Seafood$historic-seaportDaily 07:00-17:00
Fisherman's Cafe works a small counter by Key West's Historic Seaport, stacking fish sandwiches with papaya and mango slaw for boat crews and walkers.
Signature: Fish sandwich with papaya-mango slaw, Cuban mix
Order: Fresh fish sandwich with the papaya and mango slaw
Tip: Seating is a few sidewalk tables on Elizabeth Street; it closes at 17:00, so treat it as a breakfast and lunch stop.
Italian$$historic-seaportDaily 16:30-22:00
Onlywood Grill fires Neapolitan pies in a garden courtyard off Caroline Street, the roomiest of the three Onlywood pizzerias running in Key West.
Signature: Neapolitan wood-fired pizza, Parmacotto pie
Order: A wood-fired pie with parmacotto ham and pistachio sauce
Tip: Happy hour runs 16:30 to 18:00; the original Onlywood Pizzeria Trattoria on Duval handles the walk-up slices.
American$$old-townDaily 11:30-02:00
Mary Ellen's serves grilled cheese down an Appelrouth Lane alley until 02:00, the late Key West kitchen that beats a pizza slice after Duval Street.
Signature: Grilled cheese, Bad Boy Burrito
Order: A grilled cheese from the nine varieties, with the dipping sauces
Tip: Appelrouth Lane is easy to walk past; the kitchen serves late, which makes it the grown-up alternative to pizza slices.
American$$duval-streetMon-Thu 10:00-02:00; Fri-Sat 10:00-04:00; Sun 10:00-02:00
Willie T's papers its Duval Street porch in signed dollar bills and pours mojitos over live music from 11:00 to 01:30, with a full Key West seafood menu.
Signature: Mojitos, Fresh seafood plates
Order: A fresh-mint mojito and whatever fish is on the board
Tip: Add your own signed dollar to the tens of thousands on the walls; the kitchen serves lunch through late night.
Mediterranean$$new-townDaily 07:30-00:00
Kennedy Cafe cooks to midnight in New Town and delivers until 23:30, the late Mediterranean kitchen that feeds Key West's hospitality shift workers.
Signature: Uzbek pita breads, Falafel
Order: Falafel on the house-baked Uzbek pita
Tip: It is a locals' strip-mall room away from Old Town with free parking, and one of the few island kitchens open past 23:00.
Mediterranean$$white-streetDaily 11:00-22:00
Oasis Mediterranean Cuisine hand-folds Turkic manti and khachapuri in a garden room on White Street, Key West's Central Asian outlier worth the detour.
Signature: Manti, Chicken shawarma bowl
Order: Manti dumplings, then the chicken shawarma bowl
Tip: The lush back garden is the seat to take; the somsa pastries and baklava travel well for a beach picnic.