Saltwater a Sports Bar With an English Twist
04/16/2009 - By trent rowe - The Ledger
Lots of poets and singers have said, 'You can't go back.'
As a restaurant reviewer, sometimes you have to go back ... when a first visit is less than stunning. Saltwater Steak and Seafood Grill in Winter Haven needed a second look.
In November, Anne and Tony Debolla took over the relaxed restaurant-sports bar tucked away in the corner of a small plaza across from Cypress Gardens
.
The owners are English and, as well as sports bar fare, there's a section of English specialties. Staff is mostly young and eager.
Grouper, a standout on the last review in 2006, is gone. Monday and Saturday is all-you-can-eat of a bunch of things, including catfish for $24.99. That's a whole lot of cash for catfish.
Ten Shrimp Jammers, battered shrimp stuffed with Jack cheese for $8.99, were arranged around chopped iceberg lettuce — crisp-out and raw-in. But a replacement batch was great. The cheese melted into the coating so it was hard to see but easy to taste, and difficult to leave any.
Seven flatbread pizzas each costs $8.99 and our Spinach and Alfredo, presented on a square plate, was plenty good enough to order again for a meal.
Salads are heaped in wooden bowls. My wife asked for ranch, but I got ranch, too. It's not my favorite dressing.
Good fish and chips takes me back to my boyhood.
The cod and chips here were less than pleasantly memorable. Batter had fallen off a huge piece of cod, and hot oil ruined the batter and overcooked the fish. Promised steak fries turned up as regular fries (seasoned), and I had no choice of regular or mushy peas. Prices are $10.99 and $13.99.
I have never had shepherd's pie like this. A soup plate had plenty of what reminded me of meatloaf that had fallen apart, or soupy minced beef with tomato, topped by mashed potato and cheese. This was tasty but a new adventure. (dinner $10.99, lunch $8.99).
My wife's medium-rare Porterhouse steak ($18.99) arrived well-done.
A Seafood trio ($16.99) consisted of a few pieces of fried lobster (tender but flavorless), a bunch of one-bite shrimp (tasty), and a Lincoln Log arrangement of long strips of fried fish (bland).
That's the bad news.
Now the good news — a second visit.
My wife ordered salmon (surprise, surprise) with a Bourbon glaze, rice and garlic bread, glaze on the side please ($13.99). The meal turned out to be super. Beautifully cooked fish, sweet glaze, nice rice.
A small order of fish and chips was everything the first try wasn't — crisp batter, flaky fish, mushy peas, and OK fries.
Sunday Roast ($11.99) included a heap of lean, well-done slices of beef, two small Yorkshire puddings, fine mashed potatoes (roasted were gone), good broccoli and light gravy. It's a satisfying meal, but you have to appreciate well-done beef.
I asked the server about the $9.99 price on the bill. It was a special.
Desserts are largely bought ... and largely good. Malibu Rum Cheesecake ($4.49), a small disc, has light rum flavor and a hint of banana. A warm brownie in a brownie sundae ($3.99) turned the ice cream into sauce. The same happened in the Xango (cheesecake in a tortilla). Both tasted nice but almost needed straws for the ice cream sauce.
Key lime pie ($4.29) had me holding my ears so they didn't implode from the tartness.
Almost as an afterthought, our server said the owner had made Spotted Dick. It's a steamed pudding with currants served with plenty of custard sauce, this version more cakey than fruity ($3.50). A super ending to an English meal.
Nothing is outstanding from the last health inspection.
Things, other than the obvious, they can do to improve are:
Have baked potatoes
Harden the ice cream for desserts
Put ice in the club soda.
Going by the first visit, the rating would be two stars. After the second try, Saltwater Steak and Seafood's rating sneaks up to three stars.
Trent Rowe can be reached at trent.rowe@theledger.com or 802-7512.
