While you are off-gassing between trips you can find plenty to do nearby. If you wish to do a little shopping, 2 miles up the road you will find two world renowned
Artist Village: The Rain Barrel. A few miles drive either North or South will take you past enough "little shops" to make the most hardened Yard Sailor weak in the knees, so be sure and bring Grandmother with you on vacation (so you don't miss a single "treasure"!).
Ocean Quest is a short drive to great dining , site seeing and night life ! Here are a few popular places to go:
Dining:
Lazy Days: At 5 miles down the road you'll find the crew's favorite restaurant. Unfortunately it's become so popular that reservations are required. With ocean-front outside dining and their famous chief Lupa whipping up daily specials to die for, this is one you don't want to miss. Highly recommended is anything with his crabmeat stuffing.
Islamorada Fish Company: We start here because just about any seafood you eat in the upper Keys comes from this fish house . They caught a clue a while back and opened a grill with some picnic tables and have had to expand to their waterfront docks to handle the crowds . Try the grilled tuna steak on a Greek salad or any of their fish sandwiches .
Island Grill: Just ocean side of the Snake Creek draw bridge... looks like a bait shack from the water or road ... but great food , cold beer , good live music and if you fall off your bar stool you’ll be swimming in the Atlantic ! Prices start at $4.95 appetizers, Lunch and dinner menu are the same so dinner can be found for as little a $7.95 with their big ticket items of $22.95 .
Bentley's Restaurant: If you've ever visited Islamorada, you've eaten at Bentleys. One of the longest running restaurants that has been voted best overall restaurant in the Upper Keys so many times we've lost count. Save room for the desert, the banana foster is just this side of heaven.
Holiday Isle: This one will show up under: food -night life - shopping -dancing - beach volleyball - parasailing - jet skiing..... you get the picture . It is home of the world famous Tiki Bar and where Rum Runner cocktails were created!
Whale Harbor Inn: All you can eat seafood buffet $29.95, comes complete with complementary beer or sangria, (did someone say free beer in the Keys?) the service is great, food outstanding. It will make you want to come back for more and more and more. You get the picture.
Whale Harbor Inn Brazilian Restaurant: You say the all you can eat seafood buffet doesn't do it for you? Try the authentic Brazilian flare with all you can eat meat $34.99. They claim to offer at least 18 different meats served from the swords of constantly circulating waiters, they keep coming around with more mouth watering items until you say "Uncle." Don't miss the salad bar, the best in the Keys. When you can't eat another bite they offer wheel barrel serving to roll you out to your car.
Breakfast
The Hungry Tarpon: This breakfast joint is worth planning your day around , do a night dive , sleep in late , drive to mile marker 70 to Robbie's Marina and enjoy an order of blueberry pancakes that redefine the phrase "mmmmmm" . Read the local paper and then buy a bucket of mullet heads and feed a herd of 150 LB tarpon off the docks ... then catch our night dive on the wreck of the Eagle. (YES !!, a "herd" is bigger than a "school")
Mangrove Mike's: Just 3 mile south is one of the undisputed greatest places in the Keys for morning biscuits and gravy known as the hangover helper, omelets galore and they even have vegetarian dishes. Servings breakfast all day and great lunches too. There is always a wait at the door but it's never more than a few minutes.
Island Deli: Feel like a short morning walk, hike south on the old road for 1/2 mile and you'll find a small outside seating deli, open at the crack of dawn to accommodate the local fishing fleet, the offering are modestly priced and delicious.
Morada Bay: Looking for a place to woo your favorite sweetheart? This Caribbean style dining, located right on a small sandy beach, has delicious food and great service. Sit out on the stone veranda with a cooling ocean breeze and great view of the sunset. The special lady in your life will just love this sort of thing. Weekend's you find local music along the folky line where dancing in the sand is welcome
Bars
Safari Bar: The dead animal bar ... and what can we add to that ?
Uh.....well....er.....well...what else can we say
?
Just across the highway at the Ocean View Sports Bar you can catch up with our favorite bartender "the one and only GLO" serving up her own version of frosty cocktail, ice cold beer and witty commentary to match. In all our years of knowing her, only once could we tell a new joke that she didn't beat us to the punch line. This little lady knows them all.
Lorelei's: A sunset celebration every night, where you too can determine if there really is a green flash at sunset. This great locals place offers nightly live "Key-Z Style" music starts at about 5 pm and goes to around 9 pm. Just look for the big ugly mermaid at MM 80 bayside.
Rum Runners @ Holiday Isle: This bar is the best seat in the house down here . It is situated on the water on stilts , overlooking the Atlantic and to top it off, it is quiet! (usually) You pick up a drink at the bar and climb up into a watch tower 30 ft in the air at a table for yourself . A great corned beef on rye along with this seat makes for a great lunch get away .
Whale Harbor: To be exact, the Cat Walk Bar , looking out through the fleet of sport fishing yachts towards the water , with a cool breeze..... Aaaahh . . . . just what the doctor ordered .
Dillions: An Irish pub, with tons of ice cold beer, great lunch foods. A kool place to kick back and enjoy a friendly game of pool.
Hog Heaven Bar and Grill: Ocean side locals bar with a late night crowd. Folks have been know to roll out of the bar at wee hours of the morning. Yes to a waiting taxi, you don't want to dive after a long night dancing up a storm among other things. Too late to try to ride the pig, a barrel suspended over the water with pig ears, they removed the pig for your own safety finding that intelligent decisions just are not made after 1 am.
Zane Gray: Looking for the "Kool Jazz" and a bit more upscale atmosphere? At the top of the World Wide Sportsman building is a beautifully appointed lounge decorated with the Key's very own Ernest Hemmingway's treasures. A must try is and local favorite drink a Key Lime Martini. YUM
Companion are ready to kick back and relax, and let somebody else do the driving. But you can't get enough of the magnificent aqua water, pristine shoreline, or spectacular sunset. So what do you do? Book a Sunset Tour with us, with our Captain at the helm and your cooler filled with libations and snacks (or we can do that FOR you), and launch for a perfect way to end the perfect day.
