If you’re ready to get into the island groove, flip flop on over to the Island Fish Company (MM 54 in Marathon) and park your beer can shorts at the longest tiki bar in the Florida Keys.
Heralded as Marathon’s most happening party place, this open-air Tiki Bar & Restaurant sits on a spit of sand that pokes into the Gulf of Mexico. It is the only restaurant in the Keys that you can reach by land, air (if you own a helicopter), or sea.
The Island Fish Co. is THE place to get your “tiki” on with a litany of high powered, handcrafted tropical cocktails that include Mai Tais, Hurricanes, flavored Daiquiris, and our personal favorite, the “Painkiller”: Pussers rum, Coco Lopez, orange juice, pineapple, and nutmeg. Man, if this doesn’t put you on island time, nothing will. But it’s not just the cocktails that keep this joint jumpin’. The million-dollar view perfectly frames the nightly sunsets as fire and water become one-and-the-same.
Oh, and the food is pretty damn good, too.
A huge menu with a fantastic Raw Bar selection includes East and West Coast cold water oysters shucked to order, Clams or Gulf Oysters on the Half Shell, Florida Keys Stone Crab, and Peel-And-Eat Pink Shrimp. We highly recommend the Oysters Moscow (freshly shucked and dolloped with horseradish sour cream and red and black caviar).
Other standouts: the meaty Conch Fritters, Shrimp & Lobster Egg Rolls, crispy New England Lobster Roll, and the locally caught Mahi-Mahi or Grouper Sandwich. And get this: in addition to all of the fresh catch preparations and pasta peppering the menu, the Island Fish Co. is also notorious for its unique Mexican specialties. On Mexican Sundays, you can get Burritos, Tacos, Fajitas, Nachos, and many other South of the Border favorites.
The Island Fish Co is open daily from 8 am — 10 pm for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It also has a rockin’ daily Happy Hour from 3 – 5 pm. Find it at 12648 Overseas Highway (MM 54) Gulfside in Marathon. FYI: If you’re coming by boat, you can reach the Island from either the Gulf or the Atlantic. Just set your GPS for 24 43.988 N, 81 01.140 W
Info: 305-743-4191; islandfishco.com.
