The Waterfront Brewery

Food was good; beer was excellent. Loved the American Barleywine. Had to go back again and again during our stay in Key West. Make sure to check out happy hour. Great location in historic seaport.

Do yourselves a giant favor by heading to the Waterfront Brewery in Key West. You know what, I dare you. I double dog dare you! Because I was floored by the brews, the space and the service with this craft beer empire.
I don’t normally begin with the service, but damn, Annette you deserve a raise! You were one of the best bartenders I’ve ever had the pleasure of talking to. In Unilocal terms, she epitomizes «useful, funny and cool.» And she’s a diehard Jags fan!
Order the Lazy Way IPA, because it’s exactly what the doctor prescribed. This slightly hazy, American IPA features piney hop notes with a touch of citrus. Is my mouth watering? Also, do you ship to Jacksonville?
**Pro tip: order the pretzel sticks with beer cheese! For $ 4, you receive four large soft pretzel sticks with amazing homemade beer cheese. Is my mouth watering again?
When leaving Key West we drove 20 minutes in the opposite direction of home just so I could grab some swag from the gift shop. With the purchase of a Lazy Way IPA t-​shirt I received a free koozie. Just when I thought I couldn’t like your brand anymore.
Also, I didn’t even touch on the gigantic game room, but they have all of the games! WB is family friendly, while located on the pier. It’s precisely your place for finger-​licking beer.

I think this place is a little overlooked but it shouldn’t be. KW now has a fantastic brew pub with spectacular views of the waterfront. The beer is very good and the food pairings scrumptious. We had the fish dip with tortilla chips which was an excellent combination, salty crunchy chips With smokey creamy fish dip, yummy. The pretzels with beer cheese is a perfect pairing with any beer although next time I’d ask for mustard, it needed a little tang for the soft and salty pretzels. (Are you seeing a theme here? Yep, all that salt = more beer please!) the fish and chips had a flavorful beer batter that you could actually taste the beer… I’m thinking the IPA or Crazy Lady. The Conch and clam chowder was thick and creamy just like this Mass woman like her chowder! (side note; tomato-​based broth is NOT a chowder). There are things to do to work off all that beer and food; pool tables, skee ball, basketball game, air hockey, and a couple arcade games (Pac-​Man!) The atmosphere is industrial brew house with cement floors, garage doors facing the water, and keg light fixtures. Beautiful colorful paintings of the ocean line the walls. The place is huge! And you have to go through the gift shop to use the bathroom…

Amazing beer and really good food. When the roof top bar opens it will be the best place to go in Key West

Just had one of the best cheeseburgers I’ve ever had. Made perfect which for me is medium rare. Was large enough to easily feed two. Great cole slaw too.

Had a event for my son’s graduation and even though they don’t take reservations, it went off without a hitch, food was prepared well, drinks flowed, we had a great time… a special thanks to Jason our server

Great value, $ 4 for 4 huge soft pretzels with cheese sauce, Cuban sandwich was huge, fries legit! Oh and the beer… mmmm…refreshing! Nicolas is a great server.

Had a flight of four that ended up being $ 4 because it was happy hour. Of the four, I’d order the Old Town Saison again. They also had a good selection of beers from other Florida breweries. Beyond the beer, the décor and view are what makes this a great place to hang. Right on the marina, you can drool over yachts while imagining your life as a carefree Key Islander.

Our waiter was cute! Forgot his name but he was friendly and patient with us (10 – 15 of us). They do have separate checks!
Flight’s are $ 8 for a tasting of 4 beers. The Key Lime and Crazy Lady are nice tasting beers if you like light beers. Apparently the 2−4−1 happy hour special only applies to the bar area but our waiter extended it to us (we were sitting in the dining area).
Waterfront Brewery overlooks the seaport and has a gift shop attached.
Unilocalers get a 10% (??) discount if they order and entrée.
I would definitely go back and check out the other rooms that they have and stay to view the sunset.

What a disappointment! We were seated at a booth along the front by the pier but service ended there. We waited 20 minutes while other tables next to us were served. Not 1 of the servers (and there were many standing around) even glanced at us.

They have a great selection of ciders and the food is pretty good. The bathrooms are clean and modern.
The back room has a great big screen and pool tables. A good place to grab a quick drink.

As fate would have it, I discovered this place on my final visit to Key West. After four years of making the trip down there on a monthly basis, I finally found my home. Unfortunately, this first time will be my last time. I have been hoping and praying for a place like this in the keys during my entire time down here, and there finally is a quality brewery.
The ambiance is pretty awesome. Just a guess here, but I think this place used to be a marina or something. It is right on the water and there are a ton of boats docked out backed. The bar area is so cool. It is large and open and the draft selection mixes some of the best craft beers in the country with the stellar, in house brewed stuff. The IPA and double IPA were outstanding. I also had the blonde and it was solid as well. The happy hour had the beers at $ 3, and that is unbeatable on the island.
The food was a slight let down, but that wouldn’t deter me from coming back. There are pool tables, skee ball, and arcade games in the game room, so my coworker and I played pool for a bit. I cant remember how much it cost but whatever it was, it was very reasonable. The gift shop has a ton of shirts but just about every shirt was sold out of L and XL. There were plenty of XXXXL and XXXS shirts available for those both rotund and emaciated, but nothing for a regular old Joe.
If I ever make it back to Key West, this would be my first stop for sure. The best place on the island to get some local beer and a great atmosphere.

Stopped by to wait for our boat and ordered a drink and an appetizer. It was tasteful and the customer service was excellent. Wish we had time for lunch that day.

This spot has only recently been repurposed /​rebuilt into a brewery. It’s only been open a short time… and you can tell.
The building has a beautiful Wyland painting on the side that faces the parking lot. Wyland painted it years ago and it has delighted locals and tourists ever since. As you walk in you are astounded by the sheer size of the restaurant. In Key West the majority of spots have a very small footprint. This place is insanely huge relative to everywhere else.
Immediately you see a fenced off portion containing part of the working brewery as well as an additional bar. When you walk into the restaurant proper you see several pool tables and TV screens everywhere. Since the NHL playoffs were mid Round 1, there was hockey everywhere.
All I wanted was a beer and a slice of Key Lime Pie so we grabbed a few seats at the bar. The bar was packed but the restaurant looked sparsely filled. We were there in between lunch and dinner times so not too surprising. What was surprising was the amount of staff and the lack of attention given to the patrons.
My wife and I sat at the bar for several minutes while the bartender walked back and forth. After several drive-​by rounds I asked him for menus. He dropped them off a few minutes later and continued to ignore us.
Finally, I flagged him down again and we ordered. I ordered a pint of Crazy Lady honey blonde ale — 5.6% and a slice of Key Lime Pie. Surprisingly, my beer was delivered within a few minutes. I took a few sips and then went to the restroom and the gift shop. I returned and saw that we were still waiting for the slice of pie. I turned my attention to my beer and the giant projection TV (see picture — the game was being projected on what I can only estimate was a 8 foot across screen on a back wall). More time elapsed, my beer was almost gone and no pie.
I finally asked the bartender (when I could get his attention) and he said «I was just about to ask about that.» Riiiiiiiiiight. Let’s pretend that’s a valid statement and you had even noticed we didn’t have it. This was 15 minutes after ordered. It’s PIE! PRE-​MADE PIE! Cut. Plate. Deliver.
A few more minutes and the slice arrived.
It was not worth the wait. It tasted like cold pudding without a very minimal hint of lime. A few bites from my wife and I and we set our pie aside. I spent a few more minutes trying to flag down the bartender — or anyone — who would allow us to pay the tab.
The beer was good but everything else was subpar — the customer service being the worst offense.
I can get beer (even their beer) elsewhere on the island without having to be tortured by their customer service. I warned my Dad (who is a local) to stay away.
Perhaps if you are on island time feel free to sit and grab a beer for hours.

We were able to come in and get a table quickly by the water. I like their beer. They make good beer. I liked the amber hey offered. And their happy hour deal was a really good deal.
Their food was also really good. I got the fish and chips which had a very unique taste to it. I really liked it.

***Rating beer selection only***
Very high 4-​star brewery approaching 5-​stars coming from this ultra beer snob.
Venue is top-​notch: high-​end buildout with wood interior, high ceilings, dozen HD screens, panoramic open-​air view of the marina, and a large tap list with about 6 house beers and at least 20 guest taps.
Guest tap list focused on Florida craft with Coppertail, Cigar City, Funky Buddha, Concrete Beach, J. Wakefield, as well as 5 Rabbit from Chicago. Beers were served mostly in shaker pints, even higher abv beers, which can be good and bad.
House beers allowed you to do a sampling flight of four served in a nice wooden tray. Beers were poured in generous amounts in medium-​sized tapered flutes. Beer quality was certainly in the 4-​star range. No major off-​flavors with most of their beers good enough to order a full pint of… especially their Session IPA. Their saison, though not really my style being too estery, still had a great body and was promptly inhaled. Their Double IPA, however, was astringent and boozy. That was easily our least favorite offering.
Keg rotation looked good. Beers are brewed on premise. Floors, bathrooms, and tables were immaculately clean. Staff was very friendly knew their beer well. I think compared to the entire world of craft beer, this is a high 4-​star venue. But for Key West, given its remoteness and its propensity to cater to clueless tourists, this was really a nice surprise and I highly recommend you stop by. They have put in the extra effort to source high-​end beers and special selections from top breweries. For that, I need to give them kudos.

I had a Funky Budda barley wine, wife had the on site brewed wit ale with lime. Both tasty. Did not eat but the menu had choices that sounded interesting. Right on the water. Nice feel to the place, kind of lacquered industrial I would call it. Lotsa draft beer choices, mixed drinks as well. Probably stop here again.

We came here to pretty much get changed after a big day out on an adventure tour. We felt bad and it’s a brewery so we shared a beer flight. My hubby said there were only 2 stalls in the men’s and people really wanting to use it so he only half changed and left after feeling awkward.
I’m not sure how much the beer flight was, according to the picture of the menu I took it was apparently $ 8, but my hubby said the service was good. The poor guy next to me asked a big bald bartender about the menu and he was a bit short with him then walked off. He asked the next bartender if he could order and he was much nicer to him.
We got the crazy lady, white IPA, tru man and key lime witness. My hubby liked the White IPA, I liked the key lime the best, did think that much of the others.

We went here to catch the Smallest Parade in the Universe, but it was roped off for $ 20 admission only with limited seating, so we did not partake in the actual event. (This was a fundraiser.) Looked cute though.
A newer establishment opened this year, this place needs some fine tuning.
Experience:
— Though amply staffed, a few of the bartenders appeared lost like deer in headlights. Untrained and uncomfortable behind the bar. Training needed so they know silverware should be provided with food, what hot sauces are available (very minimal), checking on people to see if they need anything +++
— Both micro brews and domestic available. I tried the espresso micro brew. Though very good, it was incredibly heavy. I had enough almost half way through the glass. Maybe a shorter glass size for these richer beers for people to taste different options rather than being married to one. If this was an option, it wasn’t offered to me.
— Fish dip. Tasted like tuna fish. Nothing to write home about.
I’ll wait until next year and try again to see if there have been any adjustments. Stay tuned…

Unbeknownst to me, my partner and I went to the opening night of the Waterfront Brewery. (I have to have that fact in my head when I think about my review.) For first night and all the associated kinks, the place was a blast and it is an absolutely huge space.
We were in town coincidently with the Key West BrewFest — and the opening night party was here. When I entered, there were so many people here, which was a pretty big surprise considering the availability of bars during happy hour time on this island. For the special event opening party, they didn’t have any happy hour specials, but I assume that later on they will.
They had a total of 10 beers on tap from local Florida breweries, and after a few hours, we were able to try a good portion of them. I like the idea of supporting a local business and local breweries. They didn’t have Miller Light or Coors light or Bud Light, and I respect that.
The space is a huge place, and you walk into a big two-​floor opening. They have pool and air hockey and foosball, as well as three very large bars on the first floor. One of the bars is in there tap room, and the aesthetic is very nice.
Overall, I really liked Waterfront Brewery, and look forward to seeing it get its sea legs — and food — soon.