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 only had a couple days left of our anniversary trip, and we have yet to find some great Key Lime…read morepie. Where we were staying, we met these lovely ladies out at the pool, and we got to talking quite a bit. They had mentioned this place and a deep fried key lime... so... it definitely piqued our interest and off we went. When we first arrived, I wasn't sure if we were going to the right place. It felt like it was off the beaten path, but we did eventually find our way to the parking lot. We walked upstairs to the terrace and took a look around at the view. It was just before sunset, and we watched a boat or two swing by and tie up on the dock below for some chow. That's pretty cool. The menu style is somewhat American traditional, where you would find a variety of burgers, fries, sandwiches, and some dinner plates. They served several types of meats from beef, chicken, fish, shrimp, you name it. We decided to go pub style and ordered the Fresh Cut Fries plate, with a Chicken Burger. We also ordered a Patty Melt Sandwich. The chicken burger had the perfect crunch, and it just hit right. The patty melt smothered in onion and sauce made it very tender and juicy. My wife and I split each other's meals to taste it all. As we enjoyed a couple of drinks, we were able to take advantage of the sunset and walked the dock for some pictures, although, I was staring at a beautiful view across from me all evening. We finished off the meal with one of their famous Deep fried Key Lime Pie... and I swear... that might have been the 2nd or 3rd most beautiful thing I've seen that evening. If you never had a KLP deep fried... oh my Goodness you are in for a treat!! We decided to split one, and it's every bit as good as you would think it to be!! Thank you for that experience, and for the whole evening. We are leaving FL with amazing memories! Absolutely recommend you try this place and for us, an easy return should we ever find ourselves back on the Keys again. As always, Enjoy & Happy Eating!

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.

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!

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.

The excellent reviews are definitely spot on! Tucked in the corner of an unassuming strip mall, at…read morefirst glance you might get worried but just wait...the food is amazing, the staff are very nice and welcoming and the prices were surprisingly reasonable! They start you with a loaf of bread accompanied with whole roasted garlic in olive oil. The Italian dressing is home made and the Caesar salad and croutons were delicious. My son had the NY strip which was exactly medium well. The Penne pasta with Vodka sauce was one of the best we've had but the to die for was the lazy grouper with a lemon butter sauce with scallions!!!! So yum!!! If you are wanting excellent Italian with wonderful seafood offerings down in the middle Keys this is your spot!

Great menu choices with items such as steak, chicken as well as Italian items. Fresh tomato sauce…read morewas exceptional! Nice family run business !

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.

We got there about 5:45 on a Wednesday, had to wait 20 minutes for a table. I was not impressed…read morewith the ice tea or the pinot gregio. Service was 5*. I ordered the Churrasco skirt steak medium rare. The taste was quite good. A few parts were very rare, a few parts were done medium well, but most of it was as ordered. The rice tasted good, but was not very warm at the time it was delivered to the table. The onion rings looked really good, but the taste was lacking. I give the rings 3*s. My wife has the Ahi Tuna dinner. She gave it 5*s. Large portion. Great taste. Very good sauces. The worst part of the experience was payment at the end. Yhey shove a screen in front of your face with the server standing over you as you are asked to pick a tip percentage. There is no breakdown of what the charges are or how the tip is calculated. There was an option for a printed receipt, which I selected, but never got a receipt. If my wife had not been so happy with the tuna, I would have given them 3*s.

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.

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!

Describing the Florida Keys Steak & Lobster House as having an "upscale yet relaxed atmosphere"…read morerequires a very generous interpretation of the word "upscale." We found nothing particularly upscale about this restaurant. White tablecloths alone do not create an upscale dining experience. This is, by any reasonable standard, a very casual restaurant, with most of the male patrons dressed in shorts and T-shirts. To make matters worse, despite making reservations through OpenTable, we were seated at what felt like the worst table in the restaurant--tucked away in the back next to the handicap restroom. It certainly was not the experience we expected when making a reservation in advance. We ordered the surf and turf. The lobster was good, but the steak was disappointing. To the restaurant's credit, they removed the steak from our bill without hesitation, which we appreciated. Unfortunately, the overall experience fell well short of our expectations. While the staff handled the issue with the steak professionally, the combination of the atmosphere, seating, and food quality left us underwhelmed, and we will not be returning.

My wife gave the Escargot 4*, I gave it 3*. Mashed potatoes,…read more5* Duck, 3.5* Service, 3* Bananas Foster, 3*

Went for dinner on a Monday evening. Only a few tables were seated! Asked to sit outside. Server…read morewas lovely and attentive. We had the Brussel sprout in curry app. It was ok. No spice, but tasty. Husband had the grouper and said it was good. I had the lamb chops. I wanted to love them, but they were a bit tough. Overall a good experience though!

I always say mistakes happen -- what matters most is how a restaurant handles them…read more I ordered carryout from Driftwood in Marathon: chicken fingers from the grill, which are supposed to come with French fries. There's a separate appetizer version that doesn't include fries, and that's what I was given by mistake. When I called, the employee remembered my order and said she thought it was the appetizer. Then she said the simplest words many places forget: "I'm sorry for the inconvenience." She immediately offered options -- refund the fries or drop off a fresh order. I chose the fries. Within minutes, they delivered a full container of hot, delicious fries to my door -- even though I had chosen carryout. The driver apologized again and even included cookies. This is how you make it right for a customer. The food is really good, and the management is even better. Highly recommend giving this place a try.

Ordered Subs thru their Mobil app. One hot ham and cheese one meatball Parm. The order was ready…read morefor pick-up at the designated time. Both were excellent with loads of meats on both Subs. Their app. Is easy to use with being able to change how you'd like it made. We will be back.