Key West Food
 

I know there are many threads on this board regarding Key West food and where to eat, but most are old. I have found that many restaurants move from good to bad and from bad to good as time passes.

We are going To Key West in July and I would like to hear your recommendations on where to eat, where not to eat, best place for drinks, etc.

Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

I believe the best place for drinks (in an Old Key West way) is the Schooner Wharf.
For a very romantic/expensive dinner you must try Louie's Backyard. At least have drinks on their deck, watching the sun set.

I have to agree that Schooner Wharf is a great place for drinks. Great people watching as well.

Our last visit was in November, so not terribly long ago. My favorite meal was at Seven Fish. Others in our group preferred the meal we had at Alice's. I understand there is a different restaurant (still associated with Alice, as I understand) at the location where Alice's was then. Her namesake place has moved a block or so away.

For more casual fare, we've had pretty darn good meals at the touristy Conch Republic.

For good cheap Cuban, you can't go wrong with El Siboney. Several blocks off Duval on, I believe Catherine St.

Although we didn't eat there last visit, in the past we've had really good barbeque at Meteor, right next door to the Green Parrot.

Half Shell Raw Bar has been getting some bad reviews lately, I've never thought it was great food, but it can be a fun place.

For great wraps at lunch, try Lobo's, tucked away right off of Duval. Unless you're starving, you might want to share one. They close at about six pm.

We also had absolutely awesome mojitos at Blue Heaven. The food is good too, but it's the atmosphere that makes the place, in my opinion. Did I mention how good the mojitos were????

I have to admit I've never eaten at Louie's Backyard, but it really is a nice place for a drink on their veranda.

And if you tire of the Mallory Square celebration for sunset, the bar at the top of La Concha Hotel on Duval is a nice place to get a drink and watch the sunset. When we were there a couple years ago, there was only one other person up there.

Jean

Cafe Marquesa is a great spot for a romantic fine dining experience in a casually elegant setting. At the other end of the spectrum, for great food in a quirky, dive-y setting, hit B.O.'s Fish Wagon on Caroline. We also had a nice dinner at Alice's.

For a tasty snack love the conch fritters at the stand in front of the aquarium.

There are so many great restaurants it's hard to no where to begin! I agree with several of the suggestions already made. Louie's Backyard is really great - but pricey - so we only eat there at lunch when the food is just as good and the prices are better. El Siboney is wonderful (cheap) Cuban food.

Schooner Wharf is a great outdoor bar with pretty good food, too. Be sure and go when Michael McLoud is playing.

Alice's is no longer at LaTeDa. She's moved back into her old location across the street and her former restaurant at LaTeDa (which was renamed Bacchus after she moved across the street) has now
closed.

Two of my favorites are Antonia's for great Italian food on Duval and Michael's for veal and fish. Both are in the fine dining category.

The Half Shell Raw Bar changed hands a few months ago and the jury is still out on whether it'll permanently suffer. We ate there 3 times in late April and early May with pretty good results.

A place that my husband and I really enjoy that nobody else ever mentions is the restaurant at the Hilton. It's right on the water, has dining outside and has fabulous gazpacho, among lots of other good stuff for both lunch and dinner.

If you'll pick up a copy of The Menu when you get to Key West, you'll get to look at the menus of some of these places.

As far as where NOT to eat, I'd avoid anyplace that has someone standing outside hawking business. I'd also avoid the two crabbys...Crabby Bill's and Crabby Dick's

hard to "no" where to begin? Be still my heart...I HATE seeing errors in grammar/spelling like this that'll be preserved forever :(

TTT.

ttt.

Do not eat at Crabby Dicks.

If I was starving to death and it was the only place to eat, I still would no eat there.

Oh...and by the way, Do not eat at Crabby Dicks.

Having said that, the above posters are right on...El Siboney is best for Cuban, but we had some decent stuff as well as El Meson de Pepe near Mallory Sqaure waiting for the Sunset Celebration.

Conch Republic Seafood will never be featured in a dining reveiw or be considered a gourmet dining experience, but we had a good meal there as have several others.

Here is another vote for Schooner Wharf. I just returned from Key West 4 days ago and I just loved this place. The food there is very good too. Try there signature Mahi Mahi Sandwich (i had mine Blackened) Yummmm. The drinks are great, and try to go when Michael McCloud is playing (in the afternoon). He is really good.

Another placed I highly recommend is Blue Heaven for breakfast (or lunch). Had the shrimp eggs benedict which was awesome. There are chickens running all around.