Monday's Meal

Have you ever been to Margaritaville or Cheeseburger in Paradise? If not, you really should try to go - the food is great! And the drinks aren't bad either. It's a fun, happy place to just kick back & relax for a little while.

Last week, Gus, Buddy, and I had dinner at our local Cheeseburger in Paradise. We've been to Margaritaville in Key West a few times, and the food, drinks, and decor at CIP are comparable. The atmosphere isn't quite the same, but I think it would be nearly impossible to duplicate the atmosphere of an iconic Key West bar in mid/central US.

We decided to have the chicken and sausage gumbo as an appetizer. It was superb! Spicy, but not overwhelmingly so - lots of rich flavors. The picture lacks a little something - it was much 'prettier' in person, LOL!

chicken & sausage gumbo

I don't eat red meat anymore, but I've had their Cheeseburger in Paradise burger in the past, and it is one of the tastiest burgers ever! I don't know how they do it, but it really is a little piece of paradise. So that's what Buddy decided to have; it looked much nicer before he took all of the stuff off, LOL!:

Cheeseburger in Paradise - comes with lettuce & tomato, french-fried potatoes, and a big Kosher dill - but you have to ask for the Heinz 57!

Gus had the chicken satay (description from the menu: marinated chicken skewers, grilled and served with peanut dipping sauce and your choice of side) with Island rice. It's one of his favorite dishes at CIP. It's tasty, but a little too charred for my taste.

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chicken satay w/ island rice

 I opted for the fish tacos w/ grilled fish (menu description: three flour tortillas stuffed with your choice of grilled or fried fish, seasoned sour cream, cabbage and pineapple salsa - served with Island rice). Delicious!! Just the right amount of spicy! I do wish they would offer a healthier version of the tortillas.

grilled fish tacos w/ island rice

And I saved the best for last!! The drinks!! Buddy had a soft drink and Gus tried a Landshark beer. The beer was surprisingly good - very smooth - no bitterness at all. I usually get a frozen lime margarita, but this time I got a drink called 'Euphoria'. The menu describes this as: Rum Runner, Margarita, Strawberrry Daiquiri, and more Margarita layered and garnished with Lizard Lips. Y-U-M-M-Y!!! 

But let me share the description of their Rum Runner - blackberries, bananas and pineapples blended with Cruzan Estate Dark Rum, topped with Bacardi 151. Their Margarita - lemon, lime, and orange juices, Margaritaville Tequila and triple sec. And their Strawberry Daiquari - strawberries, lime juice, sugar and Sailor Jerry's Spiced Navy Rum. All in one deliciously yummy frozen concoction!!! It was very good - but a little too much strawberry for me.

CIP's Euphoria

Lizard Lips

The atmosphere here is just so much fun - and they play great beach music (mostly Jimmy Buffett, but others, too). The decor is like a tiki bar and the servers are all dressed in t-shirts and shorts. So just for a little while, you feel like you're in a bar on a beach and you can pretend it's 80 degrees outside. At least until you go back outside in 40 degree weather to get into your SUV to drive to your home in mid/central US suburbia. But it was fun while it lasted!

I need to move to the beach.