From Islamorada to Key West: 8 Great Restaurants In The Florida Keys!
06 Jul 2018
There are so many great restaurants in the Florida Keys. While there are some great eating spots in Key Largo, I will be concentrating this list from Islamorada to Key West.
Marker 88
Situated on the Gulf side, on one of the Florida Keys’ only natural beaches, Marker 88 offers a great selection of food, drinks, and desserts, in a perfectly elegant yet casual setting. Fresh locally caught Florida seafood, prime steaks, and chicken, as well as local vegetables and fruits. You can choose to eat inside or outside.
• Lobster & Mango Guacamole
• Key Lime Seafood: Lobster, shrimp, and blue crab. Sautéed in a Key lime-Tabasco butter with tomatoes and scallions, and served over cilantro lime rice.
• Homemade Key Lime Pie: Tart, and topped with meringue.
• Coconut Fried Key Lime Ice Cream: With fresh tropical fruits.
Keys Fisheries
Located just North of the 7 Mile Bridge in Marathon, Keys Fisheries Restaurant serves the freshest Florida Keys Seafood available in south Florida. Their menu features local specialties, signature dishes, appetizers, and entrees prepared with Florida Keys flare.
• Keys Combo (Grilled): Lobster, Shrimp, Scallops, and Mahi.
• Breaded Shrimp: Plain or Buffalo
• Award Winning Homemade Key Lime Pie
Chef Michael’s
Located at mile marker 81.6 oceanside, Chef Michael’s offers it’s diners dock to dish fresh seafood, prime steak, smiling service, fine wine, and craft beer.
• Conch & Crawfish Fritters
• Tempura Florida Lobster Tail: Coconut and red curry sauce.
• Seafood Pasta: Shrimp, scallops, and lobster, oven roasted tomato and basil cream.
• Key Lime Pie: with whipped cream, strawberries, and strawberry coulis.
• Salted Caramel Cheesecake with Creme Brûlée Topping: with whipped cream, and strawberries.
No Name Pub
Located in Big Pine Key, No Name Pub’s history dates back to 1931 when it was a general store that included a bait and tackle shop. In 1936, the owners added a small area for a restaurant and pub. But the mid 50s, the general store closed, and the whole building became dedicated space for the restaurant and pub. Known as “A nice place if you can find it”, No Name Pub offers a pub style menu, and they are well known for their delicious pizzas.
• Keys Shrimp Pizza: Key West Pinks, Green Onions, Tomato Sauce, Cheese.
Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar & Restaurant
With a coastal fusion menu inspired by surfing spots all over the world, and decor to match, Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar & Restaurant is one of Key West’s newest hot spots. You can either dine in the main bar area, or outside on their covered and lit patio. The music is playing, the drinks are flowing, and the fun times are awaiting you.
• Avocado Fritas: Beer battered avocado topped with black bean salad and chipotle ranch.
• Cabo Shrimp & Grits: Seared tail-on shrimp, served over pepper jack cheese grits, topped with honey jalapeño butter sauce.
• Blackened Fish Tacos: Blackened local fish with pineapple cabbage slaw and avocado cream.
• Pork Carnitas: Citrus-marinated slow roasted pork dressed with mango pineapple salsa and quest fresco.
• Flank Steak: Thin sliced flank steak with house made chimichurri, shaved radish and pickled red onion.
• Key Lime Mousse: Light and fluffy Key lime mousse, layered with house made whipped cream and crushed pistachios.
Azur Restaurant
If you are in the mood for a Mediterranean inspired brunch, then Azur Restaurant is the place to be. Chef Michael and Chef Drew infuse seasonal recipes and ingredients in all of the recipes they make, creating a wonderful and wholesome menu that is sure to please even the most pickiest eater.
• Braised Beef Rib Hash and Eggs: Slow-braised beef rib, Yukon gold potatoes, poached eggs, black truffle hollandaise.
• Carbonara Breakfast: Linguine, pancetta, button mushrooms, caramelized onions, cream, Parmesan reggiano, poached eggs.
• Key Lime Pie French Toast: Texas toast grilled in vanilla custard, Key lime pie, wild berry compote.
• Eggs Benedict II: Poached eggs, sautéed spinach, honey ham, grilled ciabatta, hollandaise.
First Flight Island Restaurant & Brewery
Located in an historic building at the corner of Whitehead and Caroline, is First Flight Island Restaurant & Brewery, a fun and vibrant addition to the Kew West food scene. The building that houses First Flight was the birthplace of Pan American World Airways. Pan Am, the largest international air carrier in the USA from 1927 to 1991, sold their first tickets in this very building. First Flight has not so subtle hints of the historic building’s heritage woven into its decor. It truly is a beautiful building, with a fun Key West atmosphere.
• Street Corn Avocado: fire roasted street corn salsa, avocado, chipotle aioli.
• Shrimp Ceviche: citrus marinated Key West shrimp, fried corn tortilla.
• Seared Scallops: diver scallops, basil risotto, chorizo, jalapeño & corn salsa.
• Fish Tacos: blackened local fish, citrus slaw, avocado aioli, pickled sweet onion, pico de gallo.
Blue Heaven
Located in the historic Bahama Village area of Key West is Blue Heaven, a casual eatery featuring indoor and outdoor dining. The cuisine is American meets Caribbean, and the vibe is Florida meets Hippie. Many years ago, this building hosted cock fighting, gambling, and Friday night boxing matches refereed by Ernest Hemingway. From their humble beginnings in 1992, free spirits Suanne and Richard served beans, rice and fish to lunch customers in the outdoor courtyard, which is paved with the slate pool table tops from the days the downstairs part of the building operated as a pool hall. Roosters and cats walk freely around in the courtyard.
• Blue Heaven Benedicts: Served with Poached Eggs on English Muffin with Lime Hollandaise. Choice of Ham, Sausage, Bacon, Veggie, Beef Tenderloin, Key West Pink Shrimp, Lobster, or BLT. Jazz up your Benny with Asparagus, Tomato, Spinach, Avocado, or Bacon.
• Key Lime Pie: Made with a buttery graham cracker crust, freshly squeezed lime juice, sweetened condensed milk and lots of meringue.
Stop in and Dine at these 8 Great Restaurants in The Florida Keys!
If you re traveling to the Florida Keys, be sure to stop in at these 8 great restaurants along the way. They all have a wonderful menus, packed with items sure to please everyone’e palette. Just make sure you save room for the Key Lime pie!
Cheers,
Big Daddy
If you would like me to review your product, service, restaurant, or travel destination, please send me an email at craig@bigdaddykreativ.ca or tweet me at @BigDaddyKreativ
Craig Silva
Craig is a husband, a father, team leader, travel and food writer, senior youth group coordinator, designer, brander, community builder, volunteer, and social media strategist. Craig likes to travel, go camping, go on road trips, watch movies, build stuff, operate the grill, and sing with his band. Craig is a member of the Travel Media Association of Canada. In June 2017, PR firm Cision identified Craig as one of Canada’s top 10 most popular male bloggers in the parents and family space.
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