Fish Tales Market and Eatery

Admittedly I wasn't expecting much and ended up being blown away. I ordered from the daily specials a Fried Green Tomato Mahi Sandwich that was insanely delicious! I thought the branded toasted bun was iconic. Leave room for desserts - share the decadent Peanut Butter Crunch.

First visit-- We started w/ fried green tomatoes w/ Johnny sauce and a bowl of crayfish chowder-- both were delicious. Then we had hogfish sandwich with green beans, slaw, & fries. As a seafood market, I was afraid it would smell fishy. Not at all-- could not even tell all in the same building. So good-- would definitely recommend.

Nice location with great seafood. Nothing fancy, just good food and friendly people. The conch chowder was great and I had stone crab. It was really good. My wife had the grilled grouper and she said it was some of the best she had ever eaten. Key Lime pie is a must try.

One of the best hole in the wall places down in the Keys. The buffalo shrimp was phenomenal. The cheese steak was great. The bread was made fresh and the meat was also super fresh. So many great options.

This was a great seafood lunch spot. We had the clam chowder, the fried red shrimp basket and the fried snapper sandwich. The shrimp was cooked perfectly tender. The fried snapper sandwich was amazing. So delicate and tasty!the. Lack beans and rice were very flavorful. They had lots of specials and market items for sale that were t just seafood. There was a great selection of meats and sausages.

This place is a hidden seafood gem. The food is excellent. Easily the best fish sandwich in Marathon. They close early so for dinner you have to be a little early. We ordered the mahi sandwich, grilled chicken on Gluten free bun, and German fish sandwich. The fries and potato salad were great. The tarter sauce was homemade and delicious. They also have a blue cheese sauce which was also excellent. It's small inside with several 2 and 4 tops. It's a nice quaint inside. There are always cars there so they must have a regular following. I really appreciated the seat pads for the wooden chairs. It's a nice touch. The fish market has a number of good options from fresh fish and crabs. Also some land options from sausages , bugers, and steaks. Overall it's an excellent place. I was a little annoyed at our waiter for being salty because I had question about the bill. All the sides are extra on the basic fish and chicken sandwiches. I missread that, but I didn't need or appreciate the attitude. Still giving good ratings because the rest of experience was good.

We come to Marathon every year for vacation. We never ate at Fish Tales before tonight. It is now my absolute favorite restaurant. The food was so incredibly delicious.... every.single.thing! The staff were professional and friendly. The atmosphere was casual and comfortable. What a wonderful experience!

We were recommended Fish Tales by a local and it didn't disappoint. Wide selection of fish options, with a smaller choice of non-fish dishes that should keep most people happy. Friendly service that couldn't be faulted. They had run out of some dessert options, but it was nearly closing time, so can't really criticise for that - and there's plenty of nice looking alternative options!

Absolutely the best seafood in town. Great place to eat lunch or dinner.Conch chowder is off the chart so go get some.

We didn't eat at their restaurant but we purchased items from them at the Farmers Market at Sunshine Key and from the storefront Market. Everything we had was great! We purchased: - Whole Key Lime Pie (we didn't read the instructions and popped it in the fridge... don't do that) - brats - kielbasa - new york strip - stone crab claws (def get their mustard sauce!) - fish dip (not my fave) - Red Snapper (family fave!) - cinnamon rolls (a bit pricey but yummy! We had the Reese's and the apple - apple was the fave here) - hogfish - blackening seasoning (a must if you're cooking it on a blackstone) - seafood seasoning (I haven't tried it yet but I bought it because I loved their other seasoning so much) All of the staff we encountered were wonderful! Even on the phone. The day before Christmas I decided to get hogfish for Christmas dinner. My husband called in the morning and they set it aside for us.

My wife and I ate here during our January 2026 visit to Marathon Key. She had called ahead and made sure they had stone crab. The place was small but we were seated promptly and our orders taken promptly. The stone crab came in 3 sizes which were on display at the market part of the building. She chose the "large", which were bigger than any she had every had before. They were fresh, there was alot of delicious meat. She had them cold with mustard sauce. She had a side of french fries which were particularly good. I had grouper with a topping of some ham and a cheese sauce. This wasn't exciting. The Key Lime pie was homemade and fantastic. All in all the fact that the Stone crab were so great and so was the Key lime pie, we give the restaurant a 5 star rating.

Another amazing service and lunch Swordfish sandwich to die for- you will never go wrong with it. My husband have the blackened mahi German fish sandwich which is also delish. They ran out of German beer Oktoberfest ( need to come back for this ) Overall, our go to lunch , dinner when in town.

Not kid friendly at all. Rude not only to my family but to their workers. You can see below we are not the only people who feel this way. Maybe this is a European only type restaurant. ***Because I'm unable to respond to your response. This gives no reason to be rude to people. I would have rather you asked me to leave than to treat my family like trash. Not to mention it may be because of what we look like or where we are from. My wife and I reprimanded our children after they were touching items. I also apologized, but you didn't say that in your response did you? Don't try and turn this around like we let them go crazy. You're a nasty person.

Great variety of seafood. Good service. My husband had ahi-tuna that was barely warm when served. Shrimps were ok, but nothing special. I loved chowder with crawfish and coleslaw was good. Nice decor.

One of our favorite spots in the Keys! Freshest fish around with a German flair to the menu. The menu is huge with tons of daily specials based on the catch of the day and the season. The service is excellent. The restaurant is small, and it can get crowded. It's worth the wait!

The crawdad chowder was phenomenal and a meal unto its own in a bowl. Alligator bites were good, fried green tomatoes were the best we've had. Definitely a return in the future.

Florida Keys Classic! Amazing place to get a great seafood meal, shop for fresh seafood, or partake in delicious key lime pie. Great locals! Support this shop!

Wow. We were looking for a place for dinner and saw this establishment. It looked more local and had a neighborhood vibe. There's a fish market and a few tables. It's nothing special inside, just a basic setup like a small mom and pop place. The menu is pretty big and the prices are reasonable for what you get. Though it is a little on the high side. The wait staff was really helpful and the food came out quickly. Everyone was really nice that we interacted with. There were three of us and we were trying to decide between grouper, hogfish, and cobia. We just decided to order all 3 and share. The only "problem" was that we thought we ordered sandwiches, but the waitress thought we wanted platters. In the end, it was fine because the portion size was a little bigger, and she brought us buns so we could eat them as sandwiches if we wanted to. All three fish dishes were fresh and excellent.

Nice small restaurant with a market on the main drag. We had the grouper sandwich with applesauce and their slaw and fried shrimp. Both entrees were delicious. Fast friendly service and clean. We checked out the market side and bought some jumbo pink shrimp and a large plank of Mahi-Mahi. Can't wait to make for dinner tomorrow. All in all we liked this restaurant and we will be back soon.

I had the grouper finger and they were fire! delicious! Highly recommend! Servers are all great and sweet!

We went with a large group and luckily they fit us right in. There is only a small dining room. Food was delicious -- big helpings for all. We loved the key lime pie, took it to go. They also have a market if you want to cook at home.

Small eatery serving good food. The grilled mahi was good and the service was quick and nice

The Keys have soo many good restaurants, and Fish Tales is the best in Marathon. What I love is they have their regular menu and a big spspecial menu. Be sure to order off their Octoberfest menu in October.

The best fish sandwich we've had since we arrived. Small place but not crazy busy at 2:30. We might go back.

Pricey food choices. Many types of fish offered either as sandwiches or platters. Not overly friendly counter service but adequate. Our fish was over- cooked and not the best quality. Service at the market end was friendly, helpful. Bought some conch, and Key West Pink Shrimp for cooking at home. Pretty much a fish shack but convenient .

The best fish sandwich in Marathon!!! Seriously!! On a pretzel bun, w mushrooms and cheese blackened on request. Winner winner... George's fish sandwich for dinner. Anytime I have people in town, we visit all the regular spots by boat... but then I say... today we're going to a family owned and operated local spot w a great menu. Do not be fooled by its small size... you'll leave happy.

The service was fantastic! The portions are huge, fresh, cooked fast and delivered quickly. The employees work together as a team. We will be back.

Fresh fish cooked properly. Sounds easy but that hardly ever happens. Attentive service. Lived the vibe. Exceptional experience!

Hubby and I had blackened Hogfish sandwiches with battered fries and cup of slaw. We had great service with a smile. We finished by sharing delicious slices of Key Lime pie and Peanut Butter pie. It is well worth another visit. ** There is free Key Lime pie if you check in!!! Hubby liked it and he doesn't even like Key Lime pie. :-)

Food was delicious and prices reasonable. Great people and wonderful service!! Casual atmosphere and chill vibe. Had stone crab, clam strips, peel and eat shrimp, conch fritters, and key lime pie. Outstanding-thank you!

Tried this place after our charter captains suggested it after talking about buffalo shrimp on the boat. Darren recommended the place and he was spot on. The waitress was nice, the food came quick and honestly it might have been the best food we've had since coming to the keys. We both ordered blackened mahi & the kids ordered fried hogfish - all were happy. Will definitely come back.

Great food and service! Ate here twice in the 6 days we were in Marathon. Make sure to try the crawdad chowder, amazing!!!

This is my second time leaving a 5-star review! We love coming here and the last time we came we got the homemade strawberry shortcake. This was truly one of the best desserts we've ever had and I joked about coming back and eating it as my main meal. Make sure to save room! We also tried the signature dressing they have and we're blown away. It is a mixture of blue cheese, ranch and one more thing (I can't remember) it sounded so strange but was amazing!!!

Surprisingly great fresh fish sandwiches at this small restaurant with friendly service. Their key lime pie was the best we've had (and we've had many) that we had to come back the next day and take two whole pies home to share!

Thought we would try this after reading all the good reviews. First staff is not very welcoming. Made us feel very out of place. Noticed them be more friendly with the locals. Don't try to ask questions about the menu and the difference between a sandwich and a platter. It's the bun stupid, but why is a platter more then walks away. Pricing well the night before we had an excellent dinner at FL keys steak and lobster (early bird) for the nearly the same price. Once food was delivered never came back to check with us how the meal was. First return was are you done and did we want desert. Taste of food bland. Not going back. Best to try somewhere else.

We found this spot via a suggestion from a local resident. They were absolutely correct regarding the food and what a good place it was for dinner. The portions were very fair and the food was excellent. The four of us enjoyed our dinner but couldn't manage room for dessert. Solution was to come back the next day at lunchtime for dessert after a light lunch. The desserts were superb - especially the strawberry shortcake. After the first two visits, we came back again for dinner on our last night in Marathon. Service was friendly and attentive. Would recommend to anyone as the menu has something for everyone!

Best place to eat pork chops in the Keys. Yes I know seafood is what you eat in the Keys but they have that too! All the food and service is excellent!!

Amazing food at reasonable prices in this cute restaurant with the nicest staff! I tried the Bavarian fresh catch sandwich with crisp fries. Friends had the hogfish sandwich and the bacon tomato grilled cheese. Everyone was happy. We'll be back for the homemade desserts. We had already grilled the fresh hogfish, steaks and bratwurst at our condo. Coming back soon!

Came here with a group to Cook Our Catch. We did half grilled, half fried mutton snapper and the texture and temperature were great, taste was excellent. The side offerings were more than enough for us. Key lime pie was a 9/10: this version is a frozen pie, but the taste and crust were perfect key lime, tart and excellent.

Really like this place adjacent to the Marathon Lady party boat. They can cook up your catch from the boat and the seasoning is terrific! Also very much like the offerings and quality of the food. This place is a gem. Great service too! Don't miss!

Excellent food across the board. Service was great. There was fish for sale but I would not really call it a seafood market. That said the fish was excellent.

I really loved the quality of the fish and the the servers were very efficient at their jobs! I wish I had gotten some oysters or shrimp or had gotten my fish blackened, as what I did get was little lacking in spices and depth of flavor. Very much a place of the locals. A fun time.

Reasonable price with fresh food! Soft drinks are 1.99 with refills , couldn't find that anymore!

Best key lime pie I've ever had. Buy a whole one, take it home because you are gonna want to have more than just one slice!

Checked in here for our last evening meal in the Keys and we weren't disappointed with our choice. Menu is an interesting mix of seafood, steaks, and German food. I had fried grouper fingers and wife had clam strips and a cup of red conch chowder. All were served promptly and tasted great. We finished our meal with a frozen homemade key lime pie which was also very tasty. They hand cut their own steaks and have a fish market to boot. Great choice for a variety of foods and not just seafood as many eateries in the Keys provide.

Excellent lunch, great service. The fish and shrimp were fresh and the atmosphere was very tropical.

Stopped by on our way to a gig with our band. My review is a bit limited because I never stepped foot inside and we sat outside due to COVID and the lovely weather. Our server was friendly and expedited things quickly. We started with the Buffalo Shrimp appetizer $10.95 and although the sauce appeared broken (lost it's emulsion, see photo) I rated it based on taste, and it tasted good. My Wife enjoyed her Seared Ahi Yellowfin Tuna Platter $14.95 and I had the German Fish Sandwich which was made with the catch of the day, Yellow Tail Snapper $10.95 and it was tasty. I can't recall what the rest of the band had but I know they all enjoyed their meal. We plan to revisit soon.

We love the Market and the Restaurant. Home cooked meals as well as delicious fried shrimp. Hogfish is awesome. Buy fresh prime filets to cook at home. Homemade break is great

Food was amazing and service was fantastic! We ate here while on vacation at the recommendation of someone from our resort. They did not steer us wrong! We loved it so much, we came back for dessert the next day. The staff is efficient, but very friendly, and the homemade key lime and mud pies are out of this world!

Best food and service we've had on our entire trip. We have eaten here twice. Yesterday, we had burgers which were great. Today, I had mutton snapper and my husband had hamburger steak and both were fabulous. You must try this restaurant.

Don't judge a book by its cover. This place may not look like much on the outside, but the food is delicious and the service is friendly. Sit inside or outside, take your pick. We went here for lunch and had the hamburger and the blackened mahi sandwich with fries. Both were really delicious and the price is right. Prices in Marathon have gone sky high, so this place is a good place to grab a burger for $6.95, $2 extra for fries. Mahi sandwich for $10.95 for a large portion. We went back a few days later and had the grilled cheese and blackened mahi again. We didn't leave disappointed. They also have a fresh seafood market so we bought a couple of lobster tails to take home for Valentine's Day. They have fresh made desserts, but we never seem to have room to try them. The beer is cold and the food is good, give them a try if you aren't looking for a non-touristy place for lunch!

Best Key Lime Pie I have ever had! The food was amazing, especially the Conch Fritters!!!

Okay so I've only been in the Florida keys a couple times my wife however and her mom have been here a lot, so I'm pretty much going with the flow as far as where we are eating. They said this place is really good so I gave it a shot. It's kind of small inside there are only about six tables, and there's a bar with maybe seven or eight bar stools. The wait staff was very friendly and personable. My mother-in-law told me that I had to try the coleslaw as it's the best that she had ever had, and I have to agree it was very good. We basically had fish sandwiches and fries, and the fish was prepared perfectly nice and light and flaky and not too greasy, which for me is important especially if it's deep fried. Can't trade you some people's opinions you can deep fry things without the grease soaking in. I was rather full after lunch however everywhere I go especially when I'm in the keys, that has key lime pie on the dessert menu, I have to try it. Because of this I have had key lime pie and a lot of different places. This particular key lime pie in my humble opinion makes my top three list. It was very cold and very limey. (I used the word limey as a good thing as it really had a nice lime flavor). So yes I would absolutely recommend this place for a quick lunch if you're in the area.

Everything we have tried has been fantastic. We came back to try different fish, my husband loves all types of fish. Staff is very nice and the feel in the restaurant is very comfortable. Can't say enough good things.

Superb food, great staff who was very informative about the food. You can eat inside or outside by the water. Loved it!!

Didn't eat here. However did get the key lime pie. Best we've had on the island. Highly recommend.

Nothing great. Service was not good. They barely greeted us when we walked in. I had the pompano fish sandwich. It was just OK. It had a thick piece of fish and a thin piece of fish, so the thin piece of fish was overcooked and rubbery. My husband had the fried clam strips, and they were obviously frozen out of the bag. I would not go back here.