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Food Court Fresh Seafood and Local Bars and Restaurants Fresh Seafood If you want to buy the freshest local-only seafood to take home to cook or ship back home to friends and family, please stop in at any one of the local fish markets. Although it is not in our business plan, we do have a connection with a local wholesaler and may be able to send you a "care package" of local fruits of the sea, flash frozen and shipped overnight to your door. Ask Paul to look into the possibility for you. Local Bars and Restaurants Over all, you will find more choices for both fine and casual dining in Key West than anywhere else in the Keys. We rank the upper Keys (Islamorada and Key Largo) second, and Marathon a distant third. Restaurants and bars in the Keys are quite definitely a moveable feast. Although there are some businesses here that have maintained their ownership and staff since we have lived (and eaten) in the Keys, this segment of the hospitality industry suffers a lot of turnover. (During the summer of 2002, there were more than 25 restaurants for sale in Key West alone.) This is both good and bad - while one may over time see a favorite place drift away in quality and service, new and exciting establishments do pop up every day. The best way to pick a restaurant is to ask around. If you are looking for one of the nicer places, ask your hotel concierge. If you are interested in casual dining, have something specific in mind, or want to find that unique little locals place, ask the locals. Don't be afraid to take a chance. Some of the greatest places to eat look like dives from the street. Some that look appealing from outside may actually be dives on the inside. Then of course, some places that look like dives from the street are actually dives on the inside as well. We constantly solicite updates from our business associates and do get out from time to time ourselves, so please feel free to ask us for some ideas. If you are staying up the Keys or get hungry on the drive down, call us. Our recommendations will depend on where you are at the moment. The Overseas Highway is a long road, and many of the best places are off the road. Keys restaurants feature the local seafood: grouper, snapper, yellowtail, dolphin, Key West pinks (shrimp), and lobster and stone crabs (in season). Conch is also considered a local specialty even though you can not harvest it locally (it is shipped in from somewhere else). You can try it in the form of a steak, but most people go for the conch chowder or conch fritters. For desert, you will have to try our world famous Key Lime Pie. Here are our suggestions for Keys restaurants. We receive no compensation or benefit for our suggestions other than knowing that our clients eat well and have a good time. Things do change, so please let us know if you are dissatisfied with any of our suggestions so we can update our list accordingly. In the Upper Keys we recommend:Spanish Gardens - Our friend Jose, who operated the Garden Cafe at the Rain Barrel in Islamorada recently relocated down the road to the south end of the town on the ocean side of the road. He shares space with a local artist, so you can enjoy art while you dine on Jose's salads and sandwiches for lunch or his great tapas for dinner. We suggest you also try:
For seafood served in a scenic waterfront setting, we suggest:
In the Middle Keys we recommend:
We suggest you also try:
In the Lower Keys and Key West we recommend:
At Historic Key West Harbor, we recommend:
We suggest you also try:
All of the above offer veggie dishes. Bon appetit!
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