Mincho Krastev

Review of Bert's Bar

We sat on a small table for two at the veranda str...

We sat on a small table for two at the veranda stretched over the blue waters of Matlacha Pass Aquatic Preserve. A wooden dock, with a boat tied up to one of its berths, extended from it, pointing south-east. Looking beyond, you can see the mangrove forest and the pelicans flying over the calm waters.



I felt good and expected to feel even better when the launch was to arrive.

Unfortunately, it was nothing like that. The staff looked an acted so bored that the whole experience went surreal. Their cold and aloof manner was the first hint that they 'just work' there. No smile, no 'Hello,' just gave us the menu.

The menu, as expected, had a lot of seafood options, but to our surprise, all of them with only one exception, 'the catch of the day,' was from frozen products. What makes it even bizarre is that there is a fishmonger shop for fresh products, just across the street, owned by the same proprietor as the restaurant.

I ordered the Catch of the Day. My wife, Buffalo Shrimps and Calamari. The meals looked appealing when arrived, but although my fish was unquestionably fresh, all food came undercooked. The shrimps and the calamari were chewy to the point we left half of it uneaten. The Homemade Chips ware bland, savorless and certainly - microwave preheated.

I liked the ambiance, but the food and the service were terrible.

I wouldn't recommend this place in any case except if you are dying from hunger.