Pepe's Cafe

What a fun cafe! We enjoyed breakfast with biscuit and gravy with scrambled eggs added. The biscuits and gravy were delicious and everything you expect them to be! In addition to that we got the French toast special which has a strawberry sauce. While I loved the French toast, I was not a fan of the sauce. I will try the eggs Benedict next time.

This is an old establishment. I sat on the outside deck with a fan about me to keep me cool. I chose a bacon cheeseburger with coleslaw. That was absolutely delicious. I asked the manager, Jessica, to be honest with me and recommend best place for key lime pie in Key West and she told me that Pepe's was in the top three and maybe the best. The best. She comped me my first ever piece of key lime pie. It was absolutely delicious. The cinnamon crust the condensed milk in the pie made it very rich and very tasty. I now have a benchmark for all future key lime pies. This was a welcomed Oasis on a hot day. The chickens were cute too

This is an iconic place as this is the oldest restaurant in key west. However, it is not for me. The sandwiches werent as tasty and I even ordered the special of the day. I think what affected my rating too is because I had set a very high expectation on this place.

The spot and service were great but the french toast wasn’t the my favorite. I had a morning special with a mixed berry sauce, pineapple, coconut, and blueberry toppings and I feel those held it up for me. I tried some of the omelet and in-house made bread which I enjoyed more. I’m sure the other menu options were great, I could have just lucked out and not hit with the toast.

Best fish tacos I have legitimately ever had. The fish dip was amazing, and I don't think anything can beat a $4 mojito... Especially when it was as delicious as it was. Will 100% be my first stop when I'm back in Key West

The key lime pie here was my husbands favorite in Key West. The rest of the food was pretty good. Convenient location after a dolphin and snorkeling trip.

The BEST Key Lime Pie in the Keys – Hands Down! If you’re searching for the ultimate Key Lime Pie experience in Key West, look no further than Pepe’s Café. This slice of heaven is everything a real Key Lime Pie should be—perfectly tart, creamy, and balanced with just the right amount of sweetness. The graham cracker crust is buttery and crisp, and the whipped topping is light and fluffy. We tried a few others around town, but nothing came close to Pepe’s. This pie is the real deal. Don’t leave Key West without grabbing a slice—or two. You’ll regret it if you don’t!

Eating at Pepe's is like taking a trip back in time to Old Key West! Everything is authentic in the oldest restaurant in the keys and the food is amazing and totally worth the wait!!!!! I love that the roosters walk in and out of the restaurant and that there is so much history in every corner of the restaurant!!!!!

Favorite restaurant in the Keys. The most authentic Floridian ambiance and experience. On our trip we visited for both breakfast and dinner because it was just that awesome. There is so much history in the walls of this establishment and the dishes never lack in quality and flavor. We went a bit earlier in the evening to heat dinner crowds and then visited the next morning during peak breakfast hours- service did not disappoint no matter the time or type of environment.

This place has a great Happy Hour between 4-6 daily, with 1/2 price raw oysters and good drink prices. There's seating inside and out, but being it was so hot today, the dark-lit inside was packed. The walls are covered with historic photos of the area, and it has a dive-bar feel. We got a couple dozen raw oysters, some baked oysters Florentine and some mussels. The raw oysters were tasty, but tiny. My friend didn't think they were worth the 80 cents apiece we paid for them. I liked the cocktail sauce, plus the generous serving of horseradish they provided, but it was not enough as it was served in a small oyster shell. The baked oysters were heavy, with too much cheese on them. I started to eat the oysters without the spinach and cheese topping as it totally masked the taste of the oyster. I was not a fan of the mussels either. Four were unopened and not edible, and I was fine with them not being replaced. The white butter wine sauce affected both our stomachs in a negative way, which put off our dinner plans for later. I was not a fan and would not order that again. We have 5 days here, and though it's a good deal, I can say we won't be returning.

While in town we looked for a tasty local restaurant and made a reservation online. We arrived right on time at 7:30 pm, and they didn't seem to have a list of who made reservations the same day. We were seated outside, while it was chilly and windy, and got our jackets from the car. I ordered the filet mignon, medium and got it cooked well done. The filet was fatty and didn't taste good at all. The food was well below what we were expecting; and would not recommend this restaurant if you are looking for great service and amazing food. Overall, we were underwhelmed.

I really, really wanted to love this place based on all the recommendations from fellow Key Westers, but we just couldn't find anything remarkable except for the atmosphere. It's definitely a Key West vibe right down to the uneven brick flooring, but on the day we visited there was little else that stood out to us during our dinner experience. The service was slow and not very engaging, and the food made no lasting impression (good or bad).

Dropping 3 stars. Saw another review that said fantastic breakfast steak...not the case. It's a cut of meat cooked on the flat top. No seasoning. Disappointing but the bar tender was very nice along with the staff. Typical vibe inside for key west.

We were at Pepe's two weeks ago while we were on vacation and I'm still thinking about it. My husband and I shared the French toast and the sausage and gravy, and I can say the pineapple was the best pineapple I've ever had in my life. Staff was great and we got a photo of the famous booth!

I was looking for more of a whole in the wall place with delicious food & I found it! It's hard to eat clean when you're on vacation & most places in Key West have very carb heavy restaurants. The food at Pepe's Cafe was fantastic & the corn bread was made from scratch. They brought that last & I didn't even get to take a photo because we all jumped on it. Service was quick, meal prices were fair & the atmosphere was chill. The only reason I'm giving it a 4 star review is because the bathrooms could be cleaner.

We had chicken Florentine and alfredo with blackened chicken. The cheesy garlic bread that came with the pasta was amazing. Everything was pretty good. The cornbread, included with meals, was ok. The key lime pie was the best we had in Key West. The crust tastes like there's a hint of ginger in it, and overall was amazing! Or, like it was made with Biscoff cookies. The key lime martini needed graham crackers crumbs on the rim, just felt like it was missing something.

The place was packed for happy hour, appeared to be under staffed. Glad they took and we had reservations. Party of 5, we all enjoyed the heck out of 88 cent oysters. The shrimp were delicious. $1.50 beer, $6.00 margaritas, keep in mind those are happy hour prices. The place is very cute. Make reservations

First of all, love the ambience and the smoked fish dip. Superb! However, when we ordered our mahi-mahi sandwiches, the buns they came out on, were rather soft and broke down at about the halfway point so you had to eat the sandwich with a fork. Really needs a stronger bun because I hate when my sandwich falls apart like that and I was being very very careful with it or so I thought. I also just ordered the sandwich grilled and it was fresh but kind of tasteless, possibly the chef forgot to put the spice on it. I don't know. I just remember them being tastier last trip. I guess I should've ordered it blackened. The coleslaw was as good as usual.

Finally made it back to Pepe's after a few years. The ambiance was everything I remembered and loved about the place. Casual with a fun and welcoming vibe. Upon entering, there was a very young "hostess" seated to the side that we weren't really sure if she was working or not. She got us seated and all was good. Our reservation was at 6pm and the place was hopping upon our arrival. Glad we had a reservation as we watched several people get turned away although they were able to accommodate some walk-ins. Our server was helpful and explained specials, etc. our bottle of wine arrived quickly, followed by appetizers and our entrees. My husband had oysters medley for a starter. He ate all 6 of them and enjoyed the variety. For dinner I had the Surf & Turf which was a 5 ounce filet mignon and a lobster tail. It was served with 2 sides of your choice. I had the rice and a baked potato. It was perfect. My husband had the Snapper Pepe style. He was in the clean plate club for sure and raved about the flavors. Your entree comes with cornbread which we living refer to as "cornbread cake". It is truly like a dessert it is so delicious. It has a smooth texture and is just so good! If you haven't been here before I would add it to your list. It is steeped in history that makes it that much more special. Bonus: a few chickens wandering around to complete the ambiance.

My wife made a reservation for six of us celebrating my birthday. We asked for an 8:30 reservation. They close at 9:30. However, we also went on a Sunset Cruise. My wife called and told them we'd be there as soon as the cruise came back (One block from Pepe's). We got off the boat and got to Pepe's at 8:40. They told us the Kitchen was closed and refused us service. We've been going there for 25 years. Sorry new ownership. We are done.

Love this place for a casual meal, whether breakfast, lunch or dinner. Meals are delicious and plentiful. Our favorite spot is right at the bar where you'll always be entertained by the tender out the locals. Specials of surf and turf and even the simplest of BLT are great. The oysters are perfectly cleaned and reasonably priced. Stop by and enjoy the patio.

The happy hour special is a good value but the raw oysters were served room temperature which was very dangerous.

This place is excellent! I had the breakfast burrito and my wife had the cream cheese and scallion omlette with the snickerdoodle bread. Of course we topped them off with amazing cocktails: Bloody Mary and margaritas! Service was excellent and prompt! Atmosphere was old island Key West! Amazing place to eat.

Service was fast and friendly although we asked for waters 2 times and never got one. Best thing here are all the fresh squeezed drinks, but they should exclusively focus on this. Oysters were by far the worst oysters I've ever had and I'm from Indiana. Dry like someone dumped out the liquor, very warm, sandy and dirty, etc. We got the seafood entree special which came with snapper, 3 shrimp, and 3 scallops. First of all, we were missing a scallop but I was not upset about less food after trying the meal. Slimy boiled or steamed fish smothered in thick creamy crab sauce. Legitimately tasted like wedding or airplane food. One of the priciest meals I've had here and easily the worst. We went to a Cuban sandwich shop after to get the taste out of our mouths and were able to salvage the night.

BALANCED KEY LIME PIE Let me start out by saying this place has my favorite key lime pie in key west. Came in 10 minutes before the lunch switch. Since we wanted lunch the waitress said we would have to wait about 10 minutes to order and tell us the specials. After being told this, someone walked in and had no problem ordering a takeout order. We ended up waiting 40 minutes for our waitress to come back. For lunch we had oysters and a burger. The burger was nothing special. The key lime pie has the best balance of tart and sweet. Wish the pie had a slightly thicker crust and whip cream not out of a bottle. Overall, I wish we had better experience.

Food was pretty good. The service was good. I wish they served breakfast a little longer but when on vacation you just go with the flow.

Their happy hour oyster special is the best on the island. They have 88cent oysters and their oysters are good. Half of the place is outside and half is inside with AC. Their margarita is the best one on keywest also. My wife is very picky about her margaritas and she loves the ones they make there. This place is the second oldest restaurant in florida. #1 is Columbia in Tampa. They sell all kinds of food including breakfast but the only thing ive ever had was oysters. And ill keep going there for happy hour oysters every time im in keywest.

French toast, coffee and a great Bloody Mary. The breakfast of Key West champions. There's a reason this place has been in business for so long and no visit to KW is complete without eating and drinking at Pepe's.

Best Food In key west! We visited two weeks and tried just about every place and found this place THE BEST PLACE and Most reasonably Prices. BEST OYSTERS AND INEXPENSIVE compared to many places, nice sized too!! They have a great variety of food but their seafood was our favorite. They also have a sister Restaurant called Two Friends AMAZING FOOD!! And Voted Number 1 place BLOODY MARYS!! They were never t wrong. We ate there everyday for breakfast after we found this place on our second day!! Music there is pretty good too Great Service at both places we are going to these two places next year for our meals. A MUST TRY you will NOT REGRET IT!!

This place bugged me. We came to Pepe's for Sunday breakfast, having heard good things about the history of the place, their house made breads and traditional foods, like the steak sandwich. Their board outside listed what sounded like delicious tacos with steak. They were out when we tried to order. And the house made bread was "chocolate, basically a brownie," the server said. What they did have plenty of (inside, not out), was gnats and fruit flies EVERYWHERE! I'm not talking about few, they were everywhere. This will not be a return to place for me, as I prefer not to swat while eating. The server was sweet and the cream cheese omelette was delicious but the atmosphere was less than ideal.

Had the Turkey dinner, it was actual roasted Turkey with gravy, dressing mashed and veggies.

Came for breakfast and we had a great experience overall. Our server and bartender were very friendly and attentive. I got the simple two egg breakfast; the bread of the day was apple fritter and it was outstanding! I would have taken a loaf home if I could. My partner was a fan of his eggs Benedict. The coffee was better here than at other similar diner places and the tequila sunrises were also good. If you're a hot sauce fan, they offer a good selection including some that are homemade that you can purchase. I ended up buying the chipotle one. Only minor complaint was the hostess was unfriendly and seemed to have a bit of an attitude.

Updating my review for Pepe's dinner. My first visit 2 yrs ago was so fantastic, we recently came back a second time. The dinner this time was sub-par. The fish tasted frozen and the pasta was flavorless. Also the service was slow, but I have more patience for that since we're on island time. Since our second dinner experience makes us not rushing to return anytime soon, I'll rate 3 stars for "A-OK" so it'll average with my prior 5-star review. I think 4 stars for Pepe's is good. Again, for dinner only , I haven't tried their breakfast. But I'll be back to try it and will update the review ! I keep thinking about how amazing that first dinner was, so can't count them out just yet!

Pepe was the restaurant that I was most excited about for our Key West trip because of its history and what I have read. It is cool to come to a place with that much history and has been standing since 1909!! How many restaurants in Florida could do that? Or even in the entire United States!! 1) Food: I had peeled shrimps because I am not much of a steak person, and I do not eat fish. For my partner, I recommended blackened fresh caught of the day for him because I spent half an hour reading all the reviews here. He went with my suggestion, and the fish came out PHENOMENON! Guess what? I was the one who kept eating his fish. Did I say I don't normally eat fish? Yes, I did. I normally can't stand the fishy smell but this fish was an exception!! I think because the fish was so fresh!! You could taste the freshness inside, while the outside is so flavorful!! This speaks volume for the quality of this dish coming from someone who doesn't eat fish!! 2) Service: both the host and the waitress were very nice and welcoming, especially the host! We made small talks and we asked her for recommendation if we want to stop by for breakfast. She even showed us how to walk to Duval st from there. 3) Setting: we were sitting outside. There were plenty of seatings, so maybe that's why they didn't ask for my name when I mentioned I had a reservation? No big deal, the point is reservation might not be needed. We chose to sit outside so that we can look at sunset as we enjoyed our dinner. I love Key West so much that I already planned for another trip. We will definitely come back here, and I will get a blackened fresh caught of the day myself (so that I don't have to steal someone's yummy food)

key west pinks on happy hour! Get a fresh margarita and all will be well. Staff are lovely and service is fast.

We knew we wanted to go here and we searched for the address. We thought we had arrived and discovered we were at a different Pepe's close to Mallory square! We left and went to Caroline street where we had intended to go. The oyster sampler was awesome! They also have a wonderful fish sandwich. We sat at the small bar as the restaurant was fairly crowded. Enjoy and make sure you're at the right place!

Good breakfast place. Ordered lox, turned out to be a big portion. Friendly host. More beachy ambience.

Fast friendly service, A+ oysters and Bloody Mary's. It's an authentic Key West spot, put this one on your list to hit at least once while in town. I also love the fun facts on the menu - this place is full of history.

Very friendly hostess and waitstaff. The food was delicious but then again, everyone in our family had cheeseburgers (in paradise)! We sat outside in a dining room that could best be described as an outdoor space covered with a tin roof (my recollection anyway) and filled with furniture from Goodwill. Is that bad? No, this is Key West, and this particular restaurant is part of the history and charm of the city. Harry Truman apparently used to come here and I can see why. It's an easygoing place with an uncomplicated menu and uncomplicated people both working there and dining there too! You should put this place on your list of places to visit again and again!!

Awesome happy hour oyster specials along with cheap draft beer. The service was quick and the staff were knowledgeable. Small place so expect to wait if you're a larger party.

Pepe's has hit hard times. The food is terrible and the service is negligent. They also don't bother to air conditioni the indoor portion of the restaurant even in summer. I used to love Pepe's so I mourn the loss .

The BEST breakfast in Key West. Went 3 times in the week I was there. Service was amazing as well.

2nd time dining here. The first time we had breakfast and it was amazing so we opted to redo the experience! The service is good, we were lucky to have the same waitress both times. This time around my husband had the smoked salmon and he raved about how good it was. I had the breakfast special tacos, they were a little disappointing. The cheese was kinda clumped up in one spot, quac was very pulsed, meat was minimal; it just wound up to be a very wet taco. Key lime was perfect, best in Key West in our opinion.

Update So sad to write this What happened? Service is terrible Nasty attitudes and dirty menus and silverware Time for a change of staff Season is coming - now's the time Still a great happy hour

Waited with many others for a table which took quite some time. Busy, popular spot obviously. We finally got called and had a table in the covered patio area. The breakfast food was tasty. The home fries were hard so we didn't eat them. The kind manager came over and said he was sorry. He was aware of the issue and trying to correct it. He was nice enough to take both sides off of our bill. Their blueberry pancakes (short stack) are quite large and delicious, proved to be worth the wait. Staff was friendly despite the crowds. Sorry no food photos! Ate it before thinking about taking a pic! lol

Sucks to have to give such a bad review to a place I've loved for 20 years, but here we are. There was chewing gum - yes, chewing gum - on the silverware in the little pack of silverware they give you. Waitress didn't seem to really care and just handed us a new one like we didn't just get silverware with gum on it. Two of us ordered cream chipped beef and, for some reason, it took our server about 25 mins to tell us they didn't have it. Then I ordered an omelette with a dose of bacon. Bacon never came. Anyway, I'll miss you Pepe's but I'm done.

Came for breakfast per a recommendation. We were not disappointed. There was just a little bit of a wait around 10. Olga was the hostess and Kelsey our server. Both were very friendly and properly attentive. They have an open air courtyard type of area and an inside with booths. A chicken is wandering around - just like everywhere else on KW. We had mimosas, a French toast special, and eggs with a delicious smoked sausage. And they take Apple Pay which was good because we had just finished a jog and didn't have cash or credit on us.

Best restaurant in all of Key West! Great menu, great staff and the freshest oysters on the island! I highly recommend coming by Pepe's for Happy Hour! You won't be disappointed!

Visited in November of '24 and was in love with the happy hour! The margaritas did indeed taste fresh! The peel and eat shrimp/oyster deal cannot be beat! The fish dip was a nice change of pace.

Typical key west bar eatery. Food was good but not exceptional. Philly steak was decent. The fish Reuben was interesting. The potatoes were good Service was good and everyone pitched in Small venue. Very eclectic.

Absolutely delicious key lime pie! My husband and I made our way to Pepe's just to try it and we were not disappointed.

Absolutely fantastic! We loved Olga she was so nice! The food is incredible, we ate breakfast then turned around the next day and ate lunch (happy hour) then the next day ate breakfast again. Our food was hot, fresh and delicious! We will definitely be back!

Looks like a hole in the wall, been around since 1909. Clean, welcoming atmosphere & staff... don't mind the roosters walking around lol Food was to die for & cooked perfectly

Ate lunch - snapper wrap and macaroni salad very good / and patty melt and home fries. (Didn't live the home fries) however key lime pie was one of best in town! Order the Key Lime Pie!

Fantastic breakfast at Pepe's this morning -- got there before 8:30 to beat the morning rush. Great service sitting at the bar -- with an amazing Bloody Mary and omelette special with chorizo, potatoes, roasted peppers, onions, cheese -- and an amazing salsa on top! Excellent, as always!

Thursday is Thanksgiving dinner. Choice of other veggies if you don't want peas. Choice of mashed white or sweet potatoes. Gigantic portions! Cornbread included. The gravy is a bit salty. Service was wonderful!

Been coming to Pepe's for years. Last review was over 10 years ago. Glad to say the food here remains consistently good. Breakfast or lunch can have you waiting for a table at this historic Key West place. If you score one of the high tops in the back of the outside dining area you catch a breeze from the huge fan in the rear of the restaurant. The bar is always active and the Bloody Mary comes with olives, pickled bean and spear of asparagus. The daily special bread continues and my favorite is the coconut. When it comes to breakfast favorites their eggs Benedict are possibly the best on the Key. The Canadian Bacon slice is generous. Another delicious dish is the chipped beef over toast. Service is always good even when the bartender is doing double duty.