Dining outside at the Conch House in Key Largo

With Spring Break time upon us, there is always the question of where to eat in Key Largo. As a tourist town, most restaurants have to be good to survive beyond the first year. Serving good food is not the only requirement of course since several other issues also determine whether a place can stay in business or not.

The Conch House in Key Largo is one of the smaller restaurants that does not have a waterview and have therefore carved out a spot that features a lovely garden setting. In fact, if you don’t know where they are at MM 100.2, Ocean Side, you won’t see them from the road. It is in an old Conch-style frame house tucked behind large trees and plants, the front view of the place virtually screened from traffic. While there are tables inside, on the porch and out on the terrace is where the primary seating is located. The food is fresh and they feature salads, sandwiches, and wraps, although they have started serving dinner as well. We haven’t tried them in the evening so I can only speak for lunch. It is also the place that introduced us to Monk in the Trunk, an excellent craft beer.

Now, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one of their claims to fame which is being featured on an episode of the television show, “Man v. Food”. Conch fritters are a speciality and the star of the show came a few years ago I think it was for some sort of timed challenge, but I don’t know all the details. Like most restaurants in Key Largo, this is not a place to expect to be in and out quickly. It is, however, a lovely setting with good food and a friendly staff. http://www.keylargocoffeehouse.com/