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This tiny counter-service restaurant is the best-kept secret in Islamorada, with the tastiest and most affordable ($11) grouper Reuben sandwich in the Keys. It's a small place—with six tables inside, a bar overlooking the kitchen, and an outdoor patio—and most diners are locals. The menu ranges from fresh seafood to excellent pizza. Don't miss the meatballs.
82758 Overseas Hwy., Florida, 33036, USA
Known For
- Excellent key lime pie
- Microbrews
- Seafood omelets
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The sunset views alone are worth a visit, but the food here is stellar as well. Enjoy a key lime martini at the bar or a seafood dinner in the air-conditioned dining room or on the open-air patio. For dinner, try the lobster quesadilla or seafood cocktail as an appetizer before moving on to the shrimp and lobster fettuccine with asparagus and chèvre or crabmeat-stuffed yellowtail. The breakfast menu features a bevy of options from fruit smoothies to lobster Benedict. Creative salads and sandwiches make lunch an intriguing affair.
245 Front St., Florida, 33040, USA
Known For
- Upstairs bar overlooking Mallory Square
- Key West pink shrimp
- Popular weekend brunch
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The outdoor dining area here is often referred to as "the quintessential Keys experience," and it's hard to argue. There's much to like about this historic Caribbean-style restaurant where Hemingway refereed boxing matches and customers cheered for cockfights. Although these events are no more, the free-roaming chickens and cats add that "what-a-hoot" factor. Nightly specials include black bean soup, Caribbean barbecue shrimp, and jerk chicken. Desserts and breads are baked on the premises.
729 Thomas St., Florida, 33040, USA
Known For
- Shrimp and grits
- Lobster Benedict with key lime hollandaise
- The wait for a table and lack of parking
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed for 6 wks after Labor Day, Reservations not accepted
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This little corner of France hides behind a high wall in a residential neighborhood. Inside, French training intertwines with local ingredients, creating delicious takes on classics, including a must-try conch carpaccio and some of the best bouillabaisse that you'll find outside Marseilles. Hog snapper is a specialty, prepared several ways by chef John Correa, including with beurre blanc or red-pepper-custard sauce. From the land, there is filet mignon with a wild-mushroom demiglace.
1029 Southard St., Florida, 33040, USA
Known For
- Hogfish in several different preparations
- Intimate, romantic atmosphere
- Award-winning key lime pie
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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Because of its location where the fast ferry docks, Conch Republic does a brisk business. It's huge, open-air, and on the water, and the menu is ambitious, offering more than just standard seafood fare. Try a Caribbean-style twist on oysters Rockefeller with the baked oysters callaloo, or opt for paella, plantain-crusted mahimahi, or steak. Live music adds to the decibel level.
631 Greene St., Florida, 33040, USA
Known For
- "Royal Reds" peel-and-eat shrimp
- No reservations
- Live music most nights
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$ | Old Town |
If you want a taste of the island's Cuban heritage, this is the place to dine alfresco or in the dining room on refined Cuban classics. Begin with a megasize mojito while you browse the expansive menu offering tostones rellenos (green plantains with different traditional fillings), ceviche, and more. Choose from Cuban specialties such as roasted pork in a cumin mojo sauce and ropa vieja (shredded beef).
410 Wall St., Key West, Florida, 33040, USA
Known For
- Authentic plantain chips
- Latin band during the nightly sunset celebration
- Touristy atmosphere
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This is the place to dine—alfresco or in the dining room—on refined Cuban classics. Begin with a megasize mojito while you browse the expansive menu offering tostones rellenos (green plantains with different traditional fillings), ceviche, and more. Choose from Cuban specialties such as roasted pork in a cumin mojo sauce and ropa vieja (shredded beef).
410 Wall St., Florida, 33040, USA
Known For
- Authentic plantain chips
- Latin band during the nightly sunset celebration
- Touristy atmosphere
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At this family-style restaurant, the dining room bustles, the food is traditional cubano, the prices are reasonable, and the sangria is muy buena. There are well-seasoned black beans, a memorable paella, traditional ropa vieja, and local seafood served grilled, stuffed, or breaded.
900 Catherine St., Florida, 33040, USA
Known For
- Memorable paella and traditional dishes
- Wine and beer only
- Cheaper than more touristy options close to Duval
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted
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This no-frills, roadside eatery has a loyal local following, an unfussy ambience, a couple of outside picnic tables, and friendly service. Signature dishes include snapper on grilled rye with coleslaw and melted Muenster cheese, a fried-fish burrito, George's crab cake, and tomato-based conch chowder. Landlubbers can choose everything from burgers and dogs to meat loaf and Cuban pork. Plan to dine early; it's only open until 6:30, but the hours depend on the season.
11711 Overseas Hwy., Florida, 33050, USA
Known For
- Luscious lobster bisque
- Fresh and affordable seafood and meat market
- Affordable specials
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed weekends, Reservations not accepted
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Inspired by an Ernest Hemingway photograph of a family fishing trip in Key West, this oceanfront spot pays homage to pristine seafood that's served alongside views that will make you feel like you're on a luxury liner. While the indoor dining room has a bright and airy feel with nautical decor, the outdoor patio is the spot to reserve, a fitting backdrop to dishes of wood-roasted oysters with smoky lemon, Key West pink shrimp, or grits and vegetable island curry. Don't skip the key lime pie for dessert; this one stands out from the pack.
1435 Simonton St., Florida, 33040, USA
Known For
- Well-trained staff
- Craft cocktails
- Fabulous key lime pie
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Like a fine wine, this small natural-foods eatery and market surrenders its pleasures a little at a time. Step inside to the aroma of brewing coffee, and then pick up the scent of fresh strawberries or carrots being blended into a smoothie and the green aroma of wheatgrass juice, followed by the earthy odor of hummus. Order raw or cooked vegetarian and vegan dishes, organic soups and salads, and organic coffees and teas. Bountiful sandwiches include the popular tuna melt or hummus and avocado. Sit at the counter or in the back garden, and mingle with the locals as folks have been doing since the early 1980s. Then stock up on healthful snacks like dried fruits, raw nuts, and carob-covered almonds. There are gluten-free items, too.
30150 Overseas Hwy., Florida, 33043, USA
Known For
- Vegetarian and vegan dishes
- Sandwiches and smoothies
- Organic items
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun., Reservations not accepted
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This circa-1947 landmark—with its vintage neon sign, wood-paneled walls, and period photos—is a slice of Florida Keys history. Breakfast options include French toast made with challah bread and Captain Morgan batter or Keys Benedict with a blue crab cake; at lunch, opt for lobster mac and cheese. Turtle chowder (don't gasp; it's made from farm-raised, freshwater turtles) is a staple. For dessert, the seventh-generation pound cake gets a standing ovation.
81219 Overseas Hwy., Florida, 33036, USA
Known For
- Excellent conch chowder
- Outstanding pound cake
- Huge homemade sticky buns
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon., Reservations essential
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Smack-dab on the docks, this legendary place gets its name from the oysters, clams, and peel-and-eat shrimp that are the stars of its seafood-based menu. It's not clever recipes or fine dining (or even air-conditioning) that packs 'em in; it's fried fish, po'boy sandwiches, and seafood combos. For a break from the deep fryer, try the fresh and light conch ceviche.
231 Margaret St., Florida, 33040, USA
Known For
- Daily happy hour with food and drink deals
- Few nonseafood options
- Good people-watching spot
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted
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This shack-like spot has been the go-to for quick, affordable comfort food since the 1940s. You'll find all the Old Keys staples—conch, lobster tail, fried oysters, and fresh fish—as well as cheeseburgers and filet mignon. Sit at picnic tables on the screened-in porch or inside, where it's air-conditioned. More than 20 craft beers are offered daily, and the entire wine selection is available by the glass or bottle.
6350 Overseas Hwy., Florida, 33050, USA
Known For
- Great craft-beer selection
- Crispy conch fritters
- Good key lime pie
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.–Tues.
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It's worth a drive to Stock Island for a meal at this down-to-earth spot, where hogfish is, of course, the specialty. Favorites include the "Killer Hogfish Sandwich," which is served on Cuban bread (be sure to sprinkle it with one of the house hot sauces), as well as the hogfish tacos, gator bites, lobster BLT or pot pie, pulled-pork sandwich, and barbecued ribs.
6810 Front St., Florida, 33040, USA
Known For
- Pricey fish sandwiches
- A taste of local life
- Fried grouper cheeks
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This is part of the colorful, bustling Old Florida scene at Robbie's Marina, so you know that the seafood here is fresh and top quality. The extensive menu seems as if it's bigger than the dining space, which consists of a few tables and counter seating indoors, plus tables out back under the mangrove trees. Try the Matecumbe fish sandwich with provolone and bacon on grilled sourdough.
77522 Overseas Hwy., Florida, 33036, USA
Known For
- Insanely good Bloody Marys with a beef-stick straw
- Heart-of-the-action location
- Biscuits and gravy
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted
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Owned by Bass Pro Shops and housed in an open-air, oversize tiki hut on Florida Bay, this restaurant offers a quintessential Keys dining experience. Menu highlights include cracked conch beaten until tender and then fried, and fresh-catch Portofino blackened perfectly and topped with Key West shrimp and a brandied lobster sauce. There's a small tiki bar if you prefer a stool to a table.
81532 Overseas Hwy., Florida, USA
Known For
- Tourist hot spot
- Great views
- Afternoon fish and shark feedings in its private lagoon
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Don't be fooled by appearances; this waterfront shack takes island breakfast, lunch, and dinner up a notch. Tempting options include the famed "original tuna nachos," lobster rolls, and a nice selection of seafood and sandwiches. Southern-style shrimp and andouille sausage with grits join island-style specialties such as grilled ribs with guava barbecue sauce on the list of entrées. There's an air-conditioned dining room and bar as well as open seating under a vaulted porch ceiling. The outdoor bar hosts live entertainment Wednesday to Sunday. Don't be in a hurry; service is usually slow.
85501 Overseas Hwy., Florida, 33036, USA
Known For
- Eclectic seafood options
- Slow service
- Nice views
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted
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If you must have your cheeseburger in paradise, it may as well be here. The first of Buffett's line of chain eateries, it belongs in Key West more than anywhere else, but, quite frankly, it's more about the name, music, and attitude (and margaritas) than the food. The menu has a Cajun-Caribbean flair, and live bands pack the place come dinner and into the wee hours.
500 Duval St., Florida, 33040, USA
Known For
- Pricey Caribbean bar food
- Good and spicy conch chowder
- Raucous party atmosphere most of the time
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted
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Owned by former NFL coach Jimmy Johnson, this waterfront establishment offers three experiences: the best sports bar in the Upper Keys, an all-glass dining room with a waterfront deck, and an enormous outdoor tiki bar with entertainment seven nights a week. There's even a pool and cabanas where (for a fee) you can spend the day sunning. Don't miss the tuna nachos—as delicious as they are artfully presented.
104000 Overseas Hwy., Florida, USA
Known For
- The place to watch a game
- Fantastic bay views
- Brick-oven chicken wings with rosemary
