Fish Tales Market and Eatery — Restaurant in Marathon

I felt so warmly welcomed when I arrived. Bar tender was fabulous with recommendations. Always fresh food and certainly home made dishes. They'll even cook your catch! Blackened was just the ticket on this dish. It didn't even need tartar or bleu it was done so well! Cole slaw had great flavor, and the green beans were cooked to perfection. Not too soft not too hard, and what a nice light flavor. Another excellent side is rice and black beans. Usually ANYWHERE else, its a lame flavorless side to take up space on a low quality plate. NOT HERE! I couldn't believe the flavor in it! Perfectly portioned. You ask for a rare burger and you GET a rare burger. Excellent preparation. Everything went down easy including the Hefeweizen. Really! German beers and German fare! The dessert was to die for. Banana cheesecake with shortbread crust? Not too sweet and not too heavy either. The mudpie was killer! I saw it on someone's plate and had to order it. What a large portion of ice cream cake! The guy next to me said I did well! (Cleaned my plate. Highly recommended!) Strawberry shortcake is a light delight with a full plate portion! Fresh muddled berries on top of shortcake biscuits with whipped cream a la mode. That has become my favorite. Not too sugary, done right ! If able to, I would be here every day. Delightful atmosphere. Very friendly. And the food?! . . . When all the other places go corporate and commercial, or lose their quality and are no longer your favorite. . . . Fish Tales is a reliable fresh MUST HAVE!

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We stopped for lunch before a snorkel tour in the neighboring dive shop. We were pleasantly surprised by the attentive service. And we were even more surprised by the delicious food. We had the snapper and fried green tomato sandwich. It is served with a special sauce that you should request “on the side” if you choose to get the sandwiches. One of us got fries and I got the “cult followed” green beans. The snapper was as fresh as you can get and breaded and fried to perfection. Super flaky fish but still very firm. It was as good a fish sandwich as you’ll get anywhere. The green beans are made in beef stock and are soft and delicious. The fries are seasoned and thick. We came back later that evening for dessert. The key lime pie is pictured, which is almost like an ice cream but it’s super tasty. Also pictured is the mud pie. It is Oreo crust with chocolate chip ice cream with chocolate syrup. And the last one is a bourbon pecan pie, which was actually my favorite. I LOVE pecan pie. Also pictured are the freezers where they sell fresh seafood by the pound. It is insane how much variety they have and everything is so fresh. The restaurant has a German heritage behind it so you’ll find German beers on tap and several German style food options on the menu. I’m telling you, this place is amazing for lunch or dinner. I’ll be stopping again next...

We can’t have a Keys getaway without "Tales." While most people flock to Marathon’s more famous, “Key Fisheries,” for the billboards of Grouper Ruben, we prefer the less scenic, more ugly Fish Tales. Fish Tales Fish Market and Eatery is an unassuming pit spot just south of the Vaca Cut in Marathon, Florida. Founded in 1960, it’s the type of place where your sixty-year-old server might be the owner of the establishment, and the young man behind the fish counter is probably a son or nephew who chose a career in offshore fishing over a scholarship to UM Law.

The lamented menu is a hodgepodge of local catch and homey Midwestern dishes like German pretzels with beer cheese, Hungarian goulash, and Wisconsin cheese curds. And, during early Stone Crab season, they have the best deal in town with a 5 for $25 medium claw special (shh!) On our last visit, an appetizer of Ahi Yellowfin Tuna sashimi was sublimely firm and tender, perfect in its naked form without the slightest dose of salt, ginger, or soy. A house-favorite, the red conch chowder is pleasantly more conch-y than starchy and has a soft-handed sweetness that reminds me of a grandmother’s old Sunday recipe. With a market counter, you can come for the morning’s catch, decadent fish dip, and potato salad to-go. But, if you can, take a seat outside, order a ice-cold Coors Light, and enjoy the...