I live in Miami but spend a lot of time at our summer place in the Keys, located in Marathon. There are many good and great restaurants in the keys, but when I’m down that way you can be sure to find me at The Island. It's located right off US1, bay side, on the Overseas Hwy, mile marker 54. Come by car or boat for breakfast, lunch or dinner and happy hour from 3pm-5pm.

Call me a regular there. I’ve dined at least 25 to 30 times at The Island and the food has never let me down. I’ve tried almost everything on the menu; The Island's Seafood Tower, Fried Calamari, Conch Fritters, Grouper & Dolphin Sandwich, Chicken Caesar salad, Barbeque Shrimp, my favorite dish- the Macho Chicken Nachos, and off coarse their burgers.

I ordered the Sirloin Beef Burger, which is char-grilled Angus beef with cheese, bacon and jalapenos. The burger was slightly under-cooked which is not bad because most places, when you order medium, cook it medium-well. The meat had a good flavor too. It was nothing special, but it’s big and very well-presented. Instead of fries, I ordered tatter tots, which were phenomenally good to eat with the burger. I have to say, for a place that specializes in seafood the burger wasn’t too bad. I would recommend it. For dessert I had the Key Lime Pie, which is always awesome. I would also recommend the Four Berry Pie.

We sat with Marta, I believe. I wish all servers were like her; very friendly and attentive, always coming around asking if we needed anything, and she made sure our drinks were always filled to the top. I enjoy sitting at the bar sometimes but I try to avoid it, unfortunately the service is ok at best, and I’m being nice. I usually sit at the bar in the evening for a cold drink and the bartenders seem to be bothered when you ask them a simple question. They don't come around as often as they should. At one point I felt like jumping over the bar and getting the beer myself. For someone who’s there as much as I am, it would be nice for someone to remember my face and name!

In all, The Island is a great place to visit. Just lay back with a good cold drink, fresh seafood, and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Honestly, I can’t wait to go back...