MANGO’S BAR & GRILL
Margaritaville at the Lake
By Andie Gibson

     If you’re looking for a sure way to beat the winter blues, head down to Mango’s Bar & Grill at Bridgewater Plaza. If the atmosphere isn’t enough to bring you back, the food will.
     Located in the space formerly occupied by R.T.’s Dock and Dine, Mango’s opened in April after extensive renovation, according to Ed Waters, the developer of Bridgewater Plaza and one of the restaurant’s owners.
     Mango’s features a Key West décor complete with live palm trees in the outdoor dining area (currently being kept warm by a kind of electric blanket for trees). The aqua walls, accented by the decorative touches of local artist Nancy Cain, make you think Jimmy Buffett could walk through the door at any moment.
     Perhaps better known for its live music scene during the summer months, Mango’s has a unique and varied menu. Appetizers ($3.99-$6.99) include Jamaican wings, scallops wrapped in bacon, and chicken quesadillas, a best seller. Two soups and three salads are available ($3.99-$7.99). The menu also features a burger and several sandwiches, including a classic Cuban sandwich (pulled pork and Cajun spices), a chicken cordon bleu, grilled Italian sausage sandwich and garlic shrimp tacos.
     The dinner entrees start at $8.99 for the Island Kabobs (chicken, steak, shrimp or veggie) to $16.99 for the rib-eye steak, hand cut and served with a creamy béarnaise sauce. In between is Mango’s Rasta Pasta, a spicy cream sauce over linguini with chunks of grilled chicken, and the delectable salmon patties, similar to crab cakes and served with a tarragon mayonnaise. All come with a house salad, vegetable and fresh-baked bread with whipped sweet butter.
     The most talked-about item on the menu is Tim’s Beer Can Chicken, which serves two (or more) for $12.99. A whole chicken is braised with a spicy sauce of garlic, butter and beer and cooked on a beer can.
     Waters said the restaurant, which seats 100 indoors and 240 outside, is planning more renovations, including new flooring on the interior. They’re also semi-enclosing part of the patio area. The extra space will allow more room for entertainment, which includes karaoke on Thursday nights and a DJ and dancing on Friday and Saturday.
     During the summer, the patio area is packed with as many as 750 people who come to hear bands such as The Worx, The Kings, Encore, Clue and Key West. Three outdoor bars as well as an outdoor grill are available to service customers.
     Mango’s is open Thursday and Friday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m.-10 p.m.  An all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet is served on the weekend from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. The restaurant will expand its hours beginning in April.