this place is 10000 percent a keys vibe. one single bartender/waiter working and the "manager"…read morehelping. a few chefs in the back. we called ahead because we were a larger party and they were all set up for us when we arrived. waiter was SO NICE (forgot his name) and was super transparent when they were out of something. the bar is zero frills. no bar menu just "these are the alcohols we have, we can kind of make anything within reason" food took forever because it got crazy busy fast. when the food came everything was fantastic. zero complaints even from the children! my daughter said the burger was amazing and the owner/manager even brought us a pre dinner key lime pie slice "because I cut it too small". super hospitable and lovely people. if you come on here and complain about a wait or lack of seating, you must be new to the keys. classic rock jams, bob marley, a fruity drink, and some relaxed service IS the keys. step outside the hustle and bustle and enjoy the meal!

Spring Break!! Oh yeah Floriduh! If you have ever stayed in Marathon Key then you know options are…read morelimited... especially for me. I am a picky seafood eater. Stopped in here for breakfast and ordered at the bar; seafood omelette. Eggs was done well incorporating spinach; mushrooms and smoked salmon. Unfortunately no other fish options were available. Waffles and grits to go with it, orange juice to keep it all down. Taste was not too bad. Portions were good. Services were quick and prices are little more than I expected.. it's spring break so it ok. Would I choose to return maybe.. especially if to order a mahi sandwich for lunch. Keep expectations low and you can have a good experience it's my new Floriduh moto.

I had the bagel with lox and cream cheese, it was amazing! The staff was super nice !read more

Ate here 2 times on our week stay, because it was that good. It was packed both times, had pretty…read morelong wait times, but your food is made to order and I don't mind, especially because you can physically see how busy it is and everything is made fresh. Their everything bagel is probably the best I have ever had. So soft and fresh. Me and my husband got the pork roll breakfast bagel sandwich with egg and cheese on an everything bagel and one with bacon as well. We also tried an everything bagel with their homemade chive cream cheese. So good! Their iced coffee is pretty good as well. Would absolutely come back!

Really good experience in late April at Island Fish Co. The food was great and service was good…read more It's an open-air casual restaurant with water views; not the best water views but better than looking at buildings or a parking lot. They have a few ceiling-mounted fans to try to keep the heat at bay. The shrimp poboy and onion rings were superb, and the wife really loved the grilled chicken sandwich and fries. Absolutely no complaints about the food or service. The cocktails left a little to be desired however; very small cups that we found lacking in flavor, but they looked tropical. Otherwise, everything was great and we'd definitely visit again.

So good we came here twice on our trip for lunch. The vibe is tropical, fun tiki bar meets…read moredelicious fresh seafood with an awesome menu selection, fun drinks , friendly service & beautiful views. We started with the best coconut shrimp I think I've ever had. It's the famous pink shrimp of Florida & the coconut breading was divine ! light, delicate crispy, served with a tasty mango chutney, dipping sauce, just perfection. by the way, this went perfectly with a crisp, white wine and my husband's tropical drink. Next, we had to get an order of the delish oysters Rockefeller, smothered with creamy spinach, and tons of lemon juice. Wow those gulf oysters are wonderful ! So Tender. For our main, we got the Grouper Fish Sammie's with fries & coleslaw. I had mine blackened, and my husband went with classic. The fish was so fresh and seasoned perfectly. Don't miss this gem on your way down the keys.

our bartender, Mallory, was amazing. care of accommodating…read more we loved the restaurant! great wings!

Herbie's Bar & Chowder House in Marathon has been operating under that name since 1963, with roots…read moregoing back to the 1940s as Maggie's Chowder House and later Fishnet's. It's legitimately one of the oldest continuously operating restaurants in the Florida Keys, which gives it a lot of built-in credibility before you even sit down. Walking up to it, you feel that history. The exterior, the gravel lot, the signage--it's pure roadside Keys. Inside, it leans into that "local bar meets tourist stop" vibe: long wooden bar, TVs, stickers everywhere, taps lined up. Then you open the menu and it pivots in every direction--New England chowder house, BBQ joint, burger shack, seafood spot. It's not clear what it wants to be, and that lack of focus carries straight through to the food. We started with both chowders. The clam chowder looks right at first glance, but the texture tells you everything--thick, almost gluey, clearly roux-heavy. The flavor leans aggressively fatty, closer to margarine than butter, with very little clam presence. No briny backbone, no pepper, no lift. We ended up dumping in black pepper and hot sauce just to make it remotely acceptable--but even then, that heavy fat note kept pushing through. Nothing about it reads as New England. The conch chowder fares a bit better. You can actually see a decent amount of conch, and there's a peppery edge that helps. But the broth is thin and lacks the chunky, stewed tomato depth you expect from a proper Keys-style conch chowder. After having it done right earlier at Key Largo Fisheries, the difference was obvious. Then there are the Texas Twinkies--and the photo really says it all. On paper, this should work: jalapeños wrapped in bacon, stuffed with brisket, pulled pork, cheeses, and sauce. In execution, it's just too much. Too much cream cheese, too many competing sauces, meats chopped into a soft, indistinct filling. It collapses into a heavy, muddy bite that feels more overwhelming than satisfying. Looking back at the menu, the simpler move--burger, ribs, even wings--probably would have been the right call. Instead, we ordered straight into the identity crisis. And that theory held up. We went back and grabbed a burger later--cooked a proper medium rare, with well-done, crispy fries--and it was easily the best thing we had from them. I wanted to like Herbie's. There's history, personality, and clearly a loyal following. But between the confused concept and uneven execution, the move here is simple: stick to the basics.

I bypassed the Lobster Ruben, had the conch ceviche and a fried hogfish sandwich, it was one of the…read morebest seafood meals of my life. Bonus points for the bar next door, and having the tartar/cocktail sauce readily available. Their prices are incredibly low for the freshness and quality they serve up. I can't wait to return to the Florida Keys again to eat here.

Looking at the food it truly looked like hospital food quality, and for the prices I was expecting…read moresomething a little jazzier on the presentation- but truly seeing around this area everything is $$$$. Which is fine. But still... Service is an order behind the counter, find a seat & listen for your name called over the intercom (you can't hear anything- so just go ahead & stand over by the counter). Food itself is okay- maybe we should have tried their famous lobster Reuben .. the seating area is surrounding the pier which is nice and there was a constant breeze coming through making it enjoyable to eat at. Have crew members standing by for boats pulling in to eat their catch & ensure no one is feeding the bird/fish. Would stop again and try something different but I'm sure there's other places to go for fish.

This was our very favorite restaurant during our week in the Keys. Palm-thatch roof over the…read morerestaurant is really cool. Outside seating area offers great views, but we took an inside table and the vibe was still awesome. Live music was great. Our server Zach was on the mark; checked on us frequently and took care of any requests quickly, and a very friendly dude. We tried: Sparky's Sunset and Coconut Margarita - both very good. Tuna tartare - the sesame sauce wasn't my favorite, but the tuna was fresh and tender. Coconut Shrimp - HUGE shrimp, nice toasty coconut crust, and the sweet chili sauce was a great compliment. 1/2 lb Peel and Eat Shrimp - these were served with butter, cocktail sauce, lemon, and a little cup of add-it-if-you-want cajun seasoning. I tried them all and loved the options. Bacon-wrapped Scallops - these were fantastic!! Super crunchy bacon on the outside, perfectly cooked scallops on the inside. Buffalo Chicken Wings - these had really good flavor, but the skins were a bit tough. Sparky's will be our very first stop on our next stay in the Keys.

Expected better. Read the reviews and checked the menu ahead of time. We liked the Bloody Marys,…read morehowever our meals were a little lackluster all around. I tasted each dish. The fish tacos had great flavor as did the chicken and waffles. The blackened grouper sandwich was a little bland and the crab cake Benedict could have done without the Canadian bacon. Eat inside - the heat on the deck may have impacted our appetites.

Being from Florida and a very frequent visitor of the Keys we really wanted a burger. Well let me…read moretell you this place was A M A zing! We sat outside over looking the bay, which was nice. I didn't see any indoor sitting but hey, it's the Keys. Our server was so nice. He was very quiet and consistently smiling! Now let talk food! The hush puppies were absolutely perfect!! They served them with raspberry dip amazing. We both got the bacon cheeseburger. It was perfectly done, charbroiled, so juicy so good highly recommend. My favorite pie is a true key lime pie!! I took a leap and ordered the fried key lime pie....yes yes yes yes!!!! We will be back!

We were served from some rude foreign guy wearing a NY Yankees hat. Honestly we should have been…read moresurprised when we saw the hat. This server was honestly the worst I have ever had and his tip reflected that. The place doesn't have a real bar which sucks. The food is edible but not worth going here for. The best item on the menu is their French fries.

This fun restaurant had live music when we went, and it was packed. The service was friendly, but…read morethe food was a little slow. They had the best fried conch of the several places where I tried it while on this trip. It was not chewy at all.

Five stars for Brutus!…read more Ambiance: The vibe and decor is beautiful! Tropical island feels! Everything is super clean and the space is bright ! Large outdoor terrace completely shaded and large trees near by for a wonderful breeze! Service: our waitress was super friendly and very fast and accommodating. She made a lot of suggestions about the menu which we appreciated. Food: what I loved the most is that everything was super fresh. We had the fish ceviche. So good!! Good portion as well. Also had the yellowtail sandwich - very fresh! Ordered the taco salad with filet mignon on top! Very good! Steak was cooked perfectly as ordered. Brutus serves breakfast daily and they have Sunday brunch! Love those options! Definitely coming back often! A gem in our neighborhood!