Hi, I’m David, and I live in Key West. I won’t pretend I’ve eaten at every restaurant on the island; we’re spoiled with good ones here, more than I could get through if I ate out every night, and I cook at home for my family plenty. But I’ve been visiting or living here since 2015, and I pay attention to what’s going on.
There’s a Michael McCloud saying you used to hear around the island: “I just came down for the weekend, and that was 25 years ago.” Locals have a name for what he’s describing. They call it Keys Disease, and there’s no real cure. The island gets its hooks in you, and the weekend turns into the rest of your life.
My dad caught it in 2015. He moved down that year, and his Key West was the live music scene; every place he took me to eat had someone playing in the corner. I’d been coming ever since. Five years ago this week, I made it permanent: my family flew in while I drove cross-country in a rental truck with our cat Hana riding shotgun, and we arrived on June 23rd.
I wasn’t impressed with what I found online. Happy hour info that was outdated, inconsistent, or clearly written by someone who’d passed through once. I figured a local could do better, so I started writing down what’s actually good and keeping it up to date as places change. That means I’m out eating, finding new happy hours and specials, and noticing what opened, what closed, and what’s worth your time. The last couple of years slowed me down some, but you’ll still find me here or there: eating, looking at happy hours and specials, and enjoying island life.
What You’ll Find Here
This site is about eating and drinking in Key West like someone who actually lives here:
Happy Hours: where to go, what’s actually a deal, and which ones come with a water view. The happy hour guide is the most-read thing on the site.
Where to Eat: restaurant guides, the seafood worth ordering, seasonal specials, and the places worth a detour off Duval.
Key West Tips: the practical stuff, like beaches, getting around, when to come, and what’s worth your time.
Why Trust Me On This
I’m not reviewing Key West from a desk in another state. I live here, eat at these places myself, and I keep the site current, because happy hours and menus change constantly, and an outdated guide is worse than none.
My taste didn’t start in Key West. I grew up moving around, the U.S. and a few stops well outside it, and ate my way through most of it: years in Hawaii and the Japanese, Korean, and Chinese food you grow up around there, time in California and the Mexican food that comes with it, and a standing weakness for good seafood and local cooking wherever I find it. I won’t claim to have tried everything here. I will tell you when Key West nails something and when it doesn’t.
Say Hi
Got a question, a tip, or a spot I’ve missed? Contact me; I read everything.
And if you’re planning a trip, the happy hour guide is the place to begin. 🌴☀️🐓