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Hogfish Bar and Grill - The Hogfish Bar and Grill in Key West, FL offers seafood and ambiance with great views of one of Key West's last
working marinas. Located in Key West but officially on the island of Stock Island just over the bridge from the
island of Key West, the Hogfish Bar and Grill is a great favorite of locals for lunch. Go here on any
day between noon and three, and the place is packed with locals and snowbirds who know a good deal when they see
one. With hardly a cruise ship tourist in sight, you'll appreciate the authentic style of the Hogfish Bar and
Grill, where locals go to relax and see friends.
The menu consists maily of seafood, with a few land lubber items thrown in for good measure so the whole
crowd is happy. The specialty is of course hogfish, which are speared by divers in Key West and therefore
prized among seafood lovers everywhere from Key West to New York. They also specialize in the ever-popular Key
West shrimp, which are actually unloaded from shrimp boats right across the way, at the only shrimp unloading
dock left in Key West. It's visible from the tables of Hogfish Bar and Grill, which is one of the best things
about this Key West restaurant. After enduring the Duval Street masses and the tourism hype associated with
that area of Key West, the Hogfish Bar and Grill is so authentic you'll wonder why you ever bothered to eat on
Duval Street. (The answer would be of course, there are some fabulous restaurants on Duval Street, and it's the
liveliest part of town. Each area has its strengths and weaknesses and if you want local flavor and a taste of
the old Key West the Hogfish Bar and Grill is the place to be.)
After locating the Hogfish Bar and Grill on Stock Island, you can find parking along the dusty narrow
commerical street on which it's located. Just find a spot and park it there, nothing fancy or official. You
may have to walk a bit from your car batk to the restaurant, as it is a very popular place to eat. You may even
find yourself parking way down the street near Fishbusterz, the only commercial seafood market left in Key West.
IF you do, stop in and get some fresh seafood for later. What a treat! As you walk in to the restaurant,
wait for the hostess to seat you. You'll then find yourself immersed in the local world and good times.
There's a pool table in the middle of the floor, next to the bar. Tables are often barstools with high small
tables, but that 's ok. If you are lucky enough to get a table outside on the docks, you will have room to
spread out or fit a whole family because they have picnic tables out there. Other seating will be on yoru left
as you go in, which has a view overlooking the shrimp boat marina across the way. Any view is awesome here at
the Hogfish Bar and Grill!
Great ambiance may be the greatest thing about the Hogfish Bar and Grill. We ordered the garlic shrimp and
it was less than desirable. We had a particularly hard time peeling the shrimp, which frustrated the heck out
of us. The shrimp was soaked in butter but no garlic flavor. The fries were stale too. Our friend had the
pulled pork sandwhich and had no complaints, but that's hardly the reason people drive all the way out to the
Hogfish Bar and Grill- for pork! Anyway, it's worth a trip at least once for the setting and the local flavor.
Plus, most folks prefer their seafood just smothered in butter because it tastes really good that way. Just a
little disappointing about the shrimp which we'd heard so much about.
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