I’ll wager that most of us have enjoyed at least one memorable meal in our lives that had very little to do with food. I know I’ve been lucky enough to attend several such occasions — all of which left me with only a vague recollection of what I ate, but an indelible impression of the experience: the company I kept, the environment we shared.  For 12 years, Marley’s Cafe, in Essex, has been delivering just this sort of meal to locals and summer visitors. Fine dining it ain’t, but the restaurant, — which Jeff Odekerken, a co-owner, named after the reggae icon Bob Marley — is, as the musician himself might say, a uniquely wonderful place to get together and feel all right.  The magic of Marley’s has much to do with its singular location. Occupying part of a 13-acre, man-made island in the middle of the Connecticut River, the restaurant (which operates between Memorial and Columbus Day) can only be reached by taking a six-passenger boat from a dock at the foot of Ferry Street in downtown Essex. The crossing to the island lasts less than a minute, but in that brief chug, something enchanting happens, and, arriving on the other side of the river, you may feel as though you’ve been transported to some sort of idyllic tropical resort (or perhaps back in time, to sleep-away camp).  Following a boardwalk (and the wafting music of Jimmy Cliff or Peter Tosh) to a grassy hillside, you’ll find a hodgepodge of umbrella-shaded outdoor tables scattered around a cheery bungalow, its deck adorned with cascading plants and a painted surfboard. Just beyond, you might spot a crowd of teenagers playing volleyball on the sunlit lawn, or couples strolling along the river to watch motorboats — and sometimes a wee sightseeing schooner — drift by.  “I’ve had people say, ‘Wow, you just saved me four thousand dollars on a vacation,’” Mr. Odekerken told me. “Even though we’re right in town, we still give people that island-getaway feeling.”  The easygoing, welcoming style of Mr. Odekerken and his wife, Claudia, who run Marley’s together, also enhances the restaurant’s summer-camp vibe. (The couple also owned a popular deli in town, Village Provisions; it closed in March.) The place is a family affair: Mr. and Mrs. Odekerken oversee both the kitchen and front of house, and she also provides many of the menu’s bakery and pastry items, while he often wanders among the tables, chatting with diners. Their son Dylan is the head chef, and their daughter Michelle manages the dining tables. The staff also includes many friends of the family, including two charming high-school-aged servers who waited on me during my visits.  Oh, and the food? It’s fine, if not especially remarkable. During an early afternoon sojourn with my father, both of us were very happy with our choices from the casual lunch menu. My dad’s Cubano sandwich, a ciabatta roll stuffed with layers of pulled pork, ham, Swiss cheese, red onion, and dill pickle slices, hit all the right notes of salt, smoke, and pungency. My Jamaican burger (the best thing I ate at Marley’s) was assertively spicy, with a beef patty topped by both smoked ghost-pepper cheese and a Scotch-bonnet aioli, on slightly sweet, coconut-milk-infused “coco bread.” Both were accompanied by snappy house-made coleslaw.  I found myself much less enamored of the dinner fare, however — a more formal, staid lineup of appetizers and entrees, offered only on weekends. (To adjust the mood, the Odekerkens switch both the menu and the music, from reggae to jazz, in the evening.) Though my companions and I liked a shared starter of Prince Edward Island mussels, simply steamed with lemon, garlic and white wine, we found two main courses uninspiring — grilled salmon, heavily sauced with a shallot-dill hollandaise; and a roasted rack of lamb, in a red-wine-peppercorn demi-glace. Two other choices, a special of crabmeat-stuffed flounder, and an appetizer of fried calamari (paired with a dipping sauce that tasted like straight mayo), were unfortunately soggy.  If our dinner dishes were somewhat forgettable, though, the conclusion to our meal certainly wasn’t. As we finished our postprandial coffee, a tremendous bank of charcoal-hued storm clouds suddenly rolled overhead, rumbling with thunder and setting the nautical flags on a nearby pier flapping. Quickly, we gathered up our cups and saucers and hurried to the bungalow, where other diners had already pushed into the five tiny (hardly ever used) indoor booths.  We spent the next almost-half-hour huddled together inside, waiting out the deluge. We chatted with local families, made bets on how long the storm would last, and even were offered cups of chardonnay from another patron’s BYO bottle. By the time we left, we felt like we’d made a crop of new friends, ones whom we’d be happy to see the next time our paths crossed — even if that had to wait until next summer.  Marley’s Cafe11 Ferry Street, Essex860-767-2489  The Space The half-acre harborfront property, meant for dining alfresco, includes about 70 seats at wrought-iron and wooden patio tables and chairs; some have shade umbrellas. Most are set on the grass, but a few others are arranged on a narrow wooden deck surrounding the restaurant. Inside there are also five compact vinyl diner-style booths. Wheelchair accessible; BYOB.  The Crowd During the daytime: retired couples, families with children, and students home from college, all dressed casually, in sneakers and shorts. Diners spiffed up a little for dinner.  The Bill At lunch, most sandwiches, soups and salads are $7 to $16. At dinner, appetizers are $7 to $14; entrees are $22 to $30. Although I didn’t visit in the morning, Marley’s also serves breakfast, with most egg, pancake and specialty French toast plates between $8 and $14.  What We Liked The Cubano sandwich and the Jamaican burger (both lunch offerings), and an evening appetizer of steamed Prince Edward Island mussels.  If You Go Operates between Memorial and Columbus Day. Open Mondays 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m.; and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Street parking for the ferry to Marley’s is available.  Ratings Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor  A version of this article appears in print on August 7, 2016, on page CT9 of the New York edition with the headline: A Sweet Spot With a Reggae Soundtrack. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe
Marley’s Cafe is something of a mini island paradise along the Connecticut River in Essex. The menu is almost beside the point.