Kelly’s Caribbean Bar, Grill & Brewery

Previous to last night, I had only been here for Happy Hours and gatherings in the bar. Their wings are among the best I’ve ever had. Last night we went for dinner when our first choice restaurant was closed. The dinner was a disappointment. The Hogfish special was tasty but at nearly $ 30 not a good value. No bread was served and the piece of fish was small. It was served with Couscous and a few (very few) vegetables. The drinks were $ 8 – 9 and the Mojito was just so-​so, lacking in flavor. Entrée plus 2 drinks was about $ 50/​pp before tip. The service wasn’t very good either and we went early so there were very few patrons in the dining room. I’d go back for Happy Hours but there are better options for dinner for the price and service.

I absolutely loved this place. The Fish Taco’s and conch chowder chased by a freshly brewed Havana Red Ale is to die for! The wait staff are friendly and very attentive. They brew their beers right on the premises! Definitely worth the visit when you come to Key West!

This is the best place we ate on our trip. The service was great, the food fresh, and atmosphere was relaxed. Prices were very reasonable for the quality.

Absolutely wrong sat outside mosquitos were bad asked to sit inside they sat us in a room that had an art show in progress kids meal comes with drink charged us any way tuna wonton was disappointing with tons of wasabi on top skirt steak nothing but fat last night in key west worst meal ever stay away

Exactly the dinner spot we were looking for in Key West. We sat on the patio, which was quiet and uncrowded.
Their bread, I believe with coconut and pineapple baked in, is amazing! The smoked fish dip was the best we had in Key West. My husband’s hogfish entrée was very good. My jerk chicken entrée was very good as well, could have been a little bit spicier though. Our server told us the dish had been spicier at one point but they toned it down to appeal to more people. Bring back the spicy option! The side of plantains were TO DIE FOR!!!
Check Kelly’s out if you’re looking for seafood in a more relaxed setting!

Good happy hour. Ty & Micah were great bartenders. The key lime margarita was good & strong. Only had the beer cheese dip for food & it was good & spicy.

What a beautiful spot!!! The food was wonderful. Try the grilled avocado and the hand carved turkey blt. Don’t forget their micro-​brewed beers and the key lime pie. To top it off, the service was excellent and so friendly.

Nice place. 3 types of micro brews. Great scenery and quiet atmosphere with locals. Enjoyed the night!

My husband and I had dinner here in early May and had a nice experience. Our server, named John, was very friendly and took time to be social even though he was quite busy. He added a lot to the experience. My husband had a steak and really liked it. I had a shrimp cobb salad, which was nice too. If we get back to Key West, we will return to Kelly’s.

Great food, beautiful ambiance, and awesome customer service! The ahi tuna and the conch chowder are the best plates on their menu!

So online the menu listed lobster roll. This was our purpose for visiting this specific restaurant. FAIL!
We should have looked at the posted menu upon arrival, but alas we did not and we were hungry.
There were 3 tables in the restaurant that were occupied. You would have thought it was a Friday night at prime time with how long the service took… at least an hour. But thank goodness, there was a pile of dog poop to stare at while we waited.
The food wasn’t the best nor was it the worst. The fish poor boy was good, but needed a bit more sauce. The burger was fine, not the best as the server promised. And there was no special sauce on it. The fish tacos were WAY overcooked. And I find it odd when you walk in with a kid but have to ask for a kids menu. Fries are good!
The drinks were okay. But I’m not a fan of the dirty straw they used in my water glass. The women’s bathroom was pretty nasty… there was a maxi pad floating in one toilet. There were beautiful orchids growing in the trees, so there was something nice to look at.

The key lime pie is to die for. The entire 5 days we were in the keys we tried key lime pie everywhere we went and this by far was my favorite!!! Coming from a South Carolina pulled pork loving girl their pulled pork was amazing (not the best ive ever had but very comparable) the sauce was amazing!!!
I loved the atmosphere of being able to sit outside and watch people walk by on the streets of Key West. The beer was also very good!

A great place to stop for lunch, especially if your touring the Old Town area. We had the Conch Chowder, Stuffed Chicken sandwich, Turkey sandwich and Coconut Shrimp. Everything was quite good. Service was OK, but not engaged. Interesting building and history. Restaurant is owned by Kelly McGillis (Top Gun) and the building is known as the birthplace of Pan American World Airways.
My friend from Scotland did add that the Oreo Crusted Key Lime pie was the best Key Lime Pie she has had in Key West so far.

Visited here first time for happy hour (until 7pm) and after waiting for the first round of drinks a bit too long, the waiter on the porch remedied it nicely and made sure that following rounds were served promplty.
Came back for happy hour on our second night in KW and got stellar service throughout the visit — tried most happy hour snacks, beer dip and wings were really good but the nachos were truly out of this world, we had to get another plate to share.
All in all, this is the place we will visit on our future visits to KW. Highly recommended!

Ate here on our last day in the Keys, and it’s a real nice atmosphere. Sit outside with all the palm trees, as it provides shade and makes you feel like you’re eating in the wild.
First off, the menu is big enough to offer something for everyone. You can get a big salad, or a big sandwich, or an omelette. The server (I forgot his name) was pretty cool… he moved down from Buffalo and told our group how he vacationed in Key West and just never went back home. (It seems like many people who live in the Keys say the same thing.) He was punctual and courteous. Many water refills.
The food itself is pretty filling. The fries are OK, but the sandwiches are good. I was kind of disappointed because I ordered a tuscan chicken item that was filled with bleu cheese, but they apparently ran out of chicken? It was around noon so who knows, but I ordered the New Orleans Muffaleta and it was awesome. I had never had one before anywhere, and it is a meat sandwich if I ever saw one. It’s like I robbed a New York deli.
I was quite full fro that excursion, and then all of us split a piece of Oreo Key Lime Pie. Holy crap! That was some pie, you have to try it. So fresh and so good.
The menu changes all the time I think, and they have different brunch and dinner menus. This place also does engagement and pre-​wedding dinners, FYI. Would definitely come back because it’s a serene atmosphere to eat some good grub.

I’m not sure how I hadn’t reviewed Kelly’s yet, as I’ve been coming here for nearly 10 years, but here goes…
Being the original headquarters for Pan American World Airways, this is a certain mecca for airline geeks like myself. Very cool history in here and some subtle aviation theme throughout. The bar is even made to look like an airplane wing.
Beyond that, the service here can be extremely slow. Both sitting at the bar and in the courtyard, it often took quite some time to get drinks and food, especially during happy hour. Perhaps beefing up staffing would help a little bit. The service was also not particularly friendly. Not rude or anything, but definitely a contrast to typical laid back Key West service.
As for the food, it seemed pretty good quality. Their coconut shrimp was the best I had in Key West. They also have a full bar in addition to their beers. I did find some of their beers to be pretty decent, though.
Price-​wise, it seemed a skosh high, as compared to similar businesses on the island.
Definitely worth popping in for a drink.

After a 4.5 hour drive from Miami my husband and I were hot and tired. We decided to wander the streets of Key West. It was hot and humid so we needed some cold refreshments. Just as we thought we would melt I looked up and saw our savior; Kelly’s Caribbean Bar, Grill, & Brewery.
We went up to the bar and ordered a beer and a margarita (we came 10 minutes before the end of happy hour, so don’t judge). I had their red ale and a key west marg. Before I talk about the beer I’ll break down the marg.
The marg was really really good. They use key lime liqueur which made it slightly creamy would be the best word to describe it. The key lime also added a different kind of tartness that you don’t get in a regular lime. My husband got the regular marg and we both agreed mine was better. Had that blended mouth feel without actually having to blend it. Very cool and refreshing.
Now for the beer. Normally I judge a brewery on if they swing for the fences or elevate a «classic» style. I wouldn’t say I can judge Kelly’s in that way. Kelly’s seemed to be more of a bar and grill that happens to brew beer. The beer was solid, but nothing on the level of a craft brewery. I would drink it again, but I don’t think it could compete with the big dogs.
On a hot, humid, sticky day this was a great place to grab a cool drink.
⁷⁸⁄₁₀₀

Just what you’d expect for dinner in Key West. This restaurant is on the corner just off Duval.
There are several different dining areas on the 1^st and 2^nd floor. They have specialty beers and a good wine selection. We opted for several appetizers of which were delicious.
The coconut shrimp were huge with a very flavorful coconut breading served with a pineapple dipping sauce. The calamari were tender with a very light tempura breading served with a tangy soy dipping sauce. The smoked fish spread had quality fish with lots of flavor served on a bed of arugula, topped with tomato salsa and served with seed and nut crackers.
Delicious food, friendly service in a nice location.
Would definitely go back.

This was an adorable restaurant in key west!
I had a wonderful key lime margarita and we shared the conch fritters to start. The bread the put in the table was a sweet Hawaiian loaf and was very nice.
I got the fillet and whipped garlic potatoes. One of the biggest and best I’ve had anywhere. The potatoes were fantastic. I felt my plate was very under salted but once I added it, it was magic!
Brad got the skirt steak with beans and rice he enjoyed his (except for the plantains, not the chefs fault)
My son got the jerk chicken. He ate because he was hungry but didn’t really enjoy it. I tried it and didn’t care for it at all. Too sweet for my taste.
We had the key lime pie for dessert and it was ok. Chocolate crust and the filing was sweet not tart.
I would go again. It was really good overall.

Overall, I am kind of indifferent about Kelly’s Caribbean Bar. A few friends and I went here on a bar crawl, but this place definitely didn’t stand out in the crowd of bars.
For a Key West bar, this joint is pretty big — ample room at the actual bar, and then seated areas inside and outside. This is more of an enclosed location, so it’s more convivial as supposed to facing just street. Kind of dingy inside, but has the typical Key West flair.
The drink specials are just like they are anywhere else in Key West, with two-​for-​one drinks and appetizer specials. However, we were served the wrong food twice. That’s good from the perspective of being able to eat a lot of random free food, but makes me question if the other people for which that food was destined had to wait even longer.
Overall, in a town so many bars, Kelly’s Caribbean Bar isn’t really a must-​go place in my opinion.

Awful experience. Plastic chairs with «fine dining» prices. Waitress was really nice so the only star goes for her. She said they ran out of food that night. We ordered ribeye steak and half roasted chicken and they brought some cheap meat (still charging rib eye prices) and two dry chicken breasts. Never again.

Im Freien Essen in Key West:
Wir haben diesen attraktiven Ort zufällig gefunden, ein toller,
lauschiger Palmen-​Restaurant-​Garten mit Tischen und Stühlen im Freien,
sehr einladend. Und mit Aussen-​Ventilatoren.
Unweit der ordinären Duval (!) Street. Mittags toll gegessen. Huhn mit Reis !
Ein Geheimtipp.
Abends an der Bar im Innern gefeiert. Freitag, 18.00, tolle, lockere Stimmung bei Drinks mit
meist einheimischem, edlem Publikum. Kaum Touristen (März).
Hier im Gebäude wurde 1927 die Luftlinie PanAm gegründet. Erster Flug Key West nach Havanna,
Kuba.
Key West: Das Schönste ist die Anfahrt.
Und die schönen, wunderbar unverschandelten Holzhäuser in den Wohngebieten.
Die tropische Vegetation. Überbleibsel der Hippie Epoche sind unübersehbar.
Nicht zu vergessen: Das koloniale Hemingway Haus.