KEYS EATS
Havana Jack’s is hot, hot, hot
SARA MATTHIS/Keys Weekly
Key Colony Beach restaurant has it all
The Cioppino seafood stew is a crowd-pleaser.
By Sara Matthis
H
avana Jack’s has everything — a waterfront location, a viewing dock, huge tiki huts sheltering both comfortable groupings of deep couches and standard tableand-chair combinations. It has two bars, plus indoor seating, live entertainment and special fun scheduled every night. And that doesn’t begin to touch on its delicious food, creative cocktails and on-site cigar club. “What else could you want?” asked Mark Mistie of the Glunz Ocean Beach Hotel and Resort which encompasses the restaurant, opening his hands wide to embrace the whole operation. “Sit down, eat, smoke, have a drink, dance.” The big reveal for the renovated and storied restaurant on Key Colony Beach, the tiny town adjacent to Marathon, was in late December. The response, Mistie said, has been phenomenal. The locals and snowbirds have embraced the restaurant. “This,” he said, referring to Key Colony Beach, “is such an interesting community. It’s vibrant, but still has deep-seated, old-fashioned values.” Guests are taking advantage of the extensive craft beer list and sipping the signature cocktails such as the Cuba Libre and Mojitos. They’ve also shown a marked preference for the
Page 22 • Marathon Weekly • Feb. 12, 2016
Patrons take a seat facing the ocean for an afternoon cocktail.
“Cioppino,” an Italian-American seafood soup brimming with clams, mussels, local shrimp, fresh fish and crab claws. Chef Justin’s presentation and arrangement of colors is top notch, too. The other favorites are the Grouper Oscar (stuffed with crab meat and topped with fried leeks) and the crab cakes served over Caribbean rice with a sriracha remoulade. Mmmm. The pizza is also house-made
and delicious. Havana Jack’s is an “anytime” kind of place. In the early afternoon, some patrons perch at the bar, while others lounge in the sun or take up the barstools facing the ocean to watch a sleepy iguana ramble over the rocks. In the early evening, guests play trivia or participate in the sip-and-paint at the regularly scheduled workshops. At night, the live entertainment gets the party on their feet to dance under the stars. “This is one of the most unique venues in the Keys,” Mistie said. Havana Jack’s is located at 901 East Ocean Drive in Key Colony Beach. Open daily for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m.
Hostess Karina Solis is chief-in-charge of cigar sales at Havana Jack’s. Page 22 • Upper Keys Weekly • Feb. 12, 2016