I almost hesitate to write this review, out of fear that too many people will find out about this place!
Two weekends ago, my dad and I took a random day trip down to Key West. As many times as he's been there, he had never visited Mallory Square for sunset (I don't know how that's possible, but he's a strange duck). So we walked in around 7 pm, watched a street performer get in an argument with some jerk tourists, and were about to settle in on the pavement by the water to watch the sunset.
But that's when I looked to my right, and saw an entrance on the dock of the Ocean Key Resort that said "Sunset Pier." Just beyond the open gate, I spotted a bartender at a tiny setup with a few taps of beer. Intrigued, we headed over there, and were surprised to find several empty tables right along the edge on the narrow dock. We asked if it was self seating, and it was, so we grabbed one of the tables -- all of which had a completely unobstructed view of the sunset.
We waited 5-10 minutes for the waitress to come over, but when she didn't, I went and sought someone out. She told me our waitress would be right over. I am guessing the self-seating part might have something to do with that, and we were at one of the tables farthest away from the bigger portion of the pier with the bar and a live band playing.
We ordered some drinks and a bit of food. I chose a pina colada and, since I wasn't very hungry, I just got their Mexican corn on the cob. My dad got a beer and a burger. The corn was quite good, the burger was just okay, and the condiments were sketchy because they sit in the heat all day long. I put mustard on a bite of my dad's burger, only to realize it had gone bad -- it had an extreme vinegar taste and was an off yellow/brown color instead of the regular bright, pale yellow.
The star of the show was absolutely the pina colada. This is probably the best one I've ever had... and not just because of the view. It was perfectly balanced: not too weak, not too strong, and deliciously creamy. My dad was impressed enough with a taste of mine to order one for himself, and I decided to have a rare treat and get a second one as well as the sun went down.
As for the sunset view, it's unparalleled. Yes, you can get an identical view for free just feet away at Mallory Square, but you'll be huddled with the masses and sitting on concrete for it. This was absolutely worth it to enjoy some drinks and take as many photos as you want... and with plenty of elbow room. read more