Mangrove Mama's — Restaurant in Sugarloaf Key

Awful experience. Do not go here. I can see how this place could be awesome, but it failed miserably. Our waitress was the only saving grace. We ordered and after about an hour, the waitress apologized that our appetizer hadn't come out yet, as apparently the kitchen was slammed.

After another 20 minutes, our extra crispy bbq wings appetizer came out. The first one I ate was the tiniest and was fine. The second was like jelly on the inside and they clearly were not cooked, but since we waited so long and were starving we just ate the skin and outer edges, staying away from the bone.

Eventually our meals came and I ordered a chicken sandwich with no lettuce tomatoes onions pickles, etc. It came out with everything on it and I took it off but the bun had been soaked in the pickle juice and after a few bites I couldn't take it. I asked the waitress for a fresh bun so I could try again and she said no problem and she did put it in correctly but the kitchen want paying attention because they were so busy. I told her about the wings too and told her to just let the kitchen know before they make someone sick.

I guess The owner was standing Right by and apparently overheard me and told me I was wrong and that they bake their wings and then fried them, however I know what pink and jelly insides to chicken wings means. They were barely cooked. He said he would "check on it". He came back out and said since we ate them all he thought we were wrong and full of it but he'd take them off our check. Basically told us he thought we were trying to get something free and next time I should order them well done. I told him we ate them because we waited an hour and a half and were starving and our waitress confirmed I originally ordered them extra crispy..he creepily put his hand on my shoulder and again made a passive aggressive comment about how I could've done things differently. I didn't even ask them to be taken off our bill. What a dick. He should fire himself for treating a customer like that.

Our waitress apologized profusely and was a total pro about the situation.

Lastly we tried to order the famous "chocolate key lime pie" which they were apparently sold out of.

We definitely will not be going back here and will adventure somewhere...

On our way back from Key West to our hotel, we started feeling hungry and decided to search for a good place to stop for dinner. That's when we came across Mangrove Mama's Seafood Restaurant, a cozy spot known for its seafood and warm atmosphere.

The ambiance of the restaurant was welcoming, with a laid-back vibe that perfectly matched the Florida Keys' charm. Upon entering, we were promptly greeted and seated at a comfortable table, with menus handed to us right away.

After carefully browsing the menu, we decided on a variety of dishes to satisfy our group's appetite: Fish Sandwich, Lobster Fra Diavolo, Risotto, and Chicken Sliders. The service was friendly and efficient, and we didn't have to wait long before our food was served.

We started with the Chicken Sliders, which were fantastic. The chicken was perfectly cooked, tender, and flavorful, served between soft burger buns with a hint of spices that elevated the dish. Next up was the Fish Sandwich, which was another highlight. The fish was fresh, cooked to perfection, and paired beautifully with crispy fries, making for a delightful combination.

The Lobster Fra Diavolo did not disappoint either. The lobster was succulent and cooked just right, served with pasta in a flavorful sauce that added a touch of spice and richness to the dish. The Risotto was creamy, delicious, and well-prepared, rounding out our meal with its satisfying texture and flavor.

Though we were quite full after the main courses, the server recommended their Chocolate Layer Cake, a house specialty. We couldn't resist and were so glad we tried it. The cake was rich, decadent, and had the perfect balance of crunch and sweetness--a delightful ending to our meal.

The portion sizes were generous, which was great since we were quite hungry. Overall, Mangrove Mama's delivered a memorable dining experience with delicious food, a charming atmosphere, and attentive service. It was the perfect stop to enjoy a hearty meal before continuing...

Okay. I hate writing bad reviews - but everyone deserves to know what’s going on here! This place has been highly recommended and has great reviews - IF you ignore the ones from the past few months. The online menu looks amazing, but it is NOT the same menu they offer at the restaurant. They had cheaply printed menus covering the old, nice menus that now offer low quality, bland, and basic menu choices. If it says anything, 4/5 of our party ended up getting a salad. The salads were good for what they were, but definitely nothing special and not worth the price (as one of us put it, it’s hard to ruin a bowl of lettuce). One person in our party got hogfish on his salad and it was unseasoned and very bland. Four grilled shrimp on another salad was an added $8... understandable at a fine establishment but this is pretty far from it. Service was off, too. Took a half hour to get our drinks, and the bartender had prepared them poorly when she finally did get around to making them (the server let us know that the bartender didn’t even know some of the drinks we’d ordered... OFF of the menu... and had to look it up to figure out how to make it?). The restaurant wasn’t busy enough to warrant such slow and unsatisfactory service. The atmosphere is nice for an outdoor “key west” vibe (if you can deal with the bug bites), and the live music was decent (for a man auto-tuning his voice and pretending to play guitar over a recording)... but don’t expect anything great here! We were told that management has changed recently... and it definitely shows! Makes me so sad for a restaurant that has 100 years of wonderful history that is now being tainted in the eyes of both new customers and life long...