Ask any local where to eat in Key Largo and dollars to donuts; the Fish House will be at the top of the list.
Featured on the “Food Network,” The Fish House has been a Key Largo landmark for over 35 years. Owners Doug Prew and CJ Berwick opened the rough-hewn roadside restaurant in 1987, just as the Conch Republic was being born.
“In the late 1980s, we were at the tail end of the Wild West here in the Keys,” Doug once recalled. “We used to play touch football on US 1. We could play half a game of football before seeing a car”.
But those early days did not deter Doug and CJ. Even back then, they knew that the key to terrific seafood lies in its freshness, so they made “fresh off the boat” fish their trademark. “From our fishermen to you!” became their official slogan, but more than that, it became their mission and mantra for the decades that followed. 
Today, local fisherman still bring their daily catches — 3,000 to 4,000 pounds a week to the back door of The Fish House, where it’s filleted on premises.
Topping the menu are homemade chowder, smoked fish dip, and “Today’s Catch Specialty Preparations,” which include the award-winning Matecumbe Style (topped with fresh tomatoes, shallots, fresh basil, capers, olive oil, and lemon, then baked).
Many of the fish dishes here are prepared “island style,” but you can also get fried seafood platters, whole yellowtail snapper, king crab, Florida lobster, and more.
And even though it’s a “Fish House,” you can still enjoy Black Angus steak, baby back ribs, grilled chicken, and lots of pasta.
Discover this landmark eatery at 102401 Overseas Hwy, Key Largo. Info: 305-451-4665; fishhouse.com.
