Looking for ambience? Find it at this waterfront Merritt Island spot | Restaurant Review

The first thing you notice and continue to notice throughout your time at Marker 24 Riverfront Grille is the setting, which is beautiful, magnificently planned, executed and maintained.

Located just before the Roy Jaren Bridge and across from the marina on scenic Banana River Drive, you enter through a tall hedge gate and find more greenery beyond that, of the tropical variety. It looks very much like the sort of place you’d find at a resort in the islands.

Palm trees sway and shade upholstered sofas and seats as well as white, wood-look tables. Adirondack-style chairs, joined by a small table well-suited to light meals or snacks, are placed in a neatly groomed, sandy walkway that wends around the front of the place, feet from the Banana River, which glistens in the winter sunshine. Boats come, go and are stored right there. Jimmy Buffett’s songs play softly.

It is as relaxing an atmosphere as you will find in a Brevard restaurant.

It is fast-casual; you order at the bar and your food is brought to you. The menu is wisely limited, but smart: “Nibblers,” sandwiches, “Boat Slip Tacos,” rice bowls, flatbreads, “Super Salads” and desserts. Sides are in line with new-style sensibilities: potato, edamame and cucumber salads; “Island Slaw,” which is a kale mix; and black beans and rice. Note the absence of fried anything. Good.

Because we had heard good things about them, we went with a mushroom burger ($20) accompanied by slaw, preceded by chips and queso ($8), and and a wedge of sea salt caramel cheesecake ($8) afterward.

The chips and queso were chips and queso: nicely plated, multicolored, salted chips served with a salty, maybe a little too runny mixture that was satisfying enough as we watched the water lap against the dock before us.

Likewise was the burger prettily executed, with not too much lettuce, tomato, an actual slice of crisp red onion – don’t those burgers served with two or three limp rings annoy you? – bacon, lots of fresh, sauce-free mushrooms, gooey melted cheese and a thick burger served with a little mayonnaise on a first-rate, brioche-style hamburger roll.

It was a gorgeous creation, but there should have been at least a little pink in a cheeseburger ordered medium, though it was juicy enough. Something about the texture of the meat was off too. A previously-frozen purveyor burger, perhaps? Still, it wasn’t terrible, and were I to have it again, it would be ordered rare.

And now a word about the slaw: delicious. That is coming from someone who hasn’t enjoyed kale in decades, and what made this different was the absolute scrupulousness with which it was cleaned, as well as the shards of carrot, bits of tomato and other delights, and the light vinaigrette with which it was mixed. A crunchy Brussels sprout made the thing perfect.

For what it’s worth, the edamame salad got excellent reviews from a fellow diner, as did the chicken salad.

For dessert, we went with the cheesecake, which was grand in its density, caramel flavor and right amount of graham cracker crust. No, it is not made in-house, but its baker deserves credit.

And it was topped and accompanied by puffs of whipped cream. Not topping. Cream.

So what you have at Marker 24 is not special or over-creative, but food that is nicely done and perfect for what the restaurant is, informal and relaxing, served and consumed amid friendly, laid-back ambience.

Oh, that ambience! See you there again, soon.

Marker 24 Riverfront Grille

Three stars

Address: 1360 S. Banana River Drive, Merrit Island

Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays

Call: 321-453-7888

Online: marker24marina.com/m24-riverfront-grille-restaurant

Surcharge: 15 percent, if tab is not closed

Other: All outdoor seating. No smoking or vaping is permitted anywhere on the premises; beer and wine served; children get free popsicles at the marina shop across the street; all members of party must be present to take seats; pets not permitted.

About our reviews

Restaurants are rated on a five-star system by FLORIDA TODAY’s reviewer. The reviews are the opinion of the reviewer and take into account quality of the restaurant’s food, ambiance and service. Ratings reflect the quality of what a diner can reasonably expect to find. To receive a rating of less than three stars, a restaurant must be tried twice and prove unimpressive on each visit. Each reviewer visit is unannounced and paid for by FLORIDA TODAY.

Five stars: Excellent. A rare establishment to which you’d be proud to take the most discerning diner.

Four stars: Very good. Worth going out of your way for. Food, atmosphere and service are routinely top notch.

Three stars: Good. A reasonably good place with food and service that satisfy.

Two stars: Fair. While there’s nothing special about this establishment, it will do in a pinch.

One star: Not recommended. Don’t bother.

Lyn Dowling is a freelance food and lifestyles writer based in Melbourne. Join the conversation at facebook.com/groups/321FlavorWhereBrevardEats.

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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Visit M24 Riverfront Grille on Merritt Island for the ambience