City: Islamorada, FL

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (305) 664-5564

Address: MM 85.5 Bayside

Description: If you want to find a good place to eat, ask a local. Smugglers Cove, a locals’ favorite in Islamorada, puts on no pretensions. What they do put on, however, is a great fish sandwich, among other entrees, that draws raves. Options include peel-­and-­eat shrimp, oysters on the half shell, chicken wings, and even a kids’ menu. What Smugglers lacks in decor and ambience, they make up for in taste. Smugglers Cove is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner and is boat accessible.

City: Islamorada, FL

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (305) 664-4402

Address: MM 81 Oceanside

Description: Mexican tiles, ceiling fans, stained glass, candlelit tables, soft music, and original paintings of Keys flora and fauna set the stage for fine dining at Uncle’s. And if you’d prefer to sit under the stars, Uncle’s will accommodate you, for it also serves dinner at tables sprinkled on an outdoor deck. The cuisine sparkles with a decidedly Mediterranean flair. Seafood selections are many, including fish du jour prepared five different ways, and there are chicken, veal, beef, pasta, and “Heart Smart” selections as well. Uncle’s offers an extensive wine list and full bar, and is open daily, except Mon, for dinner only. They will happily cook your catch for a fraction of the normal dinner price.

City: Islamorada, FL

Category: Restaurants

Address: MM 82 Oceanside

City: Islamorada, FL

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (305) 664-0604

Address: MM 81.6 Bayside

Description: Morada Bay Beach Cafe in Islamorada delivers a tapas-­style selection of appetizers and eclectic entrees. Pastel beach tables and low Adirondack-­style chairs pepper a wide expanse of sandy beach that fronts the gentle waters of Florida Bay. Curving palms and tiki torches complete the outdoor illusion, and the food is as imaginatively designed as the decor. Any of Morada Bay’s fresh fish selections—all imaginatively prepared—will more than satisfy your taste for the sea. This is the perfect place to watch the sun set, as the restaurant perches at the edge of Florida Bay and musicians often stop by for a lively impromptu set. Morada Bay Beach Cafe is open for lunch and dinner daily and serves breakfast Fri through Sun.

City: Islamorada, FL

Category: Restaurants

Address: MM 81.6 Bayside

City: Islamorada, FL

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (305) 664-3391

Address: MM 83 Bayside

Insider Pick:

Description: Steaks, chops, and seafood are on the menu at this newly renovated Keys landmark. Partners Randy Kassewitz and Miami Dolphins football player Jim “Mad Dog” Mandich turned this historic property (originally built in the 1930s) into a fine-­dining establishment offering “something for every palate.” Menu items include grilled duck breast served with warm lingonberry sauce, delicious baked jumbo shrimp with mango and crab stuffing, and grilled double-­bone pork chop glazed with plum and port wine. The wine list is extensive. And while the decor may have changed, not to worry—the fish stories still abound in the chic bar area. (Be sure to ask the bartender about Al Capone playing cards in the back room.) Open daily for lunch and dinner; reservations recommended.

City: Islamorada, FL

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (305) 853-3800

Address: MM 88.8 Bayside

Description: Easy living and easy eating are what make life in the Keys so popular. Boardwalk Pizza creates handmade pizza and bakes the pies in a stone-­lined pizza oven. This is a small eatery that is big on taste. Locals rave about the crust, characterized as neither thick nor thin, but light, fluffy, and tender. You’ll also find cheesesteaks, subs, calzones, and pasta here. This pizzeria is open daily for lunch and dinner.

City: Islamorada, FL

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (305) 664-5556

Address: MM 81.7 Oceanside

Description: Kaiyo’s delightful blend of “Florida Asian” results in an exciting presentation of sushi and Keys-­inspired dishes. Ones to try are the crispy ginger pork dumplings with sesame dipping sauce and the whole tempura-­fried yellowtail served with rice, bok choy, and three different sauces. Kaiyo’s also has 12 types of saki, Kirin beer, and special teas. And where did the restaurant’s unusual name come from? In Japanese kai means “small body of water” and yo means “large body of water.” In its cuisine and its ambience, Kaiyo, situated in Islamorada between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, successfully marries the mystique of Asia with the mystery of the sea. Kaiyo is open for lunch and dinner daily. The restaurant does not accept reservations or large groups.

City: Islamorada, FL

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (305) 664-2006

Address: MM 81.2 Oceanside

Description: Sid and Roxie’s Green Turtle Inn, which is actually a restaurant, availed itself to an eager public in 1947. The location now showcases three businesses in harmony: the Green Turtle Inn, Sandy Moret’s Florida Keys Outfitters (see the Fishing chapter), and the Wyland Art Gallery. At the Turtle, you can expect a “traditional Keys menu with flair.” The “traditional” aspect features Keys lobster or the catch of the day. The “flair” guise stars turtle or conch chowder. The 50-seat restaurant with an open kitchen, full bar with tasting stations, catering, gourmet to go, and a Green Turtle Inn product line makes this a hot hangout in the Upper Keys. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served Tuesday through Sunday.

City: Islamorada, FL

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (305) 664-9271

Address: MM 81.5 Bayside

Description: Islamorada Fish Company, primarily a seafood market that opens at 9 a.m. (see the Specialty Foods, Cafes & Markets chapter), also serves lunch and dinner daily until 10 p.m. Eat indoors at the Island Conch House Eatery or outside under umbrella tables that perch on a peninsula jutting into Florida Bay. Islamorada Fish Company’s restaurant is so popular that it is not unusual to wait an hour or more for a table. But don’t worry: The restaurant abuts World Wide Sportsman’s cavernous sports emporium, so you can browse your wait away, look at the sunset, and wait for your name to be called.

City: Islamorada, FL

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (305) 664-8400

Address: MM 85.5 Oceanside

Description: Don’t pass up the opportunity to stop here if you see the parking area is full. If you are seated inside, ask for a table near the window, which is right along the canal facing Snake Creek. Outdoor tables are the best choice because you are actually on the dock area of the restaurant. The menu is swimming with seafood. Try an appetizer of spicy seared tuna nachos served over fried wontons with a seaweed salad amid ginger and sweet soy dressing. This dish is so mountainous that it could pass for an entree! Entrees include Low Country shrimp and grits, black Angus New York strip steak, and Island Grill seafood pasta. Open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Early arrival for any meal is suggested due to parking limitations.

City: Islamorada, FL

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (305) 664-5256

Address: MM 79.9 Oceanside

Description: Lazy Days provides the ideal setting for kicking back, gazing over the sparkling blue Atlantic, and dining on a revolving selection of seafood offerings. The elevated plantation-­style building with turquoise roof, French doors, and wraparound balcony is, indeed, designed for lazy days, for it perches directly on the shoreline of the ocean. Because of this setting, Lazy Days has been featured on the Food Network as one of the best scenic spots on the water to dine. Some of the menu favorites, such as cracked conch served fried or sautéed with key lime or garlic butter, or jumbo stuffed shrimp baked with crabmeat stuffing and topped with béarnaise sauce and key lime butter, are house standouts. Lazy Days serves lunch and dinner daily.

City: Islamorada, FL

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (305) 664-2692

Address: MM 82 Bayside

Description: The legend of Lorelei maintains that a nymph’s sweet, lyrical singing lured sailors to shipwreck on a rock. Today’s Lorelei lures you to a primo perch on the very edge of Florida Bay. The Cabana Bar breaks the day starting at 7 a.m., then serves a casual menu from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., offering live entertainment nightly starting just before sunset. The air-­conditioned Lorelei Restaurant’s seafood-­inspired menu makes a gustatory decision a difficult task. Landlubbers are accommodated with steak, chicken, ribs, and pasta offerings. The Lorelei Restaurant is open daily for dinner. Happy hour specials are offered from 4 to 6 p.m. Lorelei’s family menu offers several complete meals for $15.95 or less, a real value.

City: Islamorada, FL

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (305) 852-9315

Address: MM 88 Bayside

Description: Combining bayside ambience with innovative preparation of the Keys’ freshest bounty, Marker 88 is a culinary landmark. Favorite dishes include sustainable seafood items like the onion-­crusted mahi mahi served with toasted onions and a white wine, key lime juice, and butter sauce. The wine list has more than 250 entries, so you are sure to find the right one to complement your meal. Marker 88 is surrounded by heavy tropical vegetation and rambling docks, and a deck laden with wood outdoor tables and chairs provides the perfect setting for a predinner sunset toast or a starlit after-­dinner drink. This boat-­accessible restaurant maintains a full bar and is open daily for lunch and dinner. Reservations are recommended.

City: Islamorada, FL

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (305) 664-8363

Address: MM 81.6 Bayside

Description: The banner out front proclaims best buns in town, and these oversize cinnamon rolls live up to the hype. Topped with cream-­cheese icing, the buns are undoubtedly one of the local favorites. Also available are “gooey” or sticky buns, bagels, muffins, scones, croissants, key lime pie, cakes, and cookies, which can be ordered online as well. As you might imagine, this restaurant and bakery is a wildly popular Islamorada breakfast and lunch spot.