Reviews for Captain's Table

05/05/2024 - Kayla M.
During a bike ride along the Mississippi River, I came across a restaurant with an enticing aroma. Upon returning later, I enjoyed a delightful lunch on the outdoor deck with excellent service from our server, Tera. The fish and chips were delicious, the atmosphere was pleasant, and I would definitely return if I lived in the area.

08/08/2010 - John
A couple of weeks ago we were driving along the Mississippi and chanced to notice a number of umbrellas between the Captain’s Table and the river. We finally got some beautiful weather (08-05-10) and decided, "Tonight is the night we try the Captain's Table".

The outside area was beautifully set alongside a marina and the inside was finally made to be bright and inviting with a wall of fantastic views. Kudos!

I was toying with the idea of trying their shrimp or steak bruschetta. The waitress explained that they were both very good and filling and then mentioned that they were also having an "all you can eat" fish-n-chips special. My gastroenterologist could tell you that my "all you can eat" days are long gone, but I have been trying to find a good fish-n-chips in the Quad Cities since my return some 14 years ago, so that is what I and my mother ordered. My wife ordered a haddock dish, The Imperial, and my 2 year old son ordered the shrimp and macaroni-and-cheese from the Kid's Menu.

The food arrived, but much to my chagrin the fish was simply awful. This claim was backed by my mother and my wife. It was the blandest fish I had ever eaten and I have tried quite a few in my quest for a decent fish-n-chips. I showered the fish with salt and malt vinegar and then dipped it in either the ketchup or their horseradish/tartar sauce in an attempt to give it life, but I couldn't get past how dry the fish was (a cardinal sin when cooking fish). It was like eating fried cotton. After a piece or two I finally realized that I was merely using the fish as a shuttle to transfer condiments into my mouth. I just could not eat anymore.

My German born, 91 year old mother, whom I do not ever recall seeing eat ketchup, said, "Could you pass the ketchup?" This summed up the whole experience.

When our waitress passed by asking her cursory, "How is everything”, I had to tell her that this was the worst fish-n-chips I had ever eaten. She clearly saw the plate of fish set aside from my main plate. She did nothing.

She passed by many times seeing that I was only eating my $12.99 French-Fries and coleslaw (both were good). She did nothing.

My wife's haddock was tasty, but lain over a bed of something that texturally was pasty and mealy.

The shining star was my son's Kiddy Meal. Thankfully he filled up on salad and bread giving me the chance to nick some of his mac-n-cheese along with his shrimp. The MnC was creamy, but low on cheese, I suspect a white sauce with a little cheese. His shrimp, on the other hand, was fantastic. Our family, as a rule, shies away from deep-fried, breaded shrimp. Why try to hide something that is already wonderful? The Captain’s Table's shrimp had a delicate, crispy, translucent crust. It was quite good. So, thankfully I did not go home hungry.

And finally, to place the cherry on top, I finished drinking my iced tea, just to find that it had a 3" horizontal crack running around the middle of the glass. This is when I was asked if I would like a refill. I pointed out the crack and said, "No, thank you".

To sum up, a waiter's/waitress' role is to serve as the conduit between the customer and the kitchen and management. All problems are initially their responsibility. My mother and I paid $25.98 for French Fries, coleslaw and condiments. We expressed our disappointment… Nothing was done. A good restaurant would have handled this differently, deducting charges, replacing items, something.

Perhaps our problem was withheld by our waitress. If this was the case then the establishment is not at fault other than for hiring and/or training people that are ill prepared to handle such situations. Had I wanted to continue the experience I could have asked for the management. I didn’t nor should I have had to.

No tip was left. None should be expected.

A beautiful setting, both inside and out… and great shrimp. Maybe after my ire has settled we might stop in to try the bruschetta. It looked good.

08/31/2009 - Julie
Food is pretty good but no option other than salad with dinner. My friend has cancer and is going through chemotherapy and can't have lettuce, she just wanted cottage cheese or a cup of soup instead. The waitress asked the manager about another choice besides salad and was told she just should have another breadstick. I know of many people that can't have lettuce but are given another choice. This didn't score any points with us. By the way, out of the 5 of us, 4 have been waitresses in fining dining rooms, with 2 currently still employed at one.