Key West Foodie Bucket List

Key West is an obvious choice for a vacation anytime of the year. Typically, the temperature is always above 70, and all of the water activities keep you cool in the summer. It does get crazy hot when walking through town in June and July!

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Key West is a fun, outlandish, exciting place, full of interesting and friendly individuals. Park your car and rent a bike; that's the easiest way to get around the tight streets. And most importantly, check off every foodie bucket list item.

The Stoned Crab
Sure, Blue Heaven is likely the most famous restaurant in Key West, but I personally think The Stoned Crab outshines it.

The chef himself hops on a boat in the wee hours of the morning and brings back the daily supply of fish. So that filet on your plate literally was in the water a few hours ago. An onsite fish market features fresh catches is an icy, glass display.

Given the name, you know that they serve up sweet, meaty, Stone Crab claws. Stone Crab meat is the only 100% sustainable meat, because the crab isn't killed. When fishermen lightly poke these guys, one of their defense mechanisms kick in; their claw pops out of the socket and one later regrows. The fisherman takes the released claw. You'll find that Key West is very in tune with sustainability, conservation and the reduction of overfishing. Stone crabs are a great solution to satisfying the tastes of seafood lovers, while not causing a species to become extinct.

The Lobster Shack
Lobster rolls are prevalent in two areas; Maine, where they originated, and Key West. A true lobster roll is simply fresh chunks of lobster with a little mayo served on a buttered bun. There's nothing like it, and The Lobster Shack is the best place to try it.

Cuban Coffee Queen
Trip Advisor rates this teeny, tiny concrete building as the number one place to grab a bite in Key West. Ironically, the man behind The Stoned Crab is the same man who started up this joint.

He kite surfed the 90 mile journey to Cuba, learned how to make killer coffee and basic Cuban sandwiches, then returned with a revolutionary business idea. He's since sold the Cuban Coffee Queen, but it seems his methods are being followed closely.

When trying something from somewhere iconic, I always go for what made them famous. The Café Con Leche is perfectly strong Cuban Coffee with steamed milk. It may seem simple, but it's perfection.

Sloppy Joes
While I did not try the food, and the drinks we tried were okay, this is a neat place to visit. It was a hotspot for Ernest Hemingway back in the day when he lived in the area. (Tip:Visit the Hemingway House) Sloppy Joe's walls are filled with memorabilia, and the overall atmosphere is rugged and fun. And isn't it cool to say you had a drink at the same bar Hemingway threw a few back at?

Ihop
Just Kidding.

Blue Heaven
Im not a hippocrate! I didn't say I disliked Blue Heaven. The food is quirky and consistently delicious. Eating in the shabby chic, outdoor environment really makes you feel like you are in paradise. And don't mind the curious little rooster that walks up to your table.

Now to the pie. Their Key Lime pie is undoubtedly the most famous in Key West, and if you love merengue topping you'll literally be in heaven. The base is thin, and as good as Key Lime pie gets. The huge pile of merengue topping is about three times as thick as the pie itself. If you don't like this kind of topping, then you might want to head over to the Blond Giraffe. Or if you don't like pie, you can grab great Key Lime ice cream at Mattheessen's. If you don't like any of these things...we'll you might not be human!