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 and is the only restaurant in the Keys that you can reach by land, air (that is if you own a helicopter) or by sea.
This is THE place to get your “tiki” on with a litany of high-powered, crafted tropical cocktails that include Mai Tais, Hurricanes, flavored Daiquiris, or our own personal favorite, the “Painkiller” — Pussers rum, Coco Lopez, orange juice, pineapple, and nutmeg, and, 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 here 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. The Oysters Moscow (freshly shucked and dolloped with horseradish sour cream and red and black caviar) are also especially good.
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 exceptional Mexican specialties. Especially on Mexican Sundays when you can get Burritos, Tacos, Fajitas, Nachos, and lots of other south-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 – 5pm. 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
.