Capt. Tony's Saloon

Though it is now called Capt. Tony's Saloon, the famous Key West bar was once known as Sloppy Joe's and was one of author Ernest Hemingway's favorite watering holes. Visitors should be aware that there is a modern version of Sloppy Joe's located at the corner of Greene and Duval in the city, but this is not the famed Hemingway bar. During Hemingway's busiest writing years from 1928 through 1938, he spent a good portion of his time at Sloppy Joe's. Hemingway followed the same basic schedule each day, rising at dawn, walking to his pool house, writing until the afternoon and meeting up with friends at Capt. Tony's. During this time he produced some of his more famous works including Death in the Afternoon, To Have and Have Not, The Short, Happy Life of Francis Macomber and The Green Hills of Africa. Hemingway discovered Sloppy Joe's in 1928, during his first visit to Key West. The owner of the bar, Josie Russel, cashed a royalty check for Hemingway, something the bank refused to do. The two became friends and the rest is literary history. Today, visitors can experience some of Hemginway's world at Capt. Tony's. The bar is also a favorite haunt of songwriter Jimmy Buffet, who mentions Capt. Tony's in at least one of his songs.