S.S. Wreck & Galley Grill — Restaurant in Marathon

After a drive down to Key West we were looking for a place to grab a late lunch that was ‘authentic Keys’ and not too touristy or crowded. We found a gem on Marathon Key. This little place situated on HWY 1 has a lovely beach vibe with a sports bar note of several tvs tuned to different channels - weather, sports, etc., viewable but not loud or distracting. We were seated indoors but there is a refreshing cross breeze and sufficient fans to circulate the air. Hightop tables indoors, lower tables on the wraparound porch. Many notable bonuses - large, tasty portions of absolutely fresh food made on site (sauces, pickles, jalapeño pickled, and so forth), quick, friendly service (Matt was attentive but comfortable and relaxed, appropriately chatty), clean dining area, and most especially very clean restrooms for paying guests (even the men’s room was clean and fresh smelling!). They offer a lovely local salt scrub when washing up after using the facilities. Our entree was a special of the day - seafood wrap with large chunks of shrimp, lobster, and crab in a light sauce with crispy lettuce and red bell peppers, wrapped in a tortilla and served with massive crispy fries. We could have easily split one but took away leftovers. We added a slice of key lime pie to our take-out leftovers because every other element of out visit was exceptional so the pie is expected to be also. EDIT: they claim to make the best key lime pie and though I haven’t tried ALL versions, I must say this one is spectacular. Rich, dense, tangy-sweet, monstrous portions and clearly made from scratch down to the crust. Though we were drinking only unsweet tea (fresh!) this time, the bar seemed to provide a nice selection of draft and bottled beer and cocktails. Happy hour started at 2 pm. Prices are competitive. If we’re back in the area we will visit again. If we were local it would be...

Four of us stopped here on our way back from Key West around 1:00pm. First off they were out of several draft beer choices and the waitress (English accent) told us it was happy hour from 11 to 3....and then came back to correct herself that it was really from 3 to 6 so we were out of luck. Found prices to be on the high side for a place on the road side with no water views . Ordered the taco special and since it didn't come with any sides we asked her to point out a list of sides on the menu..which she did. She pointed to a list of sides priced at $4.99. Both couples chose a side of onion rings to share. They arrived in a basket...the good large portion surprised us. The food was good...chicken was a little over done and the fish over salted ...but good. When we got the bill ...we were charged $12 for the onion rings listed on the bill as an entree! When she came back to the table we questioned the price and she blatantly ignored us and began to process the first bill. She said the side order is only 3 or 4 rings(for $5????) and since we were sharing between two people she assumed we wanted a larger portion! YOU POINTED TO THE SIDES ON THE MENU FOR US!!!! As I continued to say that wasn't acceptable she continued to process our bill. I continued to protest that she pointed to the sides on the menu and knew very well what we wanted. The price difference of $5 to $12 is significant. She laughed it off and said ...yes true....I guess it's a learning experience for her! 😳 My husband and I shared the taco special...so if SHE decided THAT portion was too small and ordered 2 instead....I should have to pay for it???? So unfortunately her tip was $6 short of what we would have left. My apologies to the rest of the staff... If you are traveling south..keep going to the Island Fish Company...

Was hoping for more based on all of the 5-Star reviews. Debated between 3 and 4 stars - finally settled on 4 stars since my wife's dinner was OK.

My wife got the coconut shrimp. I was pretty good although they should have provided more dipping sauce for them. I got the surf-n-turf. The filet was OK, although a little dry on parts of it. The Mahi was bland and pretty flavorless. The sides were OK - but it's pretty hard to mess up a baked potato.

Drink prices were very high - even compared to other places in the Keys. If they were super delicious, that would be OK, but they were barely average in taste/flavor.

Another thing was the menus. The print was tiny and they were hard to read. I also don't remember any prices on the menus which may be because the have "local pricing" and "tourist pricing". Yes, I confirmed that with our server - locals get a pretty decent discount.

On the plus side, the server - Alissa - was friendly and attentive. Although when we were being seated, we asked for a particular table and we were told that we couldn't sit there (not by Alissa) because they had to rotate people to spread them evenly for the servers. I'm not sure what ever happened to the idea of letting people sit where they're most comfortable.

Our meal - 3 drinks and 2 entrees, no appetizers - was about $115 plus the tip. That would be expected for "fine dining", but this was basically bar food. We found a lot better options to spend that kind of money on...