A&B Lobster House — Restaurant in Key West

The last time I wrote a review, I wrote about spending quality time with my ungrateful complaining husband while waiting (over an hour and a half) at a quaint Bistro for the best crepe I ever had.

This time, I was in better company, my 2 sisters. We went away to Key West for girl's weekend. Woo Hoo! This foodie loved Key West!!

Our first meal was at the A & B Lobster House. It was a beautiful day. They have a lovely covered patio overlooking the water. The tables had plenty of space between them, so we were very comfortable.

We started with drinks.

For the first round, my baby sister ordered the Cosmopolitan. I ordered an old fashioned and asked for it to be on the sweet side. My older sister ordered a chardonnay with a cup of ice on the side. We sampled each others drinks.

Then we ordered our meals. We decided to order a few appetizers, and 2 meals, and eat family style.

For the appetizers, we ordered shrimp cocktail, lobster escargot, and lobster bisque.

For the entrée we ordered royal red shrimp fettuccine, and the red snapper special. The snapper dish came with risotto. I liked the thought of the sauce, but I NEVER order risotto out. There's only one restaurant that makes risotto as good as mine. I wanted to swap out the risotto for the leek mashed potatoes. I have a fondness for leek lately. My sisters said that they know that the risotto won't be as good as mine, but it will still be good. It was 2 to 1, so we ordered it just as it was.

We ordered a second round of drinks. Instead of wine, my older sister got the old fashioned on the sweet side.

We had a great time.

The appetizers came. Our waiter was great. He brought a bunch of little plates, and he even divided the bisque for us, a little bit in a tea cup...Just enough for a taste but not enough to ruin your appetite for the rest of the meal. The bisque was delicious. For the lobster escargot, I was kind of expecting lobster and escargot to be wrapped in pastry, but it wasn't. It was a big piece of pastry on top of this absolutely delicious cream sauce with bits of lobster, Sliced mushrooms and escargot. I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor of the sauce. I could taste the garlic in it...Many pricey restaurants are too afraid to use a lot of garlic, but this was perfect. It didn't overpower the pallet, it was just enough.

The shrimp cocktail was perfect. The shrimp was fresh and plump, and had that perfect snap when you bite into it. The cocktail sauce was fresh, and had an extra spoonful of shredded horseradish on top in the center. I thought that was brilliant because those who like it milder can scoop from the sides. All 3 of is dipped our shrimp right in the middle.

Then came the entrée.

We devoured the red shrimp fettuccine. The sauce was incredible, probably because it was clam cream. You may think, clam cream, yuck...but shells add such a depth of flavor to sauces, so it was fantastic. I recommend you try it before you say you don't like it.

The only reason I didn't give this place a 5 stars was the red snapper special. The snapper wasn't seasoned enough,maybe not seasoned at all. When I say 'seasoned', I mean both Master Chef 'seasoned', where they mean salted, and seasoned the way you and I think of, you know basil, Dill, sage, etc. There was only one ingredient I could taste...lemon. overpowering lemon. I think that even if it had the correct amount of lemon, it wouldn't have the correct amount of other season. It definitely wasn't salted. The risotto was disgusting as well. They used the right technique. It was creamy, but it was such an overpowering mouthful of lemon (and only lemon) that we all made a disgusted face.

Overall, we will go again, but we won't order anything in lemon sauce, and we'll stay away...

I recently dined at A &B Lobster Restaurant in Key West and had an exceptional experience. I would give this restaurant a solid 5-star rating for their outstanding lobster bisque and risotto .

Firstly, the lobster bisque was simply divine. It had a rich, creamy texture that was bursting with the natural sweetness of the lobster. The soup was perfectly seasoned, and the flavors were incredibly well-balanced. Every spoonful was a delight, and I couldn't get enough of it.

Now, let's talk about the lobster- the risotto- risotto itself It was truly a showstopper. The lobster was over cooked and hard i recomend getting a side of mushroom risotto and a daily special fish - the risotto itself was cooked to perfection but the lobster was not edible way overcooked hard chewy and not high caliber lobster I wish I could say it was tender and succulent. But it was not at a price of $ 54 go for another risotto the dish itself had a beautiful presentation was beautiful, and the dish was garnished with fresh herbs, enhancing its overall appeal. The accompanying sides were equally impressive, flavorful truffle sauce that complemented the dish perfectly.

The service at A & B Lobster Restaurant was exceptional. The staff natalia was attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable about the menu. prompt in taking orders and ensured that all my needs were met throughout the meal. Sugjested a new wine I had never tried and it was wounderful The ambiance of the restaurant was inviting and had a cozy coastal vibe, making it a pleasant place to enjoy a meal- a .cozy bar at the entrance

Overall, A and B Lobster Restaurant in Key West is a must-visit for lobster lovers. Their lobster bisque wow outstanding dishes that I highly recommend. With top-notch service and a welcoming atmosphere, this restaurant provides an unforgettable dining experience. THe bartender at the bar to the entrance - recomended I go down stairs for happy hour three times-. It really was so wierd - when I made it clear and repeated myseof I wanted dinner at the resturant - was not welcomng at all -I wanted dinner here? I only asked if they had happy hr then stated id eat in the restaurant-i wanted to eat here, he seemed really pushy to get me to g down stairs...

A & B Lobster House 700 Front St., Key West, FL 33040

4 Stars

Ah, the Conch Republic. How can you not love the Key West even if it is a tourist trap. It is our tourist trap. Any place Papa Hemingway lived has to be cool. Opened 70 years ago by good friends Alonzo Cothron & Berlin Fleton, A & B Lobster House has become a Key West Waterfront icon in what is now A & B Marina. They have expanded over the decades to include a slew of eateries.

Upon entering the abode, I almost thought I had stepped into an atelier; the place was so pristine and classic-looking. Michelle was the server today, and she was more or less what one expects from a place that bills itself as "fine dining." She was knowledgeable, polite, and professional. I asked for one Old Fashioned from Berlin's Bar, some Beef Carpaccio, and a New York Strip (Blackened and medium-rare) with a Caribbean Lobster Tail. Relaxing in the atmosphere of Key West, I was almost lost in the comforting arms of Hypnos when Michelle brought forth our fare. First, the Old Fashioned was made by someone who obviously knew what they were doing as it was delicious. I then turned my attention to the order of Beef Carpaccio. I learned from Michelle that the "fresh baked" part of this was neither fresh nor baked on-site. As I've stated a million times, if a dish involves any bread or pastry product, it has to start with the bread or pastry. If that is off, it throws the whole dish off, which was the case here. A for effort - D for quality.

Moving on to the Blackened New York Strip and Caribbean Lobster Tail. Looking at the pictures, you can clearly see that beautiful, blackened crust on the charred bovine. It was cooked to a succulent medium-rare and was extremely tasty on the palate. The accompanying Lobster Tail was delightfully seasoned, grilled to perfection and caused my taste buds to break into a Bruckins as they were freed of crappy food for the nonce.

The Carpaccio and bread are a 1, while I found the NY Strip and Lobster Tail to be a 4.5. Hence, the overall rating of a 4 -- giving greater weight to the entree.

The Big Boy says, "I'm not sure if there is better dining in tourist trap haven, but it's miles above anything up in Cocoa Beach serving...