fernando was amazing, he made the vibes great. we love him! next time we come back we hope he is here !

I got sooo many recommendations to go here, I had to with my wife for our 24th Wedding Anniversary. I'm giving this place 5 stars overall even though I had 1 major disappointment-the miserable young woman hostess who made us feel like we were bothering her by wanting to go into the restaurant. No smile, No congeniality, Little eye contact, Did Not listen and I had to repeat myself. The reception we received would have made us turn around and go somewhere else, if I hadn't had so many recommendations. OK, now the reasons why I have given them 5 stars. We were quoted a 45 minute wait (about 7:30pm on Tuesday night) but luckily some bar stools opened up AS SOON as we walked in and so we sat at the bar (they offered their full menu), and Fernando, who was EXTREMELY busy, greeted us with a smile and very pleasant demeanor. He prepared our drinks, which were delicious. Right next to him and working the 'Service Bar' was the Manager on Duty: Lauren. She was very pleasant and engaged with us whenever she had the opportunity. She even helped us with menu suggestions, unfortunately, we spoke about one of their nightly specials, the Shrimp Piccata with Gnocchi, but they were sold out when we tried to order it with Fern. So we had a great experience at the bar, and here's the food review; -Fried Whole Yellowtail. Delicious! Presented like a picture and cooked perfectly! Loved the sauce, Pico, Jasmine Rice & Fried tostones. -Citrus/Beet Salad with Whipped Goat Cheese, Quinoa, Nuts, Arugula tossed in a light vinaigrette. All I can say: "Empty Plate Club"...DELICIOUS!! -Now the BEST plate: PEI Mussels. THIS WAS THE BEST PREPARATION OF MUSSELS-I HAVE EVER HAD! The mussels were fresh but the sauce was a "Mic Drop"!!! I split the mussel shell in half, and scooped the mussel shell into the AMAZING sauce and ate it like I was slurping a fresh oyster! After the mussels were finished I ate the rest of the sauce WITH A FORK!!! The sauce was delicious, thick, with garlic and hot spice. I attacked the plate and forgot to take a picture...sorry! We ended our meal with a tasty piece of delicious Key Lime Pie. GREAT EXPERIENCE AND RECOMMEND AND WILL COME BACK!!! Lauren, great job, the place ran clean, efficient and professional! read more

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$30 burgers were average at best. Ceviche appetizer was good as was the side salad, the dressing and fried onions were wonderful. Yard games require a $25 deposit. Sat on the upper deck which was quite warm due to the sun. Flies were buzzing about but our server brought an air mover to shoo the flies away. Nice atmosphere with average food. Not bad, but not brag worthy. Parking is tight and larger groups will definitely incur a wait. Service was wonderful from the hostess to our server. read more

This was our second visit to this restaurant, two months apart. Our experience was like night and day. Last time, JD was our waiter and he was attentive and friendly. This time, we don't know the waiter's name because he never introduced himself. We waited 20 minutes for just water, and another 15 minutes for our cocktails. The (unnamed) waiter brought champagne to the next table and poured two rounds while popping by our table and saying "we're going to have your drinks soon, they're really busy at the bar". We saw several waitstaff bringing bar drinks past our table. When we finally got our food, our waiter stopped to ask if everything was ok. We asked for more napkins, but he darted away without hearing. 20 minutes later, he stopped by again and we asked for napkins, and he said he'd be right back with them. He never came back with them. There was a manager (I think?) walking through. He refilled our water (empty for several minutes), and brought us the napkins we'd asked for twice before. Asked if we needed anything else, very attentive. But when our waiter came back (without napkins), we just asked for the check. He stood around waiting for us to pay, didn't ask if we wanted a box or dessert or anything. The food was delicious, but this was the worst service we received in the keys. Kudos to the manager walking around tending to tables, because our server literally didn't care. read more

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Love this establishment! Whole fish was delishyellowtail snapper. Service always amazing! Grateful for your attention and service, JDGrateful Ms Manager you are most awesomeness too! The vibe was chill! Great afternoon! read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - Fresh tile fish basket with yuca tostones and toasted almond brussel sprouts - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

This may have been the best meal I've had down in the keys. We went for mother's day dinner, they were accepting reservations, which made it super simple. The atmosphere here cannot be beat. They offer outdoor patio dining, indoor dining and the lawn area where theres Adirondack chairs and corn hole. It was a perfect spot for the sunset too. The food was incredible. I got the special blue crab stuffed key west pinks. I will be forever craving that meal. The frozen chocolate covered key lime pie was the perfect ending to the meal. It was so delicious and cooled you right down. Everything from the service, to the food and atmosphere here, are hard to compare to any other spots. It's worth trying if you're in the area. read more

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If you're making the drive from Miami to Key West, do yourself a favor and stop at Papa Joe's. We pulled up to the tiki bar and immediately knew we were in the right place. Our bartender Hunter was fantastic -- friendly, knowledgeable, and quick with recommendations. She pointed us toward the Double Trouble, their take on a painkiller, and her personal favorite, the Tequila Mockingbird. Order both. You can thank her later. For food we went with the yellowfin tuna tartare and the Peruvian ceviche... both were excellent and felt right at home in the Keys. Fresh, flavorful, and exactly what you want when you're sitting waterfront in the Florida sun. Perfect pit stop. Perfect vibes. We'll definitely be back on the next drive through. read more

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Came here at the recommendation of our tour guide. We have never gotten stone crab before so decided to try the platter. It was rich and tasty. A bit hard to eat but what crab isn't. We also got the smash burger and fish and chips. The fish was a bit greasy. The burger was delicious and loved the addition of fried pickles. The cocktails were tasty and service was good! Outside was full so we didn't get to sit on the patio but gorgeous spot. read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - Stone crab - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

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Great spot. During peak hours defiantly make a reservation. Kiddos had a great time playing after the meal and it's right in the water so you can drive the boat up for dinner. Drinks were great and so was our meal. They have inside up top and outside seating down below. read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - Burrata salad with blackened chicken. - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

We stopped in for the first time over lunch and the food and staff were fantastic. The views were amazing. They have a great yard with backboards and lounge chairs. We definitely will be back to try at the dinner vibe. Would be a great spot for the sunset. read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - Citrus beet salads and catch of the day, wahoo, fish tacos - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

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Went here twice during our 3 night stay in Key Largo. We enjoyed cocktails at the tiki hut on Friday evening and watched the sunset. All the drinks we tried (blue Hawaiian, orange crush, mojito, passion fruit margarita, ripper slushy) were great my favorite was the Blue Hawaiian pictured. Returned Saturday for lunch ordered the ceviche (was unsure about the sweet potato and plantain chips but it was great. Had the burger & the coconut shrimp tacos both were good but the ceviche was still the star in my opinion. Beautiful waterfront spot to kickback and relax. read more

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Atmosphere- excellent except for the wind on one side of the bar. Once we moved to the other side of the tiki, it was much nicer. Service - friendly and efficient. Food - solid, but not outstanding. Had gator bites, which seemed a little overdone. The Caesar salad dressing had a very strong anchovy flavor, which I didn't mind, but my girlfriend was not as keen on. My local catch fish tacos and coconut rice were pretty good, though. Should've ordered the Old Bay Buffalo chicken wings. Oh well. Seems like a great spot to hit for some drinks and take in the scenery. read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - Tiki bar - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

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Nice place for lunch outdoorsy after fishing into the early afternoon. Buzzing venue with outside seating, a tiki bar, patio and indoor seating. Boaters park their vessels and come for a quick bite or drink before getting back on the water. Food is good, service is friendly and the beer is cold. We had tuna nachos (good not great), fish tacos were yummy, fried fish sandwich was solid and coconut shrimp had good flavors. Come here for a nice outdoor meal and some people watching you wont be disappointed. read more

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Very friendly staff but the drinks are way overpriced and the food was way overpriced and not good at all. Hamburger $18 my wife's fish $38 Wine $11 per glass and house margaritas $15 each. Great views and cool place but way overpriced. read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - Great views - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

We arrived around 5pm when the table seating starts. They don't take reservations. The sun wasn't quite setting yet, and it was pretty hot, so we started with a drink in the shady overwater tiki hut. Such beautiful views! The double trouble is delicious - like a painkiller at soggy dollar in JVD. When we started seeing the tables fill up, we moved to a table where a friendly server greeting us quickly. We started with Baked Oysters. Yum! My husband has the bucatini carbonara calabrese special. Wasn't bad but probably wouldn't get it again. I had the shrimp curry dish and it was fantastic! We were enjoying the soft music and the beautiful sunset. Then a boat showed up with a bunch of kids. They were running around screaming with no one telling them not to. It really killed the whole vibe. Someone working there should have spoken with the parents or kids to stop this behavior. It went on for a long time. read more

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We were looking for a place to eat lunch at when we were on the way to Key Largo from Key West. We read the reviews and decided on this restaurant. We requested a table outside and the hostess indicated that they didn't have any available at that time. She did have a table next to the window, though. After we were sat there, (no more than 1-2 minutes), we saw a table open up outside. My wife went to the hostess and asked if we could have that table. However, they seated another party there instead. This was slightly annoying since she could have informed us that there was a table getting ready to pay and we could sit there if we wanted to wait a few minutes. A few minutes later, another hostess came to our table and asked us if we wanted another table. We decided to stay where we were. Our server was excellent and stayed on top of everything (for the most part). We split the conch fritters and I ordered the mahi sandwich. My meal was excellent and the portion size was perfect. My wife ordered the Jerk Fish Tacos and they ended up being too spicy for her. She actually couldn't finish them and I had the last one. It was pretty good although the after taste had a kick to it. Warning: you have to like spicy food if you ordered these tacos. Would I go back? Possibly. We don't go to this area a lot and there are a lot of places to eat on this highway. It was good. It just wasn't great. read more

Papa Joe's Waterfront in Key Largo is such a great family friendly spot, especially if you're out on the boat you can just pull right up. They've created a really fun space for kids, with a dedicated play area that includes a giant Connect Four and several cornhole boards to keep everyone entertained. There's also an upstairs seating area that gives you a nice breeze and beautiful views of the water, which makes it a perfect place to relax. I didn't try the food this time, but judging by what I saw coming out of the kitchen, it looked fresh and inviting. Overall, it's a casual and welcoming spot to hang out with family, enjoy the Keys vibe, and take advantage of the easy boat access read more

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We came here because I had seen online that it had been redone. I don't know what it looked like on the inside before but it was modern with a touch of Florida. The deck area was also really nice and they also have a live camera so you can tune in and watch the sunset too. Now for the food, easily one of the best tuna bowls, I've ever had. It was seared tuna on a bed of coconut rice, and it was absolutely delicious. In fact, everything was, the watermelon salad, the pickle bites and the calamari too. What really won us us over was the fact that we were a big group and the service was great. Definitely a stop to make while in the keys. read more

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I have no complaints about this place at all ambience's great everybody's super happy to be here. You get great views from every angle it's mostly glass so you can see everything happening outside. You can have a great view of the sunset. You can see the ocean. There's people downstairs at another section of paw Joe's, which is some kind of like a barbecue or something like that you can have your drinks and then go downstairs and enjoy some games that they have all the waiters are very knowledgeable I would have appreciated a little less hurrying from the waiter like I know that they're busy but I think that maybe they should be told not to feel so rushed like when he's taking our order he's like writing it down really fast trying to get to his next table, so I understand that, but it does make the customer feel a little something. If you know what I mean, that would be my only thing that I would complain about, but other than that you gotta go here. It is the best place on Isla Mirada. read more

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Great vibes perfect picture setting ! Food was sooo good music was on point and our service was great! read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - cheesecake was 10/10 - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

Cool vibe with great staff. We sat at the bar and loved it. Order like a local. Sig in to the unusual dishes. Go early. Closes at 9 pm. read more

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Service a 12 out of 10. Food excellent. From the West Coast or would be back much more.

Wow! We've been coming to the keys for several years and finally decided to try this newer restaurant instead of some of our normal options. We got there a little bit before dinner service began and enjoyed some frozen drinks on the grassy area while the kids enjoyed running around and playing a little bit before our table was ready. We were seated promptly and the service was amazing. I had a beautiful glass of Sauvignon Blanc and we shared appetizers. The conch puppies were great and the burnt ends were delicious. We decided to share the Everglades style local fish and were completely blown away by the mixture of elements on the plate. The key lime buerre blanc sauce was perfect and cut with the avocado mousse and teardrop peppers perfectly. The kids even loved the fruit with passion fruit "bubbles". I can tell that this restaurant is going to become a new tradition, and next time we won't miss sunset! read more

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I'm giving 2 stars because the food was good. I walked in with a bikini top and sweat pants and was told I had to leave and put a shirt on. Luckily I had a shirt in the car. We are at the keys at a water front restaurant where boats are pulling up to dine. I saw several other women in bikini tops. Before I left I brought it up to the server and she said "well I think it's fine if you sit outside and not inside. It's a problem with my manager if you're wearing like a g string. I said "well we are sitting outside and asked to sit outside and I'm wearing sweat PANTS and a bikini top." Very confused. She also sat us directly in the sun. You guys need to revisit your clothing policies and if you don't want people wearing bathing suit tops maybe don't have a waterfront boat pull up restaurant in the keys read more

Just wanted to say thank you to the management and staff of Papa Joe's Waterfront for a lovely afternoon late lunch with the family. Was pleasantly greeted and seated by Brittany, who accommodated our party of 4 at the peak of lunch, on the South side patio overlooking the jetty and the bridge! Although, it was the hottest time of the day to be out, you simple cannot beat the stunning views. A huge shoutout to Sadrac, for his drink and food recommendations. The food was exceptional, everything we order came together perfectly. Highly recommend, coming to Papa Joe's for the amazing views, family fun and great food! Thank you to Sadrac, for being so accommodating especially to the kids who wanted to order ( specialty drinks kids drinks soda/with extra cherries). It's the little things, that stand out! Thank you again Papa Joe's for the warm hospitality. read more

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Our waitress heather was terrible. Spilled my wife's beer and didn't acknowledge it. Snatched a menu away from my 2 year old. Absolute joke of service. Then the food was mediocre at best. The manager was attentive once we said something, but it was too late and our experience was ruined for dinner. Great view of the water though. read more

The food was delicious, the ambience was great for a date or hanging out with friends. At first, I ordered the lychee martini, but it tasted more like peach than lychee. I told the server and even though that is how it is made at this location, he did not charge us and let me pick out a different drink. read more

The food is quite good, but you're coming here for the patio and sunset--really top notch. We ended up coming here twice during our stay. The kids played bags (cornhole depending where you're from), and we relaxed and watched the sunset with some drinks from the chairs on the oceanside deck. Great vibe! Parking can be a little tricky when it's busy, nothing crazy. read more

Food was good, ambiance was great. My bf and I stopped by while in the area. It was a Sunday and the place was busy, but it's so spacious there was plenty of room without it feeling crowded. The restaurant is beautiful, still looks brand new and decorated nicely. We decided to eat outside overlooking the water. It was cool seeing so many people stop by arriving from boats. If you sit where we did by the bar you have to get up and order at the bar then you can go back to your seats, just a tip we didn't know until we asked. We ordered the chips and guac, the calamari and then the Costa Togo Bibb Salad to share. The three items were good. Not the best food I've had in my life but it was good, satisfying. The portions were good for the price. The bathrooms were small for such a big restaurant but they were clean so that was nice. Downstairs there was a big yard area to play games and hangout, the place itself is very cute and good for a place to spend some time it seems. I would recommend this place for the vibes, but I will have to try more items off the menu to see if there's something that stands out. read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

Nice place... enjoyed the ambience and service last night was pretty good. I liked the Conch Soup, while my wife found the Lobster Bisque to be pretty salty, but edible. She got Mussels as a main... found them to be good. All was pretty good. read more

Last time we were in town, we came here to Papa Joe's and we LOVED it. So we had to come back while we were in town last week with some friends. It's an amazing place to watch the sunset, first of all! We spent most of our time at the outside bar upstairs - great views and drinks! The bartenders were very friendly and we always got what we needed. We ordered the gator bites and conch puppies - and they were both delicious!!! This place has definitely been added as a "must go to" when we were down in the Keys! read more

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Our server, Amanda, was great! Friendly, attentive and perfect on our order. I had the Asian salad with grilled chicken and my husband had the baby back ribs. Both meals were delicious. A perfect spot to watch sunset but you need to get there early - it was packed! Casual, family friendly, fun vibe. Highly recommend! read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

For a new business this restaurant is trying to capture the higher end market of the keys. The building is modern new and an incredible location. I was inside since it was so cold , but when things warm up I will discover the outdoor seating and see if the vibe is better. Floor to ceilings windows inside were great BUT the seating arrangement layout lacked a higher end vibe. Kind of just open tables and plain accessories. Had the grouper Everglades decent portion but look at the price. They price all the fish MP so you might want to ask what the charge will be for your fish choice. It can with rice and nothing else. Make sure you scan the menu since many items seem ala carte. Best item on menu. Lobster bisque. It is a darker color but richer than most you may have. BUT nonetheless awesome in taste off the charts. I gave 4 stars only because the grouper which had a medley of topping still seemed lacking in bursting flavor like I thought it would. Also the price was high even though yes, you are in the keys .... read more

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We watched the sunset and enjoyed some really good drinks and appetizers! It was very crowded and loud, but not any more so than other waterfront restaurants. We would go back and try to sit outside next time. read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - The beautiful sunset from inside the restaurant. - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

Papa Joes was my first stop in the Florida Keys and it did not disappoint. Very nice atmosphere. Bright and cheerful with plenty of windows to enjoy the view. I had the catch of the day blackened and it was delicious. I would recommend Papa Joes. read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - Front sign - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

Papa Joe's is an elevated seafood joint with a great vibe inside and out. They have an outdoor waterfront bar serving a more casual menu than indoors. The seafood was great. The key lime pie was something left to be desired. I gave it 4 stars because the parking is awful, so be aware! read more

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We had a wonderful time here! The food and ambiance was amazing!!! Highly recommend the conch chowder and Caribbean shrimp!!! read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - Caribbean shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

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Super chill vibes and a great view. If you're looking to make a stop on your way to or from Key West- I would def recommended this spot. We had lunch outside at the bar overlooking the water- super peaceful and a great way to end the trip. Service was a bit slow but friendly. We ordered the fried pickles and fish dip to start. The fried pickles were great. The fish dip was not your traditional fish dip- it was super fresh with chunks of fish. We both ordered a burger. My burger was topped with an onion ring and came with bacon jam. The burger was overall good, but a little salty. read more

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Came here for dinner the other night and had an excellent meal. Started the meal off with the conch puppies which were super tasty. For entrees I got the full rack of ribs and my gf got the short rib special. Both were excellent but the short ribs were particularly good. I would come back just for those. We sat inside because outdoor seating was full. We still had pretty good views of the water and sunset without the bug bites. Service was great throughout the meal read more

Papa Joe’s Waterfront - Short ribs - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

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The ceviche was delicious! Yummy rum runner. Nice ambiance and amazing views of the water from the upper tiki bar.