We finally found an omelette station in Punta Gorda! Food and service was excellent!! read more

88 Keys - Celebrating Father's Day 2021 - New American Near Me - Punta Gorda, Florida

We came for the Prime Rib but left happy about their scallops. They were cooked to perfection. The seafood salad was also delicious. I would come back for sure! Scallops are my favorite seafood and these didn't disappoint! They also had live music which was a nice touch to the night. read more

This is a hidden gem of Punta Gorda, it's in hotel that is not a national chain, it was a sports pub , that was gutted and remodeled to an upscale restaurant and bar. The chef and fabulous and outstanding with what he presents for food, the waitstaff is outstanding and very attentive. I know in this area there are chefs and restaurant that everyone like and honor everyday, but this one is a must . Me and my companion went this trip to try their prefix menu, there where three choices for appetizers, main course and dessert ( dessert is homemade even the gelato). I had chosen the potstickers, the steak and the homemade pineapple upside down cake. My companion chose the potstickers, pad Thai and the salted caramel gelato. Everything was good to perfection, the potstickers where out of this world with the soy ginger glaze and the carrot compote that was underneath was just light and heavenly, would have asked for that in a bowl with pita chips. My steak was cook correctly and was delicious, the pad Thai was just the right amount of spicy and peanut flavor. But the best part of the meal was the dessert, just the right size and delicious, the pineapple upside down cake was very delicious and the cake was moist and just a great spice cake. The salted caramel gelato was also delicious and had a great balance of salt and Carmel. The prefix menu is for the off season and will run Monday to Thursday every week, I don't know if it will change out, I'm sure wit will and the length I did not fine out from the manager. But it's a must try , in my book. read more

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My wife, daughter and I had dinner here tonight. Very very good. Started with warm rolls, then seared crab cake for an appetizer and some wine. Spiced to perfection. My wife and daughter had the petit filet and I had the NY sirloin. We thoroughly enjoyed each option. The server was great too. No room for dessert but we managed an after dinner drink at the Perch 360 and watched the sun set. We will be back read more

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Don't bother. Food was ok but came out cold after waiting about 2 hours."Chef" offered to cook it again but we told him didn't want to wait another couple hours to eat read more

Went there for thanksgiving. The waitresses did the best she could. Seating was awful we were placed in the middle of a three way isle , so we constantly had to get up to let people by. The food was awful, salty , turkey was cold and mostly chunks of dark meat. Vegetables were cold over cooked and lymph. We booked dinner for 5:00 two weeks in advance . They were no other times open according to Yelp. About 5 days before Thanksgiving the restaurant called and explained their last seating was 4:00 not 5:00 so of course we took it. This is not the first time we got the shaft from this restaurant but it is the last. The waitresses were in agreement with our sentiments. read more

We just had a great dinner at 88 Keys tonight. Jessica was our server and did a fabulous job. Chef Tim knocked it out of the park with several of his dishes. Everything we tried was awesome. KeyLime pie for dessert too it off. read more

Where do I begin? They lost our reservation. Took 1 hour 45 minutes to get salads and appetizers. We received a different menu than other diners....we saw food delivered to other patrons that was NOT on our menus. "Piano bar and singer" playing so load in small room you can't have a conversation with person sitting next to you! They need to be playing in a loud bar somewhere, not a restaurant! Told by waiter "only two cooks cooking for 3 restaurants, sorry for the wait." Manager came when we were done to offer free dessert. The only thing good was the food, when we finally got it! Manager needs to be responsible for obnoxiously loud music and seating when they can't accommodate diners. Won't go back. read more

Excellent! Service, food, ambiance , drinks were made to perfection per the people at my table.

If you love excellent service and Ahi Tuna Nachos 88 Keys is a must. Chef Brian Blondun's Ahi Tuna Nachos are the best I have had in South Florida. The amount of tuna is more then enough to share and if you didn't know you had ordered tuna you would never know it was tuna. The tuna was so mild and and the slices were so thick it looked like rare steak and had an awesome mild flavor. The ginger and seaweed were plentiful but not mixed in and the sauce and tortilla chips added to the blend of flavors. The bartender Ashley made it a great experience. Thanks so much to Chef Brian your Ahi Tuna Nacho's are the best in South Florida. read more

No complaints. Food was good, hot, fresh, reasonably priced and the server was excellent. We had breakfast sandwiches, a fruit cup and coffee. All were tasty. Parking is easy. read more

The bad: Awful experience. Tremendously understaffed. The good: Food quality We were there over two hours. Horrible service. I asked for Brussels sprouts and was told I couldn't swap out my asparagus. I'd have to pay for them as an extra side because the chef refuses to serve it any other way than what's on the menu. The asparagus is listed as crunchy. They were deep fried. Ordered dirty martinis. They weren't dirty. My wife's wine didn't come after 20 minutes. He forgot what she ordered. When he finally brought it, not a word of apology. Ordered the tableside Caesar for 2. He brought it out already plated with no mention of why it wasn't made tableside. Still paid full price. When questioned later, he said one of their tables broke. My friend ordered pork chop. 10 minutes later he advised they were out of pork chop. Filets were ordered medium rare. They came out medium well. The chef is more concerned with how I order my food than cooking the steaks properly. The waiter never offered dessert. He brought one check for 2 couples. Absolutely lazy. We paid since having him split would've added a half hour to the misery. There are too many good places to eat in the area to endure a restaurant like this. read more

From the strange interaction when asking for a table, to the service to the food, our experience here was horrendous. We came in around 8pm on a Saturday night and were immediately informed that the kitchen closes at 9. Fine... there were three of us and we didn't plan on taking too long. The male server didn't greet us, seemed in a rush although we were one of maybe 5 tables in the entire place, and would disappear for long stretches. The soup of the day came out luke warm, and my $27 dollar salmon and Swiss chard dish consisted of a small piece of salmon over a pile of broccoli. When I questioned the vegetable discrepancy, I was told they were out of Swiss chard and when I asked if I could have a small side of risotto (my boyfriend's dish included risotto) was told the chef had already put it away and didn't want to take it back out so close to closing! They ended up comping my glass of wine but it didn't make up for the subpar experience we had and the overpriced, poor-quality food. This place needs a serious reality check. read more

It's a great experience. The ambiance is very welcoming and charming. Amazing cocktails, food and service. The fusion noodles with steak and shrimp is excellent! Staff are extremely knowledgeable and make great recommendations. read more

Though we are regulars to PG, we have not visited 88 Keys for dinner. They are on our radar now. We just saw the news story about 88 Keys opening up specifically for a PG couple who received recent diagnoses of terminal cancer for each of them. When considering what they want to do "for the rest of their lives", the wife wanted to go to dinner for her birthday. However, this is tough in a COVID world. She reached out to 88 Keys to see when might be a good time to come to dinner. 88 Keys went all out for them. You have our future patronage. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of this couple. read more

I am so disappointed. I booked well in advance for my mums birthday for today Sunday 16Th. Booked on Yelp reservations 2 pm Sunday 16Th get there and restaurant is closed !!! Seemingly they are always closed on Sunday but I was able to book and get a confirmation. My mum was so disappointed. First time out since covid. I don't know what else to say except see my mums sadness :(. read more

88 Keys was not that great for the caliber of restaurant they are trying to represent. For $30-$40 a plate' expectations should be high and it the food was medicre at best, not full of flavor as it should. It was a spot that I tried simply becuase it was part of the hotel I was staying. I would say pass on this spot there are so many other choices in downtown to pick from. read more

Just got back from the Thursday nite prime rib special. Wow. First time at this beautiful restaurant and we'll definitely be back. We were quickly sat and greeted in a quaint dining room that is separated from the bar area by pocket doors. The renovation I read about was very tastefully done. Service was spectacular and prompt with water, bar beverages and delicious warm bread. My wife and I skipped over the menu and went right for the prime rib. The dishes came out very quickly and the slabs of prime rib were very large. The potatoes, stringbeens, sauce for the potatoes and dipping for the prime rib were perfect and tasty. We had a great experience and will be back soon. read more

We were in Punta Gorda for one night. This restaurant was in our hotel. It's amazing. It was a rainy Sunday night and the place was closed but the Chef was there. He came to our table in the bar which was open, answered all our questions about the menu. Everything is locally sourced. Our meal was delicious and the service was excellent. Note to Yelp who had me make a reservation on our drive there.... They are closed Sunday and Mondays But if you are lucky like we were, the chef will be in the kitchen and you will not be disappointed. read more

I can't say enough about this restaurant. The food is outstanding and the ambience is great for date night, girls night, etc. We were celebrating our anniversary and Sherry the bartender made it so special with roses and balloons on our table and a special anniversary dessert. And too too it off, they have a lovely rooftop bar to go watch the sunset and have a drink after dinner! read more

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We've been there several times and it's been a wonderful experience every time. The food is excellent and the service great. One of our favorite places. read more

4:00 seating for Thanksgiving, wife and I were the only ones to get turkey. We were fast! Soon they ran out of everything else too. Quite the show!! Service was nonexistent had to go to the bar to get our bill. The food we got was very good, the food the rest of the folks didn't get, well they didn't get. read more

Dinner was amazing! The scallops and swordfish was delicious. Highly recommend! Staff was attentive and very knowledgeable of the menu!

What a disappointment. We ate at this restaurant when it first opened several years ago snd found both the service and the food unacceptable. Thinking that it might have been a fluke, we tried 2 more times with the same disappointing results. We took 88 Keys off the list - and did not look back. Last year, we learned that the restaurant had hired a new chef and new staff - all organized under great leadership at the front end. We decided to give it a try - and WOW! What a transition from miserable to magnificent!!!! The food was sourced from select providers (not the standard fare) and done to perfection by the chef. Table service, delivered by Zollie, made for a great night. His experienced touch and attention to detail made the difference in our experience. With great delight, we to the restaurant back on our list of preferred places for a great weekend dinner. Though quite expensive, 88 Keys was worth every penny. Three months ago, we saw the restaurant beginning to decline. The chef resigned and the quality of the food went downhill very fast - with no complimentary reduction in the price points. Zollie is still there - and struggling to explain the degradation of his establishment. Our last visit was disastrous. With the exception of the cocktails, not one component of the meal met expectations. The stuffed portobello appetizer was cold, the filet (ordered medium rare) arrived over cooked and tough...and the vegetables cooked differently than the menu description. We left the restaurant feeling highly disappointed and betrayed. We trusted that the restaurant would live up to its renewed expectations - sadly, this is not the case. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone given its current state. A visit to The Olive Garden would rate higher than the recent performance of 88 Keys read more

Christmas dinner was so disappointing!!! We had 6 people in our party and spent over $500 for a dry salad with no dressing, rubbery seafood, filet medallions (not a filet), veggies were not as advertised and something from a bag, missing items on the plates and only brought once we asked why they were missing. The servers were overwhelmed and the cooks completely unprepared. Oh, and the wait time for this unfortunate meal was extremely long. I would suggest you skip this place! Just my personal experience and most other dinner guests we seen!!! John A Watson read more

A wonderful dinner last evening! Thank you Jennifer (server) and Josh (head chef) for a delicious meal and great surroundings! We went up to the rooftop and didn't stay, but it was beautiful too! read more

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This is an outstanding restaurant. From the piano bar and dining room to the roof top. However there was one thing better and that was the food. The presentation Was excellent and the layer of flavors was spot on. They have a smaller menu but you can tell there was a personal touch on each dish. Will definitely be back. read more

Skirt steak meal was not flavorful and poorly presented. When we requested to change for the bourbon chicken meal reminded me of cajun grill im the mall food court. And manager decided there was nothing wrong with the horrible skirt steak and still charged the price for it. Only reason gave it at least a 2 was the waitress did a good job and tried. Drinks were fine but overall would not recommend. read more

Took my wife here for her birthday. We enjoyed the food which was very well done. Surprised that it wasn't very busy! Must be a snow bird hang out! We will come back again before we recommend this restaurant. read more

A recent visit to Punta Gorda, staying at the Hotel Wyvern brought me to 88 Keys. Beautiful Restaurant! Art deco decor just makes you feel special. Very particular about my margaritas, it was made perfect. I ordered the Bourbon Braised Shorty served over cornbread for an appetizer, so delicious!!!!! My friend enjoyed the Lobster Bisque, ur appetizers so filling we shared the Filet of beef, prepared perfectly, served with truffle potatoes. I will say I have thought of that Shorty Rib every day since my visit! Odd I know, but while staying at the hotel I misstepped into a bench at the end of the bed, I think the next room heard my toe crack. Anyway, everyday since, when having my pity party of pain...I think of that short rib and how yummy it was! ;) read more

We came on Thursday evening for the advertised Prix Fix which they did not offer even though advertised. Waitress said all her tables had asked for it but because there was an event (change of art work) they were not offering. She said they should have posted that it would not be offered Lots of upset diners...Beware bait and switch. Bad Buisness. read more

Our children gave a gift card for our 50th anniversary and we decided to go to 88 Keys instead of roof top. The service was excellent and the food outstanding. I would ask when you are going if they have prime rib available. It was the best prime rib I have ever had, the chef came out to see how we liked it twice. Our reservation was at 5:30 pm so we were finished by sundown and went up to the roof top to watch. They are doing everything right to make a special occasion perfect. read more

We did not know that the pool was going to be closed for a party. That was the whole reason we came here(mostly). But the reservations didn't say that the pool was going to be closed. I'M SO DISAPPOINTED!!! read more

As much as I would rather not rave about a Punta Gorda restaurant during high season (hard enough to get into these places as it is!), I have to say that the four of us enjoyed a very delicious lunch here! I am always skeptical of hotel restaurants, but this one is an exception. I had the fresh catch soft tacos. It does not come with fries, so I ordered the house chips for an extra $3. (Worth it, and good with the tacos.) One of our friends ordered the mussels. She said they were excellent. Unfortunately, they put the french fries underneath the mussels in the same bowl. Not a fan of soggy fries! Better to ask for the fries on a side plate. The eggplant and parmesan was served on a flat bread. Unless you are a light eater, it may be better as an appetizer than a meal. It was a bit dry, but very tasty. Could use a little more tomato sauce. It was busy for lunch around 1:30 pm on a Thursday, but the wait staff really hustles. Our server, Nicole S., was super nice! With restaurants suffering from a shortage of staff these days, everyone at 88 Keys worked extra hard to be sure that the meals were served in a timely manner, and at a good temp. P.S. Water views are beautiful from the rooftop, too! read more

My husband and I went for the chateaubriand. Food and service were good. We were not satisfied with the tiny portion of roast beef which is served at the table and sliced. read more

So my wife and I decided to give this place a try for our date night. I am only giving it one star because the service was good and the decor was nice. Let's go through the food: Appetizers Oysters Rockefeller - tasted like perfume French onion soup - no savory taste at all, very sweet Wine Lightest pour I've seen in any PG restaurant Salad Caesar with dressing on the side? 2$ extra for anchovies Main Course Masa halibut - taste was good, but fish was overcooked and dry Grilled Lamb - Lamb was average. Couscous was in dry inedible chunks that were cold. We will not be going back, bill was 96.00 not including tip. I am very ok with that price for what we ordered, but the quality of food does not justify the price. read more

Very disappointing. Their website presents them as top notch but they aren't. The host was an absolute jerk and the steak was subpar. Only redeeming part of evening was our server who worked her butt off and cared. The scallops and cocktails were decent, but we don't plan on returning. read more

Truly a hidden gem in downtown Punta Gorda that doesn't get the attention it so richly deserves. Saturday BBQ Night last night! This did not disappoint! Should be noted that the bread served is a delicious cornbread. We tried all four BBQ choices: 10 spice half chicken, brisket, pulled pork, and baby back ribs. Comes with your choice of many sauces as well. Chef John and our server, Cheryl, are the best! Between Wednesday's Pasta Bar, Thursday's Prime Rib, and now this, we are dining there at least once a week. Thanks again, 88 Keys, for a wonderful dining experience. Please note that right now, for season, they are closed on Sunday and Monday. read more

We ordered the 8oz Filet Mignon which was cooked to the perfect temperature and tasted fantastic with the roasted garlic béarnaise. Jennifer was our server and we will ask for her again. Very professional yet personable. A real joy. Merry & Dave read more

The piano is only Sat. Night. My wife's meal was drowning in cinnamon but mine was good. Service was excellent though