Description: We wanted to eat somewhere that was very Key West. We had considered Hog’s Breathe Saloon because we wanted to get a T-shirt but we asked a local and they suggested Sloppy Joe’s.
At their current location since 1937 they proved to be an excellent choice. Like many things in Key West Sloppy Joe’s has a Hemingway connection, he is credited with coming up with the name Sloppy Joe’s. Joe Russell the bar’s founder was a close friend of Papa and he was the model for Freddy in To have and To Have Not.
Today it is the sound of honky tonk that will draw you in as well as the smell of something delicious cooking.
Our first stop was the gift shop and it was a wise move. With the purchase of a T-shirt you get a free Yuengling draft in the restaurant. This was a coupon from a bunch we had received on the Conch Tour. Even though we usually don’t have beer at lunch, free was an irresistible incentive.
With a name like Sloppy Joe’s how could I order anything else. Jackie ordered a turkey sandwich.
The menu offers a variety of Cuban items like Havana Nachos which can be ordered with the addition of sloppy joe mix, or the Florida staple conch done in a chowder or as fritters. Among the sandwiches are the grouper and the Cuban pork. How about a sloppy joe quesadilla, and you can even get french fries with sloppy joe mix on them.
The Sloppy Joe comes on a big roll with no sides, no fries, no slaw, no nothing, okay I'm lying there was a pickle spear. At $7.75 it is no bargain but it was tasty. Jackie’s turkey wrap was humongous, way more than any one person could eat but again with no sides.
We ordered pieces of key lime pie for dessert. They were quite good, not overly sweet and I don't know but I prefer a plate to a plastic container.
There is not a lot of atmosphere, it feels like a bar with wooden tables and chairs and no walls on two sides where we were sitting. Service was quick and it was worth trying once but I don’t think I would need to return.
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