Hey ya jerks, you're screwing with the epic happy hour!! No bueno!!
FYI everyone, the happy hour menu has taken a big hit. Smoked wings are still on there an oysties are 50 cents each, so it's worth going for that. But our server advised that management is looking at making further cuts - booooo!
There is now Barefoot wine for ~$3 a glass and domestics are 1/2 price ... no more 60 minute on special.
This is an egregious, offensive decision. I'm sad. Everyone knows raising prices doesn't bring in business ... business brings in business.
Ceviche salad was my main reason for going here. They had 5 or so different kinds. For the one I got, the brine was too strong and you couldn't really enjoy the seafood. I think it had chunks of sweet potato in it too. We sat on the deck by the marina, which was nice. The fries and sliders were average, and btw, the Key West beer is not so good.
Review Source:Management blew it here....they ruined the happy hour. Â Now only domestics are 1/2 priced, and the server told us they're considering getting rid of happy hour altogether. Â This place is officially off my list of places to go for happy hour, as there are now much better happy hour drinking options in the city. Â
The wings are still killer, though.
Great location .. a nice view of the marina .. very Key West feel to it .. service was good, so if you are looking for a nice ambiance and drinks .. this is a 5-star place.
If you are planning to eat, however, look elsewhere. The food is horrible hence the two stars. They offer 5 different type of Ceviche .. we order two variations and neither even remotely tasted like Ceviche. One had huge chunks of carrots, corn and celery and was horrible. The other was tasteless. The conch fritters were greasy and also tasteless.
We went for lunch. Â The goal for the lunch was to have the pulled pork which we loved on earlier visits. Â After sitting down we found out that they no longer served any bar-b-que as they had a new owner who has another BBQ restaurant in town and they want people to go there. Â We were sad, but decided to stay and order something else from the new menu. Â Bad decision. Â My wife had the cuban sandwich. Â It was dull and lifeless. Â The worst by far on our extended trip to the Keys for the winter. Â I had a mahi-mahi dish. Â The fish was bland and it was sitting on some mashed something or other that was just lying on the plate.
Our vote...skip this place. Â There are so many better places. Â Maybe it will improve with time. Â Go to the Half Shell Raw Bar next door if you want fish. Â Way, way better. Â Same owner, but the owner has not screwed around with the menu.
Food is good; however once I went during a New Years Party (it was actually December 30-the day before the eve); they had 1/2 the place closed for the party and I felt like the regulars were made to wait far too long (at least offer a drink-some bread-anything).
Other than that I love this place. The food is good.
Turtle Kraals was actually recommended to me by a coworker who made the suggestion after learning that I would be attending a training seminar in Key West, and he actually said to make sure that I took a break and made it over to Turtle Kraals. Luckily I didn't need to skip out of the training session because our vendor decided to make it a group dinner and wow it was great. First off the location is great, right off the marina. Our group was seated in the Tower Bar, which is the upstairs balcony overlooking the marina, which was a great view considering the sun was just about to set.
The food was just as good as the view, I couldn't really decide what to get and thanks to peer pressure I caved and ordered a sampler which included some of the best ribs I have had.
The overall experience was just amazing, a true Key West experience. I cant wait to return.
This places was great at one point.
After loving this place for some serious bbq its has really gone down hill. Last time I went to this place it was dead which I should of taken as a sign. we started off with the grilled oysters, which was just ok. The brisket which is my go to plater was cold and and did not look appetizing. Left most of my food and so did everyone in my party, after a $120 bill I feel I "wasted" my money.
I really do hope this place fixes its act because I really loved it.
Very disappointing, Â we tried to eat there 3 times and the service was appalling. Â We were told that we could no push two tables together for a party of six... we were the only people in the front of the restaurant. Â The next time we went back we sat in the bar and ended up leaving after 15 minutes because no one had spoken too us. Â The managers and chef were sitting at the bar going over the wine list!
Review Source:This place has everything going for it... Great location, fantastic view of the water, and a true Key West feel. The food is pretty good for bar food. This was my third or fourth time here in as many trips to the island.
We had fish (Mahi) tacos, which could have been blackened more, and raw oysters that were good. The french fries were thick and crusty...delicious. A salad came out with dressing on it versus on the side, which I'm guessing was server error. She begrudgingly took it back and swapped it for dressing on the side.
So overall, no complaints on the food. It's really decent food! But the wait staff seemed uninterested and unmotivated, which may be due to the fact that they automatically add 18% gratuity to your check.
I'd go back and I'd recommend this place. My advice however... Don't go expecting more than a mediocre experience. And don't get pissed off when you are forced to pay 18% for a 10% level of service.
We went here after exploring the Dry Torgugas all day so we were hungry!
We quickly ordered two glasses of water and the nachos to hold us over. The nachos were pretty gross. The salsa looked like it had been sitting around for a while.
Our entrees were pretty good though. My boyfriend ordered The Best of the Bay and everything was really fresh including the vegetables. I had the Shrimp Bo Boy and it was pretty good.
If I was really hungry I would probably go back here again. For a quick bite it wasn't bad.
AWESOME happy hour!!! Â 1/2 price drinks (on ALL drinks) and a really nice happy hour menu...it's great for two people to go somewhere and drink and eat for $20 - doesn't happy too often these days, especially in a vacation town like Key West...
Went another night with my parents who were visiting, 4 people had dinner and drinks and very reasonable check. Â Not to mention the food was great - including oysters and a BBQ platter that was so delicious and so unexpected. Â Ample parking near by as well - another huge plus!
Go for the Happy Hour from 4:30 -6.  I'd be upset to pay full price. Just 'eh' for what I'd expect on the water.  Service was hit or miss, the cocktail sauce was bland (I just asked for more horseradish and added it myself), but the peel 'n eats were good and the oysters were served cold.  Always packed, tho, so they are doing something right!  My son loved watching the Turtle races! that was  neat.
I did really like the $2 smoked pork sliders. Â For $2, i was not disappointed.
What I find most unfortunate about this place, is that it has all the makings of a great restaurant. Location, vast menu, a massive smoker, lots of tourist opportunity.
I cannot tell what, or why, this place hasn't received better reviews in the past, however I can see why the current ones (myself included) are not high.
For starters, the staff is far from what one would hope for on vacation. Almost all waitstaff seem to have been hired by a group that brings non-American employment to vacation destinations at a lower price than American workers. It's essentially locally outsourcing foreign workers. And it's a new low. It also ruins the dining experience for everyone.
Now I am not against foreign employment, however, I am against terse, rude and callous people that should not be working these positions. As my girlfriend and I both learned, in this specific case, a short-spoken, seemingly angry Russian man in his 50's should not be in the service industry. And this all coming from my girlfriend, who was BORN in Russia, speaks Russian -- and understands the language barrier.
The food? My dish was pretty good. I had the pulled pork sandwich, and it was tender, and the big tray of BBQ sauces to choose from was a great bonus. I love my sauce, and it made the meat taste even better. However, I can't speak for the quality of it, as it just didn't seem to be up to standards of real BBQ food. But it was still tasty at least.
The other dish tried was just overly greasy and fried, tasteless fish. Not worth the price (or experience).
I'd really like to see this place succeed, because as I mentioned, they have everything needed to be amazing. Access to a smoker like that, who knows what draw there could be?!
Maybe this place needs to be on Food Network's Restaurant: Impossible or Kitchen Nightmares to bring it to a new level.
Went here twice during our stay. The first time we went to see the races (Monday and Friday at 6) and the second time we stayed after the races for dinner. The races are very short (10 min tops) and feature four turtles (three red-ears and a box turtle that never seems to win). Each turtle has a number painted on his back. You get a ticket when you buy a drink right before the race and if the turtle with your number wins, you get a key to try to open a chest with $ in it. It was nearly $500 when we were there. When we got our first round of drinks, it was early to get a ticket. When we went for our second round, we couldn't get served (or get tickets) b/c the bartender was crazy busy. They really ought to have 2.
We stayed for food and they have a big BBQ room when you first walk in. We ate outside near the water and they had a great 4-piece band playing (Joey Gilmore maybe?). Wasn't too loud, so we could still talk. Food was pretty good as was service, although like I said, they were very busy.
I missed the turtle races they are known for but enjoyed their happy hour specials and  perfectly mixed mojito and a strawberry daiquiri.
For those dining with a large party be warned they can only split the check up into four parts. It would have been good to have known this ahead of time.
I had hearty portion of fish tacos, rice and beans. Pretty solid and not too pricey for Key West.
I am writing thie for the sole purpose of hoping the owners read this plea.
I am a local that has been to your establishment more times than I can remember. Your food USED to be a comfort food of mine. I have quite a few gripes so im just gonna list them shotgun style
conch fritters - The voodoo remoulade was the PERFECT sauce for your fritters. They are in my top 5 on the island. The last time I ordered them, they came with nothing but cocktail sauce. please bring the voodoo remoulade sauce back.
TK signature salad - This used to be the bump from the TK "house" salad, not they are both the same thing. The sig used to be a salad that ate like a meal. a good portion of your choice of meat *always ordered the pulled chicken* the pickled onions were to die for. everything just matched and went so well. Again last time we ordered it, I was shocked to see lettuce, a huge slab of unrecognizable cheese, croutons and salad dressing. You cut the entire serving by 3/4 yet you still charge the same price for the "signature" salad....wtf
baja fish taco - mushy, very bland, and could barely taste/see the fish.
Oysters from raw bar - even these had a change of quality. very runny and not pleasing.
you all even skimped on the old bay seasoning around the bloody mary glass. it used to be packed on there, now its barely visable.
I asked the server what happened to the menu. he could only state that the owner was trying new things. This is not trying new things, this is skimping on the ENTIRE menu, using the bare minimum of product, and charging the same price as before.
The BBQ however, is the same quality. To me this is your only redeeming factor right now. You CANNOT go wrong with any item coming out that smoker. Its perfect.
I LOVED the menu before the "different change" I was there easily 2-3 times a month. Please snap out of whatever is going on, and bring the old turtle kraawls back. I miss it.
My first visit here, the food and service was 4 stars. My second visit, the food was 1 star and the service was 4 stars. My third visit, the food was 4 stars and the service was 1 star. Talk about inconsistency.
The times the food was 4 stars was when I had the BBQ pork shoulder. That was really, really good. They have a decent selection of BBQ sauces to choose from, which was nice. That being said, the six pack wood container they hold it in dominates your table.
The food was a 1 star when I ordered the fish tacos. AWFUL. Absolutely AWFUL. They were mushy, fishy, and I was a little scared I was going to get sick.
As for the service, the last time I went we had a foreign waiter (that may sound bad, but if you've ever spent a lot of time in Key West, you know right there and then that you will have absolutely terrible service). He was neglectful, screwed up 2 of the 4 orders, couldn't get a drink order straight, and was pretty much all around AWFUL.
Would I go back? I like the BBQ. I'll stick to that. I can forgive the service since 2 out of 3 times it was good. That being said, if I have another waiter like that, I will not return.
Turtle Kraal's was the best food I had during my entire time in the keys, and the service was excellent too. Â We showed up at 6:25pm, five minutes before happy hour ended, and didn't know what to drink so our server made some great recommendations and got our drink orders in right in time. Â Ask for a key lime martini, it is delicious!! And the oyster shooters are interesting too - but takes some skill to swallow ;) I recommend downing some of the vodka first and then swallowing the oyster whole. Â It's a fun way to kick off a good night!
Food-wise, it was really fresh seafood at great prices. Â Raw oysters at $0.50 each and they were extremely fresh. The stone crab claws and spiny lobster tails were very well done and half the price of the "freshest seafood" restaurant we went to in Key Largo.
We also ordered the conch ceviche and conch fritters, which were interesting but not as good as crabs and lobsters. I actually really enjoyed the ceviche and I think it was about as good as you can make conch taste, but it is a little chewy, and my dining companions noted that it "tastes like chicken". Â The crab cakes were just okay.
They also have 4 large TV's there, perfect for watching the game while you drink and down oysters. Â I wish I were back at Turtle Kraal's right now...
My wife and I ended our night in the Keys at Turtle Kraals and we were definitely pleased. We only ordered the oysters and the conch ceviche due to snacking and much all day in the Keys.. but we were definitely please!
We ordered a dozen and a half oysters on the half shell and they were very fresh and delicious.
As for the Conch, it was our first time having Conch and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It has a texture of a clam (but slightly more chewy.) It was mixed with key lime juice, onions, peppers, tomatoes and cilantro - a very tasty ceviche!!
Aside from the food, it had a great location on along the water where we could see the boats comin and goin.
Turtle Kraals wasn't a bad place for lunch, but was not what I'm used to in a restaurant. The food was definitely :"island-grade," but it was also the best food I had on my vacation. Turtle Kraals has a good location, near the ferry building, and is easy to get to from Key West Express. But I can't say I'd go to Key West specifically to eat here.
the service, however, was exceptional. The fish was very good, and so was the fried shrimp po'boy I ordered. I highly recommend that meal, by the way.
In sum, one of the better places you're likely to find on Key West, but not a place you'd likely frequent if it was in your home neighborhood.
Perfect if you are a bivalve with one for beer and the other for oysters.
Key Takeaways:
Food: Local Florida oysters at .50 cents a pop all day every day, I had 24 and was perfectly satisfied. Key West is a bit of a desert for craft beer so the decent selection here (3 different Dog Fish) was much appreciated.
Location: On a dock with great views of the ocean. A good place to drop by on your way to or from The Schooner Wharf Bar. Â
Note: This review only covers the tap and bottle beer and oysters.
Consistently mixed.
I like the intention but execution often disappoints, as it did on my last visit. Â Shoulda-woulda-coulda had the BBQ, but from where I come from, fresh fish is a welcome treat. Â One of my table mates went for the BBQ - not Memphis, but very acceptable. Â My fish was just about lousy - would have preferred something frozen from "Gorton's". Â It was slimy. Â Mixed around the rest of the table with a highlight from the raw bar.
This place, as has all of EYW, gone through several changes since our first annual visit in 1993. Great concept, need to work on execution.
And for all of the food snobs out there, some of the best of Key West isn't served on white linen and enclosed in AC. Â It's found in some of the eclectic and "touristy" (Yes! Key West is a TOURIST destination, its primary economic engine is Tourism - so get over yourselves!) locations all over the island.
I have fond memories of TKs from the early '90s and hope they find their spot.
After reading a lot of so-so reviews, I wasn't sure what to expect when we rolled into the Tower Bar at Turtle Kraals for happy hour. What a cool place! First off, I'm pretty sure all the apps were half off, plus there were specials on beers and house liquor drinks. 50-cent oysters all day every day? Don't mind if I do!
So, I got 1 dozen oysters and the bf got pork sliders. He considers himself a bit of a pulled pork aficianado, so we wondered how what they do would hold up. Well, he was surprisingly impressed. No, it wasn't the same as his favorite Carolina barbecue, but the meat was full of flavor, and we were surprisingly impressed with the flavors of the different sauces on the table. We wanted to come back for the bucket of bones (ribs), which looked equally impressive, but sadly didn't make it back. I actually liked my oysters better than the fancy-schmancy ones I'd had at Alonzo's, so that was cool, too!
The bartender was incredibly friendly, and the atmosphere was beautiful. An awesome view of the whole island! This was a nice, laid-back place for drinking & snacking.
This place is Great. Wonderful. Delicious. Food, service, abience, value and staff. Five stars.
A come-hither smell was dragging me in from my Key West tourist walk. I was beckoned. Then I see a sign that reads: "Home of the fifty cent raw oyster" I am probably going to get sick on discount oysters. Tummy be damned! I'm going for it.
The interior had a very lively bar blasting classic rock, filled with friendly people. The upper and lower deck patios were a little chilly for my taste at dinner time, but they made up for it with breathtaking views.
Those fifty cent raw oysters that I ordered a dozen of? Were top notch. Five stars. Just as good as the most expensive ones that I have tried elsewhere. Large. Sweet. Yum. Why can't this place be in my neighborhood?
Turtle's smells like apple wood chips from a smoker and garlic. I'm guessing the barbecue is good here. It smells good. Gluten-free friends, do not try the barbecue here. The chef does not know the ingredients in the sauce. The french fries are also off limits here. But we all need to eat a few less french fries, we Americans that is. The skin-on mashed red potatoes are gluten free. :-)
I ordered the steamed seafood combination. ($22.) Lobster, shrimp, and stone crab. (Five stars) It came in a terrine with a little garlic and butter in the dish for the dipping. It smelled great.
My first stone crab experience. I do not love stone crab as much as I love snow crab. (four stars) It is not as sweet and a little harder to deal with. The lobster and shrimp was fantastic. (five stars) Then again, have I ever had a bad lobster? No. Still, $22 seemed like a great price for all of this fantastic seafood.
I watched the sunset from the patio and snapped a picture to share with you. This place is great. Wonderful. Delicious. Five stars.
After being against this place on my other visits to Key West (I can't remember why, maybe word of mouth, maybe a bad review stuck with me) my friends & I decided to give it a shot during happy hour. Â We loved it and ended up going twice during our stay.
Happy Hour is a great time to stop by as they have half off appetizers & drink specials as well as half priced brisket sandwiches. Â I know, barbecue in the southernmost city in the US? Â Yes, I questioned it too but its actually pretty great. Â They smoke it on site and have six homemade sauces which were pretty great as well. Â Also, a bit hit for us was the 50 cent oysters everyday, all day. Â Many places in Key West offer oyster deals but its like pinning the tail on a donkey - here you can find the specials all the time.
Service can be hit or miss, the first time we went the service was outstanding, but the second time we looked at our first waitress longingly as she took care of the table beside us. Â Either way, a good location, good food, and good specials to make feeding time an enjoyable time and not one to break the bank (as most spots in KW).
Group of six of us happend in earlier this week. Â Simple fare: oysters on the half shell, dinner salads conch chowder, fish tacos - a full bar and plenty of flatscreens to enjoy your favorite games.
Prompt and very attentive service, fair prices. Good for singles, couples, families and groups.
Delicious seafood, this is not. Â My girlfriend, her sister, and I ordered a few seafood dishes, as well as a half order of babyback ribs. Â The only decent thing about this place was the ribs, with some of their sauce smeared on it.
Given it's located so close to the ocean (right on the docks), and it's proclaimed as a great seafood restaurant, I was really expecting more. Â The conch chowder had barely any conch in it - it really could have been tomato and vegetable soup. Â The grilled lobster tasted old, and the special of the day (hogfish) was overcooked.
Wait staff were slow, and didn't pay much attention to us, even though it was about 4 in the afternoon and the restaurant was pretty much empty. Â They were too busy watching the ESPN highlights at the bar.
Worst service and food I had in Key West.
I'm a bit of a "conchophile" (don't think it's a word, but it should be) and get down to Key West 2-3 times a month. Â It's generally for business but I love to mix it with some fun. Â I was back down recently for a business meeting and after the client suggested Turtle Kraals. Â Unbeknownst to me Meteors has new ownership and sold their smokers...to Turtle Kraals. Â We sat upstairs and the only annoying part was that you could only get bottled water downstairs. Â But I waitress was nice enough to get someone to bring up a bottle for someone in our group. Â
I had the special salad, damn if I can't remember the name of the actual salad, but it was much like a nicoise except it had delicious BBQ pulled pork on top. Â Yum, yum, yum. Â They have 6 different barbecue sauces they bring out that range from smokey to hot to sweet. Â I was a fan of the burnin' love (or something like that). Â I would definitely go back and try and sit upstairs as the view is great.
My girlfriend and I came here to watch the turtle race and I got to tell you it was a good funny time. Just imagine a bunch of people with lucky number tickets crowding a small race track to watch turtles race then go inside to win a prize.
As far as the food we had raw oysters which was pretty good at a really good price.
I would visit again especially to partake in the races
I am a fan, would I go there again, most likely to see the turtle race. Â This bar/restaurant is huge and also has an upstairs. Â On the side of the TK is a bay and you feed the Tarpon there.
Highly recommend the Mango Crab cake, shrimp scampi, and Lobster rolls (appetizer).
Not so good: Chicken Florentine
I enjoyed eating lunch here once we found this place! It was pretty much at the end of the line. Key West is not that large ( 2 x 4 I was told - 2 miles wide by 4 miles long), but I think we walked most of it looking for Turtle Kraals.
With only one lunch to be had in this island paradise, we turned to our Hemingway House tour guide for suggestions. The place needed to be waterfront, and serve both fresh seafood, as well as good non-seafood offerings.
Once here we were able to choose our seating. We sat on their large patio overlooking the harbor. It was so relaxing as we were under the overhang and got to be in the shade. Iced teas were poured and we placed our orders.
I was a little disappointed in the menu. Not sure why; but I had a difficult time finding what appealed to me for some reason. I ended up with a fresh seafood salad that had crab meat, scallops, shrimp and plenty of squid rings in it along with the greenery. My friend got the chicken enchilada platter (which looked quite scrumptious) and she was happy with hers. My salad was quite good, even if the squid was a little chewy, and we spent a lazy hour or so relaxing here while planning the rest of our afternoon.
Very laid back vibe here; I'd certainly eat here again. This review would be 3 1/2 stars, but I've rounded it up to 4.
We only drank here and participated in the turtle races, so I have no commentary on the food. Â
But every Friday and Monday night at 6P, they pass out numbers for free and if your numbered turtle is the fastest you win a chance at opening the treasure chest! Â The bounty was up to $250 when we were there. Â Everybody gets very into it, lots of fun!
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