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| - I just went to the Nauti Mermaid for the second time. The first time was about 5 years ago, and it seems like we had almost exactly the same experience both times. At least they have consistency going for them, which is nice...
Beyond that, both times it was kind of a lackluster affair. Both visits were instigated by a friend who decided on the venue for a birthday dinner. As he is certifiably insane about seafood, this seemed like a reasonable choice for him. For those of us who are less enamored with the fruit of the sea it's pretty blah.
For the seafood lover, it's probably an ok place, and the menu covers all of the bases - grilled and fried fish, lobster, crab, etc. There are some land bases offerings as well, though they are kind of limited.
Our group covered a lot of ground on the menu, and aside from those who ordered lobster or crab, the prevailing opinion was that it was kind of so so. Both the surf and turf burger and Nauti burger were pretty unremarkable. The grilled tuna was really spicy, but wasn't notable otherwise. The deep fried corn on the cob was pretty disappointing, I had high hopes, but there was nothing about it that made it seem better than a steamed or grilled ear of corn.
The fried plantains were a highlight, as were the accompanying sauces, though they did seem to be a little over done, and some of them stuck together in the fryer so parts were undercooked as well.
I will say the service was good - friendly and attentive. While I realize this should be the expected standard, I still appreciate it nonetheless.
The nautical/divey decor, isn't really my thing, and brought to mind a Joe's Crab Shack sort of vibe. I think when you try to do a restaurant like this anywhere other than on a beach it comes off as contrived, which it did.
Add in to all of this, the usual Warehouse district non-sense and extravagant parking charges (due to an Indian's game and a concert that night) and it kind off balances out to blah.
We didn't have a bad time, but I won;t be rushing back either, at least until my friend turns another year older.
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