Sol by the Sea — Restaurant in Key Largo

Stayed at the resort, had dinner here.

Made reservations for sunset (a must for that time), got a high top table next to the edge overlooking the water. Spectacular view, beautiful sunset.

The ambience is very nice, slightly upscale beach vibe, can dress casual or nicer, either way fits in.

As with the rest of the resort, the people who work there are extremely friendly and helpful, checked on us constantly to make sure we had everything we needed. Later on during our dinner, the chef came out and we talked about the food, he also came back later during desert to see how we liked the key lime pie, was a nice touch.

Decent menu selections, and as was our norm for this trip, ordered a couple glasses of wine, an appetizer (wings), and split the main course, fish tacos.

Fish tacos - unfortunately this was our first disappointment. Was blackened Mahi (catch of the day) which in itself was very good. However we were disappointed in the actual tacos (you get 3) in that there really wasn’t much of anything other than a tortilla, the fish, a little sauce, one small piece of pickled onion, and a sprinkling of fresh cilantro. We have been in the keys a week, and have gorged on the spectacular fish tacos from food trucks, beach dives, and local hangouts, and all of them were loaded with flavor from the shredded cabbage, smoked corn, beans, chipotle sauce, spring onions, shredded carrots, and many other fresh additions. This was not the case here…and was very disappointed. Bland almost bitter flavor from the cilantro, and again the only good thing was the actual small piece of blackened Mahi. We discussed this with the chef when he came out, he said they must have not put in the mango salsa which may have accounted for the blandness. Either way, he left, and we finished our sad fish tacos.

Was looking forward to a piece of key lime pie, as had put off having any until now, our last night in the keys. We were delighted to get perfectly sized small piece of pie, very pretty presentation with actual whipped crème (not the typical meringue loaded on top), with a drizzle of raspberry sauce along the plate. We liked the “normal” sized portion, as during our trip we had watched people order key lime pie and quite often they each got what looked to be about a quarter of a pie, loaded with meringue on top…each probably a full day of calories in itself without any other food!

Unfortunately the happiness with our key lime pie ended at the first bite…very sweet (not that nice tart of key lime), and a horrible soggy crust. Obviously it had been made at least a day prior and sat there soaking into the crust,,,a gooey mess…not good!

The chef came back and asked how the pie was, and when we told him, he said they don’t make it on site, but order it from somewhere else. Now it makes sense, old soggy, too sweet key lime pie…what a disappointment.

It was a little odd, that even after the chef asked for our input, and we honestly shared our disappointment with the tacos and pie, he just thanked us for our input and left. No offer to make things right, bring us another desert we might like better, etc….nothing! (So why did he ask for our input?)

For a very nice resort, this restaurant does not cut it. Other than the view, I’d suggest going elsewhere.

Would I go there again…no. Would I...

A Stunning Sunset, A Perfect Proposal, and Unforgettable Flavors at Sol by the Sea

My boyfriend asked me if I wanted to celebrate his 30th birthday at Sol by the Sea, a waterfront restaurant in Key Largo. When I looked it up on Google, I immediately thought it would be the perfect spot to welcome his 30s. The views were absolutely stunning, with all seating outdoors, definitely an ideal setting for a date night or any special occasion to set the perfect mood.

We were joined by my brother and sister-in-law. For drinks, my brother ordered the Sunset Bliss, a delightful tropical cocktail made with sunset pineapple vodka, pineapple juice, lime juice, and grenadine. It was sweet, tangy, and refreshing, just like a Key Largo sunset in a glass. My boyfriend chose a bottle of Chandon Brut for the table, a crisp and elegant sparkling wine that added a festive sparkle to our celebration.

For dinner, my brother enjoyed the churrasco skirt steak, served with chimichurri and yucca fries. The steak was perfectly cooked and bursting with flavor while the yucca fries were crispy and satisfying. My boyfriend and sister both chose the blackened grouper, paired with creamy coconut rice, zesty mango salsa, crispy fried plantain strips, and a hint of red curry, a wonderful combination of spicy, sweet, and savory flavors. I opted for the crispy whole Thai snapper with fresh herbs, garlic chips, toasted coconut rice, peanuts, and jim jaw sauce on the side. The dish was a delicious blend of bold flavors and contrasting textures, making every bite a treat.

After dinner, my boyfriend suggested taking pictures by the beach. Little did I know that this moment would turn into the most magical one of the night. He got down on one knee and proposed with the sweetest message. After I said yes, our amazing server Lazar surprised us with complimentary champagne and our dessert was on the house. We had ordered the classic Key Lime Pie because you simply can’t visit the Keys without trying it. The pie was creamy, tart, and the perfect way to end the meal.

Watching the sunset while sipping champagne with the person I love most made this night unforgettable. Everything was absolutely perfect. Lazar was spectacular, warm, welcoming, and knowledgeable about the menu, making our experience even better. I can’t wait to come back to Sol by the Sea for more special moments and incredible food.

If you want amazing food, breathtaking views, and a warm, inviting atmosphere, Sol by the Sea is...

If you want to feel unwelcome and not appreciated then don’t come here!

We had made dinner reservations on Monday night (June 3rd) at “Sol by the Sea” since we wanted to try something different nearby to celebrate an anniversary. However we were not expecting to get an insensitive remark from a staff member and she was even the manager - VIVIAN! -The hostess at that time can attest to this incident.

When we got to the restaurant we were so amazed with the sunset views that we had to take some photos before getting in but when we told her that we had reservations she explicitly said in a very unpleasant tone “IF YOU HAVE A RESERVATION IN THE RESTAURANT THEN YOU HAVE TO STAY THERE AND DON'T WALK AROUND AND YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO WALK ANYWHERE IN THE PROPERTY” telling us straight that we were so shocked and couldn’t even realize what to react.

We were so insulted with that remark that we almost decided to leave and go somewhere else. However both of us were so hungry already so we just stayed and finished the night. I told the hostess about her comments if she really "meant about that" but she interpreted in another way but for us it was a whole issue that bothered us the whole night. I was about to confront her when she went to the table asking how we were but my partner stopped me to avoid any altercation.

Honestly this was not nice of her to say that because was she expecting us to go around the pool, take a dip or go to the rooms and do something bad that can disrupt other guests? What kind of staff do you have there that would think like that and the fact that we were dressed nicely to celebrate a good dinner and pay MONEY was rudely unacceptable. - We felt that this was an isolated case of profiling and I hope I’m right.

Truly, this was not a good experience and first impression with our overall visit to the property. It was a good choice that we stayed next door at least there we were appreciated and respected. Just imagine if we stayed here and we got that comment, it would be very disappointing after paying a lot of money and how bad it would affect us emotionally and psychologically.

I've experienced many different Autograph Collection properties and by far this was the worst and was not expecting it from a Marriott Standard.

Very very disappointed. I hope...