By RICHARD DAVID CHAMBERLAIN
There are certain things you can count on when ordering fish in Key West. First, it will be fresh. Second, it will be moist and flaky, and probably dusted with coconut, or some Jamaican conch seasoning strong enough to set your mouth ablaze. And third, it will be accompanied by many, many tropical drinks that will slur your vision, right along with your vocabulary.
At Green Fish, the newest incarnation of the intimate A-frame bar and grill at 2528 N Federal Highway, just south of Northeast 26th Street, the owners promise that Key West experience. (It says so right on a sign out front.) What they, in fact, deliver is something else entirely. Which is definitely not a bad thing. As you would expect, the mainstay at a grill called Green Fish is fish. In this case, the selection is limited to tilapia, salmon, mahi mahi, and shrimp.
Any or all of the above are prepared grilled, fried, or blackened (shrimp is only served fried). Most of the inside of the restaurant is occupied by a large bar, suggesting a local hang-out type of place. And while it’s a full bar, it’s not a complete bar. No mojitos, margaritas, pina coladas, or any other drink that requires a blender, for, according to our server, Elise, the bartender doesn’t have one. But there certainly is an adequate assortment of beers, ales, and liquors that will swamp the rat with ease.
The real surprise here is not that Green Fish serves a menu typical of many bars, but that its fish is fresh and as excellent as any we’ve tried in flavor and seasoning. The Grilled Tilapia Fish Fillet ($10.99) is offered Caribbean-style, with a perfect fire zip and a mild fish flavor. The dish comes with fries or Cajun rice, an order of cole slaw and a corn muffin. We ordered this dish blackened, and were amazed at the texture and sweet resound of the meal. True, the fries were soggy and were sent back to the kitchen, but the replacement rice was absolutely a winner.
Even though the slaw tasted like it was scooped from a Walmart vat, and the corn muffin was something you might defrost from Sara Lee, the point here remains the same. It was an amazingly well-prepared fish dish that deserves a return engagement. Ditto the Grilled Mahi Mahi. At $12.99, it’s a bargain in portion size and a taste bud delight for the unexpecting diner.
Once again, order it with rice, forget the corn muffin and slaw, and realize that you’ve found a new secret spot in town. This particular building seems to change concepts with each passing season. We remember when it was a place called Shucks on the Water, which became a place called Boo Riley’s, which then became a place called Chowderheads. And now Green Fish. Hopefully, you won’t be put off by the small front patio that borders on Federal Highway. or the dark inside bar that has just enough light to not see the spots on the glasses.
Push immediately past that and out onto the small dockspace that borders the Middle River canal. It’s not fine dining to be sure, but it is an incredible and quiet spot to discover with someone special. Get past the PVC furniture and the plastic basket holding the entrees, and prepare yourself for a fun, tasty meal by the water.
Feel free to order the Fried Conch Fritters ($7.99) or the Jerk Buffalo Wings (10 for $8.99). They won’t disappoint. And remember to say Florida Agenda sent you.
GREE N FISH 2528 N Federal Hwy Fort Lauderdale FL 33305 954-563-9393
We decided to try this restaurant the other day. Everything was fine up until my partner found a bug in his dish. I almost gagged when he said that because I had started eating. We didn’t want to cause a scene so we paid an left. After thinking it over, I think we should have told the waiter and left without paying. But that was a nasty experience.
Green Fish Waterfront Bar and Grill
On Labor Day, Monday Sept 3, 2012, my partner and I decided to take a day off, to do fun stuff and not cook at home. We are both great cooks and love to be adventurous in our own kitchens. We started the morning with eating brunch at the OB House in downtown Fort Lauderdale. We went to the beach and then dinner at the Green Fish Waterfront Bar and Grill.
This establishment IS the WORST dinning experience that I have ever had in South Florida since I moved here from Portland, Maine almost 6 years ago.
When we got there we decided to eat outside by the waterfront to get the full experience of the place. We were immediately greeted by a waitress who was pleasant and brought us beverages. We had some questions on the menu, but when we asked the waitress she had no idea and was honest about not knowing anything about the food questions we had on the menu. For example, I wanted to know about there Conch Fitters and she did not know what they were expect that they were round and fried. We ordered a Conch Fritter and a New England Clam Chowder for appetizers while we sat on the deck outside that was in the process of being renovated. While waiting and looking around at the work that was going on I realized having been around construction for most of my life that this was being done without a permit and not meeting Building Code of Fort Lauderdale, or none of the work that was new had been inspected by anybody, ever! patrons of the restaurant are actually walking in-between the deck floor joices to with no construction caution tape, but step on the ground between and over the joices to get to the deck older section of the deck where the chairs are. After a minute the appetizers came and we ordered diner. My partner ordered the Key West Grill Seafood Platter and I just wanted basic comfort food, the Fish and Chips.
The Conch Fritters were way over fried and like a rubbery interior and almost rust color on the outside. The New England Clam Chowder was from a can, the brand that I would not even buy at the grocery store when one is too lazy to make one at home. I know this because after living on the coast of Maine for 20 years, I have made and eaten a lot of good New England Clam Chowder, I would not have eaten or served this in my house. When the waitress came I informed her that this was chowder from a can and she was silent at this point, not confirming or denying. We did not even mention how horrible the Conch fritters were. She did however apologize about the chowder.
Not a few minutes went by and she returned with our dinners in hand. This was nothing short from an experiment that a 12 year old child would have done for a meal to surprise there Mom or Dad on there birthday. Not even sure where to start. The Cole slaw was from Publix, and I dislike there slaw. It was served in a tiny tiny plastic ramekin with a baby carrot shoved in the middle of the slaw and a cherry tomato or grape, I did not eat it.
There was also a mini corn bread muffin that was again bought and made on the premise. I was beginning to wonder if they had a kitchen in this place. I do not want to use the term restaurant because that implies a certain quality of food and this is not a restaurant. The fries were the McCain frozen crinkly fries that again I would never buy at the supermarket. My fish was from a Miss Smith frozen box and deep fried for a few minutes. And one of the most disgusting things was the ketchup. The Heinz bottle on my table was empty so she brought me another and when I tasted, I was positive that they refill there Heinz bottles with a cheap brand of other ketchup that is watered down and altered. When I mention to the waitress the ketchup she again apologized and brought another bottle which was no different. I am a Heinz Ketchup lover, and this was just the end of the line for me and why I am take the time at 5:00am in the morning to write this because and am actually feeling sick to my stomach with the food that I have eaten in this establishment. Then, there is my partner’s dinner, the Key West Grill Seafood Platter. The only thing that he enjoyed on his plate was the grilled shrimp, he said were alright, the fish was dry and over grilled. He did also like the rice. His plate was also served with Publix Cole slaw and mini corn muffin, either of us ate any of it, after tasting it.
On Tuesday morning I am calling the, Florida Division of Hotels and Restaurants
1940 North Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1011 (Phone: 850.487.1395
Fax: 850.921.8267) and reporting them to the State. And, also calling the City of Fort Lauderdale, Building Services Department, 700 NW 19th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301, Tele- 954-828-6520 to report the construction that is being done to the place without a permit.
This experience of going to eat out at Green Fish Waterfront Bar and Grill, has left me feeling a little green under my gills and completely disgusted, that this place is allowed to serve the public and furthermore allowed to have patrons walk in unsafe areas of construction.
THE WORST DINNING EXPERIENCE I HAVE HAD IN SOUTH FLORIDA. I FEEL THE NEED TO DETOX MY BODY OF THE FOOD THAT WAS INGESTED FROM THIS ESTABLISHMENT.