Mam's restaurant is worth seeking out this wonderful restaurant on your next visit. She has the best falafel ever. Loved the bright colors and simplicity of an open air venue. Mam .... she is like family as soon as you meet her. She is a very likable person who will sit down and talk with you if you want :-). read more

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Excellent Israeli/ Middle Eastern food! The hummus is so creamy and delicious. Fresh Israeli and cabbage salads. The best pita bread around. Amazing falafel balls! Tasty shawarma and other dishes. A true hidden gem. Mam is the best cook and host. A must try for a different food experience in Key West. read more

Mam's Best Food - Shawarma pita stuffed with hummus and Israeli salad - Kosher Near Me - Key West, Florida

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The falafel pita bread with babaganoush humus salad The smells coming from the open kitchen were enticing. I walked past the day before and just knew I had to stop. The falafel is a homemade mixture portioned out upon ordering and cooked then. The portion of warm tahini is perfect, but so is the fresh pita. I've never had pita this fresh in my life. I realized half way through inhaling it, I needed to slow down and truly appreciate the taste of Mam's best food. It's an open elbow hunched over masterpiece. While I didn't not order any meat from Mam's the restaurant is Glatt Kosher. read more

Mam's Best Food - Kosher Near Me - Key West, Florida

Fabulous fresh food and the owner/cook is delightful. Try the tuna on pita. It's the best!

(Visited on 01.27.2026) I'm leaving this review because I relied on the ratings before visiting, and I wish I had read something like this beforehand. The sandwich was okay, similar to a Mediterranean-style sandwich, but the portion was small for the price. I tried to enjoy it since I was on vacation. The owner seemed to want to provide service, but her attitude was strong and uncomfortable. In the Jerusalem Mixed sandwich with baguette I ordered, I found a curly hair in the sandwich cut in half -- it was visible in the cross-section and looked exactly like her hair. However, I removed it and continued eating, because I didn't want to ruin my vacation, but it should never happen. At checkout, the menu listed pita sandwiches as $17 and baguettes as $20. We ordered a kebab pita sandwich, but it was charged $18. When I pointed out the menu price, she insisted it was $18 because it was lamb, even though this was not written anywhere. I let it go to avoid conflict. Then I saw extra charges on the receipt. She said one was tax and the other was a card processing fee. Adding this without notice felt unfair. While we were deciding about tipping, she took the receipt away abruptly. It felt rude and ruined the experience. Overall, food hygiene issue, the tables were dirty, portions were small, prices were high, and service was unfriendly. I do not recommend this place. Read reviews carefully before visiting. read more

I'd say little hole in the wall, but there are no walls, so let's describe it as the little pop-up tent with no holes. This gem was on our list for a bit. The food was well seasoned, had a kick to it, well sauced, and of good portion size. There were 2 regulars there who said some days they have come for lunch and lounge around/visit until dinner. I ordered the eggplant pita without the egg, (which was questioned by Mam), so she threw a falafel in there instead, which resulted in us ordering more falafel. The shakshuoka on a baguette was so good. Be ready for a sense of humor, joking and a general mischievous grandmother situation. read more

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My family went on a cruise to Key West and had only one day to visit but can only eat kosher. They were so happy to find one place., unfortunately it was the only choice for their five kids. They had a difficult time making a decision, but we're very polite. The owner however, was very impatient, rude short tempered and had a body language making sounds very tired situation complaining that she doesn't have enough help my daughter, felt bad for the situation and try to give her comfort If a person doesn't have enough help and he's very tired, he should close the doors and take a break that makes no sense to destroyed. The only day that the families is on vacation trying to enjoy Paid full price ...it wasn't free food that kind of a bad experience is unfortunately making us all look bad!! read more

We come to Key West every year and I can't believe this is the first time we've eaten here. It will definitely not be the last. This food was amazing. The best falafel I've ever had! We walked in and immediately felt like family. We can't wait to come back. read more

Legit! First time having Israeli food and we were not disappointed. Even our 3 sons enjoyed the meal. Recommend checking it out!

Wonderful food, amazing service, Mam is a wonderful lady always have to visit at least once every trip to Key West from Palm Springs Ca. Love to Mam!! read more

A real Key West original and as "mom and pop" as it gets. Just a block or so off of Duval and a little hard to find...but very much worth it. My Shwarma was superb. Delicious and authentic. Highly recommended! read more

Mam's Best Food - Menu board - Kosher Near Me - Key West, Florida

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We had a fabulous lunch of sandwiches - chicken breast, falafel, and egg salad - and kebabs. Easy service and delicious food. Highly recommend. read more

Came back to key west again, after the machinations called covid, and as we always do when in Key West, we visited Mams Best, and it's always good. We did not order from the menu, we just had Alana make us up something. Before our actual entre we had some pita, right out if the oven hot, pickles, hummus, cabbage salad (coleslaw) clean without mayo or other dressing and the best babaganoush I've ever had. Wife had some shredded beef with noodles and I had what I think was a beef "stewed" steak with a redish rice made with tomatoes onions and Israeli paprika that was terrific. This quiant little place with only outside eating for about 15ppl total is a gem in Key West, and a must try. read more

Mam's Best Food - Kosher Near Me - Key West, Florida

I don't know what is better the food or the sweetness of the owner. Everything was fresh and delicious! When you come to Key West you need to have at least one meal here! read more

There is an old ad campaign that had a punchline "you don't need to be Jewish to love Levy's" rye bread. The same is true for Mam's. This place is outstanding for Mediterranean food. My wife and I came three days in a row because it was so good. We tried 5-6 different things and they were all wonderful. The place itself is small with seating for 15 under a tent. For us at least, the casual ambience was a major plus. So relaxing. So easy. If and when my wife and I come back to Key West, we will make a beeline for this place. I so wanted to take the whole place with me back to Maryland because we have nothing like it. read more

Do you ever have friends who won't stop bitching at you for days suggesting a falafel place, until you relent and go and it's pretty good but also because you haven't eaten a real meal in 3 days? Welcome to my world. As others have quoted others saying, Mam is the sweetest. if you like your proprietors short and sassy, she's can dish it out. I got a spicy chicken pita, and it really hit the spot. Everything is made fresh, so expect a wait. Grab a seat in the front yard and just waste away waiting for some delicious meat. read more

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Mam is like your Yiddisha Momma. She will feed you and take care of you and make you feel at home. Good is good, too. We had falafel and some meatballs. All kosher and all good. It is worth the trouble to find this little spot if you are looking for kosher home cooking. read more

The best Mediterranean food I've ever had in my life. The cook/server is like being at your favorite grandmas house. So delicious and so welcoming and warm. I want to eat here every day we are in key west. Food for the soul not just the body. read more

Mam's is little Mediterranean restaurant just off Duval that's been around for 18 years. Mam herself is the greeter, server and chef. She is a great character and the food isn amazing. I had the Jerusalem Mix and my partner had the Falafel in a Pita, There are a few table out front of a small shack for which all the food is prepared and everything is fresh and delicious. Nice quiet ambience. We will return. read more

Mam's Best Food - Jerusalm Mix :: Mam's version on a Cuban Mix. mixture of Chicken Breast Baby Chicken Shawarma with Onions, Hummus, baba ghanoush - Kosher Near Me - Key West, Florida

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Taste like my mother made it with all the love and flavors of my childhood! Small space that closes Friday and Saturday for religious reasons and is a small space so do your best to locate it and enjoy a taste of paradise in our island promised land! read more

Don't let the lint location fool you. The food is delicious. The shawarma is tasty and hummus is fresh. read more

Mam's Best Food - Hummus and pickles - Kosher Near Me - Key West, Florida

Simply love this place. We enjoy each time we make it to the Keys! It's a must each and every visit. Food is incredible. Fresh and wonderfully delicious! And the owner operator... adore this amazing woman! Miss you already, can't wait to see you soon!!! read more

Mam's Best Food - Wonderful lunch at Mam's!!! - Kosher Near Me - Key West, Florida

All I can say is wow- it didn't disappoint. The owner was so sweet and accommodating to my husband's picky eating as well. I ordered the falafel and my husband ordered the chicken shawarma. The food is 10/10. If you like authentic food made with love you'll need to stop through here. read more

Mam's Best Food - Falafel with Israeli salad - Kosher Near Me - Key West, Florida

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Don't let the odd location fool you, the food here is absolutely great. I got the shawarma and it was so good and juicy. The woman who owns/operates this place is super nice and the food came out fast. The ambiance here was not that great but the food made up for it. read more

Mam's Best Food - Shawarma - Kosher Near Me - Key West, Florida

Small hidden off the street business. Mam's personality is big and her food is delicious. We enjoyed hummus and pita and a spicy tuna fish pita sandwich. I recommend both! read more

We love coming here for the outstanding, authentically prepared Israeli food, not to mention the delightful owner.

Dropped in due to a rainstorm. Very friendly. Took great care of us! A small place but big enough for us!

Phenomenal. Easily the best food I have gotten in Key West, I just finished the Falafel with Pita and miss it already. Service was fast and fantastic, and the food is made fresh. Beautiful outdoor seating, great experience. You should go here. read more

Mam's was a breath of fresh air in the middle of all the hype and circus stunts they call restaurants in Old Town KW. Note that I take a star off for the cash only thing. That's my Yelp rule, otherwise they're 5, easy. Because of the cash issue, we were limited in what we ordered (Hemingway House had depleted our cash), and without having eaten all day, I had no energy to carry my baby through the sun to another ATM. We split the Jerusalem Mix Platter. It comes with pickles, hummus, pita, and Isralie salad (a cabbagey slaw). Please pardon my half-eaten photos. I was so hungry I forgot to take a pic before eating. But I think enough is seen to show the pretty presentation, beautiful colors, generous seasonings, big portions, etc. I would never think to eat pickles with hummus, but when I tasted these pickles, something compelled me to swipe them through the hummus, and it was so good! I added the extremely fresh and plump pita (I like thicker pitas), and woah! Yum! There is that blandness to hummus, which mixes with the garlic and whatever other flavorings are chosen for it, to underscore those flavors, but then they return the favor by clashing with the chick peas, to give them this contrast taste that would otherwise go undetected. (At least, that's my take on hummus.) Anyway, the addition of these sweetish, deeply flavored pickles, just pushed the hummus synergy over the edge. It was something else. I don't think I will be able to replicate that very easily, it was an all-time really special food moment for me. Thank you, Mam. My husband ate the Isralie Salad, and thought it was great. He is more of a slaw person than I am, so I skipped it in negotiation over what parts of the split dish we'd each get. For the main platter, the chicken was high quality and perfectly cooked. The seasoning was very Mediterranean tasting (I am not really familiar with Isralie cuisine, so that's as close a reference as I can make). I am a big fan of the easy complexity that happens in Mediterranean seasoning, and this applies to the chicken and potatoes. The rice was light and nicely cooked, too. Two starches for one meat, but nothing felt heavy in my stomach, and still, I was satisfied. The chicken was high quality, clean bites, with no cartilage, stringiness, nor skin. Everything tasted very clean and fresh. This is especially nice for Old Town, because most restaurants have fatty options, and the big name places coast on noteriety, and don't put much into quality control. Mam's had far more integrity invested in what came out of the kitchen. We made it to Mam's on our last day (had walked past it the day before and I bookmarked it). I wish we'd eaten here earlier because I'd have definitely gone back for more (with more cash). Mam's is an unpretentious small outdoor dining area, right off the sidewalk in a pretty, quiet part of town. Come as you are. It is cool under the shade of their canopy, and the woman who hostesses and cooks (Mam?) is very friendly and personable. She was super sweet to my baby, too. Locals were constantly stopping by to say, "hello" to her, throughout our meal. I highly recommend for some healthy, tasty, reasonably priced food, with skill and love in the cooking! I am longing for more pickles and hummus! read more

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We stumbled upon Mam's after touring Hemingway's house (about a block away). We were quite hungry and a quick Yelp search convinced us to try this place. I was initially a bit turned off by Mam's abrupt style.... something was clearly stressing her out & she wasn't happy with whomever was on the phone. Anyway... I decided to ignore it & not let it ruin what was truly a delicious, healthy & generous late Mediterranean lunch. We ordered the kebab plate & enjoyed every bite. Toward the end of our meal, Mam seemed to settle down & we had a friendly chat. Even got some tips on how to make authentic kebabs at home. This place clearly has many fans who keep coming back - and we plan on doing the same! read more

Mam's Best Food - Kebab platter - generous & delicious! - Kosher Near Me - Key West, Florida

Shawarma to go on our way home from the beach! Just exactly perfect! Fresh and tasty.

Don't you just hate when someone says "you'll love this place because it has home cooking".... me too, BUT I have something to say about Mam's Best Food, "you'll love this place because it has home cooking". Searching for new places to grab a light bite during my stays in Key West always turns up Mam's Best Food yet I have procrastinated trying it out; only because I am a creature of habit and I do hesitate trying new places. On this September morning I discovered it's that time again that many of our local establishments closed for the month... including my "go-to" simple breakfast/lunch stop (Old Town Bakery) and to my surprise I was in a "discovering" mood so loved that Mam's is open year round (though they are closed Saturdays and jewish holidays since Mam's is kosher). The outdoor seating with simple shade structure is nothing mind-blowing but it's cute and comfortable and more importantly, you can't help but love Mam. She's an older women, very grandmotherly like and personifies that sweet jewish grandmother image perfectly... she's nice but talks straight, jokes around and doesn't bother to beat around the bush if she wants to ask something... we loved her immediately. Veggie omelette was crisp but not over-cooked... this is the way eggs are meant to be cooked. The omelette was on the small side but it came with a large baguette, cucumber salad, hummus and eggplant dip/salad... and all that deliciousness was just $8 Mam absolutely ruined Falafels for us though... oh, they weren't bad at all; they were so good that I don't see myself ordering a falafel anywhere else ever again. The taste was pure perfection and her falafel balls were flavored and cooked perfectly (and only $6) Thank you Mam for making us fans of yours... see you soon ! read more

Great place with authentic and delicious food. Went several times over our week here. The shwarma and eggplant sandwiches were fantastic. The pita delicious. Homemade chumus and babganlush, Yum. Very homely, like ur mother makes it, with love. They DO accept credit cards. Prices very reasonable, good portions. Outdoor, so obviously if hot might be an issue, but plenty of shade and fans. Parking lot about 30feet away. Free street parking arpund corner. read more

Wonderful service and delicious food providing the only kosher food in Key West. Mam is a warm & welcoming. Get some extra take out because she is only open for breakfast and lunch and there are no other kosher options in Key West. That's unbelievable but true. read more

Mam's Best Food is open for lunch and until 6:30 pm (maybe 7 pm). Mother and son operation. See pics, it's a small place with few shaded outdoor chairs. Best suited for take-away. Tasty and inexpensive (cash only) authentic Middle Eastern food such as Falafel. Ordered the Falafel and the pastrami sandwich. Falafel on pita was good and the pastrami on baguette was not pastrami...not sure why, so just avoid. Hummus was also popular with other diners. Tip I: Near Ernest Hemingway House Tip II: Parking is limited. We parked about 4-5 blocks away on Whitehead Street, and this was during off-peak season. Tip III: For dessert, we went around the corner on Duval Street to Croissants de France Note: closed Friday afternoon and all day Saturday No website that I could find. read more

Mam's Best Food - Small place or take out - Kosher Near Me - Key West, Florida

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One of the best places to eat in Key West. Awesome Middle-Eastern Food. The Falafel and Chummus are amazing! Even better than what you can get in Israel. Plus, this is a charming, outdoor, quiet, relaxing real Key West type of place. It is a block from busy Duval Street and is a great place to relax while having fantastic food. read more

So apparently I've never left a review for mam's, which shocks me. Fortunately, Yelp reminded me that I should share my 2 cents. So here goes. Mam's is incredible. not KW incredible. It's truly incredible. In terms of food it rivals Shaya in NOLA and Galit in Chicago, which are places that will blow ur dick off. So if Elon or Andres see this then come to Key West, hit me up and let's break bread. read more

Very good vegan options. The owners is a lovely woman that makes you feel at home. I ordered the falafel hummus in a peta wrap.

I was riding bikes in the area and noticed the menu posted out front. I've walked along Petronia Street so many times and never noticed Mams before but so glad I stopped. Even after I stopped I wasn't planning on staying but this guy that was sitting at a table said we should stay and try the place out. Plus my better half has been here before and said I would like it. What a cute place. It's outdoor so it can get a little hot but if youre in the keys then youre already used to it. THey are in the shade though so not horrible. The food was so so good. We've had falafel and shawarma... the falafel was one of my favorite falafels ever. And the hummus was absolutely delicious; it's tastes homemade but can't say for sure. Even got to meet Mam, who was so sweet. read more

I love the food so much and I had the Mixed grill delish for brunch. It was amazing and wonderful food. I truly had a great time there and the food selection is fantastic. Feels like home dining there. read more