El Siboney

Posted on June 10, 2010 by Admin

If you want delicious Cuban food and a dining experience that’s off Duval, then make a reservation at El Siboney.   The list of appetizers is long and diverse, from croquettas to yuca, don’t forgo these delicacies.  The main dishes are all wonderful, but of course Cubans are known for their pork dishes.  Try the Fried Pork Chunks, or Masas de puerco fritas, if you speak Spanish.

While pork is very Cuban and authentic, it’s the beef dishes that impress.  Either the Ropa Vieja ( shredded beef) or the picadillo (ground beef) are to die for.  Truly, the olives in the picadillo make this Cuban style sloppy joe one of the best dishes in town.  The Palomilla steak is good, too.  Oh, the prices are fantastic, and there are also daily specials that compare in price to the likes of your most inexpensive sandwich place.  El Siboney is a great restaurant all around.

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Willie T’s

Posted on June 9, 2010 by Admin

Willie T’s Key West is well known and popular, perhaps because it features live music, an outdoor setting on Duval Street, and the mojito is their featured drink.  Happy hour is popular of course, from 4 to 7 pm every day.  There’s live music during happy hour, making Willie T’s a fun place for those who want to drink and socialize while on vacation.

Located in the 500 block of Duval, Willie T’s is a few minutes’ walk from the main Duval Street bar area, which is near the 200 block.  In the 200 block you’ll find famous Key West bars like Sloppy Joe’s and Captain Tony’s, both of which also have live music, but mostly at night.  Willie T’s is also a restaurant, and features a full menu all day long and at night.  Try the sweet potato fries or the thin crust pizza, or for dinner the smoked chicken farfalle.  The menu has something for everyone.

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Margaritaville

Posted on June 8, 2010 by Admin

Margaritaville in Key West cannot be left out of any comprehensive dining guide, because it’s just so popular and well known.  Tourists hunt out this world-famous establishment, seeking the dream brought alive by Jimmy Buffet and his music.  Everyone wants a Cheeseburger in Paradise, and even those not enamored with Mr. Buffet will find themselves ordering this plate just to see what the fuss is all about.

There’s an upstairs and a downstairs to Margaritaville, with colorful murals on the walls, a la Key West in the 1970s, tropical style.  There’s a lot of energy in this restaurant, which is located on Duval Street.  The restaurant itself isn’t huge, but it’s extremely popular with the tourists, so it almost always seems busy, alive, and cacophonous.  The good cheer is contagious, and everyone seems to have a good time at Margaritaville in Key West.

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Conch Republic Seafood Company

Posted on June 7, 2010 by Admin

Conch Republic Seafood Company is a well known Key West restaurant.  Located on the waterfront along the Historic Seaport area, it’s got plenty of room, large roomy booths, and a fun airy bar in the center of it all, that’s very popular with just about everyone who pulls up a bar stool to have a drink.  There’s something about the interior of Conch Republic Seafood Company that makes it inviting and easy to manage for the average tourist visiting Key West.

Conch Republic Seafood Company serves something for everyone, but everyone should try the conch fritters.  A Key West tradition, conch fritters are delicious, even to those who say they don’t like seafood.  Even though conch is not harvested in Key West any more, since they are protected, the conch fritter remains ubiquitous in Key West restaurants, and one of the most asked-for items on the menu.  Conch Republic Seafood Company also serves cracked conch, which is battered and fried conch.  Enjoy the view of the boats and marina as you dine.

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Chico’s Cantina

Posted on June 6, 2010 by Admin

Chico’s Cantina? is a favorite with locals, who appreciate its good food, friendly staff, and reasonable prices.  There’s also parking, which is rare in Key West.  Located on Stock Island just over the bridge from the island of Key West, Chico’s is on the Overseas Highway and hard to miss as you drive in or out of Key West.

The Mexican food at Chico’s Cantina is delicious.  Favorite items on the menu are the burritos, which can be ordered any which way you like.  Also a great deal, they are huge and full of fresh ingredients, too.  Staff is the best, very friendly and knowledgeable about the food on the menu.  This is a great dining experience, off the beaten tourist track, well away from the crowds of Duval Street, a mellow, casual, very Old Keys place to eat.

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Daddy Bones

Posted on June 5, 2010 by Admin

Daddy Bones is a newer BBQ restaurant in Key West that features barbequed chicken, pork and beef items as well as traditional southern BBQ sides.  The pulled pork is delicious, and so are the ribs as well as the sides you can get.  Daddy Bones does eat in as well as take out.  Service is friendly if you choose eat in.

Eating in is recommended.  That’s because with the takeout we experienced included sides we ordered in very small portions.  The sides came in plastic ramekins, which we would have expected to contain sauce but instead included a few bites of the sides we’d ordered.  Oh well, at least this doesn’t happen if you eat in.  Plus there’s plenty of free parking.

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Hogg’s Breath

Posted on June 1, 2010 by Admin

Hogg’s Breath is on Duval Street, at the lower end near Mallory Square.  The best dish is the cheeseburger, which is delicious.  There’s outdoor seating under a canvas roof, or indoors.  There’s a Hogg’s Breath store, since their t-shirts and tank tops are very popular with tourists and locals alike.

Hogg’s Breath has live music all the time, and is a major player sponsor in the annual Key West Songwriters’ Festival.  It’s a venue for talented singer/songwriters year round, making it one of the most popular restaurants in Key West.  They’ve cultivated a large following, through the use of their web cam, t-shirts, and Homemade Bikini Contest that occurs every year during Fantasy Fest.

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Origami

Posted on May 31, 2010 by Admin

Origami  is fantastic but a little pricey.  If you’re on a budget then choose your meal carefully or it could add up to a whopping bill.  Particularly good is the starter salad with ginger dressing, so fresh and tasty.  In fact, one of the best things about Origami, besides its convenient Old Town location, is the great selection of appetizers.  But be careful, this is how you get that big bill.

The location is in the heart of Old Town, in the center of a block that’s on Duval Street.  There’s parking, which is rare for a Duval Street area Key West restaurant.

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Thai Life

Posted on May 18, 2010 by Admin

Thai Life is one of Key West’s newest restaurants, with one of the best – and most unique- locations.  It’s actually called Thai Life Floating Restaurant because it’s on a small barge docked at Garrison Bight.  Diners can sit in the open air on the deck – there are about 8 or 10 tables outside under a canvas roof.  There are a few small tables inside, too, for inclement weather.

The restaurant is docked at the first slip in Garrison Bight Marina, which is home to Key West’s Charterboat Row.  Charterboat Row docks lots of big sport fishers that take tourists out on fishing trips.  So when you dine, you can look at all the boats as the sun sets on them and pelicans rest on poles.  Don’t forget your camera!

The food at Thai Life is excellent.  The owners lived in Thailand previously, and seem to know how to make delicious food at reasonable prices.  This restaurant, closed on Tuesdays, is an excellent choice for so many reasons.  You can also park here, since Garrison Bight Marina has plenty of parking.

Posted in Has Parking, New Town, Waterfront | Tagged | 1 Comment

Mangia Mangia

Posted on May 10, 2010 by Admin

Mangia Mangia makes their own pasta, so it’s hard not to love their food.  Italian food served indoors or outdoors on their garden patio – either way it’s delicious.  Best dish is the chicken alfredo dish, or the garlicky seafood olive oil sauce.  Both are delicious and tasty.

The interior at Mangia Mangia is dark and earthy yet airy and fresh.  We love the booths, the white linen tablecloths, and just about everything in this lovely delicious Key West restaurant.  Even the prices are quite reasonable, considering you’re getting homemade pasta in the heart of expensive Old Town.

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