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Random Quote: Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.
Bone - some of my favorites - these are all places where you can get off the boat and get a room with a/c and shower - cheap
Gilbert's - Jewfish Creek - good tiki bar
Smuggler's Cove - at snake Creek bridge - nice little s**thole bar/restauraunt
Holiday Isle - touristy but good bars - marina so-so - but 1/2 mile off shore is a sandbar where 100 boats anchor - and someone's always topless
If you want to go upsacle a bit cause you got the wife along - Key Largo Marriott
gersley pretty much beat me to the punch. I agree with all his spots ans assessments. For dinner I would also add Snappers.
TYhough it's not really a "bar" type place and does not have a tiki bar, I usually try to make the run down to the World Wide Sportsman and hang at the Zane Grey Lounge upstairs. It's my favorite bar in the upper Keys.
Lor e' Lei's is also good for sunset and for music.
Though I just have a slow (by today's standards anyway" fishing boat, I like hanging at Gilberts to check out the fast set!
Can't remember the name, but the restaurant just north of World Wide Angler on the bay side is awesome, nice casual outside part and very fancy inside. The outside part you are sitting on table on white sand, listening to some live music, very nice.
What's funny about this thread is seeing how many of these restaurants have been around forever and used to suck to the point of health concerns. Somebody kicked the Keys in the ass after realizing good food brings tourists and money, and the places that used to be roach motels are now excellent. Gilbert's might be the biggest turnaround, as well as Sundowner's. Some non-waterfront places that are also very good are Hobo's and the Fish House, both in Key Largo.
Make sure you plot the right course through all these recommendations and choose your crossing points because the bay can get a little tricky for a 32' boat between Key Largo and Tavernier. Know which facilities are bay side and which are ocean side.
BTW, even though its sort of touristy and a chain, the best fish sandwhich in the Keys is the Islamorada Grouper Sandwich at Islamorada Fish Company (part of Outdoor World).
Smuglers Cove in islamorada has gas, dockage and a restaurant/bar, right next to the bridge in snake creek.
Snappers in tavernier is good place to eat, they have some dockage (ocean side) but never been there by boat
Numerous restaurants on the North side of KL, between Jewfish and dusenbery creek
good marinas at Plantation Yacht Harbor in islamorada and Mangrove in tavernier if you stay aboard.
Stay in the ICW or between markers when going between the bay and ocean. Not sure where the problems are between KL and tavernier / islamorada, never even came close to hitting with inboards and 4' draft. jsut don't take shortcuts and approach shore carefully when going to a retaurant, marina, etc..
holliday isle is a good place to go, gilbert's too.
there is also a good hotel on the bay side of KL, with a marina, used to be a Mariott I think, now a Westin (although I'm not sure about taht either...) .... it's one the stretch right before Pigeon Key
enjoy your week end and keep an eye on Jeannine... could make things windy sunday evening...
MM88 is, without a doubt, the best restaurant in the Upper Keys although they are not what I would call a Tiki Bar Hang Out! Their food is truly gourmet!
Morada Bay, that's it! Place is alot of fun, even the kids liked it. The place just north of Bud and Marys on the ocean side is also excellent food, don't know about dockage, you could find a slip at Bud and Marys or Papa Joes and walk next door.
right acroos the street from smuggler cove - look at my waypoint for smugglers above - it's located on s small canal just before you go under the bridge at snake creek from the ocean side...lots better places to eat though...
Anyone interested in fuel on the water at street prices, contact me... Location is in Key Largo on the Bay side between Gilberts & The Caribbean Club... Not well known...
The trip went well. We stayed at the Coconut Palm Inn and at the Chesapeake Resort. The real surprise was how easy and fast it was to get down there-just over an hour. Had I known how easy it was, I would have stayed in Islamorada both nights. Other than Key West, it seems Islamorada has more to do at night than anywhere. We went to Wide World Sportsman, Zane Gray lounge, Morada Bay. Sadly, we never made it to the Lorelei, Woodys, the Tiki Bar or any of the other places 'round there. Too much to do. Definitely going back soon and definitely a good Bimini alternative.
Great time, great weather and the plugs didn't foul. What more could I ask?
Marinas to visit by boat in the Upper Keys 
