Island Cafe

Despite the great reviews, I think it was just ok. Food was excellent– rack of lamb perfectly prepared and a nice serving. Salmon equally as good but very small portion. Chocolate bread pudding was stale and not good. Service was lacking and indifferent. Had to ask for more water, more coffee, did not get a drink that was ordered but still charged for, not fork for desert, etc. Place just didn’t feel like it had the atmosphere to match the food quality.

Worst service and entrée I’ve had in years. Saw the server, «Gene» 1 time after ordering. I wouldn’t recommend this restaurant to my worst enemy.

We went here on the recommendation of a family member, who is a part-​time local. Island Café is one of his favorite restaurants on Marco.
IThe reviews seem to be very good, so I was looking forward to the evening. In my opinion this place is quite overrated, but I would guess that reviews reflect generational preferences.
I found the décor to be pretty awful… cheesy and outdated, with lots of faux flowers and mirrored walls. (IMHO, if they pimped it up a bit more … an intentionally ironic homage to the past … they could actually get by with the look!)
Some members of the group enjoyed their food (e.g., those who had the pasta, shrimp/​fish and tournedos of beef), but I was not one of them. I had the Beef Wellington appetizer, which was a disappointment. Rather than beef filet wrapped in puff pastry, it was essentially meatloaf inside of soggy puff pastry dough. Yuk. I couldn’t stomach it. (To his credit, the waiter noticed I didn’t eat it and offered to bring something else.) Rather than an entrée, I opted for a bowl of French Onion Soup. Though it wasn’t terrible, there was a lot of room for improvement.
Having been there, I would say that its ‘60s/‘70s-ish food and ambience is most likely to appeal to retirees. (When we were there, I would guess that the youngest diners were in their 60s.) For younger audiences, and those seeking a place with an urban or trendy flair, this is not the ideal spot. If you were to give everyone in our group the choice, those in their 80s would happily return, but those from younger generations would much rather dine elsewhere

First time for me at The Island Café. A little more upscale than I needed (e.g., linen tablecloths) but overall experience of food, service and price was perfect. The golden corvina and shrimp/​scallop dishes were expertly prepared; even a few «wow» moments due to the sauces. Service was attentive but not pretentious (thank you). And prices were what you might expect ~$ 30 for top of the food chain dishes. If price is an issue, the early bird special from 5 – 5:30 should soften the blow.
They like to use a lot of butter and oils so prepare to feel your arteries constrict a little more with each swallow. I now know how the crack addict feels: I know it’s bad for me but I can’t stop myself from taking another bite. And I mean that as the highest compliment. I definitely will return on my next MI visit.

This may be the best food on Marco. I had the yellow tail with capers, browned butter and a pecan crust. It was incredible.
The desert was a blueberry/​rasberry bread pudding with ice cream on top. It was outstanding and at the same time different from the usual bread pudding. I liked the consistency of the pudding.
After a week of dive bar food this was a very nice change.

I don’t want to comment on the appearance of the restaurant because I have a picky eye and the littlest of things bothers me (the menus were old, the tablecloths were a bit lacey and distracting), but I want to compliment on the food and service. We got there at 5 and were able to get the early bird special, which meant we got a free dessert with our entrée and appetizer. I got the daily special; snapper. It was extremely delicious and rich of great flavors. The rest of the family enjoyed their meal as well. The service from the waiters was very personable, helpful, and friendly. I would love to come back because the food and service were great.