Cracked Conch Cafe (Marathon) -- This Is What We're Accepting Now? If your conch chowder shows up without conch, and the solution is to add it afterward, that's not a mistake -- that's how the kitchen is operating. First bowl: Sent back. No conch. None. Look at the photos -- it's vegetable soup. Second bowl: now there's conch, but it's clearly dropped in after the fact. Pale, rubbery, sitting on top like a garnish that showed up late. That's not chowder. That's a cover-up. And it doesn't get better. Cut open the "conch balls". Mushy filler with tiny bits of conch, greasy, fried hard to hold together. That's not a conch fritter. Is that what a "ball" is supposed to be? Cracked conch? Uniform, tight, clearly from frozen. Ceviche? Overworked, rubbery, heavy oregano -- more masking than seasoning. The place is doing steady business, so clearly there's a loyal crowd here. Which brings us to the uncomfortable question: At what point do we stop giving a pass to places coasting on reputation and start expecting the food to match the name on the sign? Because this isn't a small miss -- this is the entire identity of the restaurant not being executed at a basic level. So I'll ask it directly: If this is acceptable conch to you... what does good conch even look like? read more

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A great local gem. We ordered the conch sampler appetizer. It was really good, our favorite were the Conch Balls, so flavorful. The conch ceviche is also delicious. My Hendricks cocktail was also really good. The service was exceptional. Looking forward to checking out their happy hour, looks really good. read more

Cracked Conch Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Marathon, Florida

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The food for dinner was mid. Not bad but not amazing. The waiters were sweet but young and inexperienced although they did try their best. We left them a good tip for effort. read more

The conch civiche i was served was inedible, the blackened tuna was better than the ceviche but sadly not by much. When i told the waitress the conch ceviche was no good, she replied with "its fresh". Which i had to inform her that it was not "fresh" it was near rubber in texture and tasted no bueno( extremely hard to chew) I was led to believe the seafood at this place would be good because of the name. I wont be returning and definitely recommend just getting a cheeseburger here if you find yourself here read more

12/24/2024 you know how I feel about breakfast foods! The Cracked Conch Cafe did not disappoint! The servers greeted us and smiled when we walked in. We sat ourselves at the counter (my favorite!) and a server quickly took our drink orders. I ordered a Spanish omelette which was hot and tasty and chock-full of ingredients. Yummy! She had a BLT which was described as delightful and the toast it was served on was rich and buttery. There's a full bar too. Evidently they are known for the conch, which I did not try but they are one of few places that serve it other than a fritter. On my list to try next time. Decor and ambience aren't high on the list of my priorities. Is it a little dated? Sure. But it was clean and quiet and I appreciate that. Friendly staff and hot food made to order are the reasons I would recommend the Cracked Conch Cafe. The menu has enough variety to please everyone. Give it a try! read more

Cracked Conch Cafe - Spanish omelette - Seafood Near Me - Marathon, Florida

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Not as good as another breakfast place in town. I had the Spanish omelette and potatoes and English muffin and everything was okay. The butter was melted in the packet they gave me for my muffin and so it went all over my clothes when I attempted to open it. The service was good. This place is solid just not outstanding. read more

We stopped for lunch as soon as we arrived in Marathon for our quick get away to the Keys. Our mission was to find some good conch and Key Lime pie. The restaurant has been there forever so we figured it was worth a try. Indoors is a small very old restaurant setting with a large counter. Outdoors, a small covered wooden patio, quaint and typical of the Keys but too hot for this time of year. We seated ourselves and our server came quickly. We ordered the conch chowder, cracked conch and broiled snapper. I asked what type of snapper and she wasn't sure so she asked the cook who said local red snapper. Our chowder came out quickly. It had large pieces of conch so it was a hit. The breaded fried conch was prepared well and was pretty tender. I was not as excited with the sauce on the broiled fish but it was tender and flaky. The menu didn't mention any sauce but then again it didn't mention red snapper. We tried the key lime pie which was homemade. It was good but not the best I ever had. Parking was easy in the lot. Prices were a little high for this type of restaurant, the food and service but maybe not for the Keys as it was our first stop in a while and food prices have soared. read more

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Several different conch entrees on the menu, but I think they're all fried with too much batter. Salad was good. But I was hoping for some fresher, healthier dish, like a conch salad. Cuban coffee, which I like, and the server was extremely nice & helpful. It's conveniently right next to the main Keys highway, so the ambiance is basic, but cheerful. read more

Walked in totally ignored no greeting hey we will get right to you at least that would have at least acknowledged we were there . Ask wait staff person is there a waiter available ? Yeah me as she was wiping the table , walked off ROLLED EYES , told the other waiter something sarcastic . I got up walked out POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE . What a shame . read more

Went here with family for breakfast and everything was solid. The food was fresh, and you can tell they really make an effort to serve a great meal. Our server was friendly and welcoming, and the coffee hit the spot. Love that this place has been around since I was a kid -- it still has that classic Florida Keys vibe that's hard to find anymore. Definitely worth a stop and I'd happily come back! read more

Food- not terrible, kinda bland. The kids meals are such a good price for the amount of food!! The Philly was great. Service- not greeting, no refills, confused didn't remove items from table that were empty Music/environment was 0 I wasn't impressed read more

Honestly, I absolutely hate to do this, but we had such a terrible experience tonight, I just need to warn everyone else. I feel like zero stars and a call to the local police is what would be most appropriate. The service from the start was not great. We had a relatively small party, four adults and one child. I only saw a few other tables with anyone at them, so being busy was no excuse. Our server, I believe her name was Sheshi, I'm just assuming because that's the name on the ticket, but she never gave us her name. I asked for water three times, and my husband asked for me as well before I finally got a glass forty minutes later. We ordered an appetizer, the Conch Combo, and the conch balls were undercooked, and both the conch balls and the conch fingers were super greasy. When we got our dinners, mine was even worse than the appetizer. I got the special, which included shrimp, scallops, mahi, and a crab cake. I could barely cut the shrimp and Mahi with my knife they were so overcooked, the scallops had no sear on them whatsoever and they were still sandy, and the crab cake was barely edible. I didn't complain, as we were with friends and I just wanted to enjoy the short amount of time we had with them, but once the check came- or actually didn't come for that matter, I wanted to go through the roof. We had two separate checks at the table, yet we received no actual check. The server came over and told us what we owed without giving us a bill. My husband paid, and somehow two $30 entrees and a $17 appetizer turned into a $140 bill. We asked for a printed check, and never got it. She listed off the items verbally, and told us our bill was correct. I'm no Stephen Hawking, but even I know that math ain't mathing. We were caught up with saying our goodbyes to our friends, so we left without addressing the issue. But we got about a half mile down the street, and I told my husband we had to go back. He called and told the server that we were coming back and needed to have an itemized copy of our bill. She asked if we could just come back and take a picture of the receipt we signed. No dice. My husband went back in the restaurant and got her to print the actual bill. Turns out, 20% gratuity was already added to our check and Sheshi didn't bother letting us know. So she ended up with over $80 in tips from our table. My husband made her reverse the charge, and we will be going back in the morning to speak with the owners. Our friends that we had dinner with went back as well, and she did the same thing to them. She took an extra $22 in a cash tip, that she very hastily returned to our friends on the heels of our encounter. This is just disgraceful. A $40 tip for a table of 5 who aren't even drinking is pretty good for an hour's work when you can't even bring a glass of water. Bottom line, BEWARE!! Make sure you get an ITEMIZED RECEIPT! CHECK IF GRATUITY IS INCLUDED! And hopefully, after tomorrow morning, no one will have to worry about this again. read more

Cracked Conch Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Marathon, Florida

Cute little local diner with fun menu full of conch items. Service was quick and pleasant. Fun to see locals that come there often - homey vibes. I got the conch melt - super cheesy with mushrooms, fried conch and on grilled rye bread. Items don't come with sides so portions can be lacking for some entrees - my kid ordered a grilled cheese and was hungry for more. We loved the key lime pie! read more

Cracked Conch Cafe - Key lime pie - Seafood Near Me - Marathon, Florida

The food was incredible and so was the service. Very low key chill environment with friendly staff. Our server had like 10 tables at once and didn't miss a beat. She was very friendly. The deep fried key lime pie was out of this world! We will be back! read more

Cracked Conch Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Marathon, Florida

The quality of food is mediocre and overpriced. Cocktails are small and mostly mixer with only 1oz of alcohol which are also overpriced. I don't understand how they have a 4 point review? read more

Cracked Conch Cafe came highly recommended from our charter. We had an epic fishing day and caught an array of tuna, king mackerel, and mutton snapper. Being tired, we were hoping for a restaurant that would turn our catches into an amazing dinner. They asked if we had recommendations for how we wanted them cooked and they gave us their suggestions as well. They NAILED it! Every single dish was soooo delish and the service was great! Highly recommend! read more

Cracked Conch Cafe - Tuna - Seafood Near Me - Marathon, Florida

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This is one of the places we tried for breakfast while staying in Marathon. French toast was good. Fruit bowl was weak. Pancakes were just okay. Place was half empty which says something. It got the job done but not sure if we will return. read more

I have eaten at this restaurant for years. This year on my way home, central Florida, I stopped to bring home some conch fritters. The service was slow and the fritters, which they call balls, came out of my mouth quicker than they went in. They were under cooked and there was more filling than conch. The best I can do is to tell you, the balls are not worth the price. For real fritters, go to B.O.'s in Key West. I will never waste my time and money with their food again. read more

Fantastic food! Superb service and amazing atmosphere! Very dog-friendly! Chef is phenomenal! Outstanding everything!

My favorite restaurant in Marathon key. Whether it's breakfast, lunch, or supper, it's delicious! The blue crab and bacon eggs Benedict is the best breakfast I had in the keys. I definitely recommend trying it! read more

Where do I begin we are the only customers. My wife ordered the strip steak, medium. I ordered the Rueben special. Also ordered the Conch ball appetizer. Ok, steak first paper thin cooked well, couldn't cut it. Chef has never had a Rueben before. No sauerkraut, some liquid dressing, and some kind of cheese product. The Conch ball were over cooked on the outside and raw in the middle. I will say our server was very nice. read more

Very nice casual restaurant. Conch balls delicious. How do you get balls from a conch. Lol

Went for dinner on a Monday night. Place was almost empty and we considered leaving although reviews had been good. Glad we stayed. The restaurant looks like an old diner. The staff were friendly enough and to our surprise the food was delicious. My clam chowder and my husband's conch chowder were both very good. My fried snapper and mashed potatoes were tasty and I thoroughly enjoyed. Seems to be a popular breakfast spot but I suggest trying it for dinner too. read more

Food was tasty and hot when it arrived. Gina was our server and was very attentive to our needs. She anticipated what we needed and checked on us often. This was a great stop for lunch. read more

Love this place! Incredible omelets, best grits and biscuits!!! The conch fingers are sensational, they melt in your mouth. And such friendly service, beautiful people. I can't wait to come back to the keys and visit this establishment again read more

Cracked Conch Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Marathon, Florida

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If you want, authentic atmosphere, seating and service this is a great little place. I really enjoy stopping in at these little restaurants along the intercoastal highway which is US 1. The food was definitely conch and the service was very good. If you're visiting the keys or if you live in the keys if you have not been here, I would highly recommend that you try this place. It's truly the keys setting. read more

Cracked Conch Cafe - Outside seating. - Seafood Near Me - Marathon, Florida

I wish I could give more stars. They got our order wrong then made it seem like that we should eat it. Not the best service and food was average. read more

This is our favorite for "CONCH". Not easy to find on menus and every other restaurant has conch fritters. We like the real conch steak, strips or basket. The breakfast portion is delicious with eggs your way. Recent facelift this place is the real deal! Don't pass on this one it's been around for a long time for a good reason! Excellent service too! read more

Tired restaurant but seems like an institution. Service was very prompt and friendly. Conch balls and white conch chowder was delicious. Steak was fatty. Blackened mahi was good stuff. Prices were high ($20++ for an entree) read more

Food was alright, service was not so great. Breakfast arrived ok but waited 5min for the toast? Only 10 other customers why what's the issue with food. Two wait staff which shld have been enough to get r order completed timely . what is wrong w people why do they think i want the little snickers jelly packets touching my toast. The packets have probably been touched by 5 or 6 other people before me. Ambiance was what u wld expect for Keys, but bathroom was very dirty, all doors cld have been wiped down once in awhile figure prints all over nasty. read more

We have been to Marathon twice over the last couple of years and our only regret is not stopping here the first time. The food is authentic and amazing! The staff is down to Earth, friendly and service is amazing. The conch ceviche was amazing. I wish I could have taken some back home. Don't skip this gem! read more

Cracked Conch Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Marathon, Florida

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Listen, when you pull up into the parking lot at 7:30PM on a Friday, and you're the only car, go ahead and go in! Don't second guess whether you should, it'll be worth it. The staff are super friendly, the food was fabulous and in my opinion, and worth the fare paid. Then again, I don't mind paying for good food and service. Oh and get the Cracked Conch, you'll not be disappointed. read more

We stopped for lunch and was surprised by the variety of food options. Great grouper sandwich and crab Benedict breakfast. Solid 5

Amazing quality at what first appears to be a dive. We make a point to eat here every time we visit.

wow, if you want conch this is the place. very yummy, and lots for the cost. Our waitress was extremely friendly and attentive. This place is a must come when in Marathon, FL. I cannot say enough nice things about the people and atmosphere. read more

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Food was pretty good, conch fingers was the best thing they offered! Bathrooms were clean. read more

Cracked Conch Cafe - Conch fingers - Seafood Near Me - Marathon, Florida

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Food was great, however the service was the worst i have ever experienced. As service makes the experience will not be returning

A great go to spot in the keys I went twice in my stay. The service was good and very pleasant! They have a larger indoor dinning with a lot of windows for a great outside breeze! I had the eggs Benedict and they were great and they have a wonderful selection of hot sauces for them. I had a fish sandwich when I came back for lunch and it was fresh and amazing. read more

Cracked Conch Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Marathon, Florida

Found CCC while driving by on the way to the beach and their reviews were good overall so we checked it out! We had a conch pizza for lunch and it was delicious!!!! The conch was cooked well and was interesting, but super tasty on a pizza! It was a smaller cut of 8 slices so we were satisfied but could definitely eat more. Super easy parking and very easy location. Finished off with key lime pie for dessert. It was absolutely amazing!!!! It was a hard 5/5 and the lime flavor was perfect!! read more

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RJ's parents used to like it here years ago, so we wanted to try it. It has been here for something like 40 years and you can tell, it's still the same decor. When we first arrived, the host seemed bothered to seat us but he perked up later. We asked to sit out back on the patio, and there is an odd water feature in the middle of the floor. The location is not fancy and is badly in need of updates, but we were hoping for some good food. Our server was friendly and chatted with us for a while. She recommended the special to me which was dolphin or grouper with a kiwi sauce. This intrigued me because I never realized kiwi could be cooked. We both wanted grouper which was $10 more. We started with barbecue shrimp which sounded different, and the shrimp were large and delicious with barbecue sauce, cheese, and rice. The dinners came with soup and salad, so he got the conch chowder and I got the salad. He said his chowder was fantastic, and my salad was a basic iceberg salad. However, when the main attraction arrived, I was blown away! The kiwi sauce was outrageous, so terrific. If only it had rice, or the server had suggested I get rice as a side instead of vegetables. The vegetables were tasty but the kiwi sauce desperately needed a side of rice! RJ enjoyed his grouper and shrimp combo which was cooked perfectly. We ended with key lime pie which was icebox and not our favorite but it was decent. The food is definitely better than the location, but the prices are no different than the nicer restaurants. I guess it really depends on what you are looking for. Not every place can have a view, and we go to plenty of places that don't. But if you are in paradise do you want to stare at a shabby kitchen from 1979 with a metal piece propped up against a wall? Or a dirty old fountain in the middle of the floor covered in 40-year-old tile while eating a $41 entree?? At least do some basic updates, it doesn't have to be fancy. read more

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