When visitors come to the island, they’re often looking to sample the best seafood in Key West. Unfortunately, many aren’t from around here (that’s why they’re visitors), so they don’t naturally know what even constitutes the best seafood in Key West, much less where to try to find it!
Here’s a guide to the seafood you don’t want to miss when you come down to the island, and all the Best Key West Restaurants in which to try it.
Unique Key West Seafood You Should Try
Key West is a unique island that’s a little bit Southern, a little bit Floridian, and a little bit Caribbean. So it follows that our cuisine is a little bit of all those things. Not only do we have unique dishes and preparation methods that you might not have at home (which are all the more fun to try), but we also have critters that you may have never heard of.
Before we dive in, let’s clear up some misconceptions. A lot of people want to lump their favorite seafood dishes from other parts of the world onto our little island. I have no problem with culinary fusion dishes, but some of these things are not really authentic Key West seafood, right?
Seafood that has nothing to do with Key West:
Crab/shrimp boils — Boils are a Carolina thang. If you get a boil while in Key West, see a dermatologist immediately.
Lobster rolls — That’s New England and Maine, Chad.
Clams — We don’t do that here, so not only should you not order it, but you must decide between pants and shorts.
Scallops — Do those even live here? I don’t know…
Oysters — We have them, but they’re not as big a deal here as in other places. Our water’s already clear, so we don’t need to enlist critters that we will eat later to filter it.
Cod, halibut, flounder, and things like that — It’s not cold here, so there aren’t any cold-water fish!
Blue crabs and softshell crabs — Go home, Maryland. Blue crabs just aren’t very common here. In the Keys, crab is usually a stone crab.
Fish and chips — Fried fish is for fishy fish. Key West fish is yummy, subtle, and moist; frying it ruins it. Prove me wrong. Perfection in fish and chips can be found by heading to MIA any evening and boarding a British Airways flight to London.
Here are the things you want to look for in Key West instead:
Key West Spiny Lobster
Key West lobster doesn’t look like its cold-water cousin: they don’t have claws and they aren’t that same bright shade of red. The critters we have here are Caribbean spiny lobster, and they’re found throughout Florida. The meat isn’t quite as sweet, but it’s just as good, but a little different.
Lobster is always available in the Keys, but during the off-season, it has probably been frozen. It freezes well, so that shouldn’t put you off. But, if you want the freshest, the season is open from August through March.
Captain Zak’s favorite Key West lobster dishes: Grilled tails with butter, lobster bisque, stuffed tails, lobster mac and cheese, lobster salad
Florida Keys Stone Crab Claws
Key West stone crabs are unique to South Florida, and the Keys in particular. They weren’t very popular and people didn’t really like them until it was discovered that they must be served cold (and with a mustard sauce). Once someone connected those dots, stone crabs started losing their claws left and right!
Stone crabs are very interesting critters. Only the claws are harvested, and the released crabs grow them back. The huge claws can sometimes account for more than half the crab’s body weight! The season is from October to May and it’s unlikely to see it on the menu outside those months.
Favorite Key West stone crab dishes: Chilled claws with mustard sauce.
Key West Conch
The conch is the iconic spirit animal of the Keys. They giant sea snail’s pink shell is even immortalized on our Conch Republic flag, and, oh yeah, we named our fictional nation after them.
Conch are actually protected in the US now, and it’s illegal to harvest them because we nearly drove them to extinction. All of the conch meat you get is likely imported from the Caribbean, and it’s usually farmed. As a result, you can get conch all the time in Key West.
And, by the way, it’s pronounced “konk.” Spongebob taught us all wrong. It’s tough and chewy if it’s prepared poorly, but tender and delicious if the chef put in the work.
Favorite Key West conch dishes: Conch fritters, cracked (fried) conch, cracked conch sandwich, conch chowder, conch salad (it’s like a spicy ceviche)
Key West Pink Shrimp and Royal Reds
The Keys, and Key West particularly, have good shrimp thanks to the proximity to the Gulf. The problem with shrimp is that they aren’t always available; it’s definitely one of those things that when you see it on the specials’ board, you should go for it.
Key West Pinks are a popular variety found locally. They’re heralded for their sweet flavor.
Royal Reds are a giant variety of shrimp. They’re caught in the deep waters of the Gulf and are actually a little more common up north than here in the Keys. But we get them occasionally, and their sweet meat is comparable to crawfish or even lobster.
Favorite Key West shrimp dishes: Steamed or grilled with your favorite dipping sauce. If you get really good, fresh shrimp it’s best to keep the recipe simple. If you’re just looking at your run-of-the-mill shrimp, then throw it in pasta, fry it, or put them on your grits.
Key West Hogfish
If you’re not a Keys’ local, you might not know about hogfish. It’s a crazy-looking reef fish with spines and a flat face; they aren’t lookers, but they’re mighty tasty.
Favorite Key West hogfish dishes: It’s a high-class, flavorful fish, so it’s best served simply and not over-spiced: Baked, seared, or grilled with sides or on a sandwich
Other Key West Fish: Dolphin, wahoo, lionfish, grouper, and snapper
As they say, there are a lot of fish in the sea. And Key West has more than its share.
If you see dolphin on the menu, fear not. It’s not Flipper, but rather what you might call mahi-mahi or dorado. It’s a beautiful pelagic fish caught out in the Gulf Stream, and it’s excellent when blackened and put on a sandwich or in tacos. The meat is white and flaky with a mild flavor. Good mahi never tastes fishy. Mahi is plentiful here year-round and one of the most sustainable fish in the sea, so it’s very easy to find and seems to live permanently on many restaurant specials’ boards.
Wahoo is another popular offshore local fish you’ll see around here, but much less common than mahi. The meat is tougher and a little more fishy. It’s popular smoked and made into a fish dip.
Lionfish is an invasive fish from the Pacific. Unfortunately, they have no predators here and they devour all the local reef fish, so we’re trying to eat as many of them as we possibly can. They have poisonous spines, but if those are removed carefully, the meat is quite tasty. If you order it off the menu, you’re getting your dinner and doing your part to save our reefs!
Grouper is the local type of sea bass. They are caught on the bottom around the reefs, with several varieties. The meat is flaky, soft, and delicious.
Finally, there are a ton of different kinds of snappers that pop up on the menu from time to time. It’s a huge family of fish, but they’re all very popular. Most snappers come from the reef areas, but some varieties are caught in the mangroves of the backcountry.
Key West’s favorite fish dishes: Blackened or grilled, served with sides, in fish tacos, on sandwiches, or on salads. Most of the best, fresh, local fish is not fried — save the frying for previously frozen or very bland fish dishes.
Places to Get It: Best Seafood Restaurants in Key West
Ok, now that you know what to order in the Florida Keys, let’s talk about where to go to order it! Here’s a look at the best seafood restaurants on the island.
There’s a big difference between the most popular seafood restaurants in Key West and the most popular ones. As a general rule of thumb, if locals are hanging out and buying the local specialties, it’s a good place!
Most of these places are away from the main touristy areas (i.e., Old Town). While that might make them seem inconvenient at first, in reality, it means that you’re getting a more authentic taste of what Keys seafood is all about. Let’s face it, the more touristy a place is, the less they focus on keeping it fresh and local.
The Docks on Stock Island
The Docks are one of the most frequently touted spots to get fish. Honestly, it’s probably the journey out to Stock Island that makes it so good. Coming to this place, you are certainly far from the most touristy areas of the island. And there are real shrimp boats docked right there — hence the name!
Despite the name and location, it’s actually a pretty classy restaurant and raw bar with great reviews.
If you’re looking to take it home and cook it yourself, the Keys Fresh Seafood Market is right next door.
Hogfish Bar and Grill on Stock Island
Before you get to The Docks you pass Hogfish. This is a real Keys dive with the right atmosphere: license plate decor and patio seating on the docks. It’s a good place to try the hogfish sandwich meal, that’s for sure.
Hurricane Hole Restaurant Stock Island
The last stop on our tour of locals’ spots on Stock Island is Hurricane Hole, the little restaurant that overlooks the Hurricane Hole Marina. It’s just the sort of place that you’d expect, and it’s exactly how it ought to be to be an authentic Keys seafood dive: Welcoming outdoor seating on the water, cold beer, and fresh fish.
BO's Fish Wagon
Located off the Harbor Walk on Caroline and William, BOs is a simple sort of locals’ sandwich and seafood platter spot. The menu is limited, and it’s sort of a grab-and-go type deal — it’s a tiny spot in the corner of a parking lot.
Blue Heaven
Blue Heaven is touted as one of the best restaurants in Key West, or at least I think it is. Compared to the other spots on this list, it’s a little bit fancier with indoor sit-down dining. It’s on the corner of Petronia and Thomas on the edge of Bahama Village.
One of the reasons it’s so good is that it specializes in Floridan-Caribbean flavors, a culinary gem with great service. And while they’re best known for their breakfast, dinner there is fantastic as well.
Square Grouper
Square Grouper is a Keys chain that’s popular with the locals for a fancier date night sort of thing. The Key West location is on Caroline across from Harbor Walk and there are a few locations up The Keys too.
Hot Tin Roof
Hot Tin Roof is the exceptional, award-winning restaurant at the Ocean Key Resort, located at the end of Duval. It’s got water views and outstanding food — the fish and seafood are phenomenal there. Reservations are recommended for this memorable dining experience.
Now That You've Refueled with the best seafood in Key West, How About a Sandbar Charter?
Nothing goes with fresh seafood like a nice boat ride. Give me a call and we’ll take the Casual Monday for a spin out to the sandbar or even on a snorkeling expedition. You can tell the hogfish, stone crabs, and lobsters about the excellent meal you just ate that happened to be their cousin.
