Food is one of the most exciting parts about travel. Para mi, it’s one of the REASONS I do travel. I love tasting nuevos flavors, trying new cultural recipes, and biting into glorious local dishes cuando viajo to a new place. For me, the Florida Keys was no exception even though its part of the state I currently live in. We went down to celebrar El Marido’s birthday in December and ended up eating ALL the things! Too many things, actually!:)
Now, la comida in the Florida Keys can be hit or miss; I aint even gunna lie to you. There are dives con touristy dishes that are trash and tambien hay hidden gems that will completely delight your tastes buds. The trick es sabiendo (knowing) which is which. Knowing where to go for yummy comida in the Keys, is key! (Get it?:)
That’s where I come in! I’m not gunna sit here y say que soy una experta of Keys Food, that’d be a lie. What I can tell you is that despues de un week there and tasting as much as I could, I have some suggestions. Yo te puedo commentar about interesting spots, authentic dives, and a few dishes that are worth driving all around the Florida Keys for.
I will say as a disclaimer that my familia only ate en restaurantes that had outdoor seating or takeout due to the ongoing pandemic, but thankfully that was pretty commonplace for most locales en Los Cayos.
As I mentioned before, I travel FOR food, so I’ll do my best not to lead you astray.
Here are algunos de mis lugares favoritos to enjoy a meal in the Florida Keys.
1. Bad Boy Burrito, Key West
One thing I KNEW I wanted to do cuando we traveled down to the Keys was comer as much seafood as I possibly could. Yo estaba determinada to stick to a pescatarian diet for the majority of my meals. I mean… obvio… we were surrounded all that ocean; why not? Anyone who knows me, knows que it wasn’t difficult para mi considering that seafood is my favorite thing ever. I even wrote a whole blog post on my favorite yummies from the sea when we toured the western Caribbean on a cruise last year.
When I found this highly recommended Mexican spot called Bad Boy Burrito in Key West, I thought I’d have to break my streak. Nope. Gracias a Dios! Not only did I find freshly caught options on el menΓΊ, but DAMN was it GOOD! I ordered the “Cayo Hueso Tacos” which are 3 tacos served with rice & beans y pico de gallo with choice of fish, shrimp, or lobster with verde sauce, cabbage, queso, sour cream, radish, jalapenos, and cilantro.
When I tell you I moaned with my first bite… WOOOOO!
The flavors were wholly Mexican but yet made me very aware that I was standing in the middle of Keys… if that’s even possible. Lo que quiero decir is: those tacos were FRIGGIN FANTASTIC! A seafood slam dunk, if you will. π
What’s a dish that gave you the ultimate foodgasm?
Yummies…
So, Bad Boy Burrito esta un poquito hidden; we had to work to find it. It’s just a small (albiet, trendy) locale con unas mesas outside, but don’t let that fool you. It’s one of the most highly-rated places to eat in Key West (with lines often being a “thing”). La razon? Well, its truly authentic, inventive, and loyal to it’s promise to deliver local and fresh ingredients. That’s a big deal!
They also play up traditional Key West flavors, which is something I really dug porque yo estaba buscando authenticity!
If you’re curious about otras cosa deliciosas that you should try, Id go with the Pork burrito bowl, the watermelon agua fresca, and the kid’s shrimp tacos! All totally superb and expertly made. The burrito bowls are especially cool porque you can build your own y las opciones/combos are limitless. The marido didn’t speak one word while he ate his… a very good sign:)
If you still need persuading, Bad Boy Burrito was featured on both “Diners, Drive ins, and Dives” AND “Man Vs. Food“. I mean, that’s proof you should give it a try on your next trip to Key West. What do you have to loose?
Have you sought out spots that you’ve seen on TV shows? Have they lived up to the hype?
2. No Name Pub, Big Pine Key
The No Name Pub in Big Pine Key is a MUST if you find yourself driving through the Keys. Why? Is the food the best I’ve ever had, you ask? Pues, no. It’s good, but not extraordinary. Is the place particularly beautiful? No, de verdad que no. What’s it got, then? Only The MOST INTERESTING KEY WEST ESTABLISHMENT AWARD! Truly.
Ok. Dejame explicarte! So, No Name Pub is the oldest bar in the Florida Keys. It’s located smack dab en el medio de no where in the midst of the Keys Deer Habitat, like on a legit dirt road. The place opened as a pub in 1936 when the ferries from the mainland would drop travelers onto No Name Key. Despues de tiempo, it added a little side hustle to the location, and opened a brothel. Yea, you read that right. That didn’t last terribly long, though.
During the 70’s -80’s, it got some more crazy action when the Keys became the epicenter of drug smuggling and LOTS of money started passing through the doors of the establishment. So much money, actually, that some of it stuck. Quite literally, STUCK. You see, at this very moment, there are tens of thousands of autographed dollar bills stuck onto the walls and ceilings of No Name Pub.
$90,000+ to be exact. INSANE right? Weirdest ambience I’ve ever seen.
What’s the strangest decoration you’ve ever seen in a restaurant?
But what about the food?
Now, the food es rico. Really quite yummy. Especialmente, if you try their famous smoked fish dip (made with Yellowfin Tuna) y sus homemade pizzas. Baby girl enjoyed the hell out of her lobster bisque soup as well. It’s the kind of food that really hits the spot after a long day of beachin’ it!
Otra cosa, the seating area outside was perfect for us. Think of a huge tiki hut with picnic tables, cada mesa spaced 6 feet apart y con buen open-air flow. It was the type of place that let us take our pandemic guard down. We ate in peace with the knowledge que el restaurante was being extra cautious for its patrons. Essentially, fue perfecto for making families feel safe during these crazy times.
Mi pequena familia had a great time at the No Name Pub. I mean, we got in our lunchtime yummies and left with a killer story to tell. Winning!
Tell me about a restaurant that you enjoyed MORE after learning about it’s history! Where was it?
3. Kiki’s Sand Bar, Little Torch Key
Last time we vacationed at the beach, we tried to focus on making our own food by eating in. The reason fue porque it was just a few months into the pandemic y estuvimos scared about being out in any regard. I know you guys get it! We opted to cook on vacation then, but not this time. Por supuesto que NO! Not in the Keys! There were too many great outdoor spots to enjoy not to give dining out otra oportunidad.
The first place we hit was Kiki’s Sand Bar in Little Torch Key. Nosotros lo encontramos by pure happenstance, but that didn’t make it any less amazing! Is everything you want a Key’s restaurant to be: cerca de la agua, adorned with sand and palm trees, decorated with fun lights and tiki huts. Listen, Kikis es un total vibe, and that’s before you even taste the food.
I’m here to tell you, fui pleasantly surprised by the menu at Kikis. I expected for it to be light fare, more focused on appetizers and quickly grilled food. Honestly, it was so much better than that. La comida tenia SABOR; it was super flavorful and carefully made. Even the kid’s burgers were seasoned and grilled to perfecciΓ³n, with a little crispiness on the edges of the flame-grilled meat.
I was legit flabbergasted, cuz I’d been warned about trashy, touristy Key’s joints. Fue tan rico, that I actually found myself stealing several bites of both kid’s burgers even though I had yummy fish tacos en frente de mi. I may have eaten all of their chunky fries too. π
What’s theirs is mine y what’s mine is mine. Don’t @ me! Haha.
Have you ever been to a place that far exceeded your initial expectations? Where?
Tell me more, though…
Kiki’s is a local’s place that caters to tourists as well, por lo menos that’s how it felt to me. For example, habian people with their furry friends in tow dropping in por una cerveza as well as families that looked like this was their favorite weekly spot. A total local spot. On the other hand, las decoraciones screamed “for the tourists” with it’s bright design and twinkle-light aesthetic. Regardless though, the “where everybody knows your name” vibe had me feeling super chill y muy feliz.
Generally, that’d be more than enough, pero no. This spot had a little something extra that hooked me even more… live music! No, no estoy hablando de un Jimmy Buffett wannabe band… nah! They had a live DJ in a whole ass GET UP! At one point, el se puso the killer combo of a rainbow 70’s style afro wig and a pair of poppin’ gold aviators. Like a Disco era, Rico Suave! Haha. Hideous but hilarious.
While his outfit fue entertainment on its own, his actual dj skills were totally on point! Este muchacho had R&B, Reggae, and Soul pumping from the speakers in a way that had me bailando thru my entire meal. So much so, que El Marido kept telling me that I was embarrassing him. Ha!
No regrets, y’all! I was living my best island life! π
Have you ever been somewhere where the entertainment surprised you with how fun it turned out to be?
“Physically, I’m here.
Mentally, I’m in a pool in Key West
ordering my third mojito”
-Anonymous
4. Boondocks Grill & Draft House, Ramrod Key
Right in the middle of our vacay in the Keys, we stopped doing our research about great places to hit. It might have been all that laying out in the sun, or pudo ser las horas of hiking and biking, but we totally dropped the ball on lining up great places to try in our area. We got a bit desperate un poco too close to dinner time. You know what that means…. hangry Joana. Haha. AND hangry kids. Double whammy.
Consequently, we noticed Boondocks Grille and Draft House from US 1 while driving through Ramrod Key and we HAD to stop. Sabes porque? Because it didn’t look like a hole in the wall, and because it had loads of well-kept outdoor seating, and because it had a dope ass miniature golf course right beside the restaurant. The fact that it was HUGE (its the largest tiki bar in the Keys) and it had live music didn’t hurt either. We were tourists, after all. π
Truthfully, we weren’t even looking for comida deliciosa… we would have settled for decent. Thankfully, we didn’t have to settle for a damn thing.
Thank heaven…
Boondocks was run like a well-oiled machine. El Staff y la cocina brought us out our food in record tiempo (this wasn’t their first rodeo). Thank heavens they did because otherwise… I may have eaten my own arm. Ha! We tried a few things: the conch stew, the shrimp ceviche, and the kid’s mac & cheese. Adivina which was our favorite?
You guessed it! THE FRIGGIN MAC & CHEESE! When I tell you my kids had to literally slap my fork away from their plates… haha. Best thing on the menu! Solamente fui one time, and I can say that with certainty. Even after finishing off nuestra cena with an ice cream sundae, I STILL felt that way. That mac was truly BOMB!
Just to be clear, that’s not just because I was hangry. Ha! Well done, Boondocks!
Do you get hangry?? What’s your go to dish when the hunger shakes hit?
5. Conch Republic Seafood Company,
Key West
Mi gente, I found my favorite restaurant in Key West! I did and it was relatively easy. All I had to do was read every single travel blog on Pinterest sobre the city y voila! Haha. Estoy mintiendo (I’m lying), I had the hardest time finding mi restaurant favorito. We actually drove around to a few spots before settling on one. The fact is, there are so many dope places in Key West to try but no todos had outdoor seating. Y la otra cosa es, not very many were family friendly. And then there’s the whole thing about being affordable.
Puede ser muy dificil to find a great place that fits all of your needs in a super busy/touristy place like Key West; I won’t lie. But that’s why I have to tell you about the one I did find, and why it’s my favorite!
Conch Republic Seafood Company was my preferred spot for yummies in all of Key West.
But why?
There are so many razones but I’ll try to limit it to just a few for you guys:
- Great location! It is situated bien cerca to the old marina, an area that es ideal for shopping, strolling, and sightseeing. Not too far away are all of the lovely Kew West style homes that you hear so much about. Conch Republic is great place to start your Key West tour from.
- The food was maravilloso y the drinks were even better! (more on that later)
- The open air ambience was totally dope y las vistas were lovely. I mean, quien no quiere comer lunch while gazing at a beautiful marina? It makes for a refreshing break after a morning of non-stop sightseeing.
- There was something for EVERYONE. This can not be understated. Finding un lugar que le gusta a todos? That’s a feat!
Y’all, it was so good that we returned on our second day in Key West too! Deveras! We went 2 friggin’ times! Dos veces because we couldn’t get enough the first time around and because it just fit our criteria so perfectly.
Have you ever returned to the same restaurant over and over while on vacation? Where was it?
Food Spotlight…
Let’s get to the nitty gritty. Tu quieres oir sobre la comida, right?
Here are the dishes that we tried and enjoyed during our multiple visits to Conch Republic:
- Sesame Crusted Tuna Tataki– Seared tuna with a wasabi glaze along with seaweed salad and Key Lime ponzu. Totalmente light and refreshing!
- Their famous Mojitos– En particular, the strawberry one. Todos are made with Flor de Cana Rum so even the basic mojito is LEGIT. Pero escuchame, if you wanna go for that extra bit of magic, ask the waiter for the Gran Reserva 7 Year Rum. It will blow your idea of a good mojito out of the water!
- Conch Republic Smokehouse Burger– Its seasoned, its juicy, its enormous. Need I say mas?
- The Fresh Caught Snapper Fillet– El STAR del SHOW! HO-LY-SHIT! It was the best thing I put in my mouth the whole month of December. Este fish was mild, juicy, flaky, y adornado with the most scrumptious garlic chimichurri sauce ever to grace my lips. Not to be outdone, the creamy mashed potatoes and perfectly cooked veggies had my taste buds singing tambien. Guys, it was flat-out indecent, how I licked mi plato clean. I’m not even sorry.
- Key Lime Pie– No offense to other places that specialize in this dessert but Conch’s was the BEST I’ve EVER tried. It comes down to the crust. Esta versiΓ³n was created with a blend of graham crackers and cashew nut instead of only grahams. Eso cambia todo!! That seemingly small change leaves the crust nutty and chewy, not dry and brittle, ensuring that it stays intact for each delicious bite.
In Summary,
Here’s what I know, my memories of Key West are now tied to this amazing spot. Cada ves that I return, Imma hit up Conch’s. It’s gunna be a thing! That’s how much I loved it.
Tell me about a place you frequent que tiene en ENTIRE menu that’s to die for! Where is it?
“People who love to eat are always the best people.”
-Julia Child
6. Kermit’s Key Lime Pie Shoppe, Key West
Kermit’s Key Lime Shoppe es una institutiΓ³n in the Florida keys. People make their way down to Key West and run to this spot just to see if the Key Lime Pie is everything it’s cracked up to be. It’s a thing. I’m a HUGE pie fan (so I totally understand this), especialmente if it’s creamy and tart- that’s vital. Guys, Kermit’s pie hits all those marks. Dense but light, sweet pero not too sweet, the perfect level of tang to the lime flavor. Really tasty. They even have a good consistency to their crust, which is muy importante, as I’ve mentioned before. Quisiera recommendar their strawberry- key lime blend, if you wanna stray from the classic.
El Kermit’s original was opened at 200 Elizabeth street about 25 years ago and ever since then has been a huge hit con la gente de Key West, and with the tourists who come to visit. It’s got an ideal location, situated just a quick stroll away from Mallory Square, right in the heart of Old Town Key West.
But wait, there’s more…
The shoppe is meant to be the tipo de lugar that you stop at for a bit of delicious relaxation and indulgence. That’s Kermit’s schtick y I aint mad at it! Tienen un koi pond increΓble, a full-working cafe, and a shaded rainforest patio too. Doesn’t it sound like a lovely place for an afternoon pick-me-up? Uh, YEA! Anything to escape the heat and the crowds.
Most people don’t realize that Kermit’s isn’t ONLY in the business of making Key Lime Pies. Nope. Este negocio goes beyond that. They actually produce candies, jellies, cookies, bath and body items, salsas, seasonings, and dressings as well. Y la mejor parte, is that they ship those items all over the US! Isn’t that rad?
Fun fact: on their website, Kermit’s even has a list of recipes que puedes usar in your own home that all showcase the special flavor of the Key West Lime! So you can take their products home AND learn how to cocinar with them. Cool!
Have you ever tasted Key Lime Pie? How do you like it?
7. Keel & Curley Wine, Florida
So, mi ultimo adiciΓ³n to this florida key’s list is not actually IN the Florida Keys… but it can be taken there:) It’s actually a local Florida winery that I think deserves a shoutout. One that we happened to enjoy thoroughly durante our stay en Los Cayos. The name of the brand is: Keel and Curley Wine.
The story goes that Joe Keel opened a nursery in Plant City, FL in 1981. Despues de anos, his farm went from a plant nursery to a full fledged blueberry farm. En 2003, el decidiΓ³ usar his end-of-crop blueberries to make wine and it was un Γ©xito! 10 years later, they expanded their operation to include locally crafted with cider and ales. Te puedo decir, as a Floridian, that Keel and Curley is all the rage here. It’s widely beloved por su vino and because the company as a whole is all about sustainability and community.
Pretty dope.
The wines…
One of The winery’s most popular items are their fusion wines, que son basicamente a mixture of grape wine with a fruit juice. While that might sound basic… IT’S NOT! Cree me! That stuff is delish and they have 7 different varieties to choose from.
Also on their product list: 4 different types of Blueberry wine ranging from dry to sweet, Black Raspberry Merlot, Wild Berry Pinot Noir, Peach Chardonnay, and even Key West Lime Wine (which is why I am adding them to este “Key’s food” ‘list). In case you want to be like me, mis vinos favoritos to keep at home are the Sweet Blueberry and the Strawberry wine which you can buy and have shipped to your home for only $15 a bottle! That’s steal for this delicious Florida grown wine, y’all!
Do you like to support local wineries and breweries? Which is your favorite in your area?
Final Thoughts…
The Florida Keys are a great place to vacation. They’ve got it all: sunny weather, perfect vistas of el mar, and DELICIOUS FOOD. It’s got the makings for a perfect spot to disfrutar con tu familia, you just gotta be diligent about avoiding the trashy, touristy spot and stick to the quality places.
That might require some work from you, though. Do your research, read reviews, save this blog post… and keep todas esas cosas handy for when your make your way down south. Confia en me, planning ahead when it comes to the Keys will pay off. You’ll thank me when you are sippin’ on your 3rd mojito, enjoying the salty ocean breeze and a delicious piece of Key lime pie… from the right place! π
You’re welcome ahead of time, amigos. That’s what I’m here for: to do the heavy lifting and recon FOR you, so you can just disfrutar tus vacaciones. El placer es mio! Just make sure that if you do hit up one of these spots I’ve recommended and you like it, you send me a pic!
Until our next adventure,
Sending each of you an abrazo,
Joana
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