The Keei Café is a restaurant we discovered on our honeymoon in 1996 and to which we returned from our home in MI in 2001 and 2005. Unfortunately, our Valentine’s Day dinner in 2022 was deeply disappointing. First, when I made our reservation via Open...Table, the full menu was shown, along with a special Valentine’s menu. When we arrived after an hour drive, however, we were told the prix fixe menu of 4 courses for $69 per person was the only option. Despite the fact that I let the server know I have some dietary restrictions (no garlic, onions or hot spice), she failed to inform me that the ahi poke appetizer I ordered came with spicy garlic aoli. My husband’s chicken with peanut sauce was o.k., but a bit dry and uninspired. The small salads weren’t objectionable, but consisted of just lettuce, grape tomatoes and a little feta cheese. For the entrée, we both chose the fresh catch which was mahi-mahi, and that was definitely the best dish we had. The fish was cooked well, served over whipped potatoes. I had ordered mine without the carmelized onions, however, and it came with them regardless. The accompanying vegetable medley also included onions even though the server had assured me that my plate would be onion-free. Dessert was a strawberry cheesecake with chocolate ganache. My husband doesn’t like cheesecake, and I can’t eat chocolate, so ultimately, spending about $180 after the tip (my husband had a glass of wine with the meal) was astronomically pricey given the limited choices.
Additionally, the server was only present to take our order and bring the check; otherwise, we were served by a very young busboy whose mask was below his nose the entire time, and who never cleared the appetizers. Compared to the superb meals we have had at the Keei Cafe in the past, this dinner was mediocre and exceptionally overpriced. The goal of the restaurant for Valentine’s Day seemed to be to make as much money as possible as quickly as possible with scant regard for service or quality. Paying $69 for my dinner when all I could eat was the small salad and entrée was ridiculous, and my husband was quite disappointed as well. We will not return.More