Rusty Pelican - Miami

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id: 27174658

3201 Rickenbacker Causeway

Key Biscayne, FL 33149

1 (305) 361-3818

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Rusty Pelican - Miami - Key Biscayne, FL

Reviews

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Best	Better Than The Reviews Despite the negative reviews posted here, I've yet to have a bad meal at the Rusty Pelican. The new menu is a major step up from previous offerings. Give it a try. Pros: Vie...
Worst	OVERPRIECE FOR QUALITY I have been to the restaurant many times prior to renovation. Our family went recently for my daughter's birthday. The new renovation is beautiful, very modern mid century. I will...

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Editorial review from Citysearch 1/9/2013

by nuriam at Citysearch Provided by Citysearch

THIS IS NOT THE SAME RESTAURANT THAN USED TO BE ANYMORE! Today My husband and I were invited by our very good friends to Rusty Pelican restaurant at Key Biscayne in Miami, FL. We've been there a few times before, and food, services and overall experience were always great. TODAY after their complete ""renovation"", including (we think owners), staff, food, decoration, etc) and even when we didn't have to pay for the food,we feel very upset, offended, insulted by what we have found. OVERPRICE, POOR FOOD QUALITY, UNPROFESSIONAL SERVICE! \r They are using the same location, the beautiful view, modern decoration to attract people, but everything there now is A DISASTER. We love food and have visited many restaurants, but they really steal your money in your own face without giving you anything you are expecting in return. \r Our LUNCH bill was $245 (without tip), starting with the bread, 4 little slices (1 for each of us), nothing to die for, the entrees average price $15, but don't expect something great or fancy, poor elaborate, my lobster soup was just the name (didn't find any at all), the main course, average LUNCH price was $38, my husband and husband's friend meat, weren't medium rare as ordered at all, hard to cut, and small sizes. \r We believe many people, like us, just go there, thinking that, this was the old place than used to be. \r My advice if you want to have a great day and food: DO NOT GO THERE! I don't think they will survive for a long time playing with people's money like that. :( more

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Editorial review from Urbanspoon 6/4/2012

by John Q. Public at Urbanspoon Provided by Urbanspoon

As I read the other reviews for the Rusty Pelican most all others have bad comments about the service, they must know it and don't care as my service was slow also. I decided to order Calamari and asked my server if it was chewy or served crispy, she said crispy and I told her that was my preference. We are served about 30 minutes later and my calamari was not crispy, rather chewy, it tasted good, but I did not mention it to our server as she was not around and I knew that we would never get out of there since it took forever for our food to come out. \r When our check came with the automatically added 18% gratuity, I elected to add no more as our service did not warrant additional monies. Actually if it were not included, I do not think I would have paid that percent as our service was very lacking overall. I can handle most things, but since I paid with cash, I was shocked to see that my change did not include the coins that were due me. What is up with that, the same thing happened to me yesterday at another bar and I just can not believe what appears to be a common practice of not returning coins, just paper bills. The amount was only a dime, but it is just the prinicipal and that speaks volumes about the management and servers. The views are some of the best waterfront in Miami! more

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OVERPRIECE FOR QUALITY 5/5/2012

by x0x0 at Citysearch Provided by Citysearch

I have been to the restaurant many times prior to renovation. Our family went recently for my daughter's birthday. The new renovation is beautiful, very modern mid century. I will first say that the starters were delicious and we ordered about 7 of them. Then none of the entrees appealed to me. The ravioly dish was very dissapointing, only 5 of them and not delicious at all. My daughter ordered the whole red snapper. It was tasty but not easy to eat. Over all the restaurant has the most beautiful view in Miami, but I will probably not go back. I will pay $23 for 5 raviolies if they are delicious, but these and the other entrees were overpriced and unmemorable. more

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Editorial review from Urbanspoon 4/26/2012

by Miami Culinary Tours at Urbanspoon Provided by Urbanspoon

So we started with a Baked Crab Cake made with grilled corn, peppers, chives and chipotle aïoli. The presentation was pleasing to the eye and packed with color. The top of the crab cake golden and full of crunch, the cake itself soft and silky; the micro-greens, corn and aïoli decorating the plate were like paint on a canvas. more

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Editorial review from Urbanspoon 3/31/2012

by lisah at Urbanspoon Provided by Urbanspoon

The Rusty pelican recently completed a several million dollar renovation. The restaurant is beautiful, the ocean view absolutely breathtaking. The food was exquisite and imaginative but not too far "out there". The service was impeccable but not overbearing. This is our new favorite when we are in the Miami area. more

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Editorial review from Urbanspoon 3/21/2012

by Newman at Urbanspoon Provided by Urbanspoon

If you are looking for an early bird special or a bread bowl of canned clam chowder, keep looking. If you have a palate and are progressive thinking, and enjoy stunning atmosphere and the best view in Miami, this is your place! We listened to our waiter and tried a bunch of small plates to test our palates. The crab cake is filled with jumbo lump crab and is the best I've ever had. Followed by pork belly skewers, duck and goat cheese empanadas, an eel and fois gras something, but whatever it was, it was remarkable. I had the whole snapper and loved it. The rest of my table was pleased with their dinners as well.The waitstaff was fun and attentive and made sure my wine glass was always full. What could be wrong with that? They've raised the prices but not anything more than I've paid at nice places in Midtown or South Beach and those places didn't have this view. I will definitely be back more

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Editorial review from Urbanspoon 3/18/2012

by iliana at Urbanspoon Provided by Urbanspoon

Nice view, horrible service! The staff needs training, please! Get a knowledgeable somelier and train your people on the wine protocol! Our waiter had such a hard time to open a bottle of wine we were embarrased for him. The location is nice but the place is wayyy too noisy. Definitely I will not go back again more

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Editorial review from Urbanspoon 2/15/2012

by Gabrielle Pin at Urbanspoon Provided by Urbanspoon

I ve been to the restaurant a couple of times with my family last year before the renovation but this was my boyfriends first time going there. After making a reservation a week and a half in advance and calling in the same day to confirm it, we arrived there on time at 9:30pm and they told us we had to wait like 15 minute. They never even offered us to wait at the bar which was almost empty but after waiting 5 minutes we decided to ask if we could go to the bar and just went. My boyfriend and i had a drink there, then our table was ready i went alone to the host station because my boyfriend stayed paying at the bar. she took me to our table and told me she would go and take my boyfriend to the table from the bar too. She never did, i had to call him after waiting and tell him where i was sitting. \r The server took our order right away i order my meat medium rare to rare i specifically said i like my meat really red inside. My Meat came barely pink inside, overcooked but worse was my boyfriend whose ravioles came cold inside! After waiting to see our waiter I decided to just stay with my overcooked meat but we gave the ravioles(too cold to be eaten) to a bussboy because our server never passed by to see how we were doing. After like 15 minutes our server reappeared and we asked him about my boyfriends ravioles. He had no idea we were waiting for them to begin with! He went to the kitchen and came back with the ravioles right away. THEY DIDNT EVEN GIVE HIM A NEW PLATE. Of the 5 little ravioles he got from the menu (85$ per person) he had eaten one. so after 15 minutes of wait they brought back only 4 ravioles of the same plate that they obviously just heated up not even bothering about the almost other that we ate cold. Whatever we ate it (me with my overcooked meat which was cold already by that time). After they brought us the dessert which was a plate with like 5 little pastries they gave me mine (perfect) and then my boyfriends with only 4 pastries. we obviously noticed the difference right away and the sever just said oops one of the pastries must have fallen off and left the plate like that in front of my boyfriend and left!! He obviously waited and thought that after saying that he was coming back with a new plate or at least one with just the one he was missing but no, he never did. without changing and bringing his dessert plate complete or without saying i ll be back with the pastry you are missing without even the slightest apology! After that we just asked for an expresso and the bill. After everything that had happend he didn't even apologized or offered us the expresso and worse the 18% (definitely not deserved) gratuity were included in the total of our bill overpriced bill!! This was definitely my worst Valentines experience ever and for the 250$ we had to pay you would have expected way more specially from the server. My boyfriend and I we both work in nice restaurants and know how it is and we hate complaining, we really are pretty easy clients but that was just too much. Not worth it at all! more

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HORRIBLE SERVICE OVERPRICED 2/15/2012

by Gabriellepin at Citysearch Provided by Citysearch

I ve been to the restaurant a couple of times with my family last year before the renovation but this was my boyfriends first time going there. After making a reservation a week and a half in advance and calling in the same day to confirm it, we arrived there on time at 9:30pm and they told us we had to wait like 15 minute. They never even offered us to wait at the bar which was almost empty but after waiting 5 minutes we decided to ask if we could go to the bar and just went. My boyfriend and i had a drink there, then our table was ready i went alone to the host station because my boyfriend stayed paying at the bar. she took me to our table and told me she would go and take my boyfriend to the table from the bar too. She never did, i had to call him after waiting and tell him where i was sitting. The server took our order right away i order my meat medium rare to rare i specifically said i like my meat really red inside. My Meat came barely pink inside, overcooked but worse was my boyfriend whose ravioles came cold inside! After waiting to see our waiter I decided to just stay with my overcooked meat but we gave the ravioles(too cold to be eaten) to a bussboy because our server never passed by to see how we were doing. After like 15 minutes our server reappeared and we asked him about my boyfriends ravioles. He had no idea we were waiting for them to begin with! He went to the kitchen and came back with the ravioles right away. THEY DIDNT EVEN GIVE HIM A NEW PLATE. Of the 5 little ravioles he got from the menu (85$ per person) he had eaten one. so after 15 minutes of wait they brought back only 4 ravioles of the same plate that they obviously just heated up not even bothering about the almost other that we ate cold. Whatever we ate it (me with my overcooked meat which was cold already by that time). After they brought us the dessert which was a plate with like 5 little pastries they gave me mine (perfect) and then my boyfriends with only 4 pastries. we obviously noticed the difference right away and the sever just said oops one of the pastries must have fallen off and left the plate like that in front of my boyfriend and left!! He obviously waited and thought that after saying that he was coming back with a new plate or at least one with just the one he was missing but no, he never did. without changing and bringing his dessert plate complete or without saying i ll be back with the pastry you are missing without even the slightest apology! After that we just asked for an expresso and the bill. After everything that had happend he didn't even apologized or offered us the expresso and worse the 18% (definitely not deserved) gratuity were included in the total of our bill overpriced bill!! This was definitely my worst Valentines experience ever and for the 250$ we had to pay you would have expected way more specially from the server. My boyfriend and I we both work in nice restaurants and know how it is and we hate complaining, we really are pretty easy clients but that was just too much. Not worth it at all! more

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Editorial review from Urbanspoon 1/31/2012

by Sarah C Keegan at Urbanspoon Provided by Urbanspoon

RUINED! This used to be my absolute favorite restaurant to visit while in Key Biscayne. The food was decent and the view was spectacular! We have been going there as long as I can remember. The restaurant did need updating, but there is not a shred of the Rusty Pelican left in this place. The biggest disappointment is the entrance way. The rustic wood pond is replaced by poorly done concrete. The cozy atmosphere has been replaced with a wait staff dressed to match the modern crazy hotel carpet, who are not very professional. The food is still expensive and average at best. The menu is small with little variety. The final straw is the lack of their famous cheese bread. After going there for over 25 years (except when they were closed because of a fire), I will not be going back =( more

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Editorial review from Urbanspoon 1/14/2012

by Julio at Urbanspoon Provided by Urbanspoon

Went for dinner.good ambiance.beautiful views. Excellent service.good food.but:still miss th old restaurant rustic decor and original menu. more

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Editorial review from Urbanspoon 1/10/2012

by aware wolf at Urbanspoon Provided by Urbanspoon

From a more humble vibe, to a fancy "Miami" atmosphere, i preffered the more humble version. My experience at the Rusty Pelican was mixed, on one hand we have up-to-date furnishings, fresh ingridients, and a beautiful view. On the other hand we have a tiny dinner menu with big prices and not so on point service. I find the portions to be to small for the quality of the food. there dishes lack oomph for the price and portion. I had mushroom raviolis with shredded truffles, it was really good but didnt blow me away. My wife had the garden pasta of which i do not recomend at all very bland just homemade pasta with light homemade marinara. my mom had the scallops over jasmine rice witch was really good the scallops were like butter in your mouth. my step father had the filegt minon which was average and over priced by far. Of all those the mushroom raviolis were the best, rich and substancial. on the last note i just wonder why there appitizers exeed there entrees by a lot... i dont know. this place is alright i find myself coming back for cheap appitizers and cocktails. more

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Editorial review from Urbanspoon 8/9/2011

by ZAIDAMONICA at Urbanspoon Provided by Urbanspoon

It's sad to see how it has gone downhill since I started going there as a child. I hear they are remodeling, I look forward to the revamping!! more

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Fine Dining 6/25/2011

by DMarian at Citysearch Provided by Citysearch

This a beautiful venue. A rustic setting, nestled away from the traffic, surrounded by tropical flowering and a breathtaking view of the sea from every angle. Beautiful fireplaces, wooded flooring - nice country setting. The staff was wonderful from the reservation to the waiting. Cory was absolutely awesome and that contributed to our pleasant dining experience. The food was wonderful and the servings more than adequate. We brought our own dessert, a beautiful cake for my daughter's graduation. They provided a cake table for it to be beautifully displayed. There were other functions going on, and other lunch guests, but you would never know that. The background music was soothing and the seating was comfy. Would definitely recommend. more

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Editorial review from Urbanspoon 6/11/2011

by Crystal at Urbanspoon Provided by Urbanspoon

Little stuck up. We walked in w/o reservations and ask to sit by bayview window. They sat us away from view after asking. We watched as no one was seated by window view for hour or longer. The crab cakes were mediocre. Would recommend the restaurant up the street. We went there for dinner afterwards. more

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Editorial review from Urbanspoon 5/27/2011

by Tyler at Urbanspoon Provided by Urbanspoon

Rusty is right... Between the bad atmosphere and the horrible service I still am not sure why we stayed to eat. Great view of Miami. Our waiter and another waiter kept talking about drinking, partying, and how to mask the smell after smoking pot. The food was pretty good though. Fresh lobster and coconut shrimp is hard to mess up though. Overal out of a 10 I give it a 2. Only cause the food. Place is old and dirty more

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Editorial review from Urbanspoon 4/27/2011

by Priscilla at Urbanspoon Provided by Urbanspoon

Well we went here for Easter brunch, boy I have to say it was well worth the money. I've had dinner there before many times and the service and foos is great. more

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Editorial review from Urbanspoon 3/20/2011

by Momma2Bean at Urbanspoon Provided by Urbanspoon

Celebrated a birthday here recently and although the view is spectacular, the food was mediocre and service was TERRIBLE. When we complained about repeated issues the server and hostess apologized and said "it will never happen again" -- that's right because we won't be back. With a $200 bill they didn't discount any of the food,despite having made a major mistake with the order. What a disappointment. more

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Great Wedding on 1/1/11 1/5/2011

by tfreela at Citysearch Provided by Citysearch

We held our daughter's wedding on 1/1/11 using the patio for the ceremony and the left lounge for the buffet reception. The customer service provided by Elsa and Kimberly was fantastic along with the banquet manager who kept the event flowing and all were very accommodating. The planning process and communications improved greatly as we approached our event day. When I considered the volume of events they pull off every day, I understood why they could not respond to my frequent phone calls months prior to the event day.The buffet food was fresh and presented well. I would recommend the Rusty Pelican for any bride looking for an intimate venue with great service and food. The Jones Family more

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Editorial review from Urbanspoon 12/17/2010

by La Desayuneria at Urbanspoon Provided by Urbanspoon

Last June, I visited my friend Jeff in Miami, Jeff is like a father to me, as Father's day was close, we decided to play tourist in Miami, where he lives, and where I used to live for 5 years, before I moved to DC, Rusty Pelican is a huge restaurant, with the most incredible views of downtown Miami, they have an outdoor patio, but because was June in Miami, we choose the indoors, they have a large menu, but you can always ask the staff for recommendations, is a big expensive for what I usually write on the blog but worth it.\r \r We have the ceviche as an appetizer, it was amazing, the bread/cracker is warm and perfect for the ceviche, the fish is fresh and the hot factor is incredible, spicy and soft in the same dish. For main course, Jeff had the Florida Grouper grilled to perfection, Lemon Butter Sauce, Mashed Potatoes and Fresh Vegetables, and I pick the Shrimp & Scallop Scampi is a combination of Gulf Shrimp & Fresh Scallops Sautéed in Garlic Herb Butter, Served Over a Bed of Fettuccine.\r \r If you visit Miami, and want to get away from Miami Beach, treat you and your family for the culinary experience, it was fantastic. You need to drive to 3201 Rickenbacker Cswy, Key Biscayne, FL 33149\r \r Hope you enjoy as much as I did. more

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Owner Message

Make A Reservation through our website to save your seat! Indoor and Outdoor Dining Room are Open for Dinner daily, Lunch Monday through Friday, and Brunch on Saturday & Sunday - Make Your Reservation Today! Takeout and delivery are available. Known as the hottest destination for locals, celebrities, and tourists alike, the Rusty Pelican offers eclectic and impressive contemporary American cuisine and the freshest local seafood. It's never too early to plan your Holiday Parties. Contact an Event Specialist to start booking your Holiday Events today.

Enjoy all of the flavors of Miami with our Rusty Pelican Board for Two, Crispy Whole Local Snapper, Deco Maki Sushi and more!

Editorial

In Short
Decorated with white-clothed tables and aquariums, this bay restaurant maintains a steady flow of diners throughout the day. The menu includes traditional steak and seafood...
7/19/2006 Provided by Citysearch

Additional information

Hours: monday: 12:00PM-10:00PM, tuesday: 12:00PM-10:00PM, wednesday: 12:00PM-10:00PM, thursday: 12:00PM-10:00PM, friday: 12:00PM-11:00PM, saturday: 11:00AM-11:00PM, sunday: 10:00AM-10:00PM

Offers

Burrata Tomato Salad
One of The Rusty Pelican's newest items is one that has both foodies and critics raving with their Burrata Tomato Salad, which is explained in detail with our head Chef Fio, on what makes this dish your next must have for lunch or dinner.

Rusty Pelican - Miami

3201 Rickenbacker Causeway

Key Biscayne, FL 33149

Events

Seafood Restaurants

Fine Dining

Food & Dining

Retail Shopping

Restaurants

Best

Worst

Editorial review from Citysearch 1/9/2013

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 6/4/2012

OVERPRIECE FOR QUALITY 5/5/2012

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 4/26/2012

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 3/31/2012

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 3/21/2012

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 3/18/2012

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 2/15/2012

HORRIBLE SERVICE OVERPRICED 2/15/2012

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 1/31/2012

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 1/14/2012

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 1/10/2012

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 8/9/2011

Fine Dining 6/25/2011

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 6/11/2011

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 5/27/2011

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 4/27/2011

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 3/20/2011

Great Wedding on 1/1/11 1/5/2011

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 12/17/2010

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Rusty Pelican - Miami

3201 Rickenbacker Causeway Key Biscayne, FL 33149

Events

Seafood Restaurants

Fine Dining

Food & Dining

Retail Shopping

Restaurants

Best

Worst

Editorial review from Citysearch 1/9/2013

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 6/4/2012

OVERPRIECE FOR QUALITY 5/5/2012

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 4/26/2012

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 3/31/2012

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 3/21/2012

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 3/18/2012

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 2/15/2012

HORRIBLE SERVICE OVERPRICED 2/15/2012

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 1/31/2012

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 1/14/2012

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 1/10/2012

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 8/9/2011

Fine Dining 6/25/2011

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 6/11/2011

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 5/27/2011

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 4/27/2011

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 3/20/2011

Great Wedding on 1/1/11 1/5/2011

Editorial review from Urbanspoon 12/17/2010

ABOUT

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3201 Rickenbacker Causeway

Key Biscayne, FL 33149