I headed back to Key West because I had such a blast the last time. I made sure to hit some places I missed last time. Sandbar was one of those places. I absolutely loved this place. I ended up visiting them three separate times during my trip.
My first visit I was just getting the lay of the land. They were a sports bar first and foremost. They had so many TVs throughout the restaurant, you would never miss a minute of any game.
They also had huge open doors. It let in such a wonderful coastal cross breeze. Those open doors also allowed for the local roosters to roam around. I never got use to that, especially when they crowed in the morning.
For this first visit I started off with a local Key Lime cider. I expected it to be full of lime flavor, but it really did not. But it was still refreshing.
For food, I had to try their Stone Crab chowder. I went for it because I was not conch. I had eaten so much conch it was nice to try something different.
I loved the chunky potatoes, carrots, and sweet corn they put in the creamy broth. The crab meat was sweet. I really wish there was more of it in the chowder. The garlic bread they served on the side went well with the flavor of the broth.
Since this was a sports bar, ordering some wings was a must. I went for the Joey Style wings. These wings were fried and coated with a hot buffalo sauce and bbq sauce. Then they chargrilled the wings for extra crispiness.
These wings were amazing. The skin of the wing was extra crispy just the way I like it. The meat was juicy. Creativity in the spice department came from blending buffalo sauce and bbq sauce. The heat and sweet had extraordinary taste.
These wings were so good I ordered them again when I went back for another visit. They were just as good the second time. The kitchen is very consistent with hoe they prepare these.
During this second visit I also tried their queso dip with French fries. The fries were hot out of the fryer, so they were nice and crispy. The queso came out in a tortilla shell bowl. The cheese was extremely creamy. There was a slight amount of heat from the jalapenos, which created a tango across my tongue. I really enjoyed eating the queso with fries verses tortilla chips.
My third visit was because of a recommendation from my previous bartender. She was explaining that each day they had a different food special. This day was the mac and cheese with bbq pilled pork.
The mac and cheese extraordinarily creamy. The pulled pork was loaded on top. I did not mix the pork into the mac and cheese. I just combined the two when I took a bite. It created the perfect smoky, smooth bbq flavor.
In addition to all the great food I ate at Sandbar, I also enjoyed some cocktails. They have a fun assortment of Hurricanes, all at different category strengths. It’s a fun play on the storms in Florida.
I did not make it all the way to a category 5 but I did enjoy categories 1,2 and 3.
Category 1 – This was a blend of light rum, triple sec, and the homemade Sandbar hurricane mix.
Category 2 – This one was slightly stronger. It was the same mix as the category 1 but with a shot of Spiced rum on top.
Category 3 – Once again this was even stronger. This one combined both light and spiced rum, triple sec, and it was topped off with a dark rum floater.
All the hurricanes were fun to drink. They were nice ad cold on a hot Florida day. They were definitely sweet so be prepared for that.
I cannot recommend Sandbar Sports Grill enough. I enjoyed every visit. The next time I visit Key West I am heading there first.
Check out their menu, specials, and activities at their website www.sandbarkeywest.com
Enjoy!
T
