What a terrible experience. First time here and last. First off, we sat at the bar and our bartender was unfriendly and inattentive. Kept dismissing me or every time I tried to talk to him he would cut me off and say to wait despite the place being on the not busy side. To add injury to our visit all we wanted was a whole fried fish only to be told they didn't have it. We settled for the catch of the day fillet to also be told they only had the fried option not grilled either. What a Mess of a place. Despite the menu being limited they didn't have the food and the service uninviting. Will not be back here. read more

This is where you need to go for a fish taco so yummy! Thanks guys for the wonderful night

Tucked in, just on the east side of Highway one in Key Largo, Skippers is a hidden gem. Dedicated parking lot with plenty of parking makes for easy access. Indoor and outdoor seating allows for all types of accommodations. Nice bar on the dock if you're just stopping in for a drink. Laid-back casual atmosphere with live music makes for a pleasant afternoon. We were quickly greeted and offered our choice of seating. Large menu with a broad selection plus specialties can accommodate all Taste! There's a full bar and specialty cocktails available. A wonderful watermelon Caprese salad is large enough to split for 2 to 3 people. There were a number of grouper specialties as the fish of the day and we decided to get that plus the fisherman's platter so we could try a selection of fish. Our server was wonderful offering us plenty of space, yet checked in frequently to ensure that we were taken care of for refills. Highly recommend this stop that's a little off the beaten path. We've come to grips with higher food pricing in Key Largo but this location is still less than some of the restaurants on the west side of the highway. P.S. We had an opportunity to watch the boats go by that included the one used in the making of the classic African Queen with Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn. The boat is on display just down the canal from this restaurant. read more

Skipper's Dockside - Seafood Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

Next to our hotel is the lively and fun Skipper's Dockside in Key Largo. It sits next to Key Largo Harbor Marina, where you can dock your boat for 2 hours while at Skipper's. Beautiful area to walk around at by day or night with many palm trees. It's basically a seafood restaurant, but I recently developed allergies to seafood, so I ordered the Churrasco Steak & Frites dish with smashed potatoes and a vegetable medley. It was cooked just right and was delicious. They give you generous portions here. My daughter ordered the Short Ribs dish with smashed potatoes. However, by mistake, they brought her the wrong order (Short Rib tacos). Judith was our server, and she sincerely apologized for the chef. She was a very nice lady and took really good care of us the entire night. We completely understood. The only other glitch was that the French Onion Soup that we ordered as an appetizer tasted like no other French Onion soup we have ever tasted. I can't even describe what it was or what was in it. We couldn't finish it. Judith brought us their delicious Key Lime pie to make up for the soup. A huge applause to Matt, who was their live entertainer that evening, sang the most touching and beautiful rendition of "Hallelujah" that I have ever heard! He has a fantastic singing voice. I could listen to him for hours. We had a very nice time on this beautiful warm evening outdoors by the water. Parking is free in their own lot. Wheelchair accessiblability. We plan to go back again on our next trip to the keys. read more

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The place is clean! Staff is great. All of our meals were delicious! The calamari were soft and perfectly seasoned. I ordered the tuna poke bowl which was fantastic! My brother said his grouper sandwich was the best he had so far! My son had the pasta with marinara sauce which was also great read more

Skipper's Dockside - Tuna poke bowl - Seafood Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

We didn't wait long, sat at the bar. Bartender was fast and attentive. The cocktails were good, not too strong not too weak. The beer was cold!! I highly recommend the Havana flatbread. It was delicious. Beware when ordering the nachos. The guacamole and salsa are $3 each! Not worth it. The jerk chicken was so mildly seasoned that you could really taste it. The tiki bar was delightful to sit at. The view is great! You see the large fishing charter boats. We also saw two F-18's fly by twice. Made my husband's night. read more

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Food was good but the atmosphere is the sell here. Sat outside by the bar where there was live entertainment by a singer. He was really good and we appreciated his voice range and repertoire of songs. Nice breeze off the quay made the evening sunset very pleasant for us. Service was okay, seemed like a very new severer waited on us but he was energetic and no issues. read more

Decided to dine here for lunch with my buddy. The restaurant was nearly empty so we were sat quickly. We ordered 2 sodas as well as our entrees. After waiting 45 minutes in a nearly empty restaurant, our waitress came out and told us they made a mistake and never put our order in. Accidents happen, but she proceeded to charge us for our drinks after we canceled our order instead of comping them for the inconvenience. Come on! read more

Next to the water way where the boats travel. Outdoor seating was very pleasant and music choice was nice. Had a few different burgers in the group and everyone really liked all the choices. Very convenient to both courtyard by Marriott and holiday inn if staying there.... Just walk along the water. Would definitely go back if in the area. read more

My new favorite spot in key largo ish area. I come down to the keys often for fresh seafood and sunsets. I found this little gem and I won't gatekeep it. Appetizers are so yum and do try the grouper; they offer two different options for the sauce it's paired with. No complaints only praises for this place. read more

Skipper's Dockside - Conch Fritters Smoked Fish Dip Coconut Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

Visiting out of town, looking for fresh seafood, Skippers was in walking distance of hotel, great outside dinning! Beautiful inside the restaurant! Wait staff was lovely, very efficient! Started with fresh calamari with lime aioli, fresh and really tasty with herbs and citrus notes. We both had the blackened Mahi-mahi with fries. This was out of this world good! If you are in the Keys, swing by! read more

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By far, our best dinner in Key Largo. The service was outstanding, the ambiance was nice and beachy inside, and the outside bar was a great place to listen to music and have some good tropical drinks. I started with their conch fritters, which was nice and crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. Cooked perfectly. I ordered the whole flash fried snapper for my entrée, and it was very good. The fish was not super big, so I was able to finish it and still enjoy all the sides that came with it. The fish tacos were also very good, and the toppings were perfect. It was totally an enjoyable meal, and sitting at the outside bar after dinner was fun listening to the guy who sang and played the piano. I would definitely return for another great experience. read more

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Skipper's has a cool key vibe, with friendly staff and decent food. But I have to say, I do not think I would go back. I did not go inside so I am only judging on the outdoor seating, which was very enjoyable, but the bar was a little too sticky for my liking. (My elbows were sticking so bad, I put napkins down, that I couldn't get off from the counter when I went to leave). Our bar tender was great and knew his products, but the variety of liquor, specifically tequila, was weak. We ordered the Philly cheesesteak pizza and bacon cheeseburger sliders off from the happy hour menu, the pizza was surprisingly good, the sliders were decent also. I would definitely get the pizza again! I was very surprised by the influx of flies that arrived once our food was delivered. Believe me, I understand outdoor seating and this was just obnoxious. Overall, the atmosphere, staff and food were enjoyable, but the cleanliness supersedes that for me. read more

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Skippers was a beautiful atmosphere, good food. Service was slow, server only came to the table to take our order, drop the food, and drop the check. We had to go inside to ask for a side of sauce that we needed and didn't get refills on our drinks. The food was very good, just don't come thirsty and know you'll need to be patient! read more

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Skippers is most definitely worthy of a spot. The drinks were strong and cold. The service was fast and friendly. They had live music whilst we were there. Also their food was surprisingly good for a tiki bar. We will be back. read more

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The food was excellent! We got the conch fritters app, key lime Alfredo, the Dockside Smash Burger and a slice of Key Lime Pie for dessert. The restaurant was gorgeous (we ate outside) and our waiter was terrific with helpful suggestions on what to order. Everything he suggested was a homerun! Live music was also a treat. read more

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Fast service, good food, good price, amazing view, this place is awesome! Very good chicken wings but the fries were kinda soggy or at least not crispy like I would like. read more

Ambiance was nice..by the water, nice view. We ordered appetizers, that included a fish dip--delicious. We ordered the fish tacos and a fish dinner. We enjoyed assorted drinks--Margarita, Pain Killer, cold Beer... overall, everything good. I would say the service was a bit slow. Food was good. Drinks were good. Just Good all Around. read more

The food was absolutely delicious! I got the blackened mahi sandwich and my family had the other dishes and honestly it was really some of the best food i've had so far on my trip down here! There was some live music playing which is always a nice little touch! However our waitress wasn't the best. She would leave us sitting there with empty cups and was often a little rude. Other than that i would 100% recommend this place to eat!! read more

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My husband and I stayed at the Holiday Inn nearby so we frequented this place a couple of times for dinner. We really enjoyed the low key vibe, the view of the water/marina, the live music, and the food. The service was great the first night and pretty terrible the second night (had to ask for refills on drinks and wait over 10 minutes to get them). I loved my watermelon salad the first night and my hog fish the second. Hats off to the chefs who are doing it right. My hubs loved his food as well. The place loses two solid stars because they serve all of their drinks in plastic cups. When I asked for refills, instead of refilling my cup they left it on the table and brought back another plastic cup. I saw over a dozen plastic cups on a table nearby that had 5 people sitting at it. Come on guys, do better. You literally have a business that thrives on a lot of tourists there for water related activities.....do your part and stop filling our landfills and oceans with so much damned plastic. It is insane to me the amount of money that must be wasted on the plastic not to mention the massive toll it is taking on our environment. This is the year 2024, you know better and can do better. I loved the food but could not stop thinking about all of the plastic this restaurant is contributing to the landfills. read more

When we arrived in Key Largo, a really nice staff member at our hotel recommended this restaurant and it was right next door. We were seated immediately outside on the deck on the water. A lot of interesting stuff on the menu, my parents both ordered soup (conch chowder and French onion soup). My dad's conch chowder was delicious. I ordered the coconut shrimp appetizer and a side of fries, and I saw they had homemade bread and butter pickles so of course I asked for those too. The shrimp were excellent, and pretty generous for an appetizer portion. I loved the mango salsa it was served with. I had a really good pina colada as well. Overall was very happy with our lunch and definitely recommend stopping here if you're visiting. read more

My food was ok/good but far from great . Tables and bar stickey, gooey. I think they have been wiped down but that is not the impression. Refinish the surfaces It's a real turn off. Bar service lethargic. read more

Skippers dockside extremely overrated extremely overpriced owned by Three Rivers hotels. Bartenders have no idea how to talk to customers. They are kids and nothing more than kids trying to compete in adult world of people that make real money. The Haitians that read food cards of how to prepare a meal in the back written in Haitian because they don't understand English. All you have to do is go there once and you will see what I am talking about, there are better places to go and spend your money and get twice what you are paying for do not go Yep read more

Skippers started off great. Lawrence, our waiter was super nice and pleasant ready to take our order. He was polite and prompt which is always appreciated when visiting a restaurant. Started off with fish dip which was delish, especially the pickled jalapeños and red onions. Followed by a delicious and huge watermelon burrata salad. We decided to share the catch of the day - grilled hog snapper. The fish was nicely grilled but the meaty taste of a typical hog snapper was not there....we ate the entire fish but after we left we felt as if a different fish was served. Hog snapper is called 'poor man's lobster' due to its thicker non flaky fish texture. However, the fish we were served was flaky. We didn't complain bc everything else was fine but we felt jipped. The place is cute and the ac was cranking - direly necessary in the hot keys inferno. Will I go back, not sure but if I do it will be with caution on what I order. read more

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3/2025 we ate here for lunch around 1:00pm. Appetizer we had calamari. For our meal I had fried shrimp and my wife had the peel and eat shrimp. All of or food was good. We sat on the deck overlooking the bay. To finish the lunch off we had key lime pie. The key lime pie is made in house and it was great!! I wish I had of gotten our waitress name because she was amazing. read more

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The place was a little hard to find, but so worth the effort. The atmosphere is amazing inside and out great view of the waterway sitting under the tiki hut and the food is amazing, literally the best mahi sandwich I've ever had in my life . And I believe it. read more

Skipper's Dockside - Seafood Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

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Simple late lunch at the bar. Not crowded. Food came fast enough (shrimp po boy) and it was passable although there was a weird, bitter flavor somewhere in the sandwich. My big complaint was being totally ignored once food was dropped. E.g. some catsup for the fries might have been nice, perhaps some black pepper for the shrimp? Wasn't offered 2 stars is strictly ambiance read more

Oh boy, this place has potential to be really great, and I really hope it makes the necessary tweaks to get there. So close! Let's talk about: The Good, The Bad and The Beautiful. The Good. Location, Location, Location! Situated directly on the water at a marina in Key Largo surrounded by hotels, condos and charter boats coming in and out, the views are gorgeous and the foot traffic is plentiful. Also, the food and drinks. Mostly. I had a Killer Colada, which was strong and tasty and the fruit garnish (pineapple, orange and cherry) were fresh and delicious as well -- it matters! For dinner we shared the Island Snapper, which looked beautiful on the plate and tasted even better. The only downside here was that, at $32, the portion could have been a tad more generous. Finally, we split the key lime pie, which we make a habit to always order in South Florida in search of the best and let's just say this one was . . . unique? It came topped with an impressive layer of meringue. Okay, I like meringue. But it looked better than it tasted. And a good deal of compote came on the plate that I can only assume was blackberry by the number of seeds it contained. It was not good. Neither tart nor sweet. Just not a good flavor and the seeds were off putting with the pie. The crust, normally my favorite part, had none of the buttery goodness of a graham cracker crust. It, along with the pie filling itself, lacked flavor. Disappointing. But not "Bad" bad. My husband ate all of it. To each his own. Now for the truly Bad. After being sat initially by the hostess, we were completely ignored for about 15 minutes even though a half dozen servers milled about at the bar nearby. I should note that they weren't that busy yet. When a manager came by to ask if everything was going well I mentioned how long we'd been sitting with no one helping us yet. He was not happy and went to get a server. From that point on, service was fine, but they never offered anything extra to compensate for the inconvenience, which would have gone a long way. And the manager never came back either. Last but not least -- the Beautiful. Not only the views but the space. It was much nicer than expected as far as the outside bar area and the indoor space was really nice also. However, it was completely empty except for one small group. Even the restrooms were new and very nice! Not a soul at the bar or in any of the indoor booths. And maybe 20-25 people outside on a holiday weekend in season. What a shame. One last note, the live entertainment, a man singing and playing guitar in the outdoor bar area, was very good. Too bad most patrons were watching the NFL playoff game on one of the many TVs around the bar. He was largely ignored. All in all, I would definitely return despite the service lapse, because the ambiance and views were that good. I just won't go if I'm in a hurry. I hope they do well because they have too much going for them for it to go to waste. read more

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Skippers dockside on the water is a great place for lunch or dinner. Great outside seating area on the water and a huge bar with tvs. Service was great and attentive. Menu is a good variety and not overwhelming. The drinks and food were really good. A plus, it was pet friendly, and they will give ur fur baby water. If you are passing through or staying for a vacay in key largo this a definite spot to grab some good food. read more

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I tried to give this place a two but couldn't do it. I will start with something positive. The place was clean and our waiter was very friendly. The service was extremely slow. So slow our daughter decided to leave rather than sit any longer when we were waiting for the bill. The food was hardly mediocre at best. The exception was the smoked fish dip appetizer, it was really good but the chips were a little stale. Our drinks were in platic cups, but people around us were drinking out of real glassware, I guess we just looked clumsy. My wife ordered a wrap and asked for it to be blackened Mahi Mahi and very little rice. When she opened the wrap the fish had a large dark streak making it strong and it was filled with rice. My daughter and I both ordered the catch of the day, hogfish. I had mine grilled and she had hers blackened. I ordered two sides, black beans and citrus slaw. The bean bowl was mainly black bean juice with a few beans just to add injury to insult. The slaw tasted like normal coleslaw, nothing citrusy about it. My daughter ordered two side fried yucca and the black beans. The yucca was pretty bland, but it is fried yucca. Her order of black beans was mainly beans, but she also had rice on her plate as an extra side. The hogfish was pretty good but the portion was very small. I will ṭell you the worst part was the bill $147 not including tip. I spend that much for a meal I expect to drink from a real glass. read more

hostess and waitress had attitude. Lobster Mac and cheese is 65$ most expensive in the keys. Bartender didn't have bitters for an old fashioned. I would not recommend this place. read more

Stopped on a Thursday near the end of HappyHour and sat outside . We enjoyed the skinny blackberry lemonade w fresh muddled blackberries and the wheat beer with tangerine , both excellent. We also enjoyed the fish dip , a great mix of mahi and wagon , very delicate smoked flavor , not too much binder , served with pickled onions jalapeño and tomatoes. Very nice presentation and with plenty of corn chips . At the recommendation of a new friend at the table next to us we shared the mushroom flatbread . Truly one of the best flatbread pizzas we've ever eaten w fresh mushrooms a mix of cheeses and a balsamic drizzle w arugula to finish after Baking , truly a waterside gem. Live music under the tiki was excellent as well with a keys vibe read more

Visited for an early dinner. We started with the calamari appetizer, which was excellent. It may be in the running for my favorite. It was big rings of squid breaded and fried. The sauce was a honey base with a touch of heat. There was a dipping sauce on the side. I had the conch red chowder soup, which was good. I split the chicken sandwich, which had great flavor. I may have preferred the bread to be toasted or firmer. Cute interior. The decor is dark wood, which would be nice on a hot, sunny Florida day. There is a large bar area inside, and a giant bar area outside (too cold for us on this visit). Service was friendly and attentative. Everything was cleared away quickly by the wait staff (which I appreciate). Also, the server had our check ready when asked for (appreciated). read more

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I really hate writing negative reviews but i feel an obligation to post a buyer beware. DO NOT order the Lobster Mac here as it is $65! We have a place in Key Largo and my daughter has had the lobster Mac at Lazy Lobster, Pilot House, Alfredo's, and Ziggy Mad Dog and we have never paid above $40. Mind you ziggy mad dog has a TRUFFLE lobster Mac which is famous and it's less than $40. Much to our surprise the MP for this dish at Skippers is $65!! I spoke to the manager and he pretty much agreed this price is outrageous but the location did not have control of the price as it was set by corporate. He also mentioned that many customers have complained about the price of this dish. This is price gouging and super unfortunate as i have always enjoyed going to skippers until this experience. Buyer Beware!!! read more

Skipper's Dockside - Spinach salad w Mahi - Seafood Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

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Came in for a late lunch on a Wednesday afternoon. There were tons of outdoor seats available and I sat at a high top by the bar. I ordered the shrimp poboy and a spicy margarita. The margarita was amazing and I did let the bartender know. It was really packing the heat. I loved it. The shrimp poboy was ok! The bread wasn't my favorite, but there were enough mini fried shrimp in there to make it feel hearty. My server was friendly and attentive. read more

Skipper's Dockside - Shrimp Poboy - Seafood Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

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View is very nice, food is pretty good. Service is very lacking. Receive incorrect order, and that was never made right so we just ate it.....not one water refill, or request for another drink. In fact after our order was placed we did not see our server even one more time until we were completely done eating for quite some time. Plenty of open tables, off season and not busy. So we were hoping to enjoy the view and a couple of cocktails. While we were there for over an hour without drink refills we did opt to go elsewhere and finish out the evening. While we did still tip the server, they certainly did not earn it. On the bright side we probably saved $40-50 on cocktails. Some times places have an off day, but with the great restaurants around it will be tough to try them again. read more

Skipper's Dockside - Shrimp Po Boy - Seafood Near Me - Key Largo, Florida

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Fish were tasty, cilantro rice was brilliant, beef slider was delicious. Bloody Mary with a shrimp and cheese was amazing. Fantastic restaurant walking distance if you stay at the Courtyard or Holiday Inn. read more

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Sat outside at the bar on Saturday night. Bartender was friendly, great service. The food was not the greatest. Conch fritters were chewy. Got the crab crusted grouper. I couldn't even tell you if there was a piece of fish on the plate because all we tasted was cheese. Would definitely go back for cocktails but skip the food at this establishment! Save yourself the money read more

Date of visit: Sept 21, 2022 We stopped into Skippers Dockside on our drive from Miami to Marathon. We were seated immediately. The waitress was very good. She brought our water out quickly with menus. She kept out drinks filled. When they brought the appetizers out they forgot to bring the nachos and had to make them. We started off our group with some conch fritters, nachos, and calamari. The calamari was way over cooked and most of it hard. The conch fritters were mostly hush puppies with very little conch in it. The one I ate had something hard in it that crunched like a piece of shell. The chicken nachos were very good we all agreed. I ordered a cheese steak flat bread. The flavors blended very well together and the bread was incredible. I could eat those suckers daily if they weren't $17. At $13 they would have been easier to accept for the size. The wife had the shrimp poboy. She said it was fantastic. To go I ordered the coconut bread pudding for us. It was very enjoyable. read more

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GREAT service !!!! Zonia best server and great shopper hour very attentive and helped and service read more

Skipper's Dockside - Beautiful experience recommend server zonia is the best I would 100 recommend and love the live music - Seafood Near Me - Key Largo, Florida