Martinis Continental Dining & Piano Bar

Ate again for the third time in as many weeks...really....not very good....but we had to burn a <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a> coupon...

Buser kid was ON IT !  one of the best and hardest working bussers and water fillers I have seen.  He was fast without being hurried...re-filled out water glasses as they emptied.....not irritatingly every 3 seconds...nor waiting till we were parched.  He replaced missing cutlery the server forgot...he noticed...went and fetched salad dressing the server forgot.  He should be promoted !

Server was exceedingly friendly....but...unbelievable slow....took forever to get drinks and wine.

Red wine made by the owners sister was very good...very fruit forward...but with too much alcohol in the front....i recommend the wine...but order early and allow to breathe...much improved.

Apps....jumbo shrimp were awful, obviously previously frozen...or cooked much earlier...."homemade" cocktail sauce was stupidly served in a little ramekin that did not allow you to actually dunk the shrimp...presentation was applebees quality.  The shrimp ($11) were just totally unacceptable...much better quality pre-cooked and frozen from sams or kroger....its simple...pre cooked shrimp should be "crisped" in cold water with ice in the fridge before serving...these were dry and just yucky.  C'mon on....shrimp should be fresh at the beach.

Mussels Fra Diavalo...misspelled Fra Diablo (or maybe I am wrong)...which means brother of the devil...was excellent...the sauce was boldly spiced...mussels were quite good..although not many of them.

Entrees....really were sub par.  I had the bone in rib eye which was fatty and just not very flavorful...with some lowrey like seasoning on it that was awful.  Twice bake potato was tired....not warmed through properly...and dry...obviously pre made...much earlier..and not properly stored or re-heated.  Grilled asparagus were WAY over salted...to the point of being inedible.

Dining partner had a lamb chop dish...which were not properly trimmed...too much fat...and the bones were not properly frenched..and were burned in the cooking process....even most home cooks know to cover the bones with foil to protect them from burning...which delivers an unpleasant "burnt" odor to the dish.

Dining partner #2 had a two fish special that was properly cooked....but the sauce was too salty...the second one waaaay toooo sweet...it tasted like a gloopy low quality chutney fresh out of the jar....could not have been housemade...but..who knows ??

Otherwise a charming place...live music was nice....but after three recent visits..the food just does not cut it....quality has nose dived IMO since new owners took over...just seems that food costs are taking precedence over quality.

However....lovely ladies at the next table thought their food was excellent...and..another couple we saw later at a karaoke bar liked their meals as well.

Highly recommended!

Food was delicious, service was wonderful, music lovely. We came on a Sunday evening, and there was a decent crowd an hour after we had first arrived at 6. They have early bird specials, but just know that the portions are smaller and they don't come with salads or bread. Might as well get the regular menu. But the food was very, very good. The waiter was incredibly helpful with choosing our wine bottle. We got a $40 bottle of wine for $20--they were getting rid of that kind. Not that price matters, but it was a good deal and the wine turned out to be wonderful.

The only qualms is the carpet when you first enter smells musky and quite bad. Also, the hostess placed us in a corner where we felt rather cramped. When I asked her if we could move one seat over on the bench, she told me she had to check her reservations list (which was 1 foot away) and then said, "yes, that table is not reserved, you can go ahead and move there." Not sure why she had to check reservations, because the entire time we were there, the restaurant filled to 20% capacity, so OBVIOUSLY there weren't any reservations! AND--no one else sat in that particular area of the dining room. I think she was just huffy we wanted to move from our original, albeit, tight, space.

Apart from that, our waiter (who happened to be married to the hostess) was wonderful, very kind and offered great suggestions and service. I would come back to Martini's (it's a toss up with Villa Tuscanna over which is the better restaurant, and they are really close to one another)...but Martini's might have a slight edge because the food was sooooo good!

This is a hidden gem...I'm pretty sure that's why no one has reviewed it previously; they don't want anyone to know!

Martini's is what I would call a "locals restaurant".  I haven't seen many out of towners the several times I've been.

The food is fantastic.  It's truly "continental dining" at it's finest.  Many fish, beef, chicken and lamb (my personal recommendation) entrees.  They always seem to have great specials (appetizers included).

The wine list is good, but not the best I have seen.  I would expect to see something more extensive with the pricing as it is.  They are known for their martinis; which have their own menu.

Service is great.  Very attentive and helpful suggestions provided.

Aside from the food, the restaurant also has a piano bar area, which I have not experienced, but it looks to be great music by local pianists as well as a lively atmosphere.

I would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a special evening with their significant other, but be prepared to pay.