Caesar dressing and balsamic. For the entrée, we were given pan seared chicken breast with mashed potatoes and green beans. I felt that the chicken breast was a little dry and I would have preferred a little more seasoning on mine. The mashed potatoes were good but nothing to write home about. And I liked the green beans, but I only got four. For dessert, we had key lime pie. The presentation was beautiful, with what seemed like a berry sauce on the side and meringue on top of the pie. It was very rich and sweet for key lime pie, and a little too dense for me as well. I thought the graham cracker crust was excellent though.
Overall, an OK meal that is not worth the $ 60. The views and service are excellent, but it could use some improvements with the food.

Checked in around 7. Had a 20 minute wait to sit outside. Definitely worth the wait to get the Oceanside view. First time here after renovations. Beautiful ambiance. Ordered the crust red snapper, sea scallops, 32oz pork chop, and lobster risotto, and a side of crispy Brussels sprouts. Most memorable were the sea scallops and the snapper, definitely get seafood here.
Dessert: colada molten chocolate cake was phenomenal and had key lime cheesecake which was satisfying and well-​balanced.

I’ll start by saying that i don’t drink much. but when i do, I drink with intent. especially now that my «cheat» days are nonexistent. that said, it was difficult to get the booze flowing since our waitress made it seem like taking our order was the hardest thing she’d ever done, whatever.
about 45 min later, apps finally came out and there i was, starring at a plate of unsatisfying calamari. but hey, sometimes socializing and water front views come before food right? so, if you can deal with mediocre appetizers and watered down drinks, watching the miami skyline while the sun sets could be something magical.

We came for an informal engagement dinner. It was a small group so we opted for a booth. Been here on many occasions because we know what to expect. I booked a reservation via Open Table. I called early enough to let them know that we are running 30 minutes late. We arrived and I was greeted by an unfriendly hostess. I told her that I had reservations at 4 but it was now 4:30pm. She said in a condescending tone that our reservation was dropped since we didn’t arrive on time. I told her that I called and plus the fact there were plenty of tables open, it shouldn’t be a problem. I think they only had 4 tables with diners at the time. So I just ignored her attitude because it was not worth our time.
Our food and waitress however were a different experience. The entrees here are quite pricey but they really do serve quality food. Our server was polite and patient considering we ordered an abundance of drinks before our food arrived. It’s a celebration after all.
Started with Corvina Ceviche, Fried Calamari and Short Rib Empanads. All fresh… all delicious. For entrees, the best one was the Sunflower Seed Crusted Halibut which my partner ordered. Perfectly cooked, moist and nice presentation. I got the Grilled Swordfish which came out dry so I kindly informed our server. She was happy to have another one made and it was great the 2^nd time around. Friends ordered the Biscayne Burger and Patagonian Toothfish. They said they were both excellent. For drinks, got to try the Key Biscayne Pain Killer (Malibu Black Rum, Coco Lopez, fresh Orange & Pineapple Juice). Pretty fancy looking drink but it was rich in flavor and potent too. For the finale, we tried this amazing dessert but forgot the name. I think it was a chocolate hot lava cake with oreo ice cream. See my pics.
Still a good place to dine for special occasions or romantic dinner. Fresh seafood, consistent service, potent drinks and killer views.

Oh, I was ready to LOVE this place. There is an amazing view of downtown Miami. There is a huge patio on which we were seated. It was a gorgeous night AND my mom’s 65^th birthday. We were READY for a great night. And then we had some serious issues with the server. She started off so strong, then disappeared often. I used to be a server and always give servers the benefit of the doubt, stick up for them, etc. But there was no excuse!!!
I spoke with her in private to order my mom’s bday dessert, so she knew we were there for a special reason (side note: no deals on bday desserts. Key lime dessert was delicious but $ 14!) and I had my 6 month old son with us, so I would’ve thought we would’ve gotten at least an average amount of attention (if nothing more than to have us enjoy our meal then turn over the table since we had an early dinner reservation). Not so. She was MIA a TON, to the point where my mom was ready to just leave instead of waiting for the dessert.
As for the food, the cornbread was delicious. We all loved it. We each got a salad which was prepared in a gorgeous manner and was so tasty. My parents both got grouper, which is served as the whole fish, then de-​boned by the server (in our case the server was MIA so some other server did it). Unfortunately, they each had 10+ bones that were not removed, and there is very little light at the tables. Thank goodness they didn’t choke since they believed that the bones had been removed and they couldn’t see the food on top of it! I couldn’t believe our server wasn’t around. We basically had to sit and wait until we could flag someone else down to help them with the fish. Not good service.
I chose the sushi. Each roll was $ 15 – 17 so I picked 2 rolls, thinking they would have 6 or so pieces. This was the big surprise of the night. The sushi was actually a good value. The sushi that was wrapped in avocado (I think it was the spider roll) was HUGE and delicious. The other one was over-​doused in eel sauce (which I usually like) and wasn’t as good. Each sushi roll had at least 10 – 12 pieces. If I had known, I would’ve only ordered one roll!
The server mentioned she was so glad not to work at a white tablecloth place. True, this is more casual, but the prices are quite high, so the service should be top-​notch. I am on the fence whether or not to recommend this place… just because of a lousy server. Everything else was very good.

If you want seafood in Miami this is definitely the place to go. The view is amazing and although the entrees are small they are very delicious.

Love their brunch. Unlimited mimosas and they offer it on Saturdays! Great service and breathtaking views!

Four stars again but for different reasons. As I said on my last review we come here whenever we are in South Florida. A lot of memories over 35 years of coming here.
On this visit thing started out poorly. After being seated, we had no contact we a waiter for about 15 minutes. Then a waiter in another section noticed and stepped up. Pablo was his name and he saved the evening for us. First he took our drink order and said he would put it in then get a waiter to our table. Instead he took over as our waiter and he was FABULOUS. He made suggestions and was honest enough to direct is away from some items. He suggested the special which was a 10oz filet mignon that he said you didn’t need a knife to cut and he was right on the money. I had the lobster risotto which was equally as good.
The meal was a 5 star for sure. Views of the Miami skyline, another 5 stars.
Again the waiter Pablo was no less than 5 stars, but the fact that we initially had no waiter is the reason for 4 stars.
I will say that when a manger found out about the delay in service he took our drinks off the bill and checked back to make sure service was better. It was.
We will be back and hopefully we can make it 5 stars.

Beautiful atmosphere but truly poor service. To start our greeter was pretty unpleasant. Once we did get to our table, the wait staff was equally as inattentive and food took forever. Asked waiter for silverware, he never came back with any so had to find a different waiter to obtain some. really a disappointing experience overall, even more so as a result of the high prices. If you are going to charge top shelf prices, the customer service should be a lot better.

Came here on a Saturday night when they were having an event going. This made the wait for the valet parking at least 15 minutes. But once we got inside the restaurant, we got seated right away and they gave us an outdoor table with an amazing view of Miami. Definitely a good spot for a date night. It was a bit windy and chilly sitting outside but we had a fire pit nearby which made it nice and warm. I had the agave sunset cocktail drink. It had raspberry and lime. It was a good sweet fruity drink. We ordered the salmon tartare as an appetizer. The salmon sat on top of avocado and there was lots of fried pieces of jicama on top with a soy sauce type kind of sauce. This was so good! The salmon and avocado was so fresh and flavorful and the jicama was fun to eat. If you’re familiar with the Chinese fried shrimp chips, that’s what the jicama tasted like. For entrees we had the whole local snapper that came with creamy coconut orzo and arugula corn salad and the braised lamb shank with vegetables and mashed potatoes. Both entrees were very good but just thought that the orzo was a bit too creamy. We also ordered a side of smoky mashed sweet plantains. This was sooo delicious! A must try. But we were so full from our entrees that we couldn’t finish all of the plantains and asked for it to be doggy bagged but our waiter never came back with it and he was no where to be seen after we paid so we couldn’t even ask about it.

Este restaurante ha sido un sitio especial desde hace más de 20 años. Las vistas son increíbles y puedes desde el brunch, una ceebracion en familia o ideal para una cena romántica. Quizas la relacion calidad precio no sea la mejor; pero te sientes tan a gusto que vale la pena acudir. Las ostras estan muy buena, el red snapper tambien y los postres me encantan.
El local esta totalmente renovado y aunque hecho de menos los ribocones anteriores sigue siendo muy bonito. La atención es excelente y solo puedo decir que soñar y disfrutar de este emblemático lugar de Miami

Been here twice and was disappointed with the food. First time I didn’t like the plate the waitress was kind enough to return it and I picked another plate and I still was disappointed. Reservation was made ahead of time and still waited 30 – 40 minutes both times. Location and the view are amazing. Unsure if I’m willing to give it a third try.

Went here for the first time for a gfs birthday dinner. It’s actually her favorite place to dine so I thought I’d check it out. Had the Agave Sunset and The Ricky which were great! Drinks had the right amount of alcohol and sweetness. Perfect. I also had the salmon and sea bass bunuelos and as an entrée I had organic chicken with mashed sweet plantains. Everything was delicious and super filling! The views are absolutely breathtaking as well! Décor (indoor and outdoor) are sleek and chic. Has a very nice ambiance. Will probably bring a date next time. Staff was very attentive and super nice. Will probably come again.

Miami Spice lunch was amazing

Rusty Pelican, great place. We always celebrated special occasions.
Best Calamari and The Whole Snapper. Christmas Day was amazing thanks to their friendship service.

Love the views, i always come here because the atmosphere always brings me back. The service is really 5 star and the food is so good. The views are what makes me bring everyone i know here. Highly recommend.

The service is awful at 4 PM with an empty restaurant
No excuse
We made reservations in advance and might have we’ll have walked in
Drinks are poor
Food average
Everything takes forever
We will never return
Stay away

I’ve been to Rusty Pelican many times. In the past, I never was a big fan of the food but went strictly to enjoy the view and some drinks. The view is incredible.
I decided to go for my birthday recently and was blown away with the difference in experience. Our waiter was top notch and very patient, the food was delicious, and he even threw in a complimentary key lime pie for my birthday and offered to take several pictures of my boyfriend and I out on the deck.
We ordered the crab cake appetizer and both got the organic chicken as our main course, both of which were very good. I also got the «Key Biscayne Pain Killer» cocktail which was delicious.
I’ll definitely keep coming back!

Wonderful view of the city of Miami from Key Biscayne. Both indoor and outdoor table offer fantastic view or Brickell and Downtown.
That being said, the restaurant is pretentious and extremely overpriced. The food and drinks are good but not special.

I celebrated my birthday here with friends; the best company and best dinner! Here is what we ordered:
Corvina Ceviche: it’s okay… I would recommend a different appetizer better.
Ahi Tuna and Fennel: I’ve had their salmon tartar before and it was nothing special so we tried the tuna one today after our server recommended it. It was delicious! The tartar had a lot of flavor and it came on top of a crispy cracker that was the perfect added texture.
Oysters!
Blue point: big! They’re from east coast so they will be bigger.
Malpeque: also east coast. these were delicious as well.
Shigoku (west coast): very briny! If you like the taste of the ocean, you will like these. They’re on the smaller side but have A LOT more flavor.
Kumamoto (west coast): these are my FAV! They’re small also, but they are slightly briny, more buttery, with a sweet finish to it.
For these oysters, they don’t even need cocktail sauce or anything! Their natural taste is enough, that’s when u can tell they’re good!
Prosciutto and Melon salad:
so many good things about this salad! It has the perfect umami to it. You get the saltiness from the prosciutto, the bitterness from the arugula and spinach, the citrus from the vinaigrette and the sweetness from the melon. Wow! I also loved that they shaved the melon and the manchego cheese to kind of give it all a uniformed look with the prosciutto. Not to mention that it has 2 types of prosciutto; regular slices of prosciutto on the bottom and crispy prosciutto on the top!
Pistachio crusted Scallops:
Delicious! Quite filling actually. I love the idea of the pistachio crust. It comes with a crispy boniato hash brown underneath each scallop which I thought was a little too salty. I think they went a little overboard on the salt for the hash browns… but the scallops were cooked to a perfection and the orange slices on top give it a very nice flavor and aroma to each bite.
Crispy Whole Local Snapper:
Server was nice enough to fillet it for us but she left the head and bones at my request (I believe it’s the best part! The crispy head and bones, I ate it all lol.) the actual meat was nice and juicy but I liked the crispy bone parts better. It was seasoned perfectly and the corn salad and creamy coconut orzo were both delicious sides as well. I was worried the orzo would be too creamy or coconutty but not at all! It’s a big portions (it’s a whole fish!) so I would recommend sharing this with someone.
For dessert we ordered the rum tres leches and I didn’t like it… only because it was too sweet for my taste. I’m not too big on sweets. But the server was so nice and decorated the plate with «Happy Birthday» and a candle.
Overall I had a GREAT experience thanks to our wonderful server (I believe her name was Giselle if I remember correctly). And as always, a beautiful view of our beautiful city.

Rusty Pelican is definitely one of those places you have to go to when you visit or live in Miami. It has changed throughout the years and they’ve done construction, looks a lot nicer now. Food is usually pretty good, the only knock on this place is that the line is pretty ridiculous sometimes, especially on the weekends.

DO GET: goat cheese mashed potatoes
Such a beautiful location with good food. Great for a date night out. I did the Miami spice deal and had the ceviche, braised lamb shank, and rum tres leches. Everything was delicious but my favorite was the goat cheese mashed potatoes that accompanies the braised lamb shank, which was fall off the bone good. They also gave us some yummy bread to start.

Pros: The view.
Cons: Everything else.
The food was mediocre and extremely overpriced. In a party of 6, none of us liked our food enough to ever want to come back.
Our table got salmon and sea bass buñuelos and fried calamari as an appetizer. They were pretty flavorless, and the fish was over cooked. All you could taste in either dish was unseasoned panko crumbs. This seems to be a problem with all their fried foods, as my dad’s fried snapper was also flavorless and dry.
I got the lobster benedict as a main course, and that turned out to be a mistake. Parts of the lobster were overlooked, the cheddar jalapeño biscuit was dry, and the egg and potatoes were bland. It was $ 35 and not good!
I did like my pelican caipirinha (made with pineapple juice), but it seemed to be the only good drink at the table. The people in my party that made the mistake of getting the $ 18 bottomless mimosas were sorely disappointed. They tasted like orange alkaseltzer. No one drank even half of theirs. So really, it was $ 18 for a quarter of an undrinkable orange fizz.
The waiter was okay. I don’t have any complaints about him, but I have nothing particularly enthusiastic to say. He’s not factoring into my review.
Overall, this place was too expensive to be this mediocre. But even if it were cheaper, I wouldn’t come back.

The name Rusty Pelican evokes a quaint, casual hangout, but quaint and casual fail to describe the Rusty Pelican. To get here, you go over the causeway onto Key Biscayne, and there is a conglomeration of buildings and parking lots on your left. There is a large parking lot which is mostly filled shared by all of these businesses. Rusty Pelican is way back to the left. When you walk up, it is VERY flashy. We are talking stylish. It is a gorgeous location, view, and the decoration of the building classy. They have inside and outside dining. However, in the summer, it might be a little hot outside. Inside has nice windows although sometimes the shades are down if the sun is blaring through.
The service was slightly below average unless you have lots of money. Then, the «suits» and people with ear pieces are often seen by your table making sure everything is okay. Since we apparently didn’t look like money, we got the less than average service. It took a long time for anyone to come by our table. When they did finally ask for our drinks, it took a long time to bring them. Unlike our favorite Thai restaurant, there was not the extra nod of service of pouring your beer for you.
The table nearby had an unhappy child who caused havoc during a very long meal (they were there when we got there and there when we left, and we eat slow). I can’t blame the restaurant so much for that… it happens.
To the food – this is another place where they shined. First they brought out their signature cornbread. It was beautifully placed with a salt/​spice mix and a butter spread. Delightful. We ordered the Pan Seared Grouper, which oddly came out super quick. We were barely cutting into our bread, and poof there it was. The presentation was superb and artistic. The fish was okay, although I’d say slightly overdone. The roasted or stir fried sweet potatoes and other vegetables with bacon were the star oddly enough. They were so yummy. Overall, I kept thinking, this is truly a work of art, that is only appreciated by the culinary connoisseur.
The only thing is the prices were exorbitant. Where else can you go for that view, though? If you know of a place, please message me! ;)
3.5 star average sums it up, but I’ll round up.

It’s time to update my review! Finally had the pleasure of going back for brunch. And wow!
First of all, the view is still incredible. You can sit in the AC but see the beautiful skyline, watch the birds, see the boats… it’s just beautiful.
Second, bottomless mimosas and bloody Mary’s! I had the mimosas, and they are delicious. Approximately ¾ Champagne and ¼ OJ, you can’t beat them. And the waiters are very attentive, you don’t have to wait 15 minutes for another drink.
The food was much better this time around. I ate the seared tuna sandwich with fries. Tuna Perfectly cooked and sandwich perfectly toasted. I can’t say enough good things about it, I’d highly recommend!
Overall, a fantastic experience. I will be back for brunch again!

No me gustó antes este lugar, no me sigue gustando.
No tiene buena atención, y no le explican bien el menú, cuando uno recibe su orden, se da cuenta que no desea comer…
Hay mejores lugares.

We are locals but have not visited Rustic Pelican in nearly 10 years. Yesterday we decided to have advantage of one of the most beautiful view of Miami Skyline and requested outside sitting for 2. We were told the waiting time was 35 – 40 mins so we sat at the bar for a few drinks. I went with my mom since she was celebrating her 47^th year anniversary at her company and was given a gift card to come to this iconic restaurant in Key Biscayne Let me begin by saying… The total glass wall showcased the fabulous view of the Miami skyline. It is by far the best attribute of this restaurant and what saves it. Not to mention their impressive Wine towers Unfortunately when you come to a restaurant you come to eat. And the view and glass towers are just not a part of the menu. If you want a good ambiance with service, you really wont get that here either.
My mom and I drove to spend a nice dinner with a relaxing atmosphere, afterall I have been studying all day and my wife was home not wanting to come out. We made our first ever visit to Key Biscayne, and saw the Rusty Pelican from the bridge… and it looked great, as it always does. We were able to land one of the few non-​valet parking spots and made our way to the restaurant.
There was a 45 minute wait, but the lounge and fire-​pit areas were self-​seating. We decided to sit at a fire-​pit along the waterfront, with a beautiful view of Miami. We sat for 15 – 20 minutes to wait for at least a menu. We did finally get a menu, from a waiter who didn’t know we existed, wanted to refill cups that were there before we sat… SMH
He then did not return for over 10 minutes. As we were leaving, we saw him being scolded by his manager for lack of doing his job, and felt, «so we’re not the only ones». After speaking to the manager, he personally took care of our order, and we were then served at a respectable pace.
We were fortunate enough to see a pod of dolphins swim by, which added to the already great view and compensated for all the lacking.
We chose to just have calamari and a drink each at first, since we already waited so long. I had a glass of wine and mom her regular Cuba Libre. The calamari was way too oily, and tasted gristly, drowned in cooking grease, and we got a bonus sweet potato fry with our calamari to boot. Check was over $ 40 for 2 drinks and an appetizer.
For dinner my mom has their baby churrasco and I ordered the giant seared scallops. The food was not fabulous but i did have a nice presentation on my plate and the scallops weren’t bad tasting. My moms steak was on the other hand boring and tasteless.
If you come here come for a couple of drinks and have a nice deserving meal elsewhere this place is for the vie and a glass of wine. The price you pay does not match the quality of food or service. Bring lots of cash to burn. Like I said earlier over forty dollars in two drinks and a appetizer. Might as well get your wallet and throw it in one of their fire-​pits, it truly is the same thing as coming here and expecting a nice meal.