Raw conch diced small and cured in key lime and citrus juice with onion, pepper and tomato until the meat turns opaque and firm. The raw-bar counterpart to the fritter, and the cleaner way to taste the mollusc.

The Bahamian version is called conch salad and is chopped to order on the dock, the shell opened, the meat scored and the lime squeezed in front of you. Key West raw bars adapted it into a ceviche served in a glass, a form that also travelled up from the Cuban and wider Caribbean tradition of curing seafood in acid. Half Shell Raw Bar on the Margaret Street docks calls its version the ultimate treat and has built a reputation on it. Since the 1985 Florida harvest ban the conch is imported, so the citrus, not the provenance, is what distinguishes one kitchen's bowl from another's.

Where to eat Conch ceviche in Key West

2 editor picks for Conch ceviche in Key West, ranked by editorial score. All Key West signature dishes · Conch ceviche across every city.

  • Thirsty Mermaid

    Order The daily oyster selection with local ceviche

    Thirsty Mermaid runs a jewel-box raw bar on Fleming Street in Key West, rotating daily oysters beside local ceviche and pan-sauteed yellowtail snapper.

    DetailsDirections

  • Half Shell Raw Bar

    Order Conch ceviche and a dozen on the half shell

    Half Shell Raw Bar shucks oysters and cures conch ceviche in a licence-plate-lined shed on Key West's Margaret Street docks, open to the harbour breeze.

    DetailsDirections

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Key West: Old Town Food Tour with 5+ Tastings

Explore Old Town Key West beyond Duval Street. Taste local favorites like conch fritters, Cuban bites, iced coffee, and Key lime pie, plus a delicious secret dish.

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More places near Thirsty Mermaid and Half Shell Raw Bar

Not on this list, but close by, nearest first. Every one is in our guide with its address, hours and what to order.

Make it at home

Serves 41 hr 30 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 400g very fresh conch meat, cleaned and tenderised
  • 180ml key lime juice
  • 60ml orange juice
  • 1 small red onion, finely diced
  • 1 green pepper, finely diced
  • 2 plum tomatoes, deseeded and diced
  • Half a scotch bonnet, deseeded and minced
  • 1 small cucumber, deseeded and diced
  • Handful of coriander, chopped
  • 1 tsp salt, black pepper

Method

  1. Pound the conch lightly, then dice it into 5mm cubes. Uniform size matters because the acid cures by surface area.
  2. Cover the conch with the key lime juice in a glass bowl, stir, cover and refrigerate 1 hour until opaque and firm.
  3. Drain off about half the juice and discard.
  4. Fold in the onion, pepper, tomato, cucumber and scotch bonnet.
  5. Add the orange juice, salt and pepper, then rest a further 15 minutes.
  6. Stir through the coriander just before serving, cold, with saltines or plantain crisps.

Editor tip. Do not cure it overnight. Past about 90 minutes the acid keeps working and the conch goes from firm to chalky.

Common allergens: Shellfish.