Key West, FL Restaurants

Having never been there I would welcome any guidance you may offer about restaurants and bars. Key West is in my bucket list and I am looking forward to a week in the land of conchs. It has had a life long appeal to me and I won't be denied as all travel plans are in place e.g airfare, accommodations,etc. In the past the farthest I ever got was to Marathon and something always prevented me from my dream. If it wasn't a boat (twice). It was a car. So folks I am going to Key West. I am flying this time. Departing July 9. Any suggestions appreciated. Thx, Terry

It's been awhile since I've been there, but we always loved Blue Heaven. Funky atmosphere with cats and chickens roaming in the courtyard. Hopefully, it is still the same.
http://www.blueheavenkw.com/

For a good dive bar, The Green Parrot.
http://www.greenparrot.com/

Departing July 9. Any suggestions appreciated. Thx, Terry

Sunscreen, Mosquito repellent and a bag of really good dope...Trust me.

We went to Key West for our honeymoon last June. Here are some of our favorite spots.

Caroline's
310 Duval Street
-delicious lunch (the best alfredo I've ever had)

Mangia Mangia Pasta Cafe
900 Southard Street
-fresh pasta

Sarabeth's
530 Simonton Street
-great breakfast (the owner was super nice and loved that we were from Louisville--apparently he's visited and has several local friends from here)

Mr. Z's Pizza
501 B Southard Street
-highly recommended by our hotel for best pizza on the island

P.S. We walked to all of these restaurants with the exception of Mangia Mangia because of rain. We stayed at the Hyatt on Front Street.

Have fun!

Here are a couple of my favs...

Cafe Marquesa

Cafe Sole

[Robin Garr]

Adding to what the others have said, you might try El Sibouney, a Cuban diner in a residential neighborhood a few blocks from Duval Street. Great Cuban fare and a fun look at the Key West scene without so many tourists around.

I'll second most of these and add Bananas Cafe (on Duval) for breakfast/crepes. We love to get up early and walk to breakfast, Bananas, Sarabeths, Blue Heaven. We also love the Conch Republic for a bucket of beer and shrimp. They are open air down on the water, extensive menu and full bar. El Siboney is a must, but we have on occasion enjoyed Cafe Pepe the most upscale (relative term) Cuban place on Mallory Square. We've eaten at Michael's once for an upscale steak dinner. It was very good, but not really anything you couldn't get here.

I just had a friend rave about Seven Fish (on Olivia) and Abbondanza Italian Restaurant, but I can't personally vouch for them.

FYI - everything is casual in Key West, even the upscale places. And like someone else said, if you are staying in Old Town, there's no need to drive anywhere.

I'm jealous, so jealous. Key West is my favorite place to vacation. It's like an adult spring break, with drag queens.

This doesn't help at all, but I love Key West. I was there twice last year but I don't remember eating. Except I do recall breakfast @ the six toed cat next to Hemmingways house one morning. All I have is a nice photo of me twirling fire after sunset down on the wharf. Huh!, didn't know I could do that. Anyway have a good time.

This doesn't help at all, but I love Key West. I was there twice last year but I don't remember eating. Except I do recall breakfast @ the six toed cat next to Hemmingways house one morning. All I have is a nice photo of me twirling fire after sunset down on the wharf. Huh!, didn't know I could do that. Anyway have a good time.

Hilarious.

Here are four threads about Key West. I just did a forum search for "Key West" in quotes. Tons of information there. Lots of forumites love the place, apparently!

http://forums.louisvillehotbytes.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=10924&p=97103&hilit=+key+west+#p97056

http://forums.louisvillehotbytes.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=10808&p=96464&hilit=+key+west+#p96464

http://forums.louisvillehotbytes.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=10808&p=96464&hilit=+key+west+#p96464

http://forums.louisvillehotbytes.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3233&p=30834&hilit=+key+west+#p30834

[Robin Garr]

I just had a friend rave about Seven Fish (on Olivia)

We ate at Seven Fish a couple of times and liked it, but it wasn't as "Key West" as a lot of places there. It would have fit right in on Bardstown or Frankfort, which is not a bad thing, but it was relatively pricey and we ended up sticking with the spots that had more of the character of the Conch Republic.

I used to live in So. Florida and went to Key West quite often. Louie's Backyard was probably one of the best in the keys. I don't know if they are still open. If they are, its worth the money!! Have a drink at The Bull,corner of Caroline and Duval.

Was down there the week after Derby and had some great food...

Two additional to the locations already mentioned.

Pepe's - supposedly the oldest place in KW. Local dive type place. Great food, relatively inexpensive.
http://pepescafe.net/

Latitudes on Sunset Key - this is the small private island just off Mallory Square. Picturesque is the word that comes to mind. The island is a combo of resort cottages and private homes, all operated by Westin. Ferry goes to Sunset on the :15 & :45 and comes back on the :30 & :00. You'll want a reservation, and try to sit outside. It isn't cheap... at all. If price is an issue you can just take the boat over for a drink at the bar and have a look around. In fact, in the future that is probably what I would prefer to do. Food was excellent, scenery was even better. Trust me... just go have a drink if you've never seen the place.
http://www.westinsunsetkeycottages.com/latitudes

We did Louie's Backyard one night without a reservation and couldn't get in the main dining room. Upstairs is a tapas menu and a great view. Food was great there as well. If you go upstairs ask for Jeff (easy for me to remember) as your server. He guided us through the menu very nicely. Keep in mind that the tapas menu won't save you a bunch of $$ however.

And if you want a nice quiet bar away from the Duval action... Grunt's on Caroline Street (right across from Kelly's). Beautifully constructed, serene, and a little off the path. Wine / beer only & closes at 11p.

Copy and pasted from my earlier post but...

Restaurants:

Ok, if you go to Key West you have to try some Cuban food and my favorite spot is Jose's Cantina on White Street. The pulled pork is the best on the island and the palomilla steak is something I could eat by the truck load. You must go here. Well, if you want. (edit: I also second El Sibonay)

Cuban pressed sandwiches are ubiquitous. Get one anywhere. The Cuban Mix, Media Noche... great drunk food.

Don't drink coffee while in KW. Get a cafe con leche. It's another cuban thing, its everywhere, its cheap and its awesome.

Steak? Pepe's (on Caroline St.). Actually they say the breakfast is the best part. I love the pork chop and steak combo dinner. It's been there forever and its awesome. Beautiful garden like patio. I always miss staying awake long enough to get there for breakfast but have always wanted to make it.

Seafood? Well, there's a bunch of places but the Rusty Anchor on Stock Island is my jam. Locals only. No tourists here. You will need to catch a cab though. It's maybe a 5 minute ride. Stock Island is like the Germantown of the Keys.

Dolphin Deli. Locals only breakfast joint on Stock Island. Kind of a dive but good breakfast.

Harpoon Harry's. Great breakfast joint near the Half Shell Raw Bar (tourist trap but good for one beer). I used to work at the Half Shell.... Harpoon Harry's rocks (edit: used to).

Dion's. Its a gas station on the corner of Truman and White. I eat there alot because its open at 5 am and its super cheap. It's fried chicken and mac and cheese kinda stuff. good because eating in KW is expensive. Also, be forewarned of super wastoids going in there after the bars close. It's can be like a zoo, the circus, and UFC all rolled into one.

Bars:

This list could go on forever but I'll keep it to my favorites...

Don's. Local drunk tank. It's where the pros go to get their drink on. Not many tourists here.

The Green Parrot (aka The Parrot). Maybe my favorite bar in the world. Its a locals bar off Duval. On the corner of Southard and Whitehead. I like going there before lunch.

Schooner's Wharf. Right on the water, dockside whatever. They open at 6 am. Used to be a derelict haven. Now its pretty tame. They serve food too but its pricey. I love Schooner's.

Dante's. I like Dante's. You can sit poolside and sip drinks and eat pretty good food. It's pricey but everything is down there. It's next to the Half Shell Raw Bar. I like hanging out there.

Bare Assests. Oh lordy... Locals strip club. Pure KW sleaze. Used to be out of control but its pretty tame now.

The Chart Room. This place is awesome. Hard to find. But ask a cabby and they'll take you there. It's tucked away in a ritzy hotel but you can go there. It's small but has a ton of character. Great pre game spot. It's one of the oldest bars in KW. I think someone is buried in the floor.

AVOID: Sloppy Joe's, Margaritaville, and try to avoid Bahama Village at night. It's not pleasant.

Seriously in Key West, when in doubt, just go to The Parrot.

Beaches: There are a bunch of beaches but Zachary Taylor is the nicest swimming beach. I have never been there actually but I have always wanted to go. A cab will get you there or you can just walk down Southard (past the Parrot) until you hit water. It's a locals beach for the most part. Don't be shocked if the water is a bit creepy or if there is a bunch of seaweed (or oil godforbid) everywhere. KW is more of a reef than say, Miami.

Walk all over Old Town. It's beautiful. Flagler Ave., Simeonton, Whitehead, Caroline St... Rent a bike or a scooter and go everywhere. Eat a conch fritter. Keep a beer cozy handy at all times. You can circle the island in about an hour on a bike. Cheers!

Many thank you's to those that responded to my Key West post. I have copied your thoughts and look forward to a week of fun in the sun and the moon at night. Again, my thanks. Tia, Terry

Beaches: There are a bunch of beaches but Zachary Taylor is the nicest swimming beach. I have never been there actually but I have always wanted to go. A cab will get you there or you can just walk down Southard (past the Parrot) until you hit water. It's a locals beach for the most part. Don't be shocked if the water is a bit creepy or if there is a bunch of seaweed (or oil godforbid) everywhere. KW is more of a reef than say, Miami.

Ft. Zackary Taylor is the best swimming beach (unless you're staying on the island mentioned above where Latitudes is located). It's a state park, and you'll pay a few bucks upon entrance. It's a serviceable beach, with sand trucked in to create the "beach." There's a restaurant/bar there as well. If you plan on swimming, I'd pack a pair of water shoes. After 2 or 3 steps into the water, you'll hit a 10-15 feet stretch of rock that will shred your feet if the waves are at all bad.