Key Largo is one of the first islands you encounter on your way to Key West. For the record, they are very far apart; don’t let the maps fool you. But anyways Key Largo is a small quiet town with a lot of beautiful scenery, beautiful coral reefs, and doesn’t have the borderline-sleazy atmosphere of the more popular island down south. In the blemishes of Key Largo is a place that has gotten such a strong reputation so quickly that Man vs. Food, Food Network, and over a half-dozen newspapers has reported about this place. It has been the winner in dozens of food competitions ranging from coffee to bisque to even pie. Key Largo Conch House has developed a deadly reputation that is sure to make all the other restaurants in the area quite jealous. Of course we had to visit.
This spot was quite an adventure to find. Very hidden behind the trees and shrubbery, Key Largo Conch House is a mostly-outdoors restaurant that has nifty decorations around and about, and a good variety of plants. We decided to eat inside despite the nice weather outside. Inside were a few tables, a slew of awards hanging from the walls, and beautiful images of the ocean coming from a TV in the back corner. We were there for lunch and that menu is notably smaller than the one for dinner—and by a lot too. Nonetheless, I decided to give their award-winning conch fritters a shot, as well as the fried shrimp. Josh orders the award-winning lobster bisque and fried shrimp. Lastly Michael orders fried mahi-mahi (our favorite fish in this blog) but no appetizers.
The lobster bisque arrived very quickly and I am going to say this right now: it’s the best lobster bisque ever. The winner before was the bisque of Boston Fish House. But Boston has been dethroned easily by this place. The bisque here was very thick, very creamy, and was a pure delight from the first spoonful to the last. It was a lot chunkier than your average bisque, but it works as you get a heavy taste of lobster without it being too fishy a flavor. I originally didn’t order the bisque, but after a couple spoonful steals from Josh’s bowl I decided I had to get one. The lobster bisque conquered our lunch, as nothing else mattered---just that we wanted more bisque.
The conch fritters arrived, and unlike most items in this blog that I have been able to describe; this one is tough to explain. It was crazy, that’s all I can say. Crazy good though. Just picture a fritter, and mix in the taste of seafood, salty, sweet, and think of the texture of a tough hush puppy. Their fritters are indeed the best, but considering that I haven’t had good conch fritters before, Conch House pretty much wins by default.
Oh, that bisque…………….
Fried mahi-mahi. This fish is tougher to fry correctly when compared to cod or flounder, but they delivered a crisp, lightly-battered, fluffy, yet thick fried work of art. The batter never overpowered the flavoring of the fish (pieces were falling off as you pick up the seafood) but it provided a nice compliment to the rich taste of mahi. The fried shrimp also has that same type of batter, but it doesn’t work as well with the gulf shrimp as it does with the fish. But the shrimp was good, don’t get me wrong. The shrimp tasted fresh, it was plenty-thick, and didn’t disappoint. It is a shame the chips couldn’t quite match up with the seafood. Oh, that bisque……
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…….anywho dessert. We ordered this brownie sundae which was also a delightful assortment of crazy. It was a very warm brownie topped by a couple scoops of rich vanilla ice cream. The mixture of warm pastry and cool ice cream when done correctly provides a beautiful sugar rush to the body as well as propel you to a temporary nirvana. This sundae achieves just that, as it was big but never overloading on sugar, and was flavorful down to the very last ice cream/brownie bite. But we almost wanted more bisque. They have a vat somewhere in the back, that has to be the case because not only is it fantastic, but it comes nearly immediately after you order it. Word to the wise though, this place ain’t cheap, you can pay a pretty penny if you don’t watch out.
Bottom Line: That bisque…..
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Key Largo Conch House is a delightful little place in a delightful little island full of wonderful seafood, a relaxing atmosphere, and a love for food that is matched by very few out there. I have never seen a restaurant compete in so many different competitions in so many different categories, but it’s the ultimate proof that this institution is being run by people that love food and want nothing but the best for their customers. I like their efforts, I like their attitude, and I really like their food. If I ever make it back to the Keys, I will definitely be making a stop there for their bisque.
And next time, instead of a bowl, I am just going to ask for a bathtub full of that stuff. It’s honestly that addicting.
Final Verdict: Recommend
Key Largo Conch House
100211 Overseas Highway
Key Largo, FL 33037
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