Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville restaurant chain feels like it got its start in Key West (even if that statement might be untrue). Nowhere else could I imagine someone longingly looking for "their lost shaker of salt" as the song lyrics dictate like I could in this island community. Fittingly, this restaurant is a very popular one on Key West’s Duval Street. Margaritaville blends in quite nicely with the other tourist traps along the main drag. Loud music, assorted tourist t-shirts and souvenir cups, and an overdone island theme might make patrons apt to forget that they came here to eat or drink.
Upon entering Margaritaville for dinner one Tuesday night during peak tourist season, I was surprised to find how empty it was. Only a few tables were in service at the time. I guess even tourists are put-off by how touristy this restaurant seems. Within no time, my party was escorted through the "gift-shop" area to the dimly lit dining room next to the loudly playing Tiki-band.
The menu at Margaritaville is primarily seafood and island-fare focused. Most of the dishes were under $30 with the higher prices being for the more exotic seafood. I thought it was a bit over-priced considering the casual ambiance and lack of sophisticated entrée choices. I guess elevated prices are yet another symptom of this restaurant being a tourist trap.
Our waiter was not very good at Margaritaville. I think the only time we saw him aside from when he took our food and drink orders was when he brought us the check for our overpriced meal. The service here in general seemed spotty at best. I was a little annoyed when they chose to intensely scrutinize my out-of-state ID when I ordered a margarita. Shouldn’t they be used to seeing identification from outside of Florida in this vacation destination?
Aside from the negatives, Margaritaville does serve some pretty delicious margaritas. Though these are also expensive ($10 for a small-size), the mango version was one of the best I had ever tried in my history of margarita-drinking. After only one, I was a little bit tipsy. My dining companion said the traditional margarita that she tried was also very good.
I would not recommend dining at Margaritaville in Key West as there are plenty of other restaurants more-deserving of your tourist dollars along Duval Street. This trap should be avoided by those searching for an authentic island-cuisine experience.
From journal Key West Revisited