On my first trip driving through the Keys, my friend and I had planned on going to a different restaurant but hit a traffic jam and pulled in Marker 88 Restaurant on a whim. What a pleasant surprise. The food was great as was the service. Sitting by the water's edge with a spectacular view. I live at the Jersey Shore by the ocean but it was the first time I had seen the Gulf of Mexico. Wonderful. I would go back again. Thanks to a traffic jam we had a great experience.

We had been to this restaurant in May 2005 and had a wonderful meal, so when we were visiting the Keys again in March 2007, we decided to return. However, the experience this time was not as good. We were shown to a table at the waters edge and it was very dark. There was a candle on the table and both myself and my husband kept moving it around so that we could read the menu. My husband had a steak and I had a Tuna Salad as a main course. My glass of wine was served in a beeker!! which I thought was a bit strange. We waited a very long time for our meals, and had finished our drinks and sat with empty glasses until our meals were brought out. My meal was small for a main course, and it was so dark that I just couldn't see what I was eating, and the tuna was hardly cooked at all. I had asked for it to be cooked fairly well done, but I suspect the Chef was told rarely done .It was horrible. My husband said that his steak was all fatty and was not good at all. Also the meals are quite expensive, which is okay if you enjoy the food, but it definately was not worth the money and we will not return again.

We ate at 3 places on this trip and MM88 was the top. Others were Lor-e-lei and Morada Bay. What made MM88 so great was the food - an amazing fresh fish with a Martinique sauce, best I ever had, and I'm still dreaming about it.
The location was also very nice, out on the beach, although not as cozy as Morada Bay, still very nice. Live music made the dinner magical and romantic. Service was good, dessert not bad. What Islamorada really needs is an ice cream parlor!

We ate here as a result of a recommendation, but wouldn't recommend it to anyone else.

We sat outside, which has no atmosphere unless you eat during daylight when you can see the sea. Otherwise, it's very dark and we struggled to read the menus, let alone see our food.

The food was expensive for what it was - pretty basic. The fish was smothered in sauce, so you couldn't really taste it, and the vegetables weren't too great either.

For the money - which is quite expensive - I wouldn't recommend Marker 88. Try Island Grill which was much better value and a nicer setting.