Rusty Pelican - Miami - Seafood restaurant in Key Biscayne - 3201, Rickenbacker Cswy, USA

We have dined at Rusty Pelican several times but most recently we had our wedding reception here one week ago. We called six months ago and spoke with Gabby Koons, Restaurant Manager (she’s also in charge of large events) and inquired about having our wedding reception for 20 people. She emailed me the preset menus for large party reservations. She also said that one week in advance of our event was more than enough time to reserve. Fast forward we called her two weeks ahead of the event and the VIP lounge we were counting on was reserved for another event. We were distraught and disappointed to learn about the news so close to our wedding day. We expressed the fact that she had assured me that we would have ample time to reserve in just one week before our wedding reception. We wanted a more personal and intimate setting, and we just prefer an intimate and less trafficked area. This was an important and very meaningful moment for us and our family. We don’t know how Gabby and her team pulled it off and honored the VIP lounge, but in the end she also added our new name as a married couple as we requested “Mr. & Mrs. - - - -“ on the menus as this will serve as a keepsake for our guests celebrating our wedding day with us. Our servers were absolutely amazing as was our waterfront city skyline view. The food, drinks and service exceeded our expectations and our reception was memorable. 😍 Folks my advice to you is if you have a large group, make sure you make your reservations more than a month in advance. Highly recommend!

Our waiter, Alberto, was amiable and knowledgeable of the menu. The surf and turf he suggested, lobster red snapper, and NU steak were terrific! The drinks were delicious, and the flavors were like no other. I loved it. Since I was a teenager, I’ve always wanted to come here, and this was one of my best experiences. The wife and I have been to many different restaurants in DC and NY, and this was the best overall.

Absolutely enjoyed the diverse drink and food options during happy hour, though service could use improvement; waited 30 minutes for cold fries. The staff was warm, and the drinks were perfectly crafted. Beautiful views and great drinks make it a go-to spot after work. Highly recommend!

The view of Miami from the restaurant’s terrace is beautiful on a cloudless sunny February afternoon. The cocktails are delicious but overpriced (double). Bottomless mimosas to El Mariachi cocktail made with Mezcal and other ingredients. Really good. My son’s double stack mini burgers tasted good, but the fries were not hot. The grilled octopus also was good with potatoes, pesto and octopus ink. The main dish for two people was a board of salad, one lobster tail, steak, 2 pieces fried chicken, 2 poached eggs, 2 waffles, 2 watermelon wedges. The lobster tail was a bit rubbery, the steak not as tender as expected, the eggs were good as well as ¼ fried chicken. The server was good but service is slow going. Luckily the atmosphere compensated for the delayed kitchen. It was at least a 2 1/4 hours dining experience.

More aesthetically pleasing than anything. It’s on the island, yacht area. Plenty of parking. You walk into your typical instagram worthy grass/flower backdrop for photos. I appreciated the artwork all over the walls in the entire restaurant. I loved how the artwork was variety. I went on a weekday so the wait was only 10 minutes or less. I asked to sit outdoors and that’s what they gave me. Although inside was pretty, outdoors was such more more of a experience. The VIEW- Beautiful! I could see a perfect view of Miami. It was gloomy outside but if it were nice out- it would be so much better. I could smell the water (in a good way) we both ate the lobster sandwich which was pretty good. The brioche bread was very good quality, I saved the other half for later and it held up nice. I do wish we were able to have the full menu and not a small lunch menu option. I saw a lot of items I wanted to try, that were on the menu online but not available once we were seated. This was the biggest blow for me because I chose this spot because of the online menu.

View is nice. The short ribs app and bread brought out was the best part. We ordered the sea bass (I’d give it a 4/5 but plantain flavoring was off), and the lobster and shrimp risotto (2/5). Our food came out very fast and the shrimp & lobster was gummy/undercooked. We had to send it back, thankful the service was good though. Ambiance is beautiful. Just the food was eh. Maybe if I tried other things it would change my review but if I ever returned, I’d go for apps and drinks.

Overall a very enjoyable higher-end dining experience. They have self-parking and valet parking, but so many of the empty parking spots were blocked with pylons (held for valet) that you had to wait until someone else left to self-park. Once inside there was a 15-20min wait after check-in before we were brought to our table. At the table we enjoyed a great view of Miami's skyline and the many boats out on the water. The restaurant was packed and the service was slow but very courteous and professional. The portion sizes were more than reasonable and the food quality was solid. For me, this restaurant is all about the view.

Everything was perfect! We had dinner here on a weeknight, made a reservation and were seated as soon as we arrived. We were given the choice to sit inside or outside and we chose to sit outside. It was a beautiful night. The boat traffic in the bay area was minimal, only one boat passed playing loud music but I didn't notice any other boats that passed by. It was a windy day in Miami but the wind was very calm on the patio. I needed a few gluten free options and, while they don't have a gluten free menu, the server was able to suggest a few menu items that worked for me. It was relaxing dinner, the service wasn't rushed. We had apps and dinner but we were too full for dessert. More than satisfied with my experience at The Rusty Pelican.