The Rhum House — Restaurant in Marathon

We had high hopes for our evening at the Rhum House and, in many ways, it delivered — but unfortunately, a negative experience at the bar left us disappointed.

We made an 8:30 PM reservation for six, which was the earliest we could get out for a special adults-only night during our family vacation. I had specifically chosen this restaurant because of its great reviews and exciting menu, and we were all genuinely looking forward to it.

The food absolutely lived up to the hype — easily the best we had on our trip. And our server, Olivia, was phenomenal: warm, professional, and impressively knowledgeable. She handled our table with grace and even went the extra mile when answering detailed questions and accommodating drink requests.

The downside came from the bar. After Olivia put in our second round of drinks, we noticed a clear shift in the atmosphere. It turns out last call was at 9 PM — something we weren’t informed of when we were seated. Instead of a simple heads-up or polite explanation, we witnessed the bartender, Brian, acting unprofessionally and with visible frustration toward Olivia. It created a very uncomfortable energy that unfortunately lingered throughout the rest of our evening.

Drinks were slow to arrive, and even simple mixed beverages became a challenge — at one point, Olivia had to go downstairs for ice after Brian had discarded it before our food even arrived. While she continued to provide excellent service, the overall experience was soured by the tension coming from the bar.

This restaurant clearly has a talented kitchen and some truly standout staff, but the guest experience suffers when hospitality isn’t consistent across the board. For a place at this price point, we expected to feel welcomed the entire night — not like we were being hurried out or treated as a burden.

We’d love to come back for the food, but hope to see more attention given to front-of-house professionalism, especially behind the bar.

I emailed the manager with our concerns but...

Over a three day stay, we ate at Rhum House as much as possible. The food was exquisite. We were traveling as a group of 8-15, depending on whether our Florida family joined us that day or not. In that time period, we tried just about everything on the menu. The buttery seared scallops with the incredible parmesan polenta; the bison which was cooked to order, tender and flavorful; the chicken shawarma was so tender and flavorful we ordered it both nights. There was a roasted carrot soup, with coconut and ginger, that was a perfect balance of creamy, roasted and spicy. The special fish was cooked to highlight the delicate nature of the fish and add a slight nuttiness. And for dessert, the mango sorbet tasted like a bite of fresh mango. All flavors were balanced so beautifully, we asked for the chef to come out on the last night to give him a standing ovation. As for the ambiance, the inside is cozy and classy like a 1920's wooden ship from an Agatha Christie novel. There are cozy benches with upholstered cushions. The bar chairs look out at the stunning view, just past the vast array of liquor. The outer deck provided a warm and protected view of the water in the morning, and an elegant table for 15 at night.

Mackenzie and Sidney were stand out in their service with a friendly yet professional air. We only wished we could take them all home with us.

Last but not least, the Mai Tais were to die for!!!! Not like any other I've ever had. All the ingredients were top shelf with a perfect balance of smokey, sweet and a little tart. Try it with a float of rum on top. Sidney and Mackenzie are masters at the craft of the Mai Tais (Sidney trained Mackenzie).

Whether you are a local or a lucky tourist, please give Rhum House your patronage. Make it your first meal in your trip, so you can come back as often as you like if it charms you as much...

We are local to Marathon and have dined at the Rhum House 3 times now. Each time the food has been wonderful, some of the best food in Marathon, the main issue is the service. Not one of our 3 times have we received remotely decent customer service. Everytime the service was slow and inattentive. We returned a third time to celebrate a friends birthday with a larger group (7) and sat with Jannet on the patio. Once again we received slow service some in our group waiting 10+ minutes on a beer. We were not in a hurry and thus we let it slide, however when we received the checks to find a 23% autogratuity placed on them we were dumbfounded. Everyone in our group works or has worked in the service industry and understand gratuity is normal for large party's however typically the server will mention it to the group and the sum is closer to 18%. Janet not only did not mention the added gratuity but argued with us when we said we did not feel it was appropriate for the service received she did not apologize but did remove the gratuity. We still tipped 20% as we understand this is how servers make their money but we will not return and do not understand how this place has so many...