The Keys reef fish that appears on every serious Key West menu, usually pan-sautéed whole or filleted and finished with a fruit salsa, a citrus butter or a curry. Delicate, sweet and easy to overcook.
Yellowtail runs the reef line off the Keys year round and has been the local restaurant fish since long before the shrimp boats arrived. It is what Key West kitchens reach for when a menu says local catch, and each of the island's dining rooms treats it as a signature: Cafe Marquesa serves it crisp with shoestring potatoes, Seven Fish finishes it with a Thai curry sauce, and The Flaming Buoy Filet Co pairs it with banana salsa. The variation between those three plates is a fair summary of how Key West cooks: Caribbean fruit, Asian heat and old-school technique on the same fish.
3 editor picks for Yellowtail snapper in Key West, ranked by editorial score. All Key West signature dishes · Yellowtail snapper across every city.
Cafe Marquesa ★ 4.7
old-town · 600 Fleming Street, Key West, FL 33040
Cafe Marquesa is the Marquesa Hotel's 50-seat dining room in Key West, where chef Travis Lee crisps yellowtail snapper and plates oysters nightly.
Seven Fish ★ 4.6
white-street · 921 Truman Ave, Key West, FL 33040
Seven Fish is the Key West dinner room locals book on Truman Avenue, plating yellowtail snapper in Thai curry sauce and smoked mahi from a tight menu.
The Flaming Buoy Filet Co ★ 4.5
old-town · 424 Eaton Street, Key West, FL 33040
The Flaming Buoy Filet Co plays retro supper club on Eaton Street in Key West, searing yellowtail snapper with banana salsa under Star Wars memorabilia.