A couple of weeks ago, we stopped at Burdines Waterfront ChikiTiki Bar for lunch, en route to Key West. It is a little challenging to find, and you need to really pay attention to where you are turning, or you will miss it. Once you’ve made it off the Overseas Highway, and back to the waterfront, you’ll be rewarded with amazing views, and a gigantic lunch menu.
The restaurant is outdoors, casual, dog friendly, and island-y. That island vibe resulted in extremely slow service when we were there. Our server seemed frazzled and overworked, but the food was good. The special of the day was a surf and turf burger, complete with grilled shrimp and Swiss cheese. My friend took it one step further and had a surf and turf and turf burger. He added bacon.
Although my friend’s burger did come out of the kitchen sporting a long, blond hair, the situation was rectified quickly and we were able to move on to indulging in deliciousness right away.
The burger was delicious. Did it need the shrimp? No. Was it better because of them? Shockingly, not really. But the big surprise was the fresh fish quesadilla. Giant tortillas stuffed with grilled fish, cheese, pico de gallo and green chiles, with guacamole and sour cream on the side. Outstanding. The tortilla was perfectly crispy, fish not overcooked, and to top it off, it was a big, cheesy, gooey mess. And it was divine. I would go back for the quesadilla again in a heartbeat.
Go to Burdines on clear, warm day. If it is raining, you’ll want to pick another option. When the weather is good, you are rewarded with amazing ocean views, watching boats and people. I was exhausted and had been driving, so there were no beers for me, but they do have a full bar, and a perfect perch for sipping a rum runner and watching the water.
Burdines Waterfront is located at 1200 Oceanview Avenue, in Marathon, at the end of 15th Street. They are open for lunch and dinner daily.
