Hemingway's Tavern — Restaurant in Melbourne

Hemingway's is an experience that transports you to the Florida Keys. It's full of decor and atmosphere that fills you with a sense of relaxation and timelessness. The servers are knowledgeable about the menu and the food, are willing to let you try sauces before ordering, and will make recommendations if you're not certain or just want to try something new.

The dishes are creatively named in theme with the keys with the dialect matching the local word choices.

The menu is a tasteful parchment inspired single sheet with a wide selection of appetizers, sandwiches, salads, and entrées. While they're are only two soups, both are great choices.

The black bean soup is thick and hearty with a great Spanish flair. The conch soup is a beautiful tomato bisque that enhances the flavor of the conch and lifts it with a subtle spice.

The "yard bird" on a stick is the Keys' version of satay, with a nicely grilled and spiced chicken. The dipping sauce is an avocado crema that's to die for, and not available for separate purchase no matter how much you ask.

The guava barbecue sauce is an invitation to the keys with the best of sweet and savory tastes in one sauce. I asked for a taste prior to have the "yard bird" sandwich in this trip and I immediately asked again if the sold it on the side to my disappointment.

The yard bird sandwich came perfectly cooked. The plantain added sweetness and moisture, ensuring that the sandwich was delicious and moist.

The Cuban is a must. If you only ever eat here once, you should have the Cuban. Easily one of the most authentic takes on this iconic sandwich, and nailed every time.

For the Vegetarian among you, fear not! Hemingway's invites you with open hearts and empty stomachs. The grilled stack can come on the plate or in a wrap, or even on a bun. It's a delicious and transporting dish the feels fresh from the garden on a sunny afternoon.

The House salad is mixed greens with a lemon vinaigrette that is light and bright. A little goes a very long way, making this an easy dish choice for the health conscious who don't want to sacrifice flavor.

The Key Lime pie is flavorful. Creamy and balanced, the sweet and tart meet in harmony, delivering a rich and sumptuous end to any meal. The crust helps to give the crunch element that enhances an already perfect desert.

The Ultimate Brownie is for the thrill seeker among you who cares not any calories and wants the flavor experience to end all flavor journeys.

Rich, decadent, and an explosion of sugar, this dessert is not for the faint of heart. Evenly balanced, the flavors march across the taste buds as if delivering the symphony of sugar. From the thick chocolate to the lifted caramel, with nibbles of cold and deliciously creamy vanilla ice creamy; it is the dream dessert. This is definitely more of a two person dessert unless you're sure you can handle it.

To finish? Coffee. The selection may seem small, but it's authentic. Rich without cloying, it helps to cleanse the palate and lift the spirit about having to depart from this small slice of the...

We came to Hemingway’s Tavern with a party of 17. We arrived at 10am and were told they couldn’t put us on the list until at least 7 members of the party were present. Once 7 of us arrived, we checked in and they blocked off tables for us. However, they ended up seating another party at those very tables — and that group didn’t even order anything for about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, we were waiting the entire time.

After about an hour, the host told us the bad news: we could either keep waiting or sit outside. Another 10 minutes passed, and when I asked again, I was told it would still be another 35 minutes. At that point, we had already been waiting over an hour and a half. We spoke to the manager, but he seemed unconcerned and dismissive, telling us the seated party “hadn’t seen each other in 49 years” — as if that justified our long wait. In my opinion, if a large party is waiting and there are guests sitting for 40 minutes without ordering, management should step in to accommodate everyone fairly.

When we were finally seated, our waitress was wonderful and the food was great. However, they gave her 3 additional tables to handle on top of our party of 17. She had some “help,” but he didn’t assist with the drink orders and even tried to skip over the three kids at our table as if they couldn’t order for themselves (all over the age of 10).

Our server did her best and deserves recognition, but the management and overall handling of our group was very disappointing. Waiting nearly 2 hours with such little care or effort to problem-solve left a very...

July 19th, 2025. The guava bbq burger was juicy and delicious! Another person in our group had the Hemingway bowl with pork and enjoyed it. I added the photos of the items we ordered. I had the pork tacos on may 5th, 2025. The pork was a little dry and bland. I love the pineapple slaw and piled it on my taco to make it more moist and flavorful. The olive tapenade bruschetta were very good! Dec 18th visit.....I had dinner at the bar inside. The 2 bartenders were alot of fun and excellent servers! I ordered the carribean black bean soup and one of the grilled chicken melt sandwiches. My friend ordered the cuban sandwich with pineapple grilled slaw. Both were very good. And, I ordered the espresso martini.....also very good.

Our server was excellent and the food was ready quickly. The pork empanadas were good with their bubbly crust and not dripping with grease. The side salad was fresh greens and ripe vegetables and was very good. The creamy tomato basil soup tasted fresh, was creamy, and lightly acidic. You could see pieces of fresh basil in the soup a beautiful dark green color. The pork tacos were full of shredded chunks of meat and each shell overflowing with food. The cold fish dip appetizer tasted fishy not fresh and the fried plantains were a lil rubbery versus crisp. I would definitely return for lunch or brunch and try other appetizers and entrees. I would not have the...