Eating Out in Key West

[Raphael Misson]

Captain Sterling suggested starting this and it seemed like a fine idea to me. I was going to post my thoughts on every restaurant I have enjoyed there, but that could take years and cost millions of lives. So I figure I'll post my thoughts as they come to me. Feel free to contribute your thoughts and experiences from these and other restaurants as well.

BTW, be forewarned that Key West is usually one damned expensive place to eat if you're not going for the chain restaurants. If you're on a strict budget, I heartily recommend eating at the fort and buying your own supplies (and even the groceries are a bit pricey because everything is has to be trucked down A1A from Miasmi) or sticking with fast food and the like. You'll miss the ambiance, but you'll save a wad of cash.

Most (non-chain) dinner places will start at about $30 and run ever higher as you add drinks, desserts and whatnot. In fact, I once paid $120 while dining alone at Hyatt (which I don't recommend - go to Louie's Backyard where you can still spend a lot, (but a little less), have a better view and get a very, very, very fine meal.) So caveat emptor.

Anyhow, here's my ideal day of restaurants:

Breakfast - Blue Heaven - Cost: $10+ pp. Breakfast, lunch and now dinner (that's new). Very conveniently located near the fort entrance, Blue Heaven is mostly al fresco and features cats, chickens and roosters. The roosters even manage to climb on the table umbrellas, so if you're lucky, you'll see that. I think I like this place for the atmosphere as much as anything, but they do a nice breakfast (including a special that is often a fine shrimp or crab omelet) and from my experience, they are pirate friendly. (Actually, every place I've been to in garb is pirate friendly.) They get quite busy on the weekends, though.

Lunch - Rum Barrel Bar & Restaurant - Cost: $15+ pp. This is part of the Pirate Soul Museum complex. They have a pirate theme and they sponsor the event, so I enjoy going there. The food is pretty typically Key West (lots of seafood) and upscale bar oriented (burgers and such), but my favorite meal (and to me it is a meal) is the Roasted Corn & Crab Chowder. When I am in Key West for an extended stay, I am happy to eat this several times.

Dinner - Cafe Solé - Cost: $30+ pp. Cafe Solé is literally my favorite restaurant in all my travels. Ever since I discovered it ten or fifteen years ago, I have made it an absolute requirement to eat here at least once during any Key West trip. (I have made 16+ trips...actually I've lost count.) The cuisine tends toward French, which I love. If you go and have never been before, I highly, highly, highly recommend the Hog Snapper. I believe it is the best fish I have ever had. Several others have concurred that this is outstanding including Haunting Lily, Edward O'Keefe and Red Jessi. Order something else on your first trip at your peril. I must confess that some of my love for this place stems from trips long past. It used to have a canvas roof (which was replaced with a less romantic steel roof after a hurricane), it featured nothing but candle light and dusky 40s music and the owner used to come to my table and chat. So you may discount some of my allegiance to memory. But the food is quite fine and the atmosphere is lovely. Plus you often see cats. They usually arrive with your entree if they are around. (Funny about that.) This place is hard as hell to find for the newbie, so if you plan to go, you'll want to print yourself a map.

That's enough for now. I have several more in mind, but they'll have to wait for when I have more time to yammer on about them.

Edited September 15, 2009 by Raphael Misson

[Capt. Sterling]

Perfect...thank you Mission...one more suggestion...perhaps this should be a stickie, pinned or whatever the hell tis called thread?

Edited September 15, 2009 by Capt. Sterling

[Raphael Misson]

Perfect...thank you Mission...one more suggestion...perhaps this should be a stickie, pinned or whatever the hell tis called thread?

I don't know if it merits stickying, but we actually need to add several of these threads to the Index Thread that is already stickied, I think. I'll create a 2009 section to my post up there and add some of the new stuff in when I get a chance.

Edited September 15, 2009 by Raphael Misson

[Commodore Swab]

I've always enjoyed Half Shell Raw Bar, good food and they have a good happy hour. If I remember right you can get a couple dozen oysters and a pitcher of beer for about $15. They have lots of other fish sandwiches etc.

[Quartermaster James]

Blue Heaven is mostly al fresco and features cats, chickens and roosters.

Quite the varied menu that!

[RedJessi]

Having been to all three places with Mission last year, I can say they are all quite fine. And he is dead on about the hog snapper at Cafe Sole - INCREDIBLY good. And I love me some seafood, so I've tried all sorts of kinds. I was also impressed by the fact that Rum Barrel could make a Dirty Hoe - as very few bars stock both framboise and hoegaarden. I think Mission was less impressed with that particular beverage, though. heheh

[hurricane]

I'd have to agree on Blue Heaven as a great place to have breakfast. I also like Camilles, but not as much since they moved to new digs.

But I'm more to the liking of true Key West experiences that harken to the pre-tourista days. And for me, $15 is a dinner budget when I'm there, so I plan a bit differently.

LUNCH - B.O.'s Fishwagon. Caroline Street. Don't let the place fool you, the shack is home to some of the most delicious seafood in the island as well as great burgers and fritters. An institution in KW. Burger, $7.75. Oyster PoBoy $8.75.

http://www.keywesttravelguide.com/bos-fishwagon-menu.html

BREAKFAST, LUNCH or DINNER - Pepe's Cafe on Caroline Street. The oldest restaurant in town, opened in 1909. Can't beat it for authentic Key West.

Pancakes, $4.45, Western Omelet, $9.95, Burger, $10.10 -- Dinner is more elaborate and more expensive. Stick with lunch and breakfast for budget minded folk. Free pickles to pregnant ladies.

http://pepescafe.net/

BAR: I have to always go with the Schooner Bar as my favorite. In the historic seaport, great music and good food. Lots of characters to watch. I'm not a big fan of Sloppy Joes or the other touristy bars. Been there, done that. Like the local flavor and a lot of the boat captains hang here, so it has an additional level of authenticity.

KARAOKE: Two Friends. Great karaoke featuring locals, including a couple boat captains that are absolutely awesome. Good food here too.

-- Hurricane

Edited September 15, 2009 by hurricane

[Raphael Misson]

Another fine day:

Breakfast: Banana Cafe, Price: $12+, Not too far from the fort, it has a nice indoor/outdoor motif and the ubiquitous cats. Specialized in crepes...yummy crepes...which is still more French cooking. It has nice, strong coffee. A little pricey, but worth a jaunt since you're on vacation and all

Lunch: El Siboney Restaurant, Price (last I was there): $8+, It sure doesn't look like much from the street, but they have some of the finest Cuban cuisine I've had on the island. Not a lot for the old vegetarian, which is why I have not been there recently, but it is the place that I'm told even the Cubans on the island go for Cuban. Definitely print a map if you decide to go to this one.

Dinner: Kelly’s Caribbean Bar Grill & Brewery, Price $25+, Lovely al fresco dining with very good food right near downtown, but far enough away to escape a little of the noise. Formerly the Pan American Airlines world headquarters, which they play up enough to give it a feeling of history. They also have a micro-brewery which is worth a look-see. Or at least a taste. Very, very Key West. It also has a lovely large bar that should also be seen. Oh, yeah, and it's still owned (as far as I know) by Kelly McGillis of Top Gun fame. Not too far from the fort, either. Probably my #2 dinner place to hit when I'm there.

And another day:

Breakfast: Croissants De France, Price: $7-8 + as I recall, More like a bakery, although they have some seating. A great place to grab something and go with delicious breakfast food stuffed croissants.

Lunch: B.O.'s Fish Wagon, Price: $10+, I agree with Hurricane that this is a fine place. Boo took me here in 2007 to enjoy wonderful cracked conch and to miss the Friday battle. The place looks like it was assembled from cast-off material found after a hurricane, which only adds to the appeal. Simple, affordable (for Key West) food and excellent for people watching.

Dinner: Mangrove Mama's Restaurant, Price: $30+, Ok, this is a drive. You can't walk to this one unless you give yourself some serious time because it's on Sugarloaf Key, not Key West. But it's one of those al fresco places tucked into the mangroves along the side of the road. The parking is higgle-de-piggle which somehow appealed to me. The place sort of sprawls out and the food is yummy. Great atmosphere and worth the hike.

Oh, yeah, I want to mention one more, although it's not startlingly island-oriented or anything.

Abbondanza Italian Restaurant, Price: $20+, Good Italian food, nice pleasant atmosphere and one of the more reasonably-priced places for dinner. Not too far from the fort, which is also a plus.

Edited September 15, 2009 by Raphael Misson

[William Brand]

Several others have concurred that this is outstanding including Haunting Lily, Edward O'Keefe and Red Jessi.

I concur. Follow it up with Key Lime pie and forget eating anywhere else.

[Joe Pyrat]

Lunch: B.O.'s Fish Wagon, Price: $10+, I agree with Hurricane that this is a fine place. Boo took me here in 2007 to enjoy wonderful cracked conch and to miss the Friday battle. The place looks like it was assembled from cast-off material found after a hurricane, which only adds to the appeal. Simple, affordable (for Key West) food and excellent for people watching.

Dinner: Mangrove Mama's Restaurant, Price: $30+, Ok, this is a drive. You can't walk to this one unless you give yourself some serious time because it's on Sugarloaf Key, not Key West. But it's one of those al fresco places tucked into the mangroves along the side of the road. The parking is higgle-de-piggle which somehow appealed to me. The place sort of sprawls out and the food is yummy. Great atmosphere and worth the hike.

I'll second these two. B.O.'s has my favorite conch fritters and Mama's has my fovorite cracked conch sandwich and an excellent key lime pie. And while I haven't made it yet I've heard El Siboney is the best Cuban food in town.

EDIT: BTW if you like Mangrove Mama's you'll probably get a kick out of the song about the place by Howard Livingston and Mile Marker 24. (Click LISTEN/PLAY on the link)

Edited October 18, 2009 by Joe Pyrat

[Mission]

Some place else that worth a mention if you don't mind driving is the No Name Pub. It's really a beer and burgers joint, but getting there is trippy. You have to get off A1A at Big Pine Key and drive through suburbs...and more suburbs...and cross this iffy looking bridge (not as iffy-looking as it used to be, but...) and there it is. The place also used to be very iffy looking - I must admit I hesitated the first time I went there - but that's also been cleaned up a lot. (Alas.)

NNP used to be a big motorcycle destination back when No Name Key was less civilized and built up, but the last two times I've been there I must admit that it's gone more tourist than local. There was a wait for a table! That's loads different than the first time I ventured there. Still it's sort of a destination restaurant in the Keys - there's signed dollar bills stapled all over the walls - literally hundreds and maybe even thousands of them. Back in the "wilds" of Big Pine off A1A is also where you're most likely to see Key Deer - especially in the evening/dusk from my experience. (They're sort of cute - pint-sized deer.)