Islamorada Help Needed :)
 

Hi,<BR><BR>After lots of research and help from this board, my husband and I have decided to go to Islamorada. We booked a room in the Hampton Inn &amp; Suites, because the prices of anything else that looked decent blew my mind...LOL! Has anyone stayed at this property? Does anyone have any restaurant suggestions for a nice dinner one night (my birthday) and a casual dinner the next?<BR><BR>Thanks much,<BR>Nancy...still using my friend Jayne's computer :)

No but I hope you are not night owls. That little town closes up after sunset. I have never been so bored in all my life.

Excerpt from my &quot;Keys Trip Report&quot; - if you search for those words, you will find the entire (really, really long) report. My favorite restaurant:<BR><BR>Morada Bay - Islamorada - MM 81.5 - dinner - The best! It was our anniversary dinner, and I couldn't have been happier with our choice of this<BR>restaurant. It is bayside, and has a beautiful beach to watch the sunset.<BR>We'd had drizzly weather all day, and<BR>the rain stopped just enough for the sun to peek behind the clouds as it set<BR>into the bay. The place has the atmosphere of an old beach house, and we<BR>had a table on the edge of the brick patio next to the beach. I think they<BR>put additional tables on the beach when weather permits, but not that night.<BR>They have Adirondack chairs on the beach, and I think it would be great to<BR>stop there for a sunset cocktail even if you weren't planning on having<BR>dinner there. The food was wonderful - We had the house salad (split), lamb<BR>chops, and seafood cioppino. The lamb chops were perfect! Add a good bottle of shiraz, a split desert, and we had a perfect dinner. No reservations.

Try Hog Heaven for a casual meal or lunch. It's not what it sounds like and both the locals and food are great!

Try Manny &amp; Isa's Kitchen in Islamorada for the best Key Lime Pie. You can buy a whole pie for about $12. They are only open certain days of the week, so check ahead.

Don't let the tacky Mermaid throw you off, The Lorelei is a fun restaurant. I'd eat outside at the Chickee Bar and watch the sunset. Sometimes they have entertainment. I hope you like to fish. This is the reason to go to Islamorada. Get a guide and go bonefishing on Florida Bay. Incredible experience...doesn't matter if you catch anything.

Hi Everyone,<BR><BR>Thanks for taking the time to respond to my message. Amy...I was thinking of Morada Bay for my birthday and your post has me convinced that it's the place to go. xxx...we're not night owls and I was concerned that it might be noisy when we were trying to sleep. Thanks for putting that concern to rest (pardon the pun...LOL).<BR><BR>Happy New Year!<BR><BR>Nancy

Not for nothing but the Hampton Inn in Islamorada is the nicest Hampton I've ever seen. It reminds me of a resort. Great pool area and Outback Steakhouse runs the poolbar/snack lounge.

Thanks, Beary. We've stayed at lots of Hampton Inns and have never been disappointed. Always nicely furnished and clean with friendly service. If this reminds you of a resort, I definitely made the right choice :)<BR><BR>Nancy

We're planning a trip to Islamorada as well, and I'm glad to have found this message board. On restaurants, a friend of ours suggested Whale Harbor. Isn't that near the Hampton? Is it any good?<BR>K

The buffet and food at the Whale Harbor is awful. There are better restaurants than that place. Try Manny &amp; Isa's, great key lime pie, Lorelei's or Hog Heaven.

Hi,<BR><BR>I'm home and posting under my own name :) They don't take reservations at the Morada Bay Cafe :( I booked Pierre's for our anniversary and Marker 88 for the following night. We'll try to get into the Morada Bay Cafe, but I thought Marker 88 would be a good backup.<BR><BR>Thanks, again, for everyone's help!<BR><BR>Nancy

I'd go to Morada Bay over Mile Marker 88 any day that isn't raining! Plan to get to MB about 1/2 hour before sunset. Put your name on the list and then get a drink and sit on the great chairs on the beach. Watch the sunset. If you still have time before your name will be called, head over to World Wide Sportsman (right next door) and shop a bit. For a more casual meal, we like Islamorada Fish Company (on the other side of World Wide Sportsman). We often go to Hog Heaven for lunch.

Last time I ate at Islamorada Fish Company the food was awful. Lorelei's is much better.

We enjoyed Kaiyo very much. It's sort of Japanese fusion. The appetizers were fantastic. It's almost right across the street from Pierre's/Morada Bay, just a bit farther north. Definitely get some Key lime pie at Manny and Isa's! Buy the whole pie if you have a fridge in your room, you won't regret it. They're closed Tuesdays.

I agree with Diane, the key lime pie is much better at Manny &amp; Isa's Kitchen as compared to the Blond Giraffe in Key West, not cutting them down either. The food is great as well.

Very quiet town after dark. We stayed in Marathon &amp; visited looking for food. For food options, try, www.chowhound.com .It's a forum about restaurants. It was very helpful for many of our trips.

Re&quot; chowhound&quot; for restaurant tips.<BR><BR>I feel that bulletin board is only useful for those that are looking for the more mundane offerings in the food world: for instance extolling the virtues of Waffle House over Perkins. The diners there seemed quite unsophisticated. Just my opinion but I'd probably take most of the recommendations, for instance it was suggested that I try the Outback in New Orleans... Lil Ms Foodie

Fodors is trying my patience with its lack of editing features:<BR><BR>I meant to say that Chowhound's recommendations should be taken lightly .

Pierre's is definately the finest dining spot in Islamorada. I would skip Marker 88 and go to Morada Bay. The Hampton is a very nice oceanfront property. I live in Islamorada and have been to every restaurant in town, more that once. One poster mentioned Kaiyo. While the food is acceptable, the service is awful. We had been there 4 times but will not return because of poor service.