Mrs. Mac's Kitchen (Big) — Restaurant in Key Largo

Mrs. Mac’s Kitchen II is pretty much legendary in South Florida and a wonderful place to pull off the side of the road for a slice of their award winning Key Lime Pie. We stopped by for lunch on our way to Key Largo after reading the great reviews. The hand painted slogan on the outside of the building was a welcomed sight - Eat well, laugh often, live long! The parking lot was packed, as was the restaurant, but we were welcomed in and seated within a few minutes.

The kitschy and eclectic design was everything you’d hope for from a small island diner: a hand blown glass Octopus chandelier, nautical themed fishing equipment, ceiling panels that resembled the open sky, palm trees, seashells, fish window decals, license plate lamp covers and an oversized bar, surrounded in bar stools, anchored in the center of the restaurant. Even the shell themed bathroom sink and pirate’s themed wall hanging in the hall added to the overall appeal.

I was very happy to find Vegetarian plates, as well as a few Vegan options and the teenager and husband were excited about the seafood. We selected our meals from the lunch menu which runs from 11:00 - 5:00 Monday through Saturday. I chose the Veggie Saucer - a Pita bread sandwich with two different slices of cheese, cucumbers, lettuce, tomato’s, onions, mayo, arugula and special sauce. The sandwiches include pickle slices and your choice of ruffled chips, slaw or cottage fries. My husband ordered a Fried Oyster Dockside sandwich served on a hoagie with shredded lettuce, tomato’s pickle slices and an upgraded side of fried pickles. The teen ordered Coconut Shrimp and left nothing on the plate but the Shrimp tails! The Key Lime Pie was everything we’d hoped for and the perfect way to end our meal!

Pros: Large menu including something for everyone - seafood lovers, picky eaters, kids, vegetarians and vegans. The hostess and servers were very welcoming and attentive. The decor and ambiance is exactly what you’d imagine a small island diner to be!

Cons: Small parking lot and very busy during peak hours, but well...

Conch, conch... ohh noo!

I went to the bigger Mrs Mac’s because the little one had just closed the kitchen.

The first thing, you will notice is the interesting decor... so, sooo cute!

Then you will see the menu and say... oh boy, what do I have?? But it’s almost 10pm and I only had seven minutes to get my order in!

First I had the conch soup and it was great, loved it!! Then I had the conch in garlic and I did not enjoy it that much.

I had never had conch before so I really don’t know what’s good or bad, but I’m a seafood person and its always been my philosophy, “my favorite dish is the one I have yet to have!”

And for the very first time, my culinary philosophy failed me.

But please don’t get me wrong, because I really don’t know, what actually went wrong.

It could have been the texture because the taste was not bad (although I did notice, the sauce was a bit too thick) but hey.. I also got there before the kitchen was about to close!

And take it from me a person who loves tripe... it was probably not the conch itself..maybe I just got there way too late.

So I had the conch soup and that was great... I loved the coleslaw but the rice and beans, well let me say, ummm, not the very best!

But what I did have that was fabulous was the key lime pie... it was soooo good, I had no choice but to have two!

Everybody raves about Mrs Mac’s Kitchen... if I would have stayed there more days, I would have gone back and tried another conch dish, but this time, without the...

Lunch with family and some members of the wedding party. No problem getting a table to 10 outside in the great weather. Our server was very nice and quickly took our drink and apps order. Drinks and water arrived quickly and everyone commented how good their drinks were. The appetizers were right behind the beverages and all of them looked great but tasted even better. Conch fritters, steamed clams, fish bites and conch chowder were all wonderful. Some in our group got the daily special sandwiches and loved them while others chose from the regular menu. A few of us chose the servers recommendations on fish sandwiches and all were much better than promised. Fresh bread, homemade key llme tarter sauce, perfectly cooked fish and sides were just right temperature wise and the tastes were exceptional. It was an easy decision to try their key lime pie for dessert and all of us raved how good it was. Just as a reference we tried key lime pie at four different locations while in the Key for the wedding and all agreed Mrs. Mac's was by far the best! In fact we returned the day of the wedding with different family and other guests and once again all of it was just...