Tuesday, September 22, 2009

The Boathouse (Isle of Palms)

Last year I went to the Boathouse and had a fabulous time. Before dinner my wife and I had drinks on the roof-top bar and watched the sunset. Then we went downstairs for a meal that was so amazing, we both had talked about for over a year.

So, last week when we visited the Boathouse our expectations were high. Unfortunately, this time the Boathouse didn't deliver.

On this soggy day we entered the boathouse, approached the hostess, and gave my name for the reservations I made earlier in the day. The hostess looked and couldn't find my reservation. She then took a substantial amount of time trying to decide where to seat us. In all honestly, the place was half empty -- it shouldn't be THAT difficult to find us a table.

Finally we were seated at a tiny corner table and we took a look over the menu. I knew what I wanted. The last time there, I had a fantastic the crab stuffed Tilapia. So that's what I ordered this time. My wife decided on one of the fish specials. And we both decided to share an order of fried calamari, and a 1/2 bottle of Chardonnay.

The calamari was pretty bad. The light breading was good, but the calamari itself was VERY rubbery. Stop rolling your eyes -- I know that calamari is usually rubbery. This was different. It was so rubbery I could barely chew it! UGH!

Well, after that horrible appetizer I was almost scared to try my entree. Fortunately, it was as good as I remembered. The Tilapia was cooked perfectly -- tender, flaky, and still moist. The crab stuffing was a actual crab cake. Part of me likes this, part doesn't. The crab cake was so large, it was more like the Tilapia was placed on top of the crab, rather than stuffed with it. Id rather they actually stuff the Tilapia, or at least just say that the dish consists of Tilapia and a crab cake.

But aside from that the crab cake was delicious! In addition, the side of smoked gouda macaroni and cheese was delicious! Almost as good as the macaroni and cheese at Maddi's Southern Bistro!

We liked our entrees so much we opted to stay for dessert. Along with two coffees, we decided to share an order of cheesecake. The coffee was good. The cheesecake was another matter. Aside from obviously being pre-made and then delivered to the restaurant, it just wasn't good. It was chalky and tasted stale. In addition, the apricot puree it was served over left our mouths with a taste of chalky socks.

To his credit, our waiter quickly witnessed our displeasure, took our dessert, and offered to get us the chocolate mousse cake. Which we readily agreed to.

He brought the cake, and again, it was obviously pre-made, and was probably frozen. To be honest, I was a little disappointed. The Boathouse features some very good entrees. Therefore, I anticipated that they'd have homemade, or at least fresh, desserts. I was wrong.

The previous time we left the Boathouse we couldn't wait to return. This time we left, and decided that we wouldn't return any time soon.

Score:
Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Total: 11/15

Price: $$$$$$ (Just over $50 per person)
Kid Friendly: Yes. Children and families abound at this restaurant.

Conclusion: Decent entrees, but the appetizer and dessert were disappointing. The price tag was far too high for the pre-made (and probably frozen) food.

Restaurant Info:
The Boathouse at Breach Inlet
101 Palm Blvd.
Isle of Palms, SC 29451
p) 843-886-8000
http://www.boathouserestaurants.com/bi_home.html

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