Recommendations instead of doing Excursion

[ck1234]

It's been about 18 yrs. since I've been to Key West so I'm really looking forward to re-visiting. We drove the Keys and stayed in Key West for a week so I got to try conch, key lime pie, etc..etc..but, we're cruising this time and my 16 yr. old son will be with me. I thought I would sign up for a tour of the "Taste of Key West", but everyone, and finally including me, said, "Why pay $80cdn to do this tour when you can walk it and do it on your own?"

 

I have to agree, soooooooo, here's what the tour covers....where are your suggestions to sample this stuff - the food I mean mostly :) ? And, thanks for any advice offered, much appreciated! :)

 

Tour: h

Hit the streets of Key West for a taste of that famous food from the Conch Republic! Enjoy a walking tour encompassing all that Key West is famous for - food, historic buildings, gardens, Key Lime Pie & more! This event begins on historic Whitehead Street, travels down Duval Street and moves along the historic seaport. After receiving your FREE T-shirt, you will visit five locations where you will sample Key West cuisine including conch fritters, mahi-mahi fingers and of course, key lime pie.

is event begins on historic Whitehead Street, travels down Duval Street and moves along the historic seaport. After receiving your FREE T-shirt, you will visit five locations where you will sample Key West cuisine including conch fritters, mahi-mahi fingers and of course, key lime pie.

[kal]

Here's my list of favorites! By all means, do it on your own.

[bouhunter]

Some good recommendation from Kal. Assuming you'll only be there during the day and not for dinner, I'd add or second:

 

Schooner Wharf for drinks and/or lunch. On the waterfront. Live entertainment most days.

 

Key Lime pie at Blonde Giraffe. The best there is! We like the merinque topping.

 

Captain Tony's Saloon - the original Sloppy Joe's

[ck1234]

:) Thanks! We will definitely check out the Blonde Giraffe for Key Lime Pie.

 

We're in port 3:00pm til midnight. Is my 16 yr. old going to be admitted any establishments in the evening? I was thinking of taking him to Margaritaville for dinner, what do you think?

 

Any advice on where to try Conch fritters?

 

P.S. If this double posts, my apologies, didn't look like the first post made it!

 

Thanks again!

[bouhunter]

There are sooooooo many better options for dinner!:eek: We had lunch at Margaritaville a couple weeks ago. 2-3 years ago I thought the burgers were pretty good, this time the food was average, average, average. Check it out for t-shirts and stuff. It was ok for lunch, but I'd never recommend it for dinner considering the multitude of other dinner options in KW.

 

My recommendations for dinner would be:

 

Conch Republic Seafood Co. - on the waterfront, lively, good food. We really enjoyed our dinner there a couple weeks ago.

 

Kellys - neat old building (the old Pan Am airways building). Dine indoors or out. Great margaritas at happy hour:)

 

Camille's - not much atmosphere, but if quality of food is the priority, it's Camille's hands down.

 

There are DOZENS of other options. Here's a link for some other ideas:

 

http://p105.ezboard.com/fiokwfrm12.showMessage?topicID=45.topic

 

This is also a great site to post any other questions you have, it's frequented by both KW local's and frequent visitors!

 

Since you'll be there till' midnight obviously go to sunset festival at Mallory Square.

 

Your 16 year old should be able to get in some places at night, but not some of the more popular rowdy ones with live entertainment.

 

And don't forget - a cocktail at Schooner Wharf is a must:)

[kal]

... We had lunch at Margaritaville a couple weeks ago. 2-3 years ago I thought the burgers were pretty good, this time the food was average, average, average. Check it out for t-shirts and stuff. It was ok for lunch, but I'd never recommend it for dinner considering the multitude of other dinner options in KW. ....

 

Let me say it another way....the food is TERRIBLE. Take away the sign and no one would ever go back.

[bouhunter]

Now Kal, tell us how your really feel!:D :D :D

[kal]

...And don't forget - a cocktail at Schooner Wharf is a must:)

 

A cocktail!!!! :confused: I'll be in Key West for the week of April 16th and without doubt there will be the usual all day session sippin' a bucket of suds listening to Michael McCloud tell us about this "tourist town bar". :D

[ck1234]

OK, OK, we'll figure out something else for dinner...from one of your suggestions here! :) The Grand Cafe looks good, maybe there!

 

Can my son go to Schooner Wharf? Is it a restaurant or a bar?

 

Thanks again to you both for your help & advice.

[firsttimecruiser77]

We enjoyed Red Fish, Blue Fish. It was in Mallory Square so close to the ship and we really liked the food. My DH said the conch fritters weren't the best that he's had but since it was my first time I had tried them, I didn't know any different!

[Stacylee]

Since you are there til midnight..... I ABSOLUTELY insist you do the Ghost tour! You AND your son will have a blast! It is about 2 hours total and is worth every penny - it really is not that bad price wise. When we were there in Sept, my son insisted we eat at Margaritaville - yes the food is ok, but he really enjoyed the experience and that was priceless.

[scubaran]

OK, OK, we'll figure out something else for dinner...from one of your suggestions here! :) The Grand Cafe looks good, maybe there!

 

Can my son go to Schooner Wharf? Is it a restaurant or a bar?

 

Thanks again to you both for your help & advice.

 

Hi,

 

Schooner Wharf is a bar and no one under 21 after dark. I'd suggest Sloppy Joes, they allow children under 18 until 10:30pm and always have a good band. For dinner, Blue Heaven, hands down. The restaurant is three blocks down Petronia to the right as you go down Duvall away from Mallory Square. It's great food in literally the back yard with chickens at your feet, a ping pong table outside and and old bordello on the second floor with sliders in the doors to check out who want's in. Plus the bananas foster-like desert is to die for! We go to KW twice/three times a year and my wife will not let the first evening go without visiting BH.

 

Randall

[CAT GIRL]

Ohhhh. Tell me more about the Ghost Tour. Who offers it, what

time is it. What is it all about? We're docked until midnight.

I've only been there during the day before. Thanks for any info.

 

Anita

[alphakitty]

Here's a link to the Ghost Tours in Key West.

 

http://www.hauntedtours.com/

 

kitty:)

[CAT GIRL]

Cool, Thanks!!!!

[ck1234]

Since you are there til midnight..... I ABSOLUTELY insist you do the Ghost tour! You AND your son will have a blast! It is about 2 hours total and is worth every penny - it really is not that bad price wise.

 

Well since you "insist" Stacylee, I think we'll absolutely take this tour! What a great idea! I hadn't even heard about it...

 

Thanks for the suggestion!!!:)

[ck1234]

Hi,

 

Schooner Wharf is a bar and no one under 21 after dark. I'd suggest Sloppy Joes, they allow children under 18 until 10:30pm and always have a good band. For dinner, Blue Heaven, hands down. The restaurant is three blocks down Petronia to the right as you go down Duvall away from Mallory Square. It's great food in literally the back yard with chickens at your feet, a ping pong table outside and and old bordello on the second floor with sliders in the doors to check out who want's in. Plus the bananas foster-like desert is to die for! We go to KW twice/three times a year and my wife will not let the first evening go without visiting BH.

 

Randall

 

Thanks for the info Randall. Blue Heaven does sound interesting! After much thought, I think we'll just eat on the ship! We will go out sampling foods while in Key West though! :)

[gambler]

Just saw the Blue Heaven on the food network channel last week. It looked really interesting.

[scubaran]

Just saw the Blue Heaven on the food network channel last week. It looked really interesting.

 

Blue Heaven is definitely our favorite restaurant in KW for dinner. Also for lunch I'd recommend BO's fish wagon. Definitely a local spot for workers in the harbor area. It literally looks like a bunch of floatsom that washed up at the end of a parking lot but under all the junk is a fish wagon van that they still cook from. This is the best place for Conch fritters and it's an experience just going there (one friend of ours, who didn't know any better, said she'd never eat at a dump like that, which is why the locals go there). It's in the parking lot of the supermarket at the wharf off Caroline St. Actually the story behind this place is BO used to have his fish wagon on Duvall street in a vacant lot. However, they built on it so he had to relocate over to the wharf and needing places for people to sit down, he started "collecting" left over lumber, signs, etc. to build with. Thus the look of the place. But it is clean on the inside and we've always had good food. Anyway, there's your place for lunch and conch fritters.

 

Randall