Food · Key West · United States
What to eat in Key West
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Key West, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Radomianin, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Key lime pie, Conch fritters and Key West pink shrimp. Try slices at a few different bakeries and restaurants in Old Town to compare meringue, cream and frozen versions. Popular breakfast and dinner spots fill up in high season; reserve dinner or arrive early.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Key lime pie
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 2
- Tipping
- Tip 18–20% at restaurants, $1–$2 per drink at bars, 15–20% for taxis and pedicabs, and…
- Food experiences
- 4
9 foods to try
Dessert · Vegetarian
1.Key lime pie
Tart filling of small Key limes, condensed milk and egg yolks in a graham-cracker crust, topped with meringue or whipped cream. A good one is pale yellow, not green.
Where: Bakeries and restaurants all over Old Town; frozen chocolate-dipped slices on a stick are a popular street snack.
Snack
2.Conch fritters
Deep-fried balls of chopped conch, peppers and onion in batter, served with a spicy dipping sauce — a Bahamian-rooted island staple. Conch is now imported, as harvesting is banned in Florida waters.
Where: Seafood shacks at the Historic Seaport and along Duval Street.
Dish
3.Key West pink shrimp
Sweet, firm shrimp caught in local waters, served peel-and-eat, grilled, fried or in a basket with fries.
Where: Raw bars at Key West Bight and dockside restaurants on Stock Island.
Street food
4.Cuban sandwich
Roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard pressed in Cuban bread — a reminder of the island's Cuban cigar-making community.
Where: Cuban cafés and takeaway windows around Old Town and New Town.
Drink · Vegetarian
5.Cuban coffee (Café cubano / café con leche)
Strong, sweet espresso served in small cups or a 'colada' for sharing, or as café con leche with steamed milk and buttered Cuban toast for breakfast.
Where: Walk-up coffee windows across the island, especially in the morning.
Dish
6.Stone crab claws
Cracked, chilled claws with mustard sauce. Only one claw is harvested and the crab returned to the sea; the season runs from mid-October to spring.
Where: Seafood restaurants and fish markets in season, especially on Stock Island.
Dish
7.Hogfish sandwich
Mild, flaky white hogfish fillet, usually fried or grilled with onions and peppers on Cuban bread. Hogfish is speared by divers rather than caught on lines.
Where: Dockside restaurants on Stock Island and the Historic Seaport.
Dish
8.Conch chowder
Island chowder in two styles: a tomato-based Bahamian version with peppers and spice, or a creamy New England-style one.
Where: Seafood restaurants throughout Old Town.
Dish
9.Fresh catch sandwich
Grilled, blackened or fried local fish such as mahi-mahi, yellowtail snapper or grouper, served on a bun with Key lime mayonnaise.
Where: Casual waterfront cafés and fish markets.
Food experiences
Key lime pie comparison
Try slices at a few different bakeries and restaurants in Old Town to compare meringue, cream and frozen versions.
Dockside dinner on Stock Island
Eat fish caught that day at restaurants on the working waterfront, where commercial boats unload alongside.
Cuban breakfast
Order café con leche and buttered Cuban toast from a walk-up coffee window, as locals do before work.
Bahama Village backyard dining
Long-running restaurants in Bahama Village serve breakfast and dinner in open-air yards under trees, with chickens wandering between tables.
Quick bites and street food
- Conch fritters — Seafood shacks at the Historic Seaport and along Duval Street.
- Cuban sandwich — Cuban cafés and takeaway windows around Old Town and New Town.
Vegetarian options
Of the 9 foods in this guide, 2 are usually vegetarian: Key lime pie and Cuban coffee. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Popular breakfast and dinner spots fill up in high season; reserve dinner or arrive early.
- Many restaurants are open-air, so expect heat in summer and bring insect repellent at dusk.
- Stone crab is only served in season, roughly mid-October to spring.
- Prices on Duval Street are higher than at cafés a block or two away.
- Dress is casual almost everywhere; shorts and sandals are fine at dinner.
Tipping
Tip 18–20% at restaurants, $1–$2 per drink at bars, 15–20% for taxis and pedicabs, and about 15–20% for snorkelling, fishing and sailing crews, who rely on tips.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Conch | Someone born in Key West; also the sea snail |
| Freshwater Conch | A long-term resident not born on the island |
| Conch Republic | The island's tongue-in-cheek 1982 'independent nation' |
| Mile Marker 0 | The end of US-1, where Keys addresses are measured from |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Key West famous for?
Key lime pie, Conch fritters, Key West pink shrimp and Cuban sandwich. Tart filling of small Key limes, condensed milk and egg yolks in a graham-cracker crust, topped with meringue or whipped cream.
+Is Key West good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Key lime pie and Cuban coffee.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Key West?
Tip 18–20% at restaurants, $1–$2 per drink at bars, 15–20% for taxis and pedicabs, and about 15–20% for snorkelling, fishing and sailing crews, who rely on tips.