‘Watts for Dinner:’ Dolphin Tiki is Marco Island’s hidden gem

Our next dining destination is Dolphin Tiki Bar & Grill in Angler’s Cove on Marco Island.

All seating is outdoor and waterside. Your only choice, sun, or shade? We went with shade.

Things got off to an appetizing start with the “Boom Boom Shrimp Sushi Roll” ($14.95). It’s lightly fried gulf shrimp with avocado and cucumber, topped with “boom boom” sauce. This dish has a great presentation. The roll is huge, enough for two (at least as an appetizer). This was my favorite dish of the entire meal.

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My only issue. The rice was a little hard on the outside. Which means it either wasn’t cooked long enough, which I doubt, or that the roll had been refrigerated and was not freshly done. That’s my guess (thanks to years of experience with Publix sushi).

For my main entrée, I selected the “Monterey Chicken Sandwich” ($15.95). It’s a huge piece of

grilled chicken, tons of bacon, melted pepper jack and avocado (you can add tomato, lettuce and/or onion.

This is a big sandwich. The lettuce was less than spectacular, as was the avocado. But the meat side of this sandwich was really spectacular.

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You get your choice of choice of fries, onion strings, cole slaw, black beans and rice or vegetables. I selected the onion strings, and I was not disappointed. Very good!

My dining companion had the “Famous ‘Tiki’ Grouper Sandwich” ($17.95). You get grilled, fried, blackened or lemon pepper on a brioche bun with homemade tartar sauce. He selected blackened. It came more grilled, in my opinion. He selected the fries. They were plentiful and delicious. How do I know? Sharing is always encouraged at my table.

The drinks flow, especially the frozen variety. You can get them with alcohol or virgin. There’s no bad seat in the house. The staff is super friendly and welcoming.

Dolphin Tiki is definitely Marco Island’s hidden gem. Happy eating!

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This newspaper pays for all meals related to dining reviews. We do not solicit or accept free food. Not all dishes are featured in print, but you can find a gallery of all reviewed dishes online at marconews.com. 

If you go

Dolphin Tiki Bar & Grill

• 1021 Anglers Cove, Marco Island
• 239-394-4048
• dolphintikibar.com