61. Abbondanza
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (305) 292-1199
Address: 1208 Simonton St.
Description: The specialty at this casual Italian eatery is pasta, of course, in a variety of shapes and with sauces that range from Alfredo to pomodoro. You’ll also find such main dishes as chicken marsala and veal parmigiana, plus daily specials. The food is quite tasty, the atmosphere is comfortable, and you’re sure to discover that the portions at this restaurant live up to its name, which is Italian for “plenty.” Abbondanza is a choice place to have dinner for two or a crowd. There is a full bar, and the menu selections are more reasonably priced than some other Italian restaurants in town. Abbondanza is open daily for dinner and offers free parking. No reservations are accepted.
62. Antonia’S Restaurant
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (305) 294-6565
Address: 615 Duval St.
Description: Stroll by this Northern Italian restaurant on any afternoon, and you can watch pasta in the making along the marble window-front table. Stringy mozzarella also is made fresh on the premises. The menu changes every evening. Past offerings have included Linguini Al Gamberi, homemade linguini tossed with Key West pink shrimp, fresh tomato, olive oil, crushed red pepper, garlic, and Italian parsley. Even with all the spectacular entrees, patrons simply cannot pass up the homemade desserts. Panna cotta features Italian vanilla ice cream with fresh berries and strawberry sauce. Chocolate fondant is served warm with two sauces—raspberry and mango. Antonia’s maintains an extensive Northern Italian and American wine list. The restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner.
63. Big John’S Pizza
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (305) 293-9576
Address: 1103 Key Plaza
Description: If you don’t feel like going out to a full-fledged restaurant, Big John’s Pizza is an eatery located in a New Town shopping center where all the locals go to partake of the best pizza this side of Rome. Sure, there are the usual pizza-chain operations here, but this place is “where the locals know it’s good.” The couple who owns Big John’s takes great pride not only in their food but also in their friendly and cheerful help. The menu offers homemade garlic knots, buffalo chicken salad, 20-inch pizzas, calzones, strombolis, and more. Big John’s is open daily for lunch and dinner and offers free delivery anywhere in the city limits of Key West. A minimum order amount is needed for delivery beyond mile marker 2.
64. La Trattoria
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (305) 296-1075
Address: 524 Duval St.
Description: This upscale SoHo-style New York bistro rates as a Key West treasure. A romantic taste of old Italy favored by locals, visitors, and Keys residents from as far away as Key Largo, La Trattoria redefines the traditional pasta, veal, chicken, lamb, and seafood dishes of the mother country. Try Agnello alla Griglia (lamb with fresh rosemary) or Cheese Tortellina alla Romana, with smoked ham and peas in a parmigiana cream sauce. Penne Arrabbiata, quill-shaped pasta, delivers a bit of a bite, and the traditional Linguine e Vongole does not disappoint. La Trattoria serves dinner nightly, and reservations are suggested. After dinner, retire to Virgilio’s, the charming little cocktail lounge with live music just around the corner (see the Nightlife chapter).
65. Mangia Mangia
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (305) 294-2469
Address: 900 Southard St.
Description: Meaning “eat, eat” in Italian, Mangia Mangia bestows a passel of homemade fresh pasta (made daily on the premises with semolina and fresh eggs) and finely seasoned sauces. You can always order the basic sauces—marinara, Alfredo, pesto, meat, and red or white seafood—but for something out of the ordinary, try Bollito Misto di Mare: pappardelle with fresh scallops, shrimp, conch, salmon, mussels, and mahi mahi in a garlic white wine clam sauce. Outdoor seating is delightful where the patio area is enclosed with palm trees and flowers. Mangia Mangia serves dinner daily and offers beer and wine. The restaurant does not take reservations; plan to arrive before 6 p.m. to avoid a wait.
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Restaurants
Address: MM 102.4 Oceanside, Key Largo
67. Ambrosia Japanese Restaurant
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (305) 293-0304
Address: 1401 Simonton St.
Insider Pick:
Description: Sake it to me! The sun rises brightly on this wildly popular Japanese restaurant. With a plethora of sushi and sakes, as well as great service, you will understand why it is a locals’ top pick. Diverse flavors and textures combined with outstanding sauces will beckon you for a return engagement. Don’t forget to explore the drink menu, as Ambrosia offers a full bar. They will be happy to see you for lunch and dinner.
68. Benihana
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (305) 294-6400
Address: 3591 S. Roosevelt Blvd.
Description: This famous restaurant chain is a contact sport when it comes to the ancient Japanese art of teppanyaki (literally translated, teppan is iron and yaki is grilled). I don’t know the word for “performance” in Japanese, but as a patron of this restaurant, you get your money’s worth. The menu is vast and appealing while your tableside chef performs his magic. A full bar is available, and a private Kimono Room can be reserved for those special occasions with 20 or more people. The view from the front of the building is the Atlantic Ocean, while inside you are serenaded by the knife blades chopping on the sizzling grill. Benihana is open for dinner nightly.
69. Origami Japanese Restaurant
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (305) 294-0092
Address: 1075 Duval St.
Description: The stark white decor of Origami provides a backdrop for the brightly colored tropical fish adorning the walls. And like the Japanese art of folding paper into decorative or representational forms—origami—the restaurant fashions fresh, local seafood into exquisite sushi and sashimi. The dragon roll must not be missed. Origami also offers traditional Japanese cuisine, such as teriyaki, chicken katsu, steak yakiniku, and tempura. Sit at the cafe-style tables or at the sushi bar and watch the masters at work. Beer, wine, and sake are served. Origami is situated in Duval Square. Free parking is available in the adjoining lot off Simonton Street. Origami is open for dinner daily, and reservations are suggested in high season.
70. Azur
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (305) 292-2987
Address: 425 Grinnell St.
Insider Pick:
Description: Toss Greek, Italian, and Iberian cuisines in with a tropical setting and you get a Mediterranean mix called Azur. Selections to consider are the Key West pink shrimp over braised Swiss chard or the wild-caught fresh seafood and shellfish with sweet peas and saffron-infused risotto. Desserts vary but one standout is crème brûlée infused with lavender and topped with berries. The wine and beer list is respectable, with a varied range of prices. Azur’s best ingredient is the innovative talent of the two owners who create memorable dishes in this truly outstanding restaurant. Azur is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner Mon through Sat and brunch on Sun.
71. Señor Frijoles
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (305) 451-1592
Address: MM 103.9 Bayside, Key Largo
Description: Don your sombrero for a taste of Mexico by the sea—Keys style. Señor Frijoles sits on Florida Bay next to Sundowners and offers popular Tex-Mex fare, such as burritos, enchiladas, and quesadillas. But you’ll also find some jazzed-up Conch Republic versions, such as blackened tuna tacos filled with crispy cabbage, pico de gallo, and chipotle sour cream with black beans and rice on the side. Feeling parched? Señor Frijoles offers 11 different margaritas made with freshly squeezed lime juice as well as many other tropical libations and Mexican beers with which you can toast the fabulous Keys sunset. Señor Frijoles is accessible by boat and open for lunch and dinner daily.
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Restaurants
Address: MM 4.5 Oceanside, Stock Island
73. Old Town Mexican Cafe
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (305) 296-7500
Address: 609 Duval St.
Description: Have a seat in the open-air dining room right on Duval Street or inside, tucked back away from the crowds. No matter where you sit, you are in for a fiesta of flavor. It all starts with the salsa. The freshly made salsa is so good here that when heading back to the mainland, locals first stop by Fausto’s—the local grocery store that carries Old Town Mexican Cafe salsa by the pint—for the perfect hostess gift. But the salsa isn’t the only reason to stop in. Authentic dishes like the tortilla soup and the enchiladas verdes keep locals coming back, along with the inventive veggie plates. Old Town Mexican Cafe is open for lunch and dinner daily.
74. Salsa Loca
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (305) 292-1865
Address: 618 Duval St.
Insider Pick:
Description: Salsa Loca offers freshly made Mexican food in a fun, party atmosphere. Be sure to stop by during happy hour for the two-for-one drink specials. You won’t go away hungry: The portions are huge, the menu extensive, and the food is excellent. There are 7 different kinds of enchiladas alone, and all come with rice, beans, and a small salad. A local favorite is the mushroom quesadilla served with guacamole, sour cream, salad, and chips and salsa—a vegetarian meal where you won’t miss the meat. Salsa Local is open for lunch and dinner daily and delivers to the entire island.
75. Bayside Grille
City: Florida Keys, FL
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (305) 451-3380
Address: MM 99.5 Bayside, Key Largo
Description: Situated at the end of a winding drive behind Cafe Largo and perched on the very edge of Florida Bay, Bayside Grille commands one of the premier waterfront vistas in the Keys. Small, casual, and bistro-ish, the open-air Bayside Grille’s layout of tables fronted by glass pocket doors enables all diners to drink in the shimmering blue sea while partaking of a palate-tingling selection of offerings. Seafood reigns here: Key West garlic shrimp, island seafood curry, and seafood enchiladas are favorites. But landlubbers will also find a good selection of certified Angus burgers, New York strip and flank steaks, flavorful grilled chicken entrees, and pasta dishes. Bayside Grille offers a full bar and serves lunch and dinner daily.