I got sooo many recommendations to go here, I had to with my wife for our 24th Wedding Anniversary. I'm giving this place 5 stars overall even though I had 1 major disappointment-the miserable young woman hostess who made us feel like we were bothering her by wanting to go into the restaurant. No smile, No congeniality, Little eye contact, Did Not listen and I had to repeat myself. The reception we received would have made us turn around and go somewhere else, if I hadn't had so many recommendations. OK, now the reasons why I have given them 5 stars. We were quoted a 45 minute wait (about 7:30pm on Tuesday night) but luckily some bar stools opened up AS SOON as we walked in and so we sat at the bar (they offered their full menu), and Fernando, who was EXTREMELY busy, greeted us with a smile and very pleasant demeanor. He prepared our drinks, which were delicious. Right next to him and working the 'Service Bar' was the Manager on Duty: Lauren. She was very pleasant and engaged with us whenever she had the opportunity. She even helped us with menu suggestions, unfortunately, we spoke about one of their nightly specials, the Shrimp Piccata with Gnocchi, but they were sold out when we tried to order it with Fern. So we had a great experience at the bar, and here's the food review; -Fried Whole Yellowtail. Delicious! Presented like a picture and cooked perfectly! Loved the sauce, Pico, Jasmine Rice & Fried tostones. -Citrus/Beet Salad with Whipped Goat Cheese, Quinoa, Nuts, Arugula tossed in a light vinaigrette. All I can say: "Empty Plate Club"...DELICIOUS!! -Now the BEST plate: PEI Mussels. THIS WAS THE BEST PREPARATION OF MUSSELS-I HAVE EVER HAD! The mussels were fresh but the sauce was a "Mic Drop"!!! I split the mussel shell in half, and scooped the mussel shell into the AMAZING sauce and ate it like I was slurping a fresh oyster! After the mussels were finished I ate the rest of the sauce WITH A FORK!!! The sauce was delicious, thick, with garlic and hot spice. I attacked the plate and forgot to take a picture...sorry! We ended our meal with a tasty piece of delicious Key Lime Pie. GREAT EXPERIENCE AND RECOMMEND AND WILL COME BACK!!! Lauren, great job, the place ran clean, efficient and professional! read more

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The setting is awesome and the service is great. This has been a go to for us and we went today to celebrate my birthday a day early. The Paloma cocktail was excellent and so was the Calamari appetizer. I also ordered the featured fish taco and it was disappointing. The fish was excellent, however the soft taco shell was unable to hold up and I had to use a knife and fork. Other than the fish, it was so so. My husband had the burger which he has always loved here. The burger itself is still good, but the bun is not. I guess everyone is scaling back on quality but not prices. I read more

The service at Papa Joe's was excellent, and I really want to give credit to our waiter, who was attentive, kind and did everything he could. Unfortunately, the food was a very different experience. Two people in our party had to send their meals back. One of the evening specials arrived cold, one fish dish was rubbery, and another was presented as one type of fish but clearly seemed to be something else. Overall, the meals ranged from just okay to very disappointing. I genuinely felt bad for our waiter because none of these issues were his fault, and he handled everything professionally. Unfortunately, there seem to be some serious inconsistencies coming out of the kitchen that need to be addressed. With such good service, we really hoped the food would match. read more

Terrific food and ambience! Great for dinner and the sunset! Big miss on the service! Our server was horrible, but everything else was great! On the top of our list but our hope is we don't get the same server. I would have given 5 star but couldn't due to him. read more

I gave this review an extra star because the floor manager tried to assist me with my special dietary requests, even though the Chef was unwilling, which ended up costing the restaurant to foot part of the bill. Throughout the chaos, the server and manager remained cordial; however, Chef Frances was not accommodating at all. I was repelled by the Chef's behavior that I never ended up finishing my food. The atmosphere is favorable. I hope future patrons have a better experience than I did. read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

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Came for lunch! Although we arrived around 3pm, they were able to sit us down and take our orders. The service was great and speedy. I ordered the tuna tartare as an entree, my partner ordered the fried fish, and for dessert we got the key lime pie. Everything was delicious! The key lime pie was one of the best ive had, it wasnt too sweet or too tarte. The restaurant was very nice and well decorated. Definitely recommend if you're looking for good food! read more

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I loved this place! Located right on the water, a more upscale Seafood restaurant with a tiki bar right outside. Highly recommend checking wait times before coming(don't offer reservations) because boy was it busy during dinnertime! Seems to be a place not just for tourists but locals love too! We had to wait about an hour for our party of 9 but the views and adult only tiki bar area made it the perfect place to wait. The backyard tiki bar has a separate menu from the main restaurant, which features a differing lunch and dinner menu. After our table was called, we were seated promptly and helped right away. The service was great, very attentive. Lots of options on the menu. I had the Oscar-style catch of the day, which was seasoned well and cooked perfectly. Overall, I had a great experience here and look forward to returning in the future. Either for dinner service or even a drink & to watch the sunset! read more

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Katie at Papa Joe's Waterfront is the reason they stay Numero Uno in Islamorada. Super friendly, knows her menu upside down. Took care of me, brother and Auntie. The Sandbar Burger Katie's way (Medium Well) was to perfection. Super savory with sweet onion rings swimming in American Cheese. Happiness unlocked in the Keys today, LIFE IS GOOD. read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - PAPA IS ALWAYS WATCHING! - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

The food was Amazing! Everything was a little different than unique and it was awesome. I saw the good reviews so we decided to give it a try - and it did not disappoint! Our waitress Gladis was great. She suggested the coconut shrimp tacos. It was a little different with the cabbage and key lime hot honey. It was a little sweet and I loved it. It came side salad and had some new ingredients and again delicious. My husband didn't care for my sweet shrimp tacos (more for me!) but his dish was also amazing, "afternoon catch" Fish with coconut rice. My son got a fish sandwich that was great and the french fries were delicious. I can't wait to go back next time we are at Islamorada. We will also make time to play the games on the first floor. read more

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This may have been the best meal I've had down in the keys. We went for mother's day dinner, they were accepting reservations, which made it super simple. The atmosphere here cannot be beat. They offer outdoor patio dining, indoor dining and the lawn area where theres Adirondack chairs and corn hole. It was a perfect spot for the sunset too. The food was incredible. I got the special blue crab stuffed key west pinks. I will be forever craving that meal. The frozen chocolate covered key lime pie was the perfect ending to the meal. It was so delicious and cooled you right down. Everything from the service, to the food and atmosphere here, are hard to compare to any other spots. It's worth trying if you're in the area. read more

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If you're making the drive from Miami to Key West, do yourself a favor and stop at Papa Joe's. We pulled up to the tiki bar and immediately knew we were in the right place. Our bartender Hunter was fantastic -- friendly, knowledgeable, and quick with recommendations. She pointed us toward the Double Trouble, their take on a painkiller, and her personal favorite, the Tequila Mockingbird. Order both. You can thank her later. For food we went with the yellowfin tuna tartare and the Peruvian ceviche... both were excellent and felt right at home in the Keys. Fresh, flavorful, and exactly what you want when you're sitting waterfront in the Florida sun. Perfect pit stop. Perfect vibes. We'll definitely be back on the next drive through. read more

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Came here at the recommendation of our tour guide. We have never gotten stone crab before so decided to try the platter. It was rich and tasty. A bit hard to eat but what crab isn't. We also got the smash burger and fish and chips. The fish was a bit greasy. The burger was delicious and loved the addition of fried pickles. The cocktails were tasty and service was good! Outside was full so we didn't get to sit on the patio but gorgeous spot. read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - Stone crab - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

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On an RV road trip for 85 days after leaving Key West we stopped in Islamorada for a week. Papa Joe's was our favorite restaurant out of all of them (including The Keys). Service was outstanding & a view for Days. The vibe is modern beach style, and a very clean property. My husband and I both had the Wagyu steak special and it was fabulous! I personally asked our server if I was crazy to get the steak because everybody knows you don't go into a seafood place to get steak, but he assured me their beef was very good and we wouldn't be disappointed-he wasn't lying... love Papa Joes, and will refer to anybody visiting Isla Mirada. read more

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$30 burgers were average at best. Ceviche appetizer was good as was the side salad, the dressing and fried onions were wonderful. Yard games require a $25 deposit. Sat on the upper deck which was quite warm due to the sun. Flies were buzzing about but our server brought an air mover to shoo the flies away. Nice atmosphere with average food. Not bad, but not brag worthy. Parking is tight and larger groups will definitely incur a wait. Service was wonderful from the hostess to our server. read more

Updating this review to 3 stars rather than 1. The owner reply was correct in that 1 star wasn't totally fair as the food was good. However the service was the worst we've had ever in the Keys. We may try it again on our next visit, but prioritizing other restaurants in the area to try first. read more

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Great spot. During peak hours defiantly make a reservation. Kiddos had a great time playing after the meal and it's right in the water so you can drive the boat up for dinner. Drinks were great and so was our meal. They have inside up top and outside seating down below. read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - Burrata salad with blackened chicken. - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

Love this establishment! Whole fish was delishyellowtail snapper. Service always amazing! Grateful for your attention and service, JDGrateful Ms Manager you are most awesomeness too! The vibe was chill! Great afternoon! read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - Fresh tile fish basket with yuca tostones and toasted almond brussel sprouts - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

Impressive service and delicious food! We had Sadrac as our waiter but the whole staff was very friendly and checked on us. Highly recommend the Bacon Wrapped Scallops and the Blackened Grouper Everglades style. Beautiful views all around not a bad seat in the place. read more

We got lucky! Our first choice was closed and this place was close by. I expected fresh seafood but didn't not expect the solid preparation techniques. For example, the side salad was definitely elevated. They paid attention to the little details that make dishes stand out. Worth a stop on the way down south (or coming back, or both). read more

The outdoor space is amazing. We ate outside upstairs and views are amazing! Our food was mostly good. I ordered the hamburger and it was outstanding! However the fries were terrible- super chewy! I advised my waiter they were not my favorite and he happily let me get a different side. I got a side salad w vinaigrette and it was great and visually pretty too. My husband got a half rack of ribs with mash potatoes. He chose the guava bbq sauce since the other is super spicy (8 of 10 per the waiter). He enjoyed both but the coleslaw he would not eat and he really likes coleslaw. The overall service was wonderful! There's lots of outdoor space underneath and cornhole set up. I'm sure it's a hopping place in busy season. read more

We arrived around 5pm when the table seating starts. They don't take reservations. The sun wasn't quite setting yet, and it was pretty hot, so we started with a drink in the shady overwater tiki hut. Such beautiful views! The double trouble is delicious - like a painkiller at soggy dollar in JVD. When we started seeing the tables fill up, we moved to a table where a friendly server greeting us quickly. We started with Baked Oysters. Yum! My husband has the bucatini carbonara calabrese special. Wasn't bad but probably wouldn't get it again. I had the shrimp curry dish and it was fantastic! We were enjoying the soft music and the beautiful sunset. Then a boat showed up with a bunch of kids. They were running around screaming with no one telling them not to. It really killed the whole vibe. Someone working there should have spoken with the parents or kids to stop this behavior. It went on for a long time. read more

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Papa Joe's Waterfront in Key Largo is such a great family friendly spot, especially if you're out on the boat you can just pull right up. They've created a really fun space for kids, with a dedicated play area that includes a giant Connect Four and several cornhole boards to keep everyone entertained. There's also an upstairs seating area that gives you a nice breeze and beautiful views of the water, which makes it a perfect place to relax. I didn't try the food this time, but judging by what I saw coming out of the kitchen, it looked fresh and inviting. Overall, it's a casual and welcoming spot to hang out with family, enjoy the Keys vibe, and take advantage of the easy boat access read more

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We came here because I had seen online that it had been redone. I don't know what it looked like on the inside before but it was modern with a touch of Florida. The deck area was also really nice and they also have a live camera so you can tune in and watch the sunset too. Now for the food, easily one of the best tuna bowls, I've ever had. It was seared tuna on a bed of coconut rice, and it was absolutely delicious. In fact, everything was, the watermelon salad, the pickle bites and the calamari too. What really won us us over was the fact that we were a big group and the service was great. Definitely a stop to make while in the keys. read more

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Atmosphere- excellent except for the wind on one side of the bar. Once we moved to the other side of the tiki, it was much nicer. Service - friendly and efficient. Food - solid, but not outstanding. Had gator bites, which seemed a little overdone. The Caesar salad dressing had a very strong anchovy flavor, which I didn't mind, but my girlfriend was not as keen on. My local catch fish tacos and coconut rice were pretty good, though. Should've ordered the Old Bay Buffalo chicken wings. Oh well. Seems like a great spot to hit for some drinks and take in the scenery. read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - Tiki bar - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

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Nice place for lunch outdoorsy after fishing into the early afternoon. Buzzing venue with outside seating, a tiki bar, patio and indoor seating. Boaters park their vessels and come for a quick bite or drink before getting back on the water. Food is good, service is friendly and the beer is cold. We had tuna nachos (good not great), fish tacos were yummy, fried fish sandwich was solid and coconut shrimp had good flavors. Come here for a nice outdoor meal and some people watching you wont be disappointed. read more

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This place is fantastic! My son and I went last night and decided to go again tonight for dinner. Checks all the boxes that you could have when vacationing in the Keys-incredible food and atmosphere, open and airy restaurant with views from every table, and the food is amazing. The service was quick and responsive with great recommendations. New construction so everything is very clean with plenty of space. Love it! read more

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Five Stars We ordered Beet Salad, Cheeseburger, Steak and a passionfruit margarita. Each meal was extremely fresh and delicious! The restaurant was super clean, spacious, and the staff was friendly and accommodating. Will definitely return. read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - Restaurant Front - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

Went here twice during our 3 night stay in Key Largo. We enjoyed cocktails at the tiki hut on Friday evening and watched the sunset. All the drinks we tried (blue Hawaiian, orange crush, mojito, passion fruit margarita, ripper slushy) were great my favorite was the Blue Hawaiian pictured. Returned Saturday for lunch ordered the ceviche (was unsure about the sweet potato and plantain chips but it was great. Had the burger & the coconut shrimp tacos both were good but the ceviche was still the star in my opinion. Beautiful waterfront spot to kickback and relax. read more

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Great vibes perfect picture setting ! Food was sooo good music was on point and our service was great! read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - cheesecake was 10/10 - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

Fernando was exceptional serving us at the bar food was superb 10/10 experience overall. read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

Cool vibe with great staff. We sat at the bar and loved it. Order like a local. Sig in to the unusual dishes. Go early. Closes at 9 pm. read more

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Nice location and view! Family friendly, the downstairs is great for young kids and their parents. We ordered our food at the bar and it came out quick. Also have a shellfish/fish allergy and they made us feel so safe and comfortable about ordering fried food. Quality of food was mixed. The regular burger was nothing special. The fish and chips were excellent and so was the sandbar burger! Overall a good experience and a great spot to go with big parties/lots of kids. read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

Food was fantastic!! They had a curry dish that was so so good !! Our server gave us service with a smile . We all enjoyed our dinner!! This place has a great vibe going for it and the ambiance for a nice sunset dinner and drinks !! We will be back !! Great job and awesome fresh seafood !!!! read more

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Just wanted to say thank you to the management and staff of Papa Joe's Waterfront for a lovely afternoon late lunch with the family. Was pleasantly greeted and seated by Brittany, who accommodated our party of 4 at the peak of lunch, on the South side patio overlooking the jetty and the bridge! Although, it was the hottest time of the day to be out, you simple cannot beat the stunning views. A huge shoutout to Sadrac, for his drink and food recommendations. The food was exceptional, everything we order came together perfectly. Highly recommend, coming to Papa Joe's for the amazing views, family fun and great food! Thank you to Sadrac, for being so accommodating especially to the kids who wanted to order ( specialty drinks kids drinks soda/with extra cherries). It's the little things, that stand out! Thank you again Papa Joe's for the warm hospitality. read more

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Very friendly staff but the drinks are way overpriced and the food was way overpriced and not good at all. Hamburger $18 my wife's fish $38 Wine $11 per glass and house margaritas $15 each. Great views and cool place but way overpriced. read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - Great views - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

The food was delicious, the ambience was great for a date or hanging out with friends. At first, I ordered the lychee martini, but it tasted more like peach than lychee. I told the server and even though that is how it is made at this location, he did not charge us and let me pick out a different drink. read more

I asked for the calamari, and as u can see in this whole picture, the 70% was pickles and hot peppers. I asked for this to be removed and the waitress said "just take them out on your plate" after that, it was literally 6 calamari's in the whole plate and the rest was just peppers and pickles fried. We also asked for a candle on the cake for our friend that was her birthday and they brought the cakes, after 5 minutes she came back, took the cakes out of the table and brought it again, the whole 5 minutes they didn't even have us spoon for the dessert. read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

Elite establishment. Excellent service and staff, food was actually surprisingly good for being in Islamorada. I'm not a huge fan of the heat and being outside but the temperature was cool and had a great view of the ocean blue. Can't miss this. read more

We came for lunch and had amazing service and food even being the last 30 mins of lunch and the restaurant being open. That says a lot. We will definitely be back. The fish tacos, burnt ends and burger were so good! read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

Food was good, ambiance was great. My bf and I stopped by while in the area. It was a Sunday and the place was busy, but it's so spacious there was plenty of room without it feeling crowded. The restaurant is beautiful, still looks brand new and decorated nicely. We decided to eat outside overlooking the water. It was cool seeing so many people stop by arriving from boats. If you sit where we did by the bar you have to get up and order at the bar then you can go back to your seats, just a tip we didn't know until we asked. We ordered the chips and guac, the calamari and then the Costa Togo Bibb Salad to share. The three items were good. Not the best food I've had in my life but it was good, satisfying. The portions were good for the price. The bathrooms were small for such a big restaurant but they were clean so that was nice. Downstairs there was a big yard area to play games and hangout, the place itself is very cute and good for a place to spend some time it seems. I would recommend this place for the vibes, but I will have to try more items off the menu to see if there's something that stands out. read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida