Eaton Street Seafood Market — Restaurant in Key West

Love it. Dining Al fresco. Food is delicious.

I always like to come back and write something else to help myself for later, so this is what I write for myself for later to remind myself

I’ve been to Eaton Street Seafood Market three or four times now, and every single visit has been excellent. It’s one of those rare spots that keeps drawing you back—not just because the food is top-notch, but because the entire experience is just so well done.

First off, everything is insanely fresh. You can taste it in every bite, whether you’re getting the lobster roll, the grilled fish sandwiches, or one of the daily specials. It’s the kind of place where you know what you’re eating was probably swimming earlier that day. One of the things I love is that you can walk right up to the counter, see what’s available, and order straight from there. There’s something about that setup that makes it feel casual, welcoming, and completely authentic.

Dining is alfresco, and the vibe is exactly what you want when you’re in Key West—laid-back, breezy, and relaxed. You’re sitting outside in a shaded courtyard, usually with just enough people around to feel alive without being crowded. It’s tucked away in a quiet area, which makes the whole experience feel like a bit of a hidden gem. But at the same time, you’re just a few blocks from the main action, so it’s convenient without being caught up in the noise and crowds of the typical tourist spots.

Service has been consistently great every time I’ve gone. Friendly, fast, and helpful without hovering. You get the sense that the staff really cares about the food and the customer experience, which adds to the whole feeling of quality and attention to detail.

If you’re in Key West and want an easy, low-key meal with incredible seafood, Eaton Street should be high on your list. This is the kind of place you go back to again and...

Quite tasty food and the seafood is very fresh.

The service? Not worthy of an endorsement.

We ordered several menu items including the stone crab chowder. It tasted very good but parts of it were ice cold. It was likely pre-made, which is fine. But soup should be served warm.

I took it to the counter and requested it be reheated. The person taking orders was oddly irritated by this and threw it into the garbage because I had put some of the provided crackers on top.

“We can’t take this back.”

Take it back? I just asked for it to be reheated. Just put it in the microwave for 30-40 seconds. There was no need to trash it. What a waste.

It took a very long time but the new bowl of soup finally arrived.

Was it hot? It was scalding. It burnt my tongue along with the roof of my mouth and was inedible. I waited 15 minutes for it to cool and it was still far too hot to consume. This felt like a pissy payback for complaining that the previous bowl was partially cold.

There was no need for this. We were not rude and we spent more than $100 for lunch here, which is borderline outrageous. We came here based on someone’s recommendation and we were looking for a pleasant lunch. This truly sullied it.

Bottom line: very flavorful food but I cannot recommend any eatery that holds its customers in contempt for requesting that their warm food be served warm.

Do not treat your customers as enemies if you want them to return. We...

Don't underestimate this cozy little seafood market! After dining here, I cannot believe how UNDERRATED this place is!! WOW. I ordered 3 medium stone crab claws (priced by weight) and the crab cake sandwich. Let me tell you, they don't skimp. The crab cake sandwich consists of a LARGE crab cake (with pretty much all crab) between two halves of a toasted, buttery croissant with some greens and sauce. I'm not from the east coast though and haven't tried east coast crab cakes but I was seriously blown away by the quality of the crab cake. I also tried the stone crab from here and it was really great and tender--almost as good as Joe's Stone Crab in Miami. What I really loved about this place though was the fact that the staff and ownership are SO friendly. (Maybe it's a Keys thing??) I walked in and was immediately greeted by one of the owners, Sean, who gave me a menu and offered to explain it to me. He was so personable and gave me his recommendations and then checked on me after I got my food. He really went above and beyond to make sure everything was great. One of the cooks/other staff members also followed up with me about the food as well. With the amazing food and personable staff, this place should be a staple to anybody's trip to KW. I'm seriously so blown away by how great...