Half Shell Raw Bar

Right down on the water in Key West's Historic Seaport, you'll find the Half Shell Raw Bar. It has one of the best logos in town (how can you go wrong with a pinup girl holding a platter of raw clams?) and some mighty cheap oysters at happy hour. From 4:30 to 6:30 you get fifty cent oysters, served up fresh at the bar. Pull up and order a dozen, it won't break your budget. They also have Blue Moon on tap, usually. Recently we went there and they actually didn't have it, however.

Woe to the hungry diner who doesn't like raw oysters, however. You will be rushing to make it in time for happy hour only to find that the raw oysters are the only real deal on the menu. You'll end up ordering a seven dollar cheeseburger while your raw shellfish-loving buddies chow down happily. Don't fall for the $5 conch fritters 'cause they are the worst ones in town.

Benihana's Key West

What happened to Benihana's? Just five months after reopening, it's gone downhill from the fabulous experience with delicious food it first was. After being shut down after Hurrican Wilma, Benihana's Key West finally reopened Spring of 2008. We went one week after reopening and there was an exciting buzz about the place. It was jam packed, the chefs were excited, and the food was delicious and plentifull. Now, in October, it changed, at least for us on that night it was our experience.

With a party of four, we got an 8-person table to ourselves, which gave us more elbow room. The waitress was attentive and very nice, but hard to hear above the noise. The chef was disappointing and hardly did any tricks or made any jokes. He just kind of cooked the food and made some pathetic jokes. Our fist visit was so good because the chef worked off any type crowd and handled some very hungry people, who'd been waiting an hour and a half for food. This guy could hardly make the onion volcano! He was not even paying attention, kept looking around the room and over our collective shoulder.

The yakisoba was not good at all! Yuck, blechho sauce poured all over it, and just mostly cabbage. Two orders of yakisoba got one paper thin piece of chicken the size of a saucer between them. Benihana's is trying to save money by handing out itty bitty pieces of chicken? The filet mignon and Hibachi steaks were tiny as well. Ripoff!!!

I just wouldn't recommend it anymore, but maybe it was just the one chef. And don't order the yakisoba. The beef is great, but there's not enough of it. And why take a chance you get the bored chef? Cross it off the list.