Amazing waterfront marina with a truly beautiful location. The food was out of this world, the…read moreservice was excellent, and the entire atmosphere was vibrant and lively. I sat by the gas dock and even saw dolphins coming by, which made the experience even more special. The place was packed and busy, yet everything was handled wonderfully. A truly memorable experience.

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!

EASILY some of the BEST food I've ever had in my life -- no exaggeration…read more We went all in: shrimp tacos, chicken tacos, carne tacos, the shrimp po' boy, and the fried pork... and EVERY. SINGLE. THING. was unreal. Like, not one weak item on the table. But let me be clear -- that shrimp po' boy??? ABSOLUTELY STOLE THE SHOW. I'd go back for that alone. The whole place has that perfect outdoor Keys vibe -- laid back, great energy, just straight-up good times. And the service?? Top tier. Olivia and Mikey were on point the entire time -- super friendly, nailed the order, and made the experience even better. Huge respect to the kitchen too -- Marcus and Chapel are putting out some seriously special food. You can TASTE the effort and care in every bite. This place isn't just good... it's the kind of spot you think about after you leave. A spot you talk about until you go back. We'll 1000% be back. Probably way too soon

Love, love, love this place! Arrived with my family on St. Patrick's Day after 4 p.m. Parked with…read moreease in the gravel lot. Upon approaching the bar we looked over the menu and promptly ordered. A stationary food truck doled out scrumptious grub, delivered in a timely fashion. We really enjoyed all items and the beer was refreshing. It wasn't very busy when we first arrived, but it started to fill in more so during our visit. The surfer/hippie vibe throughout the grounds heightened my vacation mode. It's exactly the chill setting I was craving. Walking around the garden, hopping on the standing swing, sitting in hammock chairs, playing the hook and ring game, and checking out the shop were all leisure bliss.

Keep it easy - this place is awesome. Very laid back and we always make sure to take a trip here…read moreevery Keys trip. Food, service, ambience - all fantastic.

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.

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.

Food was excellent. Reasonable priced and drinks were amazing. We had the key west shrimp and…read moreteriyaki chicken. Very tasty with sides of black beans salad and rice.

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.

Outstanding Key Lime Pie Wondering people working here on a…read moreFriday night, every seat taken and I'm at the bar waiting on an order of Key Lime Pie To Go. 25 minutes later they made my dream come true with a whole pie wrapped & real whipped cream in its own container to go. People applauded, customers & staff alike. I'd put in the wait time and a good tip. Yum Yum I'll be back when it's not Friday.

Today we had our worst meal in Florida. Husband ordered the Catch of the Day which was Grouper…read more $45. The fish was so overcooked it was inedible. My wings were undercooked and rubbery even though I asked for extra crispy and my Greek salad was equally pathetic. It was just bad food. Not one ounce of care went into the preparation. I'm searching for something nice to say about the food but cannot. Of course when most of our meals were left on our plates and we didn't want a box the server asked if the food was ok. We let her know it wasn't good. The cook took 20% off the check. Whatever. What we wanted was an edible meal. The service was good. The outside deck is fine. Please don't eat here.

Despite the overall rating this place has, the food was pretty good! Fresh seafood, we had 4…read moredifferent kinds of oysters, scallops on the half shell (small but good), some sushi rolls, some pulled pork, the crab cake sandwich, onion rings and more. All really good. Service was friendly but slow and plates arrived haphazardly, while we had to ask for plates and flatware. Nice scene with outdoor covered eatery and live music performer who entertained the crowd too! Mini golf next door was also fun and offered a 10% discount on the meal. All in all a nice way to spend a half day or so.

We kind of came here on a whim from good word of mouth. We were all thinking BBQ but we ended up…read moreordering seafood & sushi instead! I loved the vibe of this place - think tiki bar with a beachside vibe and setting but then also a BBQ joint thrown in for good measure. The menu is extensive - BBQ, seafood, sushi, bar food, tacos, etc. The menu is huge! The happy hour is pretty good too (speciality drinks for like $8 and decently priced app specials). One very cool thing, this place sits on a marina and my family saw manatees chilling out there. We literally were only a couple feet from them and watched them float around while we are out food. So cool. Live music is offered during most nights. Some advice, get here early because this place fills up fast! I think it is quite the haunt for locals and tourists alike. We would go here again in a heartbeat. The food was pretty good, portions were perfectly sized and prices were very reasonable, especially when compared to other places found in the Florida Keys.

My wife and I had breakfast at Island Fish Co. this morning…read more She had the regular eggs benedict. I had the short rib benedict. The 2 plates looked as though they came from different kitchens. Hers was perfect. Large eggs, soft yolks, abundant meat. Mine was almost edible. Eggs the size of a golf ball. Hard yolks. Beef had the texture of shoe leather. Potato pancakes were tolerable. Service was par. Nothing special. Have eaten here many times before with no gripes. Not sure if I'll return. Grapefruit crush was excellent.

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.

Great spot to escape the heat and enjoy fresh seafood. The atmosphere was fancier than we…read moreanticipated. Jorge, our waiter was welcoming, friendly, and patient - impressive given the size of our party. We did make a reservation in advance due to having a larger group. Our table was ready when we arrived. While snacking on the complimentary baguettes, we ordered a variety of appetizers and entrees from the happy hour and regular menus. They have numerous menu options sure to satisfy any group. Everyone in our party enjoyed what they ordered. We recommend this restaurant to others!

Great roadside restaurant in the keys! We were busy all day and didn't find time for lunch until…read moreabout 2pm. The parking lot at the steak and lobster house had several cars at this time, so we figured this was a good sign. Didn't try the cocktails, but did order 1/2 lb peel and eat shrimp from the happy hour menu, and they were delicious - 6 giant shrimp for a great happy hour price! We had the grilled brie; didn't care for the crackers and the berry compote was just okay, but the brie was lovely and the presentation was beautiful. Philly cheesesteak sandwich was loaded with steak and peppers, and the queso-style cheese was a nice variation from the "traditional" Philly. Blue crab burger was very tasty with a large crab cake and the sauce was really good. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive, we did not have to wait for drink refills and she was helpful with menu questions. I generally don't eat at the same place twice while I'm on vacation, but may make an exception for the FL Keys Steak and Lobster house. Will definitely be recommending this place to all my traveling friends!

Excellent food - I recommend the conch fritters and the ahi tuna. If you only have room for 1, go…read morewith the ahi! It's an appetizer, so it's not massively filling, but it is super delicious. Margarita was great, too! Ambience gives off loud, locals mixed with cool tourists. Great dock location. Highly recommend.

Yessir this is where you want to go to relax and have some great food and drink! The 4 of us went…read moreon 12/29/2025 and were so happy to be there again - we've patronized this joint several times over the years and keep coming back. The drinks are made perfectly and there's a large menu to choose from. In addition, the prices are very reasonable. When you first walk in, there's a large wrap-around bar that is usually full to the brim with happy patrons. But don't worry - walk to the other side of the bar and there's a large patio chock full of additional seating. Thankfully, the view from any angle is beautiful because you are... dockside! You are right on the water! Check their social media accounts to see the who and what - because the place is always offering some type of live music act. If you need a low-key, super casual, and relaxing environment - but also want great drinks and fare - then go to Dockside Bar and Grill.