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  • Sloppy Joe’s Key West

Sloppy Joe's - A Key West Tradition

Drink with the ghost of Ernest Hemingway at the most famous bar in the Florida Keys. Endearingly named after its original owner, Joe Russell, this historic saloon has been a Key West mainstay since opening the day Prohibition ended. Before that, Hemingway and Russell often met over illicit bottles of bootlegged liquor at a number of speakeasies in the Caribbean. As alcohol was made legal, the beloved writer and his friends became frequent fixtures at Sloppy Joe's, known for its live music and round-the-clock revelry.
 

Details

Bar Hours

  • Monday-Saturday - 9am-4am
  • Sunday - Noon-4am
 
 

Store Hours

  • Monday-Thursday - 9am-Midnight
  • Friday & Saturday - 9am-1am
  • Sunday - 10am-Midnight
 
 

Events

  • New Year's Eve Dropping of the Conch Shell - December 31st
  • Put-In-Bay Music Festival - February
  • Papa Hemingway Look-Alike Contest - July
  • Annual Anniversary Party - May 5th
 
 

Activities

  • Dining
  • Drinking
  • Live Music
  • Contests
  • Sightseeing
 

Famous patrons of Sloppy Joe's

Most famous of all the crowd at Sloppy Joe's in its early years, Ernest Hemingway often frequented the bar with his friends, a rabble-rousing group lovingly dubbed "The Mob." Members included Waldo Pierce, J.B. Sullivan, Captain Eddie Saunders, as well Hemingway's fishing buddy and owner of the bar himself, Joe Russell.
 

Ernest Hemingway Lookalike Contest

An annual tradition, the Hemingway Lookalike Contest takes place every year in mid-July, amid the riotous fun of the world-famous Hemingway Days Festival, celebrating the author's birthday. The 34th edition takes place July 17-19th 2014, as throngs of white-bearded men fill the streets of Key West in honor of Papa.
 

FAQs

  • When was Sloppy Joe’s Founded?

    The infamous watering hole was founded the day Prohibition ended, on December 5th 1933. It’s since changed its name twice, and in 1937 moved across the street to its current location, but the rambunctious spirit of celebratory libations carries on.

  • What kind of food do they serve?

    The menu includes Key West favorites like Caribbean conch, fresh Florida seafood, Cajun, and Latin American cuisine. Standouts include the fish tacos, smoked fish dip, and the famous namesake Sloppy Joe sandwich.

Map/Directions

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