Treasure Island, An Under-The-Radar Gem of the Region

Want to eat inside a pirate ship? Want to eat in a dim dining room, in comfy leather booths, while anvils hang from the ceiling holding lamps? If so, a visit to Treasure Island should be in your plans. It had been a while since our last visit to this Moraine dining institution, so here’s what we’ve found.

Atmosphere: Treasure Island is unlike any other restaurant, and its uniqueness and kitsch factor abounds. There are dining tables made out of poker tables, with chips, cards and money beckoning beneath a glass surface. The place has a casual vibe, yet also muddled sophistication. Walking into Treasure Island, one encounters two barber chairs, which then lead into a beautiful, U-shaped sunken bar.

Food: Treasure Island is an American cuisine/seafood restaurant heavy on sandwiches and salads for the lunch crowd. Its dinner menu features more chops and seafood dishes. We began with a Treasure Island staple, the Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail ($10.95), five large chilled shrimp appropriately dubbed “the best in town.” Next up was a cup of meaty and hearty chili ($4.95), preceding the Treasure Island Burger ($9.95) and the Grilled Mahi Mahi sandwich ($8.95). The double-decker cheeseburger is a massive, satisfying offering that most would be hard-pressed to finish, and even our guest lacked the fortitude. The flaky fish sandwich, meanwhile, on a toasted, buttered bun proved itself a worthy lunch sandwich, and one we would surely order again.

Overall: As Moraine contended with the closing of the GM plant several years ago, several of its restaurants wound up closing. Yet Treasure Island persevered and now with a boom underway in Moraine, more people will get a chance to discovered this true local gem of a restaurant.

DBJ