Hogfish Bar & Grill

Hogfish Bar & Grill, waterfront seafood on Stock Island

Hogfish Bar & Grill is a seafood restaurant and bar located at Safe Harbor Marina on Stock Island, just outside Key West, Florida. The place occupies a spot along the dock, with views of the marina and the surrounding waters, and serves as a gathering point for locals and boaters. Its approach centers on fresh fish and seafood, with the hogfish sandwich as its signature, and it keeps a casual, island-style atmosphere.

House specialties

The menu revolves around the catch of the day and classic Keys recipes. Among the preparations most often mentioned by the company itself are the hogfish sandwich — pan-seared with mushrooms and Swiss cheese on Cuban bread — conch fritters, tuna nachos, Key West Pink peel-and-eat shrimp, and key lime pie. The establishment also mentions dishes such as the Jimmy Buffett cheeseburger, hogfish sliders, El Nacho Grande, the Vandenburger, and key lime pie. The kitchen also allows customers to bring their own catch — filets only — to be prepared fried, blackened, or grilled, served with two sides.

Local product and supply chain

The restaurant sources directly from the boats that dock at the marina. Much of the seafood passes through the Mongelli family fish market, located at the same harbor, so the journey from catch to kitchen can be completed the same day. The hogfish that gives the place its name is spear-caught, not netted or hooked, according to the company. Safe Harbor Marina is described as the last working commercial fishing waterfront in the Key West area.

Atmosphere, live music, and clientele

The place operates without reservations and with first-come, first-served seating, both in the thatched-roof structure and on the dock. On weekends — Fridays and Saturdays, and occasionally some afternoons — a local acoustic musician usually performs by the water until sunset. The company notes that the lineup changes every week. The usual crowd includes locals, boaters, and visitors, and the establishment counts among its customers musician Jimmy Buffett, who ate there in February 2023, and three members of his Coral Reefer Band, who played at the 22nd-anniversary celebration in November 2024.

Awards

Hogfish Bar & Grill has accumulated distinctions in the Bubbas Key West People's Choice Awards, organized by Keys Weekly, since 2014. The list includes six Best Lunch awards, four Best Seafood awards, three consecutive years as Best Family-Owned Business, two as Best Overall Business, and five consecutive Best Fish Sandwich wins before that category was retired. In 2025 it received the Best Conch Chowder award and in 2026 the Best Lunch award, according to the company's own list.

History and location

The space now occupied by the restaurant housed for years a simple bar at Safe Harbor Marina, where burgers or steak sandwiches were served with beer. Bobby and Michelle Mongelli transformed it into Hogfish Bar & Grill, keeping elements of the original place such as the black-and-white photographs, painted wooden posts, and tin roof. The company describes it as a piece of Stock Island history.

Practical information

The establishment is open daily from 11:00 to 22:00, with happy hour from 16:00 to 18:00. For large groups, it recommends calling ahead. The company notes that the sister restaurant is located at 5620 MacDonald Ave, Key West, FL, with the phone number 305-296-4999.

Locations

Main location: 6810 Front Street, Stock Island, FL 33040

Location 2: 5620 MacDonald Ave, Key West, FL