Road Trip Food -- Eating Our Way Down The Keys

On our birthday road trip, Lady Sally and I ate at quite a few interesting restaurants. Here is a mini-review of what we ate where and how we rated the experiences. As you travel down the island chain the Mile Markers (MM) are local “crossroads” location identifiers, and the numbers decrease to Mile Marker 0 at Key West

El Toro Taco in Homestead, FL  MM 127

We had two of their lunch specials.  I favored the Beef Burritos, while Lady Sally had their Chicken Tamale; both served with rice and creamy beans.  There was the traditional started of chips with an excellant handmade Pico de Gallo.  Note, this is a Mexican, not Guatemalan or Cuban or other Latin national restaurant. Real Mexican, not that Taco Belltm or Lazy Iguana imitation stuff. Tasty, simple homemade Mexican food.  Although Lady Sally didn't care for the texture of the creamy Jalisco-style beans, I liked them. Good value for the dollar.

John Pennecamp Coral Reef State Park  MM 102

NOT a food stop, but one of the reasons we came to The Keys.  I had been wanting to come to the first underwater state park for a very long time. We took one of the Park concessionaire snorkel trips, not a private enterprise. Take the earliest trip you can, mid-week, to avoid  crowds and degraded water clarity.  

French Angelfish

Coralscape with Sargeant Major fish

Key Largo Conch House Mile Marker 100

This place has been the subject of several Food Network and Travel Channel shows. Most recently, Emeril LaGasse was here and filmed a show to be aired in 2015. Best Conch Fritters ever! Lady Sally's Blue Crab and Mango Stuffed Mahi was very tasty, however it was sadly lacking in the mango department. More than one small cube would have been nice. My Chorizo Stuffed Shrimp were excellent, redolent of Spanish (not Mexican) chorizo and smoked Spanish paprika. Nice atmosphere, not the cheapest but certainly worth the $$.

World Famous Conch Fritters

Of all the "World Famous" things advertizsed between MM 127 and MM 0, these come closest to fulfilling your expectations!

Cafe Moka Mile Marker 92

French bakery (real French owner) and coffee shop with roasted on-site coffees, handmade baked breads and pastries, salads and sandwiches. Fresh French bread made my simple Turkey and Swiss sandwich extra special, accompanied by a salad of “complex simplicity” – Romaine, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds and halved cherry tomatoes garnished by the perfect amount of good dark balsamic vinegar. Sally's mini quiche of mushrooms and goat cheese was the perfect lunch-sized portion when accompanied by a side salad . Mini key lime pie was the perfectly not too tart and not too sweet finish. Really good value for the price, and not your average Keysian battered fried fish and conch offerings.

Island Grill Mile Marker 87

When we got there it was in a torrential rain. On a tin roof. With an amplified guitarist not far enough away. Not unlike having dinner in a warehouse. Service was so-so. The Fried Yellowtail was excellent, the coleslaw a bit above Sysco average, and Lady Sally's Mahi with Sweet Potato Fries was above average as well.

Hog Heaven MM 87

It may be heaven for hogs, but we found it just average. Walked in on Friday night to find the locals drinking themselves silly at happy hour, and were ignored by waitstaff until I literally grabbed one by the arm. The Conch Chowder was OK, the Giant Fried Fish Sandwich (Mahi) was certainly giant enough but the breading wasn't all it could have been. We can get better Fish Tacos at half dozen places here at home. Price not bad, food not bad; but not the best.

Habaneros Oceanfront MM 73

Lady Sally had a Mahi sandwich and I opted for a conch 'burger' is this Cuban owned and operated dining spot.  Really good food at a decent price; and the murals on the buildings next door are a must see!

Bobs Bunz

Famous for their cinnamon rolls and other pasteries, we decided on a somewhat more hearty breakfast. The Cinnamon Roll French Toast was out of sight, and the Spinach & Feta Omelet was everything you could ask, and then some. On the way out the door be sure to pick up some of their Key Lime Biscotti. Although they're more like shortbread than biscotti, they are the perfect Keys road trip nibble! Great food, good value.

Sunset Grill & Raw Bar – MM 33 at the Seven Mile Bridge, turn at north end of bridge

This was where I took Lady Sally for her birthday dinner, on the way back from our day trip to Key West. She had the Florida Lobster Tempura Roll, and raved over every bite. I had the most excellent Captain Calamari – a Caesar salad topped with a mound of fried calamari. Here we discovered the Best Conch Chowder ever! Not a watery base, but a rich, thick, unctuous broth; tons of conch meat perfectly cooked, not chewy, and other perfectly blended ingredients. A must for conch chowder lovers.  A bit pricey, but well worth it for the venue and the quality and quantity of food.  If you stop at one restaurant in the Keys, stop here at sunset!  True Keys folk, they stop the band,  and announce a moment of silence every evening as the sun slips into the Gulf.  The only thing missing was the lonely moan of a conch shell horn....

Sunset Grill view from the patio.

Next week, Mamey, the football fruit, and more...