Eat Like a Local: Where to Eat Near Old Town Key West

Key West cooking is where Cuba, the Caribbean, Mexico and the American South meet, and the best of it is not always on the top-ten lists.

This is our guide to eating well within walking distance of Marrero's, from a Cuban breakfast before the beach to a proper dinner out and a late bite on the way home, with a note on where to find locally sourced seafood.

Everything here is walkable from Marrero's at 410 Fleming Street, and we have given the walking time for each. We have also marked each place with a rough price guide, so you can choose for yourself: $ is a casual, counter-style or bar meal, $$ is a relaxed sit-down meal, and $$$ is a special-occasion dinner.

Hours and seasons change on the island, so it is worth a quick check before you set out. Our innkeepers can call ahead for you.

Which Key West restaurants use locally sourced ingredients?

In Key West, "local" mostly means the water. There is very little farmland in the Keys, so the ingredients worth seeking out come from the reef and the Gulf: yellowtail snapper and hogfish, Key West pink shrimp, Florida spiny lobster (in season from early August to the end of March) and stone crab claws (October 15 to May 1). When you see the catch of the day on a menu, ask your server what came in that morning.

Several of the places below build their menus around that catch. Blue Heaven's yellowtail snapper is one of its signature dishes, Azur puts local yellowtail on its Mediterranean menu, and Caroline's Cafe will blacken whatever the day's fish is. We have noted it where it applies.

Breakfast before the beach

Moondog Cafe ($$, about 8 minutes)

At 823 Whitehead Street, a block from the Hemingway Home, Moondog is a restaurant and bakery in one, with a covered outdoor dining area under a big flowering tree out front. Breakfast is the reason to go: good coffee (they pour Cuban Coffee Queen), eggs every way, and a bakery case of cakes, cookies and hand pies, including a key lime tart. There is plenty for vegans and vegetarians.

Sarabeth's ($$, about 5 minutes)

At 530 Simonton Street, with a shaded patio, Sarabeth's is the Key West sister of the New York original. It is a breakfast and brunch spot above all: lemon ricotta pancakes, French toast, shrimp and grits. Dogs are welcome on the patio.

Blue Heaven ($$, about 7 minutes)

Blue Heaven, at 729 Thomas Street in Bahama Village, is as much a Key West institution as a restaurant. You eat in a leafy courtyard with eclectic art, live music and chickens and cats wandering between the tables. Breakfast is the famous meal (the banana pancakes are the order), and the wait can be long in season, so go early. It is open for lunch and dinner too, when the yellowtail snapper and Caribbean shrimp come into their own. Whatever time you go, finish with the key lime pie under its towering meringue.

Lunch near Duval Street

Frita's Cuban Burgers ($, about 2 minutes)

Just around the corner at 425 Southard Street, Frita's is a staff favorite and the closest good lunch to our door. It is styled after 1930s Cuban street food and themed around Frida Kahlo, with a courtyard painted in bright murals. Order the frita, a Cuban burger, with a side of fried plantains and guava ketchup, or a Cuban sandwich and a glass of the house sangria. The seating is outdoors.

The Cafe ($, about 3 minutes)

At 509 Southard Street, across from Cuban Coffee Queen, The Cafe is the other long-standing staff favorite. It is vegetarian and vegan-leaning without making a thing of it, built on fresh ingredients and homemade cooking, and it is the easiest answer on the block if anyone in your party has something they cannot eat.

Amigos Tortilla Bar ($, about 8 minutes)

At 425 Greene Street, near the north end of Duval, Amigos is the home of the square tortilla, made from fresh-ground corn and shaped to hold more filling. The street tacos are the reason to go, with Mexican street corn, fresh guacamole and a margarita on the side. Sit at the counter facing the street; it is one of the better places in town to watch Key West go by.

Caroline's Cafe ($$, about 5 minutes)

Caroline's, at 310 Duval Street, is a lunch-or-dinner patio right on the main street. Go for the fresh catch, blackened, or the Caribbean steak, with conch fritters to start.

Where to find casual, street-style food in Key West

Key West does not have a street-food market as such, but three neighborhoods come closest. The blocks around Duval and Southard, a few minutes from Marrero's, have the densest run of casual counters and patios, Frita's among them. Bahama Village, around Petronia and Thomas Streets, is the island's historic Caribbean neighborhood and home to Blue Heaven. And the Historic Seaport and the streets behind Mallory Square are where you will find the fish shacks and waterfront bars, Salty Frog's included.

A proper dinner out

Azur ($$$, about 15 minutes)

Azur is at 425 Grinnell Street, in a quiet residential corner of Old Town, and it is worth the walk. Its two chef-owners cook Mediterranean food shaped by their travels: charred octopus, handmade gnocchi with braised beef, branzino and local yellowtail snapper, served in a cool blue dining room or on a shaded terrace. Azur also serves a well-regarded brunch. Book for dinner.

Nine One Five ($$$, about 10 minutes)

Nine One Five occupies a restored Victorian house at 915 Duval Street, and the front porch is one of the nicest places on the street to spend an evening. The menu is built for sharing, with small plates, tapas and good cocktails. Reserve ahead, especially for a porch table.

Hot Tin Roof ($$$, about 12 minutes)

Hot Tin Roof, inside Ocean Key Resort at Zero Duval Street, is named after Tennessee Williams's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. It sits on the harbor beside Mallory Square, so book a table that lines up with sunset and watch the boats come in over dinner. The menu leans on seafood, and the whole yellowtail snapper is made for sharing. Reservations are recommended.

Late and casual

Mary Ellen's ($$, about 2 minutes)

Mary Ellen's, at 420 Appelrouth Lane, is a two-minute walk and one of the island's favorite neighborhood bars. Come for the cold beer and generous bar food, with indoor and outdoor seating, and it stays open late, which makes it the easiest late bite on the way home.

Salty Frog's ($, about 10 minutes)

At 407 Front Street, a few steps from Mallory Square, Salty Frog's is a breezy bar and grill with live music and a sense of humor. It is the natural stop after the sunset crowd at Mallory disperses: conch fritters, a cold local beer and a slice of key lime pie.

A few we keep coming back to

Frita's, around the corner, and The Cafe, a block further on, have both been staff favorites here for years. Moondog is the one we point people to for breakfast on a day they are not eating with us. Beyond those, our innkeepers know what is good that week and are happy to help you find a table. You will find more of what they can arrange on our See & Do page.

Planning the rest of your days

If you are planning around sunset, our guide to the Key West Lighthouse Sunset Experience pairs well with dinner at Blue Heaven, a few minutes' walk away. For the hours between meals, our honest guide to Key West beaches covers where to swim from Old Town. And when you are ready to choose a room, you can see them all on our guest rooms page.

We look forward to hosting your next Key West stay.

The Marrero's Team