70 Best Restaurants in The Florida Keys, Florida

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.

There's a strong hint of the Old Keys at this oceanside marina restaurant, where local fishermen stop for breakfast before heading out to catch the big one, and everyone shows up on Sunday for the barbecue from 4 to 9. "On the backside of paradise," as the sign says, its tiki structures overlook quiet mangroves at an RV park marina. Locals usually outnumber tourists. The all-day menu spans an ambitious array of sandwiches, tacos, and seafood.

Restaurants not on the water have to produce the highest-quality food to survive in the Keys. Try fish Matecumbe style—baked with tomatoes, capers, olive oil, and lemon juice—or the buttery pan-sautéed preparation. The side dishes can be bland: boiled red potatoes, a hunk of corn on the cob, or black beans and rice.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

If you're looking for comfort food—like melt-in-your-mouth key lime biscuits the size of a salad plate or old-fashioned hot cakes with sausage or bacon—try this refreshing throwback for a hearty breakfast. At lunch, Harriette's shines in the burger department, and all the soups—from garlic tomato to chili—are homemade.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Colorful abstract mosaics and inviting, upholstered banquettes almost steal the show, but the food is equally interesting. The menu, a fusion of East and West, offers sushi rolls that combine local ingredients with traditional Japanese tastes. A wood grill is used to prepare such dishes as grilled catch of the day and hardwood-grilled rack of lamb. Wine and sake choices are abundant, and the manager is a wine connoisseur, so take advantage.

The inviting aroma of an Italian kitchen pervades this family-owned favorite. For lunch there are fish and steak entrées served with fries, salad, and bread in addition to Italian specialties; dinner features veal Oscar and other traditional dishes, as well as specialties like seafood Italiano, a dish of scallops and shrimp sautéed in garlic butter and served with marinara sauce over linguine.

This family-owned restaurant in a Victorian-style home tucked into the trees is worth seeking out. Seven varieties of Benedict, including conch, are brunch favorites, while lunch and dinner menus highlight local seafood like lionfish (when available) and yellowtail snapper. Interesting fact: the restaurant's "loo" was voted "best of" for local restaurants. The veranda is ideal for winter dining, but indoors the seating is tighter.

This waterfront café serves locally sourced seafood, soups, and salads in a casual setting—specifically, the back of Key Largo Fisheries. Order at the counter, find a picnic table on the covered patio, and watch the boats come in as your food is prepared. A source for fresh seafood including lobster, stone crabs and shrimp, this eatery has been a favorite in the area since 1972. 

You can't miss the enormous tiki bar on stilts, but the walk-up window on the ground floor is the heart of this warehouse-turned-restaurant. The huge lobster Reuben served on thick slices of toasted bread is the signature dish, and the adults-only upstairs tiki bar offers a sushi and raw bar for eat-in only.

Tucked into Marathon Marina, ½ mile north of the Seven Mile Bridge, this restaurant offers views just as spectacular as its highly lauded food. The offerings at this spinoff of an Islamorada favorite range from fried or sautéed conch and a coconut-fried fish du jour sandwich to seafood pastas and beef tips over rice. Choose a table on the outdoor deck, or inside underneath paddle fans and surrounded by local art.

Feast your eyes on a steal-your-breath-away view and beautifully presented dishes prepared by executive chef Doug Shook. Once you get over sticker shock on the seasonally changing menu, settle in on the outside deck and enjoy dishes like cracked conch with mango chutney, lamb chops with sun-dried-tomato relish, and tamarind-glazed duck breast. A more affordable option is upstairs at The Cafe at Louie's, which serves tapas such as shrimp fritters with coconut curry.

This longtime favorite serves large portions of homemade pastas that can be matched with any of the homemade sauces. Tables are arranged in a brick garden hung with twinkling lights and in a cozy, casual dining room in an old house. Everything out of the open kitchen is outstanding, including the bollito misto di mare (fresh seafood sautéed with garlic, shallots, white wine, and pasta) or the memorable spaghettini "schmappellini," homemade pasta with asparagus, tomatoes, pine nuts, and Parmesan. The wine list—with more than 350 offerings—includes old and rare vintages, and also has a good by-the-glass selection.

This could be the prototype for a Keys restaurant, given its shanty appearance, lattice trim, and roving sort of indoor-outdoor floor plan. Then there's the seafood, from the ubiquitous fish sandwich (fried, grilled, broiled, or blackened) to the lobster Reubens, crab cakes, and coconut shrimp. Burgers, steaks, and ribs round out the menu. Hidden in a grove of banana and palm trees, the place opens for breakfast, lunch, Sunday brunch, and dinner.

This bayfront restaurant wins high marks for its surprisingly stellar cuisine, tables in the sand, and tiki torches that bathe the evening in romance. Seafood takes center stage, but you can always get roasted organic chicken or prime rib. The tapas menu caters to smaller appetites with offerings like fried calamari and conch salad. Sit in a dining room outfitted with surfboards, or outdoors on a beach, where the sunset puts on a mighty show and kids (and your feet) play in the sand.

Locals pack the counters and booths at this tiny eatery, where license plates decorate the walls, to dine on everything from blackened prime rib to crab cakes. Every night is themed, including Meatloaf Monday, Italian Wednesday, and Seafood Sensation (offered Friday and Saturday). There are also tasty Angus beef burgers, sandwiches, a famous chili, and key lime freeze (a tangy concoction somewhere between a shake and a float). In season, ask about the hogfish special du jour.

This honky-tonk has been around since 1936, delighting the inveterate locals and the intrepid vacationers who come for the excellent pizza, cold beer, and interesting companionship. The decor, such as it is, amounts to the autographed dollar bills that cover every inch of the place. The full menu printed on place mats includes a tasty conch chowder, a half-pound fried-grouper sandwich, spaghetti and meatballs, and seafood baskets. The lighting is poor, the furnishings are rough, and the music is oldies. This former brothel and bait shop is just before the No Name Key Bridge in the midst of a residential neighborhood. It's a bit hard to find, but worth the trouble if you want a singular Keys experience.

Pizzas are the star of the show at this bustling trattoria a short walk from the Duval fray. The kitchen churns out a variety of Neopolitan pies from its 2-ton wood-fired oven made of bricks and stones from Mt. Vesuvius. Pastas run the gamut from gnocchi to buccatini done cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper) style. Antipasti and salads round out the lengthy menu.

Neapolitan pizza purists will be impressed with the thin-crust, artisanal pies, all cooked in a wood-burning oven and made with Italian plum tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala, and extra-virgin olive oil. And this neighborhood spot, created by the same folks who own the popular Hogfish restaurant, has garnered attention not only for its pizza, but also its Italian comfort food like the spaghetti and meatballs topped with Sunday gravy or the baked lasagna to go; at happy hour, be sure to try the limoncello wood-fired wings.