Square Grouper Key West is finally open, so my husband and I had to try it out for lunch the other day while we were running errands in town. Located on Caroline Street in the building that was formerly home to PT’s Late Night and more recently, Off the Hook, owner Lynn Bell has completely transformed the space. The interior is now light and bright and modern and clean.




The Experience
We did not order any appetizers, but we decided to order one of their specialty cocktails. We went with the El Papa which was Papa’s Pilar rum with banana liquor over ice and garnished with banana chips. While neither one of us are big drinkers, we both really enjoyed this drink. First, we love Papa’s Pilar! But the slight sweetness brought in my the banana liquor made the cocktail refreshing without being cloying. Defiantly will be wording that again!
For my entree, I went with the cashew salad with blackened shrimp. The salad was priced at $13 and shrimp were an extra $8. This is a salad that I have had many times at the Cudjoe location, and it was just as good here. The light dressing melds perfectly with the fresh greens, the sharp gorgonzola, and the crunchy cashews. And the shrimp were prepared perfectly with just enough seasoning on them to enhance the shrimp and not overpower them.
Steven went with the Square Grouper sandwich, which is a grouper fillet topped house made fried shoestring onions and served on a bun. While the flavor was really delicious, the grouper filet was tiny and the hubby was left still hungry at the end of the meal. The sandwich is market price, and today that was $22. While Steven really enjoyed his sandwich, I do not think he would get it again because for the cost versus his hunger afterwards, it was not worth it.
I had to try dessert when I heard that the bread pudding of the day with banana bread chocolate chip. See a band theme going on here, haha! I am glad that we went with that because it was amazing. Topped with a small scoop of ice cream and whipped cream, all this melded together with a buttery creaminess. So delicious!
When to Go
Want to know when to go to the Square Grouper Key West? Well, they are open Thursday through Monday from 11am until 2:30pm for lunch and from 5pm until 10pm for dinner. That closure between meals allows for the staff to make sure the restaurant is clean and hold any necessary employee meetings. I love that they are open on Mondays as that is the usual closure day for several restaurants. So, having this as an option is great!
Square Grouper does not take reservations, and with the popularity of the other locations, you know it gets busy here too. Luckily, we only had to wait a minute or two for a table. But getting here early is always a good idea!
On a service note. From our waitress to the bartenders to the bussing staff to the food runners, everyone was focused and friendly and informative. Not many Keys restaurants have such professional workers. And it was really nice to see and experience here. And this was all done without giving off a stuffy feeling like some establishments can.
More About Key West
For more information about things to do and see in our island city, go to our Key West Web Site. You can also visit our Key West Events Calendar to see upcoming special events. And for more restaurant reviews check out our restaurant review section of this blog as well as our restaurant reviews at www.gotothekeys.com.