Erika

Got back from Key West Saturday. What a great time!! The food, the sun, the weather, the sunsets...I can't wait to go back. I read a lot of recommendations and criticisms from this forum before I went (I was mostly concerned about where to eat). Here's my first hand analysis...

The first night we ate at the Conch Seafood Republic. If you want to complain about Conch Fritters, Owen, this is the place to do it. YU-UCK. And our waiter thought Flan was an IRISH dessert. Not too impressed with that establishment.

We went to Mangia, Mangia. We waited for about 45 minutes for a table. I would wait double that to eat there again. That was some of the best pasta ever!!! A co-worker just went to KW for 10 days and ate here 3 times.

Another night, we ate at the Half Shell Raw Bar. That was some of the best seafood I've ever had. Raw clams, stone crab claws...We decided to go back a second time after the bar tenders at the Hog's Breath recommended the Conch Fritters. So back to the Half Shell we went. I gotta know what you didn't like, Owen. The atmosphere alone had me hooked!

Mike Miller

El Siboney's Cuban Restaurant is one we always go to. It is where the local Cuban community eats - nothing fancy just great Cuban food! Also Turtle Kraals makes very good char grilled seafood.

Jill LeMay

My favorite Key West resturants:
Blue Heaven - especially good for breakfast, Seven Fish, Siam House, Mangia Mangia and white clam chilli at Alonzo's (A&B Lobster House). One never runs out of resturants to try in Key West...
Jill

JoAnn

Erika, I was in Key West the end of Jan. and ate at the Conch farm before it formally opened and the steak was wonderful! I know someone involved in the restaurant and I'll pass your remarks along to them....it's the only way improvements can be made.
I agree about the El Siboney and Mangia Mangie too.

Owen O'Neill

Great to hear your report, Erika! it was the conch fritters that were so greasy and mediocre at the Half Shell Raw Bar. I've now read so many good reports about it that I'll have to give it another try next trip. The conch salad was okay but not great - this according to my partner who is a native of Jamaica and has Bahamas ancestry. I second the vote for Blue Heaven that another poster mentioned. I also recall that we had dinner at a hotel restaurant on Duval - I think it was "Celebrity's" - okay but not great.
Just returned today from NYC and had dinner last night at Khyber Pass, an Afghan restaurant near NYU - try it if you're in NY - cheap and tasty!

JoAnn

RE: Conch Seafood Farm: Just talked to one of the investors. He was interested in your comments, but said that around the 1st of March there was a COMPLETE change of management, waiters and a NEW menu--also a new chef. So please try it again.

Gerri

The Half shell raw bar is the best thing that Key West has going for it. If only the employees were as much a part of the community as the food it would be consistent and certainly more agreeable for the digestive tract.