Dock and Dine: Nine Florida Keys Restaurants to Visit by Boat

Whether it’s deep-sea fishing charters, snorkeling and diving adventuress or just enjoying the tropical scenery of palm trees and crystal clear water, a day on the Florida Keys waterways is a trip to paradise. All this activity is bound to make a person hungry for some good seafood, or, at the very least, thirsty for a frosty frozen beverage or two.

Due to prime locations on the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, Florida Keys and South Florida restaurants feature menus heavily on the seafood side, but they mix it up with plenty of other options. If you’re looking for something a little different for dinner (in other words, not prepared by you in your boat’s galley), we’ve got some suggestions for you to visit from a private boat slip for rent. No worries, though, you can also get there by land.

Sharkey’s Sharkbite Grill

Photo: Sandy Allen

Located at mile marker 100, Sharkey’s Sharkbite Grill sits canalside on Key Largo Harbor. The popular sports bar has a waterside patio and a second-floor dining room. The menu features coconut fried shrimp, conch fritters, Mexican-style grilled sandwiches, burgers and tacos, wings and bowls as well as a large breakfast menu (for those early morning fishing trips from a boat lift rental). Like many Keys eateries, they can cook your catch if you so choose.

Skipper’s Dockside

Canal views at Skipper's (Photo: Sandy Allen)

Skipper’s Dockside is part of the Marina Del Mar Resort & Marina in Key Largo. It has an old-fashioned icehouse and 1940s filling station exterior as well as an outdoor tiki bar and dining area, complete with a tropical-inspired palm thatch roof. Enjoy canal views of charter fishing boats and curious sea creatures (sharks can often be seen hanging out for the remains of dockside fish cleaning). Order up mojitos, bloody Marys and other tropical drinks, as well as calamari, Bahamian red conch chowder, tacos, mahi sandwiches, shrimp po’boys, burgers and filet mignon. They’ll also cook your catch. Before or after dinner, walk down the dock and visit the African Queen steamboat from the Bogart and Hepburn movie.

Marker 88

Photo: Marker 88 Facebook

Marker 88, located at mile marker 88 on Islamorada, was established in 1967 and features a wide variety of fresh seafood (mahi, hogfish and Florida lobster tail, to name a few), sandwiches, burgers, soups and salads. They serve lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. The dock is currently being refurbished so you might want to call to make sure there’s dock space before leaving a private boat slip rental. It's dog-friendly, so bring those pups along!

Castaway Waterfront Restaurant and Sushi Bar

Photo: Castaway Waterfront Restaurant and Sushi Bar Facebook

Castaway Waterfront Restaurant and Sushi Bar, on Marathon, serves excellent seafood, all sorts of sushi and pasta, steak, chicken, baby back ribs and more. There are 52 beers on tap, so designate you boat operator ahead of time! It’s even Fieri famous with a feature on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Castaway’s serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Happy hour is daily from 2 – 5:45. It’s located waterfront at mile marker 48. Coming by water, it’s down the canal behind Poncho’s Fuel Dock and near Marathon Marina.

Lazy Days South

Photo: Sandy Allen

Lazy Days South is near the 7 Mile Bridge and Marathon Marina and RV Resort on Marathon. Choose indoor or dockside dining alongside the restaurant’s slips. The menu features fresh seafood, pasta, oyster platters, New York strip, veggie burgers and salads, as well as a cook-your-catch option. Check out the wide array of specialty martinis and margaritas and more unique choices like Jamaican, calypso and Irish coffee.

Sunset Grille & Raw Bar

Photo: Sandy Allen

Sunset Grille & Raw Bar is right at the foot of the 7 Mile Bridge in Marathon. Come by car or boat for breakfast, lunch or dinner. By car, it’s the last left before crossing the bridge, so if you miss it, well … you’re going to be driving seven miles before you can turn around. The menu offers seafood, steak, burgers, prime rib, braised short rib ravioli, sushi and a raw bar as well as a wide selection of tropical drinks like shark bites, bushwackers and painkillers. You can even get a drink in a coconut. And yes, restaurant guests can use the on-site pool. Other activities include cornhole tournaments, a poolside DJ, live music and movie nights. But we think the sunset is the best reason to head out from a boat lift for rent.

Kiki’s Sandbar Bar & Grille

Photo: Kiki's Sandbar Bar & Grille Facebook

Kiki’s Sandbar Bar & Grille, on Little Torch Key, has a long pier with dockage and views of Newfound and Marsh harbors. Dine indoors or outside on the beach. Dive into selections such as tacos, burgers, ahi tuna nachos and baskets such as shrimp, grouper or snapper served with French fires and cole slaw. Daily happy hour is from 4 to 6, but it makes a great spot to visit from a boat dock rental any time of day.

Hogfish Bar and Grill

Photo: Sandy Allen

Hogfish Bar and Grill may be a little hard to find, but it’s worth it when you get there. Located at Safe Harbor Marina on Stock Island, the casual seafood shack has outdoor dining along the canal or indoors (though still open-air). The menu includes seafood ceviche, lobster bisque, burgers, BBQ rib platters and the namesake hogfish sandwich. Decorated with license plates, it’s a fun spot to hang out after a day on the water.

Hurricane Hole

Photo: Hurricane Hole Facebook

Casual and laid-back, Hurricane Hole is located on Stock Island and has an upstairs restaurant with big-screen TVs and AC. You can also dine dockside as you watch the charter boats come in and unload the catch of the day. If you happen to have your own catch, the chefs can prepare it for you. Choose from salads, tacos, jambalaya, Cajun pasta and burgers. Finish off your meal with key lime pie or a slice of six-layer carrot cake. There’s a full-service marina if you need to gas up before heading back to a private boat slip for rent.

We hope you’ve found some new places to visit from a private boat dock rental in the Keys. Let us know your favorites!