El Siboney Restaurant

“We’re a small restaurant with a big heart. Everybody knows everybody and everyone is welcome. Our staff has been the same for the last fifteen or twenty years. Our local customers are the best in the world. They not only come for the great food, but also to get away from the daily hustle in the Keys. This place belongs to them.”

Marinated pulled pork with rice, beans, and plantains; mojo-marinated churrasco skirt steak with onion and parsley; whole fried yellowtail snapper with lemon juice, spices, and crispy tostones.

It is easy to feel the trappings of tourism as a visitor in Key West. But gems like El Siboney, named for Cuba’s indigenous people, remind us that island paradise is also home to many. Traditional Cuban cuisine has been beloved and taken seriously here since 1984. Under new ownership from 2004, entrée plates continue to sizzle, marked with heaping mounds of beans and rice. Seafood comes from local fishers and produce that can’t be sourced locally typically ships from Miami. Daily specials seem straight from grandma’s kitchen – lima bean soup mid-week, or oxtails on Saturday. Much of the staff has been around for at least fifteen years, giving the team a shorthand that’s entertaining to observe. Get cozy and speak up – it’s often loud, just like any feel-good family dining room ought to be.