Cayo Hueso Cafe — Restaurant in Key West

Cayo Hueso Cafe offers decent food and drink, but it comes at a premium price that feels unjustified for what you receive.

When I arrived, the line was dauntingly long, but to my surprise, it moved quicker than expected. I placed my order: a Cuban sandwich with a side of fries and a sweet tea. Wanting to stay hydrated, I also asked for water, only to discover that they only serve bottled water. When I inquired about a cup of water, the staff offered a cup of ice to fill at the water fountain—but even the ice came with a charge!

At the counter to pick up my drink, my experience took a frustrating turn. A cup of ice, an ambiguous drink (possibly sweet tea, Pepsi, or something else), and a bottle of water sat unattended. Unsure if this was my order, I asked the attendant for clarification. His response was curt and impatient—he grabbed my receipt, reviewed it with visible annoyance, and removed the bottle of water, confirming the remaining items were mine. To add to the frustration, the cup of sweet tea wasn’t even filled to the brim. When I politely asked for it to be topped up, his demeanor grew even colder. He snatched the cup, filled it without a word, and returned it to me. As I thanked him, he responded with a sarcastic "Have a great day, dude," making it clear he was displeased by the interaction.

The food arrived promptly, and I’ll admit, it was satisfying. The Cuban was flavorful, and the portion size—complete with an unexpected side of chips—left me quite full. I finished the sweet tea pretty quickly and went up to get a refill however I discovered they don’t offer drink refills. In this day and age, where refills are standard practice, this felt like an unnecessary oversight, especially given the café’s premium pricing. For the amount of business they appear to do, offering refills seems like a small but meaningful gesture they could easily afford.

All in all, my experience was middling at best. If you're looking for an indulgence and don’t mind paying more for less, Cayo Hueso Cafe might work for you. But if you're budget-conscious, packing your own lunch might be a wiser—and more...

Bought a large soft drink. The EXTREMELY rude cashier named Gene Beach was literally acting like the customers are cows coming to slaughter. This is why I absolutely hate visiting the United States. RUDENESS!

But this guy is really especially rude.

He tells the girl ahead of me that it will be $1.50 for ice. Wow. You really are a capitalist eh?

I ask for no ice. He charges me $0.50 but does not tell me. I find out when I get my receipt by email.

Are you insane? You charged me for not getting ice? And better yet, didn’t tell me?

I go and ask for the $0.50 back and this novice tells me it is policy. Really? Where is it written? Or is this the Florida standard of robbing people?

When he finally scoffs and gives me two quarters back (he clearly needs math skills because he owes me the tax on that too), he tells me he hopes it makes my day.

Does he know I’m his boss? I’m the reason he is employed. This guy needs to be fired. I’ll be speaking to his boss Kirsten about...

Prices aren’t accurate from their web menu and the attitudes of the workers is poor. For example menu price shows cheese burger for $8.50 but it is $12.95. So whatever price you see online is about 50% more. Unwillingness to alter any orders (like replacing mayonnaise with hot sauce, or adding extra salt and pepper to a wrap when making it). Some sandwiches include chips, some don’t (like the cheese burger, it is additional $2.50 to add chips). Charges for cups of ice weren’t disclosed when ordering. Food was very bland for our tastes. I would recommend to bring your own food if possible, if not it still is reasonable, about $12 per sandwich. Family of five sandwich only no beverages $65. We had pork sandwich, chicken salad wrap, grilled chicken sandwich and cheese burger. Reduction in rating because of the poor customer service and taste of food, great location if you are at the beach and fair prices despite prices being higher...