Ok – Heading down to Miami watch my son graduate from Barry University this Saturday. After graduation we’re heading to Key West for two nights. Never been to KW and planning to wet a line off some bridges at night. What are some “don’t miss” things (not necessarily fishing related) to see in Key West?

DZ

DZ Hemingway's House was pretty neat as was going up in the old Key West lighthouse, great view .
Try to have breakfast at The Blue Heaven, other than that grab a cocktail, people watch and do the Duval Crawl at happy Hour.

Marc "Hubba" D has fished the bridges alot and could give some good intel

Enjoy

My favorite place on the planet, I have been 9 times.

Head to "Mallory Square" for the daily sunset party. On the west side of the island, street vendors and performers (jugglers, sword swallowers, dog trainers, etc) put on a show for the folks there to watch the sunset. It's a fun place to hang out.

Food - get a blackened grouper sandwich and conch fritters at B.O.s fish wagon. Awesome lunch.

If you go fishing and happen to catch snapper or grouper, bring it to the Hogfish Bar And Grill (technically on Stock Island, which is just a couple of miles north of downtown Key West). We did that last May (brought our fresh catch for them to cook up) - BEST SEAFOOD OF MY LIFE. My wife and I were absolutely blown away. Great casual pub, located adjacent to a marina.

As posted previously - go to Blue Heaven for breakfast, and if you don't mind spending $35 per person for breakfast, get the lobster eggs benedict. Unfreakinbelievable.

I also had an awesome Cuban meal at a place on Key West called El Siboney. Pork, rice, fried plantains, MAN it was good. And this is not a tourist joint, it's where the locals go...

I believe one of the waterfront restaurants along the wharf on the south side (it's a small area) used to do daily tarpon feedings in the afternoons. That was neat to watch.

One of my favorite bars there is a place on Duval called Irish Kevin's. A couple of nights each week, they have a guitar player who combines acoustic guitar with profane comedy. I have seen him a few times over the years, he puts on a decent show.

Park in one of the large municipal lots near the south side, walk along the wharf, lots of cool, casual bars and restaurants.

Have fun. Leave your watch at home, you won't need it! And post a report, let us know what you liked and what you didn't like...man I'm friggin jealous, I'm not sure when I'll get back down there again, I just know it won't be soon enough...I got a bad case of Keys Disease, I believe I am the Index Patient...

Congrats DZ, have fun!

The local tackle and bait shop down by the marina sells cold beer that you can drink while you shop, or sit a one of the 3 or 4 stools. Right near Mallory square my son landed a 35 lb. tarpon on a large jointed plug. At night , with the right tide, they're drawn to the street lights (They patrol the edge of light).

I second blue haven!! and i loved this place.. so good.

El Siboney Restaurant - Cuban Food: Home Page (Key West, FL) (http://www.elsiboneyrestaurant.com/)

Congrats to your son as well
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Some great info here. Thanks to all for the recommendations and well wishes. I'll give a report when I return.

DZ

Wife's family have a condo at Harbor Point in Truman Annex and we would go every year... one of those special places.

As mentioned must hits-

-Blue Heaven Breakfast
-El Siboney is a good spot
-Great afternoon booze spot is Schooner Wharf- decent mahi sammich
-Touristy but Sloppy Joe's is great
-Also touristy but Hogs Breath has a must have mahi sammich and imo, the best Rum Runner.
-Also like Kelly's for a great outdoor setting and Bagatelles for a nice dinner on Duval
-Pepes is a good joint for breakfast as well.


On the way down or if you go up the keys to fish be sure to check out, in this order, these joints-

The best seafood I've had, period. Crusted grouper is insane.
WHARF BAR AND GRILL (http://www.wharfbarandgrill.com/wharf_bar_and_grill/WHARF_BAR_AND_GRILL.html)

The Square Grouper on Cudjoe key is great.

Hog's Breath. Great fishing shirts. Bought one in 03 and it's still like new. Stay out of Margarita Vil, Jimmy Buffets place on Duval. Pricey and the food sucks. Drinks are just OK.

Also as George said go to Hemingway's House. Great history.

Sloppy Joe's, Dennis, it's the same atmosphere at 11am as it is 11pm. You could enter the Hemingway look-a-like derby or just listen to some great music and people watch. Enjoy!!!

I second blue haven!! and i loved this place.. so good.

El Siboney Restaurant - Cuban Food: Home Page (Key West, FL) (http://www.elsiboneyrestaurant.com/)

I recommended that as well. My wife and I have eaten there a few times, fabulous food. A great little place.

Sloppy Joe's, Dennis, it's the same atmosphere at 11am as it is 11pm. . Enjoy!!!

You're right about that! I have been in there at 11 AM, and you'd swear it was midnight at Times Square. That place is always rockin, especially when the cruise ships are docked nearby..

All right, now I have to at least start planning a trip for no later than April of next year...God, what a place.

You have got to have "Stone Crab Claws with Key Lime Mustard Sauce" and a cold beer.:gu:

15 years later and it's the first thing I remember when I hear Key West mentioned.

I did public relations for The Florida Keys & Key West for three years, and was in Key West for about a week total each month, sometimes more when I was also down fishing or there was a good event going on.

There are always events going on in The Keys and Keys West - this coming week there is a music festival through Sunday Key West Songwriters Festival May 1-5 (http://www.fla-keys.com/news/news.cfm?sid=8672) - that website is the official site of The Florida Keys and Key West.

As for restaurants - El Sibony is a great restaurant - reasonably priced and great food, also on Malory Square is El Mason De Pepe's a higher end Cuban restaurant and awesome too, and you can watch the activities taking place on Mallory Square if you get a good seat.

Pepe's Cafe on Caroline Street, as highlighted above, has awesome breakfasts ... it's an old-time restaurant and great.

There are also sunset cruises and variety of that stuff if you want to check out the harbor and surrounding area.

For fishing, Compass Rose Charters - for offshore and reef, tarpon and shark in the shallows - Captain Mike Weinhoffer is worth the trip - he's docked at Charter Boat Row - and will catch you fish, lots of them. Mike has been running charters out of Key West for more than 20 years - and is very, very active in the local community both from a fishing and activities stand point - assured to show you a fishy time.

i took a diving resort course down there. an hour in the pool and then off to a couple of reefs for some scuba diving. very cool.

i also did a charter in miami once and picked up a bunch of fish only a 1/2 mile from the marina - dorado, kings, bonito, etc. good times and not too expensive.

Pepe's, Blue Heaven and the Schooner get my vote for eats! As far as bridge fishing, I would head a little bit north, say around the Bahia Honda stretch. Bring some tins and burn them in for some Cuda's, or catch any one of the myriad of smaller fish and send 'em back out with a hook, I seem to remember that being the way to go for Tarpon or even Cobia at night, there's so many species down there it will make your head spin! Dont forget to go to Capt. Tony's to experience THE best dive bar in the country also!
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Brings lots of $1 bills

Definitely stop at Robbie's in Islamorada to feed the tarpon on the way down! It is a quick stop and awesome.

Was there about 15 years ago. Reading this thread makes me want to go back. Not sure if I would have a cigar now because I have kind of have gotten away from them but the Cubans used to actually roll cigars in the streets right in front of you. Conch fitters were awesome and sunset at Mallory Square was very entertaining. Ask why there is a penny embedded in the pool at Hemingway's house. Have fun! :jump1:

Go to hog fish on stock island
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Definitely stop at Robbie's in Islamorada to feed the tarpon on the way down! It is a quick stop and awesome.


This is a blast! I think I spent 20 bucks on bait alone. fish to 100+ at the docks. Watch out for greedy pelicans they will take your hand off. My glasses are still on the bottom.

Just got back from KW myself about a week ago. I took a day trip to the Dry Tortugas, really cool place.

I enjoyed sloppy joes and visiting hemmingways house. Take the tour it is really interesting. I went thru some of the photos they had. One photo is of him with a big SB..from the shore. looked like a 50 I never knew he even fished for SB. The guy was the real deal.

I have never been there but this thread makes me want to go more than ever.

Hope you made it over to the Green Parrot for awesome live music.

I miss the Keys and need to go back soon...

Lots of fun but i would not want to live in the town... but i would not mind big pine key!! Kw has got it's own vibe...def has its share some oddballs ala ptown. I stopped in at a vulgar tee shirt place and almost bought a shirt that said:
" I shaved my balls for this?"
I can think of many places I might wear that 😄
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