Foodie’s Guide to Key West Restaurants: 15 Local Favorites

The southernmost point in the United States, Key West boasts a fun, laid back vibe and a creative culinary scene featuring fresh, local, seafood like pink shrimp, conch, stone crab and spiny lobster, Cuban and Caribbean inspired flavors, and of course, tropical cocktails and key lime pie. If you’re planning a trip to Key West, make sure these local Key West restaurants  are on your itinerary.

Key West is home to nearly 400 restaurants, which means a few days in town will only scratch the surface foodwise. I’ve visited the Keys a few times (most recently we were on a family trip in Key West and Marathon with our kids, and found plenty of things to do in Key West with kids!) and every time we visit Key West we spend the few days there eating and drinking as much as we can!

In between soaking up the island lifestyle, taking in the nightlife on Duval, exploring the city’s history and indulging in it’s quirkiness, we have eaten our way through old favorites and local go-tos, and this guide rounds up some of our favorites!

Ana’s Cuban Cafe

Ana’s is in the back of a little bodega/grocery store; you order at the counter and then can take it to go or grab a seat at one of the picnic tables or lunch counter out front.

Of course with “Cuban” in the name, they serve a lot of Cuban classics like authentic Cuban sandwiches with roast pork, ham, mustard, Swiss cheese, and pickles, along with picadillo, ropa vieja, and palomilla. I got a Cuban sandwich and plantains (yum!) and washed everything down with fresh coconut water.

Blue Heaven

What do you think of when you think of Key West  food?

Key lime pie, of course! 

Since Key West and key lime pie are basically synonymous, we can’t have a trip to the Keys without indulging in at least one slice (but trust me, we usually indulge in more than one!).

Blue Heaven has served us a slice of their take on the famous treat more than once after lunch or brunch on their patio. A visit to Blue Heaven is worth it just to enjoy the outdoor seating on the festive and funky patio and to watch the roosters roam around; but while you’re there you may as well share a slice of the best key lime pie with mile high meringue. 

Beyond key lime pie, Blue Heaven serves one of the best breakfasts around, plus lunch and dinner on weekdays, and brunch on Sundays, offering classic comfort food like French toast and Lobster benedict, and local fish like spiny lobster (when in season), yellowtail snapper (over pasta or rice) and BBQ Key West shrimp.

This old favorite only takes reservations for dinner, so make sure you come early for breakfast or lunch because there will be a wait!

Cuban Coffee Queen

The casual, counter-service spot, named for a woman who taught the owner how to make a real cafe con leche, has three locations (Waterfront, Downtown and Clinton Square Market) serving Cuban coffee (of course) but also an all day menu of breakfast sandwiches, Cuban sandwiches and favorites, salads and smoothies.

The must order is a cafe con leche (Cuban coffee with steamed milk) but you may as well go for a traditional Cuban breakfast with a Pan Cubano, buttered and toasted Cuban bread meant for dunking right in your coffee cup. Our kids loved the smoothies too!

Date & Thyme

If you’re looking for something light, healthy and satisfying (let’s just say you’ve eaten yourself silly on seafood), stop by Date & Thyme. The hip, health-focused restaurant has a mostly vegan and vegetarian menu full of healthy, organic foods like avocado toast, acai bowls, smoothies and tempeh wraps.

They also have a small market with blend of daily essentials and unique products that you won’t find anywhere else, perfect for someone who is looking for organic produce and groceries to cook at home, healthy treats, supplements or organic beauty products.

Date & Thyme prides itself on its connections with local farms and supporting the local Key West food community.

Eaton Street Seafood Market

Eaton Street is an old gas station turned seafood market selling some of the freshest fish and seafood you can get in Key West, the catch changes daily.

If you are renting a house with a kitchen, you can stop in to buy fresh fish to go like the locals do to cook at home, but even if you don’t have the space or desire to cook, you can still indulge in some delicious fresh fish.

Eaton Street’s casual restaurant has a menu featuring sandwiches (lobster roll, shrimp salad, crab cake or fish), fish platters (fried or grilled), and regional favorites like conch chowder, conch strips and ceviche, hogfish, stone crab, Mahi Mahi, pink shrimp and spiny lobster. You can also pick your choice of fresh fish filet and have it cooked to order.

El Siboney

Sometimes some of the best restaurants are in the most unassuming buildings. El Siboney doesn’t look like much behind its red brick exterior, but don’t judge a book by its cover.

Fresh fish and seafood may be the best known cuisine of the Keys, but you can’t come to South Florida and skip Cuban food. After all, Key West is just 90 miles Cuba so there’s no shortage of Cuban restaurants in town.

To get your Cuban food fix, stop by El Siboney, a family owned, old-school Cuban restaurant with great food at affordable prices. The restaurant celebrates the cuisine and culture of Cuba from its menu full of Cuban classics down to its name–a tribute to Siboney, an indigenous Cuban population decimated by Spanish consquistadores and the diseases they brought with them.

First Flight Island Restaurant & Brewery

First Flight Island Restaurant & Brewery is known as the birthplace of Pan American World Airways, a major US airline from 1927 to 1991. In fact, Pan-Am’s first tickets were sold out of the brewery and restaurant’s building in 1927! 

First Flight honors its location’s history through its theme and decor, right down to the names names of the beers brewed on site and its cocktail selections.

First Flight’s menu is best described as modern American with a Caribbean splash, serving local favorites like spiny lobster, yellowtail snapper, Carribbean pork, and tuna poke. We really loved their diverse menu offerings to cater to both us and our kids, and the conch fritters were out of this world.

Garbo’s Grill

Garbo’s Grill is a must stop for us on a trip to Key West. While it doesn’t look like much (it’s a shiny silver airstream camper parked on the patio of Hank’s Hair of the Dog Saloon), it’s one of the most popular restaurants in Key West–even Guy Fieri and Diner’s, Drive-Ins and Dives has stopped by.

Garbo’s was born out of the owners’ dreams to open a restaurant in Key West, but they the steep lease prices that come with a brick-and-mortar space. With a stash of great recipes, encouragement from friends and family, and what they call a little silver opportunity, Garbo’s Grill was born.

A trip to Garbo’s never disappoints; we love to order the Yum Yum Shrimp Tacos, the Cayo Fish tacos, and Korean BBQ tacos and then share (but they also have burgers, hot dogs and bowls). Of course, we also knock back a few beers or cocktails while relaxing and enjoying live music. We love the casual, backyard party vibe and don’t be deterred if you see a long line, they move through it fast and it’s worth the wait!

Half Shell Raw Bar

You can’t go to the beach and not get oysters. Or at least that’s a rule for us. Anyone else?

So we got our oyster fix at Half Shell Raw Bar, located in Key West’s historic seaport. Half Shell is open daily, offering an extensive raw bar menu with oysters prepared every which way (raw on the half shell, baked, steamed, Oysters Rockefeller and BBQ Oysters), clams, mussels, and peel and eat Key West pink shrimp.

They also have po’ boys (grouper, lobster, oyster and shrimp), seafood entrees, lobster surf and turf, and of course classic key lime pie for dessert.

To get the most bang for your buck, time your visit for their happy hour running from 430 to 630 pm daily, we filled up on oysters, steamed shrimp, calamari, conch fritters, conch chowder and clams for pretty good discounts.

Hogfish Bar and Grill

Hogfish says it serves some of the best seafood in the Florida Keys, and for a good reason: it’s harbor location helps them get fresh fish from the boats, straight to your plate.

The restaurant is actually on Stock Island, the island just before Key West, but it’s worth the 15 minute or so drive from Duval Street for fresh seafood, strong drinks and panoramic ocean views. If you’re looking for something less touristy, this local favorite is a must stop and they have live music on weekends!

The most popular menu items at the open-air restaurant feature their namesake, the hogfish sandwich and hogfish tacos, but any of their local seafood dishes are worth a try.

Lagerheads Beach Bar and Watersports

Lagerheads is a casual, no-fuss spot serving simple, good food and local specialties like conch ceviche, fish tacos, and smoked fish dip.

It’s also a popular hangout for locals. You can stop by for a meal, or pair it with a little adventure–Lagerheads also rents water toys like hydro bikes and offers tours on their RumRunner boat. They also have a small beach and chair rentals if you want some waterfront relaxation before or after your meal.

The Sand Bar and Southernmost Beach Cafe

Southernmost Beach Cafe is one of the on site dining options at the Southernmost Beach Resort in Key West. While I recommend you venture out of the resort to experience Key West’s vibrancy and uniqueness, sometimes it’s hard to pull yourself off of the beach and you just need a quick bite to eat and a brief respite from the sun.

The Sand Bar is the resort’s casual option within mere feet of the beach and ocean. They have a daily bar bites menu which offers a mix of appetizers like conch fritters and coconut shrimp and sandwiches like a blackened or grilled Mahi Mahi sandwich or even a classic burger that all would make good lunch options. Southermost Beach Cafe is more upscale and offers more lunch options with a Caribbean and Asian inspired menu.

PS: After having a lot of pina coladas over the three days we were in Key West, and being a self-proclaimed pina colada expert after all, the pina coladas at Southernmost Beach Cafe were the best!

Santiago’s Bodega

Santiago’s Bodega describes itself as embodying “the heart and soul of its original island home” where characters, stories, cultures and food combine to create the perfect union, which is a fitting description of a tapas’ restaurants. When you eat tapas or small plates style, you are eating a a little of this, a little of that, and mixing and matching small plates to create a delicious and filling meal.

The fun, eclectic local is open daily and quite popular, so reservations are recommended. Santiago’s is all about sharing, they have an extensive menu of cold and hot tapas spanning global influence and inspiration designed for sharing with your table. They hope that you share your stories and laughter with them to bring light and life into their dining room.

Thirsty Mermaid

Our dinner 10 years ago at the Thirsty Mermaid is a meal I still think about fondly.

Thirsty Mermaid is a smaller local restaurant and raw bar with a huge emphasis on local ingredients. Tucked in a more intimate space a few blocks off of the hustle and bustle of Duval, Thirsty Mermaid is a welcome respite from the tourist crowd and borderline chaos of Mallory Square.

With just a handful of tables and a few seats at the bar, we had to wait to be seated (they don’t take reservations, which isn’t a bad thing) but it was so worth the wait. Thirsty Mermaid serves local seafood, as well as a selection of East and West Coast oysters that rotate daily and a full raw bar. They also have an extensive list of craft beers and wines.

We went all out and ordered two appetizers and two entrees, and enjoyed tuna poke, mussels, scallops and snapper.

The Waterfront Brewery

Say the words “local brewery” to us and we’re there!

One of our favorite things to do when we travel is to check out local craft breweries so The Waterfront Brewery was a no brainer.

Overlooking the historic Key West harbor, The Waterfront Brewery has delicious brews with major water views, so of course we got a flight to try what they had on tap.

Beyond cold beer, The Waterfront Brewery also has a full food menu, and the best way to describe it would be pub fare with a Key West flair; you can order classics like a really good burger, pulled pork sandwich, and chicken wings, or go for more island inspired dishes like sea scallops, calamari, ceviche, fish dip, peel n eat pink shrimp and of course, key lime pie for dessert.