Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Schooners Restaurant - Jupiter, Florida: Rev it up or get left behind











Schooners Restaurant
1001 N. Highway A1A
Jupiter, Florida 33477
561-746-7558
Mon-Thurs and Sunday: 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.

By Jane Feehan

With a name like Schooners it’s no surprise seafood reigns here. This dreary restaurant sits near but is not on the water; too bad, because they need a view to justify dinner (not lunch) prices.

Schooners seems a bit expensive with daily specials averaging $27. Fish is fresh but lacks flair in preparation. A sweet potato crusted grouper ($26+) looked more like a few spoonfuls of potato were thrown on top and nuked for a minute or two; thankfully the grouper was fresh.  I ordered a baked potato and coleslaw for sides. The “baked” potato came via the microwave rather than the oven. The side of coleslaw was excellent. Fellow diner supped on a generous portion of lemon sole with a savory side of beans and rice.  Our issues were the beginning of the meal: salad served with a mediocre bottled dressing and resurrected frozen dinner rolls (the grocery store variety).

Does it cost that much more money to make good first impressions? After beginnings like these, I’m not in a good mood about the main course. Anyone who reads this blog knows I’m into good beginnings, good first impressions. A restaurant meal consists of more than the main course.

So: Schooners needs renovating, better rolls and salad dressing, and more sophisticated food preparation. Maybe then they could draw younger patrons.  They have a big following but it’s mostly the over 65 crowd. Perhaps Schooner’s has seen better days. Service: good. Copyright©2010. Jane Feehan. All rights reserved. Enter city in search box on right for more restaurants in area.



Tags: Jupiter dining, Jupiter seafood.