What a slice of Florida is Dolphins Waterfront Bar & Grille at Cape Crossing.
Dolphins is more tiki pavilion than tiki bar, a big, broad, sunny thing that gives shelter as well as a view of the Barge Canal, which, last weekend, sparkled in the sun. There are dedicated slips and a marina there too, so you can arrive via boat as well as car. Behind the restaurant are colorful townhomes and apartments — a resort, we are told — with plenty of parking near the restaurant.
The bar is large, with the mandatory gridiron-on-TV behind it, but with not so many screens that it transforms the area into a sports bar; the restaurant is not liquor-centric. Reminders of NASA John F. Kennedy Space Center, which is right up State Road 3, are liberally applied. It is relatively quiet, a pleasant place for conversation, though we’re told it can get far more animated at night.
More about Dolphins:New restaurant: Arrive at Merritt Island bar and grill by boat; enjoy Polynesian flair
Service is immediate, attentive and highly professional. The menu is diverse but not gigantic, with a tropical theme, and though the place doesn’t pretend to be Hawaiian per se, certain dishes are reminiscent of the Aloha State. Lomi lomi is there, as are loco moco and Kalua pork. Its burger, the Tingley, is named for Dave and Ann Tingley, who once operated the fish camp nearby, salve for the spirit of a history fanatic.
With three of us in attendance, we went for variety: a bowl of chicken chili ($8); garlic shrimp ($16), guacamole and pineapple salsa ($13), pan-fried Brussels sprouts ($5), Hawaiian macaroni salad ($5) and Asian cucumber salad ($6); and a Kalua pork sandwich ($15).
Confession: I have dietary restrictions and therefore limit consumption of spicy foods to a spoonful or two, but I would order the chicken chili, regardless. Sold as a soup, it could be a meal, full of chunky meat, pineapple and other delights as it is. And it tasted like chili. Not tomato sauce with ground meat. Not Campbell’s. Chili. It alone was enough to make you want to return.
The garlic shrimp were fine too, though I failed to detect much garlic in them. They were big, nicely prepared and presented, however, also enough for a meal. Guacamole clearly was made at Dolphins, though it lacked something; lime? Pineapple salsa was grand.
The sides were absolutely terrific, including crispy Brussels sprouts which, in the case of one fellow diner, converted a dedicated carnivore into a vegetable fan. Cheers to whomever determined that pasta should not be overcooked too, though please, please, restaurant people, skin those cucumbers.
Kalua pork was a bit dry, possibly because the grilled, fresh pineapple with which it was topped was a bit overcooked, and that prohibited its juices from percolating downward. It was a hefty portion of pork, though, with lovely, citrus-scented slaw. The sweet potato fries were far better than the average, though a sprinkle of something would have made them superior.
Key lime pie ($8) was one of the better representations of the ubiquitous dessert, with a thick graham cracker crust and house-made filling that was nearly identical to what comes out of this house, made with actual key limes. The whipped cream on top was actual whipped cream, not whipped topping or stabilized junk. Would I prefer meringue? Why, yes, but I probably would put meringue on vegetables. À chacun son goût, know what I mean?
What else? Well, the Almost Painkiller cocktail ($10) with fresh orange juice, coconut cream and rum was delicious, and not an icefest in a tall glass. You definitely get your money’s worth. Coffee was fresh and the server did provide hot tea.
These stories often are done during the day in order to make the most of natural light, because in the age of the iPhone, critics shoot their own food. But I want to go back at night, because you get the feeling that with so much at Dolphins made in its own kitchen, it’s not bad for fresh catch or steak either.
We’ll let you know. See you at Dolphins.
Dolphins Waterfront Bar & Grille at Cape Crossing
Three and a half stars
Address: 310 Lagoon Way, Merritt Island
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday-Saturday
Call: 321-338-2220
Online: dolphinsgrill.com
Service fees: None
Other: Local musicians perform weekend nights; full children’s menu; dogs permitted; decorative firepits provide warmth at night
About our reviews
Restaurants are rated on a five-star system by FLORIDA TODAY’s reviewer. The reviews are the opinion of the reviewer and take into account quality of the restaurant’s food, ambiance and service. Ratings reflect the quality of what a diner can reasonably expect to find. To receive a rating of less than three stars, a restaurant must be tried twice and prove unimpressive on each visit. Each reviewer visit is unannounced and paid for by FLORIDA TODAY.
Five stars: Excellent. A rare establishment to which you’d be proud to take the most discerning diner.
Four stars: Very good. Worth going out of your way for. Food, atmosphere and service are routinely top notch.
Three stars: Good. A reasonably good place with food and service that satisfy.
Two stars: Fair. While there’s nothing special about this establishment, it will do in a pinch.
One star: Not recommended. Don’t bother.
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