Sloppy Joe’s
Yes, the island’s most famous saloon/eatery is touristy, but you haven’t fully experienced Key West without setting foot in this icon, founded by Ernest Hemingway wingman Joe Russell the day Prohibition was repealed in 1933, and made legendary by Papa and his cronies. Even gussied up for the masses, the joint exudes character up the wazoo, with its distinctive Cuban-tile floor; hanging flags; walls crammed with photos, memorabilia, and stuffed trophy fish; seemingly nonstop live music; and moments very much in keeping with the, er, quirky local sensibility (case in point last time I was in: a dude with a tattooed potbelly, wearing only a backwards ball cap and a tiny stars-and-bars Speedo, ambling around offering photo ops). Beyond the atmosphere, the light fare can be surprisingly good, including the slightly sweet/tangy eponymous sloppy joe sandwich, the fish tacos, and one of the better local takes on conch fritters.
Yes, the island’s most famous saloon/eatery is touristy, but you haven’t fully experienced Key West without setting foot in this icon, founded by Ernest Hemingway wingman Joe Russell the day Prohibition was repealed in 1933, and made legendary by Papa and his cronies. Even gussied up for the masses, the joint exudes character up the wazoo, with its distinctive Cuban-tile floor; hanging flags; walls crammed with photos, memorabilia, and stuffed trophy fish; seemingly nonstop live music; and moments very much in keeping with the, er, quirky local sensibility (case in point last time I was in: a dude with a tattooed potbelly, wearing only a backwards ball cap and a tiny stars-and-bars Speedo, ambling around offering photo ops). Beyond the atmosphere, the light fare can be surprisingly good, including the slightly sweet/tangy eponymous sloppy joe sandwich, the fish tacos, and one of the better local takes on conch fritters.
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