The food was pretty good. My wife had the iron skillet mahi and loved it. I had the shrimp and oyster po boy. Don't except Louisiana but it was good. Not flavorful enough for my taste but the shrimp in it was full size. Our friend had the burger and for a seafood place it was good. Basically the high point was the mahi. I recommend going for a non fried item/seafood for the ultimate experience. They certainly excel in that area. Encino was our server and was on top of his game. Very attentive. We were needy and he never seemed frustrated and never dropped the ball. I recommend trying this place out! Entrance is through the patio. Extra parking in the back. read more

Sal's Ballyhoo's - Patio entrance - Seafood Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

4.5 Stars The restaurant was clean and the staff was very friendly and helpful with recommendations. This local restaurant was such a pleasant surprise. We started with some appetizers and drinks. The crab cakes were so yummy. My husband got the wedge salad which was plentiful. Then the pretzel bread a jalapeño jelly was heaven in my mouth. Perfect blend of spicy and salty. We split the yellow tail prepared Hemingway style. It was topped with crab meat and key lime butter, but we felt the lime really overpowered the bite and could have been more balanced. The Mac and cheese was out side which was alright but a little bland. For dessert we tried the key lime pie which had just the right amount of sweet and tart mixture. Definitely would recommend! read more

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Excellent choice. I will recommend it for their service and quality seafood dishes I will come back as often as I can. read more

We stopped here on our drive back from Key West because of the yelp reviews.... I would say at best this place is a 3 for price, taste, & quality. We ordered the yellowtail with crab meat. It was good but I was expecting super fresh fish for $31. It pretty much tasted like fish that I can make myself. The crab was fine. I ordered the conch chowder thinking it would be sorta like clam chowder. NOPE! It was thin minestrone soup with tiny little scraps of conch. It might as well have not even had any conch. Not worth it. Service was average. I would not recommend stopping here. Way too many other places to stop at! read more

Sal's Ballyhoo's - Yellowtail ($31) with crab - Seafood Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

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SUCH a great little place - very much a hidden gem, tucked between the north and southbound lanes on US1. This was our last stop for food while driving up from Key West. Cozy ambiance, and tinted windows offered a break from the intense sunlight and heat outside. As a vegetarian, I was glad to see several options on the menu, and opted for the black bean soup and fried pink tomatoes, which were topped with balsamic reduction, fresh basil ribbons and just a tiny bit of goat cheese. My husband was not terribly hungry, so he ordered boiled peanuts. Black bean soup: I'm definitely a connoisseur if this soup, and have been making it myself for a couple of decades. I never expect much from restaurants, just god for the protein option. This was authentic Cuban black bean soup, with all the right seasonings, green peppers, onions, etc, cooked to perfection. YUM. Tomatoes seemed to be breaded in-house, very balanced and tasty. Boiled peanuts were soft and spicy, just the way they should be. We were served warm jalapeño cornbread muffins with our already lovely lunch, which had a nice pepper bite. Great place, fantastic service (was that you, Sal?) - couldn't have a better last meal in the keys. Definitely bookmarking this one for the next trip! read more

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Our first time in Key Largo and we needed to find a place for dinner. There's plenty to choose from but I knew I wanted to try out Sal's Ballyhoo's.... Had a BLAST at the Ballyhoo. Page was our server and she was awesome. The food was fantastic. Tried the conch fritters and also had a dozen raw oysters on the half shell for starters. Washed em down with the Islamorada Sandbar Sunday! Really impressed with Fritters, Oysters rocked as well. The menu is fantastic and trying to figure out what I wanted was proving to be difficult. (lol). I settled on the Cast Iron Mahi with a side of Black Beans & Rice. I certain wasn't disappointed! The fish was delicious and the rice was the perfect combination. Highly recommend Sal's Ballyhoo's. read more

Sal's Ballyhoo's - What's left of the Dozen Raw Oysters. (lol) - Seafood Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

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This is closer to a 2.5 star review. How this place is rated 4/5 stars blows my mind. Service was average. She was pleasant but not attentive. Went there with my daughter and ordered the following: 1) Seafood Pasta $29 Luke warm pasta in an Alfredo Sauce, 3 pieces of shrimp, 4 unusually hard, small cubed pieces of fish, and 4 small Mussels in their shells. 2) Lobster tail with rice and beans $29 Small tail with bland rice and beans. 3) Conch Fritters (appetizer)$16 Conch Fritters were stringy and mushy, spicy yet bland in taste and served with 2 sauces. 4) Complimentary pretzel / small muffin basket. The pretzels were good but those muffins tasted like sawdust. 5) Corona $6 I have lived in South Florida my entire life. Have been to the Keys many, many times and I know things are a bit pricier down there. However, I can tell you if I was served the above meals at Denny's (at a fraction of the price), I could understand. This is Ballyhoos! Ballyhoos has been around a long time. A Keys tradition... Where is the pride in serving fresh, hot, great tasting meals to your patrons and respect for their hard earned money? Sub par food taste and quality with mediocre service in an empty restaurant. read more

Sal's Ballyhoo's - Bread Basket - Seafood Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

The food here was incredible! We weren't even expecting bread and we got a fun array of warm pretzels and pecan rolls. We all ordered different things for dinner and it was all exceptional. Not only that but the service was wonderful and personable. I'm so glad we happened upon this wonderful restaurant on the last night of our vacation! Would definitely recommend!! read more

Best conch chowder I've had outside the Bahamas! Outstanding service and really excellent food. It's an unassuming gem. Casual Keys ambiance. read more

We had a reservation for a party of 10 and were able to get right in for a delicious meal. Our server, Dawnyella (sorry if I butchered the spelling) was very personal and pleasant. She was right on top of it considering she was probably the only server and had additional help from the kitchen staff. The dinner was quite amazing and we ordered too much, eyes bigger than our stomachs, however, finished for breakfast. Glad we made this quick pivot on a random Thursday night. read more

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Went for dinner with my sisters last night. Wow! This is a small place tucked in between north and south lanes of overseas highway. Cute interesting interior, very warm and inviting. Our waitress was Melissa and she was absolutely fabulous. She kept us laughing all night and took the time to give us some tourist advice on places to go and things to see. The food was on point. Super fresh fish. My sister and I shared some stone crabs which were wonderfully fresh. We also had the tuna steak Hemingway style, also super fresh and soooo delicious!!! We had the fried pink tomatoes, they were very flavorful and yummy. The C key Lime pie was the best I've had yet and we have tried this at every restaurant we have gone to. Do not miss this place if you are near key largo. read more

Sal's Ballyhoo's - Tuna Hemingway with side of Mac and cheese - Seafood Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

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We stopped here for dinner on our first night of our 3 night stay in key largo. The restaurant is pretty casual. Service is prompt. We had the cracked conch in white wine sauce and I had the hogfish of the day. Both meals were good. My only complaint is compared to other local restaurants their prices were higher and portions were smaller for the same produce. Other than that this is a good meal with casual key ambience read more

Taste: some fantastic sandwiches Service: friendly, helpful but overworked Decor: inside is kind of run down but outside is very quaint with gorgeous tree covered patio Price for quality: not too bad, though the starters are overpriced ($10 for fried tomato was three small slices) Beers: yes but none worth drinking read more

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They took the brick chicken off the menu. The cheddar biscuits were microwaved. The Chicken francaise was horrible. It was Iike chicken with scrambled eggs. We were in the corner and basically forgotten. The 5 cheese Mac and cheese was served like warm. The sweet tea wasn't sweet. read more

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Don't let appearances fool you. My 20-year old vegetarian daughter was as delighted by the food as her seafood- loving mom. They have a 2-page vegetarian/ vegan menu, and everything we ate was incredible! The quality and inventiveness was so outstanding we went there two nights out of out three in town, and the prices are more than reasonable for what you get. The restaurant appears to be run by a family, and everyone who attended to us was pleasant and helpful. We cannot say enough about how good this place is! It's a true hidden gem in Key Largo. Yum! read more

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Fish tacos were really good! Fish was a decent portion and it was very fresh. It was quite spicy however with the sauce and the salsa, but loved the added avocado slices and grilled tortillas! The side of Mac & cheese was very flavorful. It was homemade and had a bread crumb top! The $5 stone crab claws were tasty and fresh. The wedge salad was decent and it had really good dressing. Only negative was the cornbread was very dense and the service was pretty slow, however the workers are very nice. read more

Sal's Ballyhoo's - Fish tacos and Mac & cheese - Seafood Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

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Great local spot for seafood with a southern flair not to mention giant mason jar iced tea and killer key lime pie with a toasted meringue on top read more

Sal's Ballyhoo's - Big tea - Seafood Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

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So good! We had crab legs! Agree, with others, it does not look like much on the outside, but not only was the food great, but so was the service. They also seemed to have a lot of regulars! read more

This a very quaint restaurant. The food is awesome! Love the salads. Has sort of a Cajun flair. Highly recommend this place! read more

First timer. 19 minutes to have first drink order taken, waitress vanished for longer than normal between table visits. We had shrimp and oyster Po Boy sandwich and a yellow fish dish. Both were good but nothing to brag about. For dessert we tried the key lime pie. Wasn't the best I'd ever had either but it was still good. The key lime juice on it was the best part. I'd order the pie again just to taste that. Like I said it wasn't bad just not the best I'd ever have. read more

Have come here 3 times this week and it has been consistently awesome the service is Great and the food even Better read more

Sal's Ballyhoo's - Small Mahi Skillet - Seafood Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

I had been recommended this restaurant by some friends but did not know it had been sold in the last two years. I ordered the hog fish which was very good and I also liked the bread basket which include fresh made pretzels with some type of chili jam to dip them in. Overall it was pretty good but for the prices they charge I think the portions could've been a little bigger and the service could have been better. I got the vegetables as a side which were undercooked. The other diners with me I thought their food was good as well. Although I had a 10% off card the server would not honor it because she said it was not good for "specials" although that was not written on the card at all. A gesture she took 10% off my $2 soda instead of my $31 hog fish. So although the food was decent I probably would not come back with so many restaurants in this area of Key Largo. read more

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Happened upon this place while staying in town on a Monday afternoon. The server greeted us in such a welcoming way, our food was beyond amazing, and the price was perfect. Gotta stop. Excellent! read more

We stopped here on the way from Fort Lauderdale to Key West. Very solid spot to sit, relax and refuel (note: it is right off the highway). I tried a half of each item posted: overall I preferred the Fish sandwich (blackened) over the Po Boy, but both were super fresh. The sides were very good too, definitely get the mac and cheese! read more

Sal's Ballyhoo's - Shrimp & Oyster Po' Boy - Seafood Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

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As a seafood fan I had high hopes for this place. Im visiting from South Texas/Louisiana and decided to give this place and try based on the reviews. When I tell you this was the worst gumbo, shrimp, and Cajun pasta I'd ever had, I mean exactly that . The gumbo was yellow and had lots of solids in it that I could not identify and the peel and eat shrimp was so overcooked that the shell had bonded to the actual meat to where you couldn't even "peel and eat" it. I spent $130 on this meal and upon request I was denied bread because my order was for "pickup" and this was especially disappointing considering what I spent. There was bread that came with the pasta whose consistency was similar to cardboard but atleast it tasted ok. I'm not sure how this place managed to get all these positive reviews however if you are a tourist or are any human with taste buds DO NOT go to this place you will be wasting your money and very disappointed. Take away the Cajun aspect, and even the green beans and chocolate lava cake were even terrible. They also forgot to include the ice cream with the cake. Not sure how someone messes up chocolate cake but this establishment sure found out how. Do not be fooled by the 4.2/5 stars. read more

What a great dining experience!!! staff was extremely friendly! The food tasted so fresh and amazing!!! Great little Gem!!

I loved this place!! We had a great waitress and she was very knowledgeable about the food. We had the grilled avocado for the appetizer. We also had the special which was macadamia encrusted hogfish with a salad. The food was excellent!! I love the feeling of the little place and the music selection was great... took me back a few years. I would recommend. read more

Sal's Ballyhoo's - Seafood Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

Stopped by Ballyhoo's for lunch on our way home from the Keys. We heard good things about the seafood at this restaurant and were not disappointed. My husband ordered the whole fried snapper. The fresh fish was lightly dusted with flour and fried until it was crisp on the outside, but flakey and juicy on the inside. The fish was fantastic and came with choice of side. My husband chose the sweet potato casserole (also delicious). I wasn't thinking when I ordered my grilled cheese sandwich. Who orders a grilled cheese sandwich when they have the option of ordering fresh caught seafood?!?! My grilled cheese sandwich was good, but made with pimento cheese. Turns out I am not a huge fan of pimento cheese. Lucky for me, my husband's meal was huge and he was willing to share so I pushed my plate to the side after a few bites of my sandwich and feasted on his fish instead. Would definitely return for the seafood, but not the grilled cheese! TIP: Check out the salt scrub in the bathroom. It is made locally in the Keys and there are jars available for sell behind the bar. The sea salt scrub smells fantastic and will leave your hands baby soft. read more

Sal's Ballyhoo's - Fried Snapper - Seafood Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

Ordered the fried conch and a bowl of gumbo, both were cold. My wife ordered a chicken dish, which she enjoyed but also not up to temperature. I would not go back, especially for the price. There are much better options nearby. read more

The key lime pie is a must if you eat here. Came here for crab legs but they were out so we had twin lobster tail and fresh blackened fish entrees. Every thing was cooked well but overly salty. Had to ask for extra bread so we could down the rest of the dish because of the salt. Even the vegetables were salty. Ok experience for one time. They weren't that busy, waiting to get our dessert took so long, we just went inside to pay for our meal and got the pie as we were getting up to leave. read more

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All you can eat snow crabs left me feeling like I ate too much! That's how it should be. The food was really good. They have a great salad dressing with gorgonzola and grilled onions. My husband got a righteous burger cooked perfectly. My DAD got the all you can eat stone crabs and got his money worth. We waited maybe an hour for a table, so plan ahead. read more

Sal's Ballyhoo's - Outdoor seating - Seafood Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

The day's special mahi tacos were wonderful. (Mine was blackened and husband's was fried.) The kid's chicken tenders were the best they've had. The server was efficient and helpful. Great outdoor seating for travel with dog. read more

The best restaurant and service in Key Largo. We tried a few others that were recommended by locals and Sal's outdoes them by a long shot! Donna was a terrific waitress and the food was amazing. Could tell that they use fresh ingredients. Will definitely recommend and plan to return! read more

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The food was delicious and our server Wyatt was great. It was an impromptu visit after our last place couldn't accommodate our party of 9. They took us in with open arms and provided exceptional service. read more

Went for lunch and it was a decent option. My table ordered the whole fish, which they seemed to enjoy, as well as the fish tacos. I ordered the barbecue shrimp, which I don't recommend. The sauce was too tangy. I was hoping it would be similar to a NOLA style bbq shrimp, but it definitely was not. Service was very good and it was nearly empty for a midweek lunch. Would recommend a visit however, as the atmosphere and extensive menu offers options for varied palates. read more

Set in such a scenic location, it's not that hard to spot if you know which side of the street to look for it. Servings were very generous. The staff very efficient, informative and friendly. Bathroom was quite clean. The food was spectacular! One tip- if dining with others, order different dishes so you get to try as much from the menu as possible. The servings are enough to share. Another tip- their unlimited crab dish us indeed unlimited! Well worth it for a little over $20 with tax! read more

Sal's Ballyhoo's - Seafood Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

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We found this restaurant on a whim, I'm search for oysters. Thank god we found this gem. Everything we had was amazing, from the key lime seafood pasta to the mahi special, even the chocolate chip biscuit with Jalapeño ham!!!! ( ) Worth a trip for some delicious food. read more

We had a large group gather impromptu at Sal's and it was the best decision we could have made. Great service !! Great food!! Fun times! Best place in the Key Largo area by far. I had the hogfish Hemingway style and it melted in my mouth. My wife had the conch bites and they were so good. Prices are reasonable too. Don't pass up Sal's if you are in the Key Largo area or even just passing thru! read more

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Best food in key largo, hands down. Chef got it down. Everything comes out with a personal touch from the chef that makes it fantastic. Cracked conch is a must. Coco shrimp were 6 JUMBO shrimp encrusted with coconut flakes and a light batter. Served with some sort of homemade marmalade/ chutney? Which was out of this world. Captains platter was loaded and delicious. Skirt steak salad was excellent and served with a great sized piece of steak and cooked exactly to order. Don't forget to get the best key lime pie in the keys! We got a whole pie to go! read more

Excellent food and super service! Easy to get to and park, but not much of a view. Go anyway. It's classic seafood with a casual, old-school vibe. read more