Hurricane Hole / The ‘Hole’: Old Key West meets Disneyland

By C.S. Gilbert

The Key West marina offering the widest variety of yum and fun on and off the water isn’t, in fact, in Key West. But Hurricane Hole is literally steps onto the Stock Island side of the Cow Key Channel Bridge. The location offers a dockside bar and dining as well as an indoor (read: AC) full service sports bar and dining room.

The Hole also offers all the watersports imaginable (except possibly sailing) as well as plentiful parking and  the large dining room/sports bar’s private party options.

Who says Key West isn’t child-friendly? Most unique, there is a Pirate Playground within  view of most of the waterfront tables, so parents can keep an eye on the children enjoying the slide, jungle gym apparatus and nooks and crannies of the colorful pirate ship. New artificial turf was installed last week, which co-owner Matt McKnight describes as “nice and clean and soft and safe.” Every Friday, he said, there are “tons of kids here” with their adults.

McKnight, with co-owner Matt Moline, took over in July 2012. In addition to the Pirate Playground, the Matts have updated the menu and secured talented, Hungarian-born chef Csabo Szabo full-time to bring consistent leadership to the kitchen, offering the range of meat and marine options. By far the best seller, said McKnight, is “bring your own catch, prepared family-style one of five ways on platters with big bowls of sides.”

This demonstrates the wonderful “symbiotic relationship” with fishing charters and other marine recreation. People seek out the restaurant based on its location and reputation and then find out about the myriad recreational opportunities – or vice versa, McKnight said.

Next to bring your own, most popular is the fresh catch dinner. “We have the license to buy fish right off the boat, so it’s only hours old,” hook to plate. Various species of “snapper and grouper are the main targets, but it depends on the day,” he said. “Dolphin/mahi not so much. Cobia, tuna and wahoo are by-catch,” bonus extras.

Also popular are the entree salads, especial the chopped salad, containing mixed greens, tomatoes, onions, and cucumber, with pecan, bacon bits, fresh mango and blue cheese topped with blackened shrimp. “A full meal,” McKnight said.

Then there’s the happy hour each day from 4 until 7 p.m., with “deeply discounted” drinks and appetizers. Favorites are “conch fritters, a recipe from the Conch Shack, our original sister restaurant at 118 Duval, voted ‘best ever’ for seven years. Tuna tataki is great,” as is the fried seafood sampler, with mahi, conch fritters and calamari.

Hurricane Hole is McKnight’s “favorite place on the planet. Downtown’s crazy; it slows down here. We’re really proud of our people and our product” and there’s “location, location, location!” – the marina is convenient to Key West and all the Lower Keys.

Best of all, “no one gets sticker shock from our prices; they’re comfortable,” McKnight noted. That’s something to think about, especially for Friday nights with a half-dozen friends and a passle of kids. Info: (305) 294-0200.

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