Pasta was okay, not a ton of taste. I got the Professors Pasta and added mussels. The lobster bisque and the lumpia appetizers were good. That's where it ended...The service was horrible, the woman who served on us was running around flustered the entire time and was very short with us. The only redeeming thing about the restaurant was their honey buns. Oh yeah, and the scallops were tasteless too. And you have to drive through a trailer park to get there. Decent beer selection though.
(3)
Brandon P.
Terrible food. I have been to the keys back and forth for 30 years and I haven't had such bad food and service. And the place wasn't even packed. Drinks sucked too. Order a beer. The golf cart ride on the way in was the best part.
(1)
Vicky H.
Food was OK - not great. Ambience also not great. Best part was our server who was quite friendly. I really don't know what all the fuss was about.... Skip this spot and got to Burdines Waterfront next door. Better food, better view.
(2)
Michael K.
Four of us went out for dinner to try Castaways again as it's been a few years. We eat out regularly in Marathon and have so for the last 15 years of traveling here: The order: 2x clam chowder 1x conch chowder 1 himachi nigiri 1 tuna nigiri 1 tuna sushi sandwich 1 spicy tuna sushi roll 1 stuffed hogfish (lionfish swapped)***see below 1 lionfish - wreckdiver style The pro's: excellent honey buns, himachi nigiri, lionfish topped with shrimp, scallop and panko. Clam chowder was great! Cons: the conch chowder was slightly fishy tasting, and the tuna roll was small with an aggressive amount of teriyaki sauce on it and flavorless. The shock factor: looking at the menu to order the stuffed hogfish for 25.99. We asked about the lionfish and the waitress politely told us it was a slightly milder fish and they can easily interchange if I'd like. You can imagine my dismay when the cheque came and they billed out 43.99 for the stuffed hogfish switched with lion fish instead. At NO point did the waitress identify an 18.00 premium for a fish that was presented as easily interchangeable nor did she communicate the market price on the other lionfish order (wreckdiver). We kindly paid our bill, identified to the waitress that we were very disappointed that she failed to communicate an 18.00 premium on the fish switch and left with a decent meal and a feeling of being severely MISLED as there was NO indication of a premium at any point. Be Very Wary!
(2)
Mani T.
Great food with wonderful service! Don't forget about shrimps, especially during happy hour until 4 pm!
(4)
Kimberly W.
Great menu selections, friendly waitstaff. Variety of sushi roll selections. Tons of outdoor seating right on the water. Seemed to be more of a place for the locals, which always is a good thing. Definitely suggest it when staying in Marathon or traveling to the keys.
(4)
Bridget K.
Wonderful Tuna nachos, sushi, and mojitos! Vicky is awesome! Loved the ceviches too! Great service & awesome food. Wish the view was more scenic, but the food was awesome!
(5)
Dee M.
What a hidden gem. This place is truly representative of what the Keys used to be but with a pretty savvy sushi chef. The location is smack dab in fisherman country and restaurant is Keys kitsch. Truly a locals joint but when our waitress brought out the Bragg's aminos as a gluten free soy I was in sushi heaven. The fish is fresh fresh..the sushi presentation was camera ready. Lionfish and pompano sushi. Only in the Keys.
(4)
Louis D.
No sunset view. They told us there was one by phone; they lied. Food was decent but not for the prices. Music outside was hard core rock but they changed it when asked. Honey buns are deep fried with honey (really, more ridiculous carbs?) They didn't have several of the beers on tap. Waitress forgot a couple of things....honey for the honey buns, and my wife's main! We wouldn't go back. Sorry, guys.
(2)
Tiffany B.
So glad we found this place tucked away. Absolutely amazing food.
(5)
J M.
Our campground turned us on to this place and all I can say is WOW!!!. The food is awesome. I had the shrimp scampi and couldn't even eat all of it because the shrimp were so big. It is a hole in the wall place but you won't be sorry you came.
(4)
Helene C.
We hadn't eaten here in several years because of a previous bad experience, but gave them another chance. Unfortunately, it didn't go well. First of all it was 20 minutes before our waitress came by. After the order was placed it took another 40 min to get the food.My husband ordered mahi and received something else. I ordered grilled shrimp and got blackened. We shared the oysters Flager. I thought they were just ok, my husband couldn't eat them. I gave them 2 stars because the waitress was very apologetic.
(2)
John H.
Food was pretty good. Service and the bartender were a little slow, but it is the keys so that's generally expected.
(3)
David B.
I love it. Huge menu that features Sushi and great fresh seafood. As well as bar food. Wings, Burgers , cheesesteaks . The quality of all the food is top notch. Sushi lovers , they have don't great rolls . The Lissa, bakery, castaway, and Marathon Roll are the best. They have great deals on wings and shrimp early. Location is great. Right on the water. Overall one of the best places in Marathon.
(5)
Ricardo M.
Excellent restaurant great food, our waiter was the best He recommended his creation of sushi and it was great Bit too hot at night better to be inside, but the service was great Prices are ok a bit expensive but I will come again when in Marathon
Tucked away from the main road that runs through Marathon is this great jewel. We came in for late lunch/early dinner and were not disappointed. There is indoor or outdoor seating. We chose indoor. The interior is cozy and cool, soft music, but not too soft. Lots of interesting decorations on the wall. The staff were extremely friendly. Got the Mango Mojito to start with, and it was very good. I later tried the Castaway Rum Punch and enjoyed that one as well. The selection is good both for non-sushi and for sushi, though selection of sushi rolls is not expansive. I ordered the stuffed Hogfish (which is a bit deceptive because the 'stuffed' part is actually on top, though this does not mean it was bad) with sweet potato fries. The Hogfish comes with a salad that looks like bagged salad with a few things thrown in. Basically salad wasn't impressive, but you're really paying for the main act so I don't feel disappointed at all. After ordering our server brought by some honey rolls that were basically little deep fried scones and they were very tasty! My dining companion, who had sushimi and sushi, said their meal was probably a good 4 and 1/2 stars. They said there was a bone in one of their portions, which was disappointing, but overall it was delicious. Key lime pie was pretty good, but more middle of the road than amazing. I wouldn't turn it down, and I might order it again if in the area, but not a must have. The chocolate cake was good, but it is served cold. I highly suggest you take it to go and let it sit out of the fridge for a couple hours so it's room temperature. It's really delicious in this way. Our service was really good. Very friendly and personable. Not just our waitress, but everyone there we interacted with was friendly and we felt very at home. Bathroom has a handicap stall with a separate sink if that is of import. I will definitely return to this place the next time I'm in the area.
(5)
Peter D.
First of all I find it interesting there are two listings in Yelp for this place with a slight change in the name. Way over priced for both the type of dishes offered and the service. Believe me, the food is not bad, but the pricing is off the wall. And this a New Yorker saying this. Grouper is on the menu, but I was told its out of season and not available. Why is it on the menu? I tried the Hogfish and with the first bite - bones - I hate bones. All in all it was prepared okay and I enjoyed it. On the other hand the vegetables were over-cooked and unotable ! Both mine and my wife's . I made the mistake again and didn't return them to the kitchen. We were made aware by the staff at our Hotel to be careful. The place has to shuttle you to the restaurant from your car - dark and a bit shady walk to the entrance.
(2)
Constance L.
This place has better ratings then it deserves. The service was absolutely awful. No refills and never got the honey buns. Had three different servers. And no one even tried to correct the horrible service. The food was good but not for the $$$. Will not go back.
(1)
Rhonda D.
Twice in One Week!!!! Love this place!!!! Good local vibe, great food ( seafood enchilada!!!!!), wonderful service both times!!!! A True Local Dive! Can't wait to return!!!!
(5)
Craig L.
Excellent local restaurant just off the beaten path. While many restaurants in the area feature fried seafood, the Castaway features fresh fish that you can have cooked in 8 or 9 different ways. They had 7 or 8 different species of fresh fish the night my wife and I were there. My wife had the hogfish and I had pompano ... We had both of them cooked lemon caper style ... They both tasted excellent. Good sized filets for each. Would highly recommend ... If we were staying longer I would come back and try different local species and different cooking styles.
(5)
Kasey M.
They have great service and awesome food and it is do nice inside you can look over the water or sit inside my favorite and they conch fritters are the best (())
(5)
Evan P.
Went to this place for a late night dinner and sat in the bar. I ordered sushi, even after another customer had complained about getting the wrong sushi order. When my meal came out both of the rolls I ordered were wrong. I didn't care enough to complain. The sushi was whatever, nothing to write home about, and the "help" behind the bar was full of herself.
(1)
Mari H.
After hearing some locals talk about this place we thought we would give it a try on our last night on Marathon. Honestly... In the setting we over heard the conversations and the experience we had makes me feel like they maybe getting paid to talk them up to tourist. Very shady street to get to the place, and we questioned whether our car was safe or would get towed..we got in there and was surprised at the condition of the place. But whatever we sat down and ordered drinks. It tried what was their "specialty" key lime martini.. I could barely make out that it was key lime and it was rather warm. Then After what we wee told was an amazing sushi menu and they had "perfected" it, we ordered the surf n turf roll. Which has tempura lobster and prime rib over the top. We also ordered the Hogfish sandwich. The food took what seemed forever in an non busy restaurant, out came the food and the sushi was TINY! Took a bite... And my husband asked how it was... I tried another bite before answering and then pushed it away and said completely flavorless. I gave him a bite to try to let me know if I was exaggerating...he agreed and said yeah that's really bad. His Hogfish sandwich was okay but nothing great and he normally LOVES Hogfish. The waitress was nice and asked how it was and I quietly asked her to take this away and explained my concerns... All I got was oh, sure.. And told that no one sends that back. So either I got a bad batch or they just don't say anything. I was hoping maybe even an offer to reduce the bill or talk to a manager regarding the situation... But no such luck. The bill came with everything on it and no manager in site (even though he did walk by us to sing happy birthday to another table). It's sad because we normally love going to the local hang outs, should have went to the place next door that we were also told about.
(1)
Andrea K.
Wow, looks can be deceiving. BEST MEAL IN THE KEYS!! Myself and six of my friends were staying in Key West and than stayed a few nights in Marathon. We were told to go to Castaway. We drove to it the first night and drove right past as it was not crowded (note it was about 4pm weekday) and there was a full in cop scene evicting residents down the road. We decided to go back our last night as the bartender at our resort told us to go. Thank goodness we drove back. Parking lots crowded and we loved the golf cart shuttle. We had a great table outside and the best meals of our entire trip. Waiter was over and above nice. Very accommodating to my food allergies and so courteous to our entire group. They even split the checks to make our paying easy. The food came out at a great pace, drinks were never empty and everything was so delicious. I would go back to Marathon just to eat here. We were also told the owner catches all their fish they serve!
This place was amazing! I came here on a mini stsycation with my boyfriend (stayed at Tranquility Bay) and wanted something with good food with a good price as we are both students. This place was definitely what we were looking for. The honey buns and blackened hogfish were amazing. Will be coming here again with my family and friends. Great atmosphere too.
(5)
Cindy D.
Great food. Crummy parking but theres a golf cart shuttle. The rolls and honey are a great start. Live music even on a Sunday night.
(5)
Stephanie F.
This place was delicious..Rockefeller oyters OMG...everything is good ...great place to dance..great atmosphere
(5)
Manny R.
At first looks feels like you are driving through the hood. Once you find it, you'll be glad you did. Food is excellent and great service.
(4)
Joe E.
Not impressed. Beer choices were so so. Food was alright. Sushi rolls were just ok.
(3)
Michelle F.
Was down here for my birthday on a mini vacation with friends & family. Had the Mr. Lee roll as an appetizer, good but nothing special. I had fried mahi mahi with sweet potato fries and green beans as entree, the fish was very good and fresh. Nice view of the canal and you can pull up on the boat. My legs are full of mosquito bites from that night but that's typical a florida keys nuisance. In general, good variety of food, service, and taste but I think it's a bit overpriced.
(3)
Michelle V.
Great place for a family friendly seafood restaurant. The food was good but not great. We had the gator tail appetizer sauteed in lemon sauce & it was good, but more mushrooms than gator. The oyster Flagler was good also. The kids enjoyed the view & the small fish tanks so happy, content toddlers was a plus for the restaurant, but the food was nothing special.
(3)
Renee M.
The sauteed alligator was the best I've ever eaten! Still salivating when I think about it! The stone crab claws were fresh and amazing! The surf and turf roll was the best roll I have ever tasted! Drinks were good and the staff fast, knowledgeable and pleasant. I am a thousand miles away now and pining
(5)
David C.
We had dinner here and enjoyed it. We were looking for sushi and found this place on Yelp. A fun, funky place, in an out of the way location. The fare was tasty, no disappointments. The wait staff was great - they did a great job even though the place was packed. I'd go back - probably will, in fact.
(4)
Jes E.
The service is friendly and tan. Overall feeling is laid back. Good selection of draught beers including a local brew. The gator was a bit pricey but savory as all. Conch was delish. We didn't try the sushi but they offered a wide variety.
(3)
Craig C.
I know that seafood would be what brings most people in, but we ordered the prime rib. The cut was lean (with just the right amount flavor producing fat) and the rub was super tasty. One star off for canned green beans and so-so starch (I had the fries, the wife had boiled potato) Not the cheapest (nor super outrageous) meal $56 for two, no alcohol but we had the spring roll app. Waitress was super sweet.
(4)
Travis P.
Ok... This is a great place to eat... Pricing is not over priced. Just got a whole lobster sides salad for 20 dollars. 3 people at are table and spent 100... round of drinks... app ..salad .. dinner and great service. More then pleased.
(5)
Dianne S.
Chic/shabby eatery with lots, and lots of ambiance . Sits back on a marina on 15th street. Filled with old nautical memorabilia and a Jimmy Buffet atmosphere . You can sit outside at the bar where Reggae music fills the air or inside where we opted. The food was 5 stars for us. My husband ordered the New York strip steak that was done to perfection and I ordered the shrimp scampi which was just as delicious with 10 jumbo shrimp in the best white wine sauce. We also got a treat with their signature fried biscuits with honey to dip.We finished our meal with the best key lime pie! We also happened to hit their happy hour . My strawberry margarita was awesome. The staff was so courteous and friendly and our waitress, Nichole was the best. Our food came out in a timely manner and we never felt rushed. We are celebrating our 48th anniversary today and instead of going somewhere else we are heading right back to Castaway's.
(5)
Mike D.
One of the best restaurants I have ever been to. We were down in Key West and the locals kept telling us about Castaways and they said save it for one of your last dinners. That's exactly what we did and it was well worth it. The fish was so good and everybody's dish at our table of a party of 18 was blown away by how good there food was. People kept sharing each others food because it was "you have to try this" type of food. Highly Highly recommend!
(5)
Paul L.
We visited around dinner time and we were sat quickly. Staff was friendly and the sushi selection is decent. The special was really good (hogfish) and the sushi was fresh and tasty. The food came out quickly and the wait staff were attentive.
(4)
Sean-Paul F.
A nice little find hidden off the beaten path. If you are looking for atmosphere this isn't the place, but it is comfortable and not dirty as others have said. All dishes my wife and I had were in a word, excellent.
(5)
Frank D.
My family loves Sushi and decided to try this recommended local Sushi place in Marathon. After being seated, we were served water, honey buns and salad. After a very long time - about an hour, three small sushi rolls made to our table. The sushi rolls are tiny and not very well rolled. After another half an hour, our main entree came. by that time we were ready to leave. Finally the Sushi boat for 2 came. We ate our dinner in 20 minutes and left. The Sushi and Sashimi was okay but not top quality as we expected and we also felt that it was overpriced. Sushi boat for 2 is $60 and the portion was on the small side. My family left this place with great disappointment. We visited the sushi kitchen and saw only one real sushi chef and a couple of helpers. I would not recommend this place for real sushi lovers.
(2)
Jason H.
We visited in March 2014 on a family vacation to the Keys. The food is good, but nothing spectacular, and it's quite expensive for what you get. The service is friendly and accommodating.
(3)
Jose S.
Seafood Yummyness!! Came here for my 2 year anniversary and had a jolly splendid good time! ^_^ With one of the best appetizers I've had in a while. The Crab Spinach dipped Nachos took it out of the park. Actually, before that, they serve you some other thing that isn't bread that you eat with honey... don't remember what they're called but WOW!!! I loved that too! As a Main dish, my girl had the Smoked/Steamed Shrimp which looked amazing, but she said that they're okay. I had the 8oz Sirloin Meat and It was okay too. But the fries where good, or I was craving those more than the meat. Either way, I had a great time and the bartender, was really friendly and cool. Props to that guy!!!
(4)
Tony H.
Excellent food, excellent service !!!! Must try the stone crab & sushi !!!! Wide selection of beer On tap!! I can't say enough about this place!!!
(5)
Jan S.
Great beer selection, unlike a number of other bars in Marathon and nearby. We stopped after a recommendation from family. The sandwich was very good and the beer sampler an unexpected pleasure. And they have lion fish!
(4)
Adam W.
Food quality was good! Service was only ok, took a while to get our food and it was empty at 3pm. The phrase "Happy Hour" in the Keys is overplayed a bit but this location had very fair beer prices and a great selection of different beers. Huge menu!
(4)
Erin T.
If I could give this place a zero I would. Before I sat down in my chair, I overheard a customer complaining that his entire order of sushi was incorrect and didn't have any of the rolls he ordered. That should have clued me in right there. I was craving fish and chips, but there were none on the menu. I asked the waitress if they had fish and chips, "yes we do, you can choose from a variety of fish". She listed off options and then told me her suggestion for which type of fish would be best for fish and chips. It took a 1/2 hour to get my meal, which was super unimpressive. I only ate 1/3 of the fish. When the bill came the fish and chips was priced at $40!! $40 fish and chips? Are you effing crazy? I complained to the waitress and said that I had no idea it would be that much, why didn't she tell me? If it was a nice filet of fish I could understand, but FRIED fish?!?! She only responded by saying "sorry but that's why I explained there were multiple options of fish". Yes you listed off a bunch of fish, then told me which would be the best for frying. As far as I could tell they are just trying to rip people off. I am all for paying large bills for good food, but not large sums for fried shit. I will never be returning to this joke of an establishment.
(1)
Lynda M.
We didn't eat here, just had drinks, but some of the others outdoor bar patrons ordered food, and it looked wonderful. Our drinks were great... the key lime martini was super tasty, and the espresso martini was phenomenal. We we'll give it another try for dinner.
(4)
Annette S.
We make it a point to go to Castaways for dinner at least once on our trip when we come to the Keys. We went last night and were served by Stormy-she was very friendly and knowledgable about the menu. We had the lion fish sushi which was fantastic! I had the special, mahi wrapped in a crab cake, and my husband had the grouper special. You get a lot of food for the price. You receive a salad with your entree and honey buns.....this place is worth the visit just for the honey buns alone! You can tell this is a family owned restaurant that takes pride in what they do- I believe the owner goes out and spear fishes his own fish. Don't be turned away by the grungy road that will take you to this piece of heaven in the Keys. Sit on the back patio, enjoy a cocktail, and have some of the best sea food that the Keys have to offer.
(4)
Terry C.
Absolutely the best restaurant in Marathon and no better sushi on the Keys. I had the grouper dijonaise first time and the snapper mazatlan the second -- Both were to die for. Wife and kids had sushi, including lion fish when available. The restaurant is very casual, and the staff is very friendly and helpful. It is fairly expensive for Marathon, but worth every bit. Did I mention they have a great selection of craft beers?
(5)
Myrna R.
First time that Yelp, leads us wrong and disappoints :( what a terrible place! And not to mention a RIP OFF! I should know better and always listen to my gut. From the moment we pulled up it screamed "not fresh"! We proceeded anyway...I'll make this short. It sucked! And $80 later we ran out of there!! 2 fish entrees, 1 cocktail and 1 appetizer?? It was not worth it...
(1)
Natasha K.
The Castaways restaurant was an awesome place to eat. There sushi is the greatest on the shoreline and food was great. I found this place on yelp and tried it out. The waiters were fast and you can sit right near the water. I strongly suggest coming here if you're visiting the Keys.
(4)
Dan M.
Interesting place. Literally on a canal in a trailer park in the keys. If you can get past the surroundings the food was very good. I had the crab stuffed mahi with lobster cream sauce on top and it was wonderful. A combination I had not every had before and I'm glad I tried it. My wife had the grouper oscar and said it was good but mine was the tastier choice. Prices are high for the environment. The grouper special was $35 and the mahi special was $30. I don't think you will be disappointed with the food.
(4)
Laura G.
We almost drove away when we saw the road leading into the restaurant and the less than appealing non-family oriented Tiki bar before the front door. However, once we walked into the restaurant, the atmosphere transformed for the better. We went for lunch and the prices were more like $$, i.e. $60 with tip for two adults, 1 kid, no alcohol. Sushi is good and available at lunch and on Sundays. There are lots of other menu choices available too. Staff was friendly and helpful. We will definitely go back there again.
(4)
Jason G.
I would have added a photo but I just devoured the food, amazing place, amazing food, and even better service. We ate at the bar and Billy the Bartender was awesome, super helpful and very nice. If you are stayinh near here, definitely come if you want great food. The sushi was phenomenal! Oh and they got plenty of TVs we watched some of the World Cup!
(5)
Stephanie E.
you would never know this gem is tucked away off Overseas Highway. we had high hopes of it being amazing just by it being one of the oldest remaining restaurants in the area (opened in 1951.) I recently had dinner there with my husband and my parents. they really need a big sign on the main road or you would never find it. the size of the meals are generous and the food was so good. our server..i believe his name was billy..was so great. very personable and always checked on us to make sure we were okay. you get homemade honey buns before your meal. they are warm and amazing! you also get a decent size salad..their ginger dressing is very very good. I ordered the blackened mahi mahi sandwich which was absolutely delicious. My husband got the crab cakes and said they were so so good. Next time we are in the area we will definitely be back!! a must stop for the Florida keys.
(5)
James O.
Very expensive and the wait staff is often inattentive. Food isn't terrible.
(3)
John S.
Everything was amazing, sushi, king crab role, awesome, real crab, ginger that isn't pink, raw oysters, so fresh!!! We also had grouper and crab cakes, I will recommend this place to everyone coming down here!!! Best part was the employees, great sense of humor, and our server Samuel, good guy!!! Great server!!! Here on Mother's Day he came in to cover someone else's shift who forgot Mother's Day was today, and thought it was next weekend, like I said, good guy!!!!
(5)
L S.
While the drive there is completely sketch, the staff and sushi is worth it. I had a roll that was a tuna sandwhich.. Spicy tuna rolled in rice and wedged like a sando, and we also tried the 2 year roll, and a few other things.. Both were great. Our server, Haze, was very accomadating and funny! We enjoyed talking to him.. It seems dodgy but not once you get inside.. I dont think id like to sit outaide there, but inside is typical keys. We had read previous comments about the fish, but it was only one.. So we tried it and it was good- the one roll we tried had tons of mayo but it was explained to us that, that was the point- its slathered for people that like it (and we do!!) good experience for sushi, didnt try the other food.
(4)
Todd P.
I was apprehensive about going to Castaway. The some of the reviews weren't too great, but the locals were recommending it for suski and steak, so we took a drive over. You go down a really seedy area and come to the end of the street to find a dive looking place. Our first attempt was to go for dinner on a Saturday night and the parking lot was empty, it was dark, and two sketchy looking guys were standing out front so we decided against it as the street coming in already had made us uneasy and went someplace else. The next day we were in search of lunch and after a third local recommendation we tried again. Not as scary in the daylight, so we went with it. No one was around to greet us, so we walked by the bar and looked for a host/hostess inside and found it to be empty and as chilly as a meat locker, so we went back to the bar outside and figured we seated ourselves. Unfortunately the only seat was next to a loud drunk with no shirt as the other empty table had a cat sleeping on it. After a couple of minutes the bartender came over to ask if we wanted anything to drink and a minute after that a waitress came over to wipe our table and give us menus. Looking over the menu, I was glad we came back for lunch as the lunch menu was reasonably priced, but the dinner menu seemed a little pricey for such a dive place. While they don't serve their sushi on Sunday, they do apparently serve just straight up raw ahi tuna with an Asian slaw and white rice and I got their "Delmonico" steak sandwich which was described as last night's prime rib sliced on a roll with a side. After our order was taken, it took forever to get served. In fact, as we were waiting for our food, rain rolled in with increasing intensity and the roof over the outdoor bar wasn't in the best of shape. As the rain got worse and we waited for our food, we kept moving in closer and closer to the shirtless loud drunk until the patio started flooding and we moved to the bar to at least be on stools and "high ground". The food finally came and while my wife loved her tuna, my sandwich was just okay. It was overcooked as they apparently took that left over prime rib, sliced it into a single slab about 3/8" thick and threw it on a griddle before plopping it on a roll with some sad lettuce and tomato. Luckily the prime rib must have been pretty tender as it wasn't inedible cooked well done, though I do prefer beef to be medium rare. I left the wilted lettuce and tomato off and asked for some A-1 Sauce, which made the sandwich okay. I had gotten potato salad as my side which was not bad but not great and was a tiny portion. Now that we were sitting at the bar to avoid the rising waters, the bartender did chat us up a little. Obviously tourists, he asked us where we had been and where we had eaten, and gave us some recommendations. By the time we got our check we had been there for close to an hour and forty-five minutes but we were on vacation and being lazy in the Keys, so while longer than I would have preferred, it wasn't a big deal. I might go back for lunch again, but the dinner menu seemed overpriced for a dive looking place with slow service. If their sushi is anything like their raw ahi tuna, it might be worth it if you're in the mood as my wife raved about how fresh it was. For my part I couldn't recommend their ability to cook beef based on my sandwich, although steak was one of the selling points that people recommended them for.
(2)
Debbie H.
This place came recommended by someone staying at out timeshare but our meal was a disaster. Shrimp in beer were overcooked and hard to peel. Fish was so blackened I could not taste it. Won't be back.
(1)
Curt S.
We come here often for lunch and the menu is large plus they have a "specials" menu that changes. Meals are fresh and tasty. We recommend Castaways anyone that asks about a place to eat.
(3)
David C.
Really enjoyed this place. Those buns are really good. Peel and eat shrimp appetizer was excellent. My wife's hogfish done Lemon Caper style was ridiculous. Skip the conch fritters as they were a real disappointment.
(4)
Norma G.
The food was way to overpriced!! Lets start out on a positive note...the salad was great! Crisp, fresh and inviting...the honey rolls were to die for! Warm, just out of the oven..drizzle honey over them and yum! I could have eaten just that...The conch fritters were way to doughy...my scallops were rubbery, green beans were way too hard but the red potatoes were ok. The waiter was very friendly but I think he was new or confused about the menu and sloooow...brought out my entree before my salad then asked if I still wanted the salad! Heard the steak and sushi were better...should have listened..but I really wanted scallops...dont think I will be back...but I can say I tried it!
(2)
David B.
Food: -the 33 beer chili is phenomenal -I had the fish sandwich and while it was good, it wasn't anything super special. I would recommend you try something else on the menu -menu is huge and half of it is sushi Service: -Our waitress had the patience of a saint and was very kind and knowledgeable about the menu
(4)
Peter N.
Probably the best "pricey" restaurant we ate at throughout the Keys. Had some good hogfish and my wife's scallops were very good.
(4)
Lori C.
Fresh fish. Laid back. Nothing fancy but really good food. Great server. And dog friendly. We will be back!
(4)
David F.
Great seafood and good atmosphere. We liked the food and the restaurant was clean and fun. They also have a great outdoors bar with live music. The only downside was they are on the east side of the island and you do not have a good view of the sunset.
(4)
Victoria C.
We were seated quickly, but we were then forgotten. We had to be asked to be served. The Waitress seemed nice enough, but recovered from ignoring us poorly. Then she asked us what we'd decided on without even telling us the basics...catch of the day or specials. Free honey buns were decent, and salad had great Ginger dressing. I ordered coconut shrimp, and they were overly sweet. They need some heat to balance, and not such a fake coconut taste. Kids spag & meatballs was great. Hubby's fish sandwich was ok.
(2)
Shane C.
Grouper was just awesome. Sushi was OK. but not the best ever. but the fish was all fresh, which is what we wanted. the restaurant feels kind of touristy but the bar is mostly locals. the musical duo was just awesome and we got really drunk on rum runners at the bar after dinner. Its hard to find but I'd say it's a pretty good place and the prices were pretty average for Marathon fresh fish places.
(4)
Joanne Z.
Our kids gave us a gift certificate here for our birthdays. The food was outstanding. Husband had the Snapper and I had the shrimp boiled in beer. Portions are very large. Don't miss the homemade ginger salad dressing. We bought extra to take home. Great drink specials before 6:00pm.
(5)
Jennifer C.
What a great find on our drive back from Key West! We were driving by around happy hour and they had good deals. Piña colada: 3.5 out of 5 Flavor was good, but some more rum would have made it better. Peel and eat shrimp: 5 out of 5 Cheap, fresh & delicious Oysters: 3.5 out of 5 For the happy hour price they weren't bad, but I've had better. Grouper sandwhich: 5 out of 5 stars Perfectly cooked, quality bun, romaine lettuce, fresh tomatoes... Yum yum The service was great and while we ate they were installing the equipment to have 30+ draft beer options, so I'm sure we will be back.
(4)
Lawrence M.
My wife and I were recommended Castaway by a local who said it was her favorite restaurant on the island. We see why she likes it. It's like a hole in the wall on the outside but a fairly nice restaurant inside. The food was fantastic and we tried two dishes recommended by the waitress and both were fantastic. We will definitely be back!
(5)
Darrell H.
Having been coming to the Keys and Marathon for over 20 years we had never actually tried Castaways until tonight. And after tonight all I have to say is WOW. It doesn't look like much from the outside or surrounding neighborhood but dont let that detour you. This was some of THE best food I've eaten in the Keys or Marathon. Simply put, we WILL be back. Open since 1951 so that tells you something right there.
(4)
Jaime S.
I only had the sushi this time. I must say I was really disappointed. Very bland in taste and one roll had too much mayonnaise on it. Left me a bit nauseous at the end. I've eaten here several times. The food is decent, however, the prices are ridiculous. One thing I have also noticed - check your bill! Many restaurants include gratuity for parties 4+.
(3)
Heather M.
Sit out back by the water, as the inside is stuffy. It's definitely a dive. The honey buns are ridiculously delicious. The local hog fish is yummy. Everyone loved the crab cake and the fried shrimp. Fried seafood baskets hit the spot for lunch. Key lime pie just ok. This is a good place to stop in the Middle Keys on the way/back from Key West!
(4)
Lj K.
What a find.. Great place for drinks and dinner. Honey buns were great. Try the king crab! Don't recommend the crab cakes. Only good crab cakes are NC, VA and MD....
(4)
Kathy P.
I've read so many good reviews about this restaurant and decided to give it a try. The scenery was not that great- they said u can see the sunset from the patio, which is bull crap because all we saw were houses and boats. We sat outside for a few minutes and mind u, it was still daytime out, I was getting bit by something so we had to migrate back inside. We ordered a few appetizers. My sister ordered the shrimp ceviche, which said on the menu they won best award for that. Well I don't know who awarded them but that was not good at all. The shrimp was old, hard and bland. The chips was stale. My brother ordered the two year old roll and some toro (tuna belly.) The toro looked horrible! Shame on the chefs and server for even serving that!! Toro, their color is supposed to look light red and this fish they brought out, it's color was yellow. YUCK! My brother is a sushi chef for many years and he knows what toro looks like and that was not fresh toro at all. We asked our server, Billy, what kind of tuna that was and he said it was blue fin. No. I'm sorry but billy didn't know what he was talkin about nor does the other servers there. My brothers two year old roll... Well the name says it all. They said on the menu they serve 'fresh' fish, well thats a lie because the tuna that is in the roll is frozen tuna. They doused the roll with spicy mayo like there was no tomorrow! From all the years of eating sushi and working in a sushi restaurant, ive never seen any rolls with so much spicy mayo on it! The sushi chefs need to be retrained on making sushi and having knowledge on knowing if the fish is fresh or not. Shame on them!! Furthermore, I ordered half a dozen of oysters and they were HORRIBLE! The oyster tasted so old and nasty I had to spit it out right away. I nearly threw up in my mouth. My daughter ordered a roll and I had to stop her from eating that because I don't want her to get sick. I don't understand why people were raving about this place because honestly this place is the crappiest place I've ever been to. After experiencing how bad the apps tasted, we just got our check and left. My family told me not to complain because they didn't want to make a scene so I didn't. I shouldn't have listened to them because I wasted 63.00 on food that I didn't even enjoy. I do not recommend this place to anyone! What I do recommend is that they need to serve FRESH seafood and not serve rotten seafood to their guests.
(1)
Tatiana S.
Being a big sushi lover I was very disappointed with quality of food. Selection of sushi was very limited as well. Prices were high. And one of my rolls were not eatable at all. It spoiled my appetite for the whole meal, they refused to take it off the bill, and the restaurant owner came out to talk to me to make sure I pay for it. They don't care about their customers- all they care about is the revenue. I will not go back there.
(2)
Sheri S.
Vicki Rocks! We were a very hungry party of three, We were seated by a lovely girl and immediately taken care of by Vicki. Got our drinkls and preceeded to tell us the specials. We ordered a fried calmari app, a prime rib with lobster , the pasta with seafoos special and a pasta with veggies and blackened chicken. We were astounded by their ceasar salads best anywhere. The whole meals was fantastic. The honeybuns which were steaming hot are off the chart great. We will be back as soon as we can! Service and food were the best.
(5)
Marie R.
Diamond in the rough... Best food we've ever had. We've been to five star restaurants all over the world. We were driving down to key west. We found this place on yelp and the other reviews were pretty good. We had stone crab, sashimi (salmon, toro, tuna), the ceviche was amazing, lobster bisque, sushi rolls (Latin roll, 2 year roll and the volcano), the key lime pie is the best we've ever had (we got one to go.) You have to drive through kind of a sketchy area but don't turn back. I promise you it will be the best meal you've ever had. It's a cute little restaurant on the water. The service is phenomenal. We left very satisfied and departed for key west. The next day our party talked about what we should do... It was unanimous that we would spend the day in key west and go back to Castaway for dinner. What a great decision. We met the owners, they are so friendly and when you see the large menu you think that normally restaurants are only good at one type of food. Not true for Castaway. They have mastered every dish we tried. Try it!!! You won't be disappointed.
(5)
Jan M.
My favorite place in Marathon to eat Fantastic food from their Sushi to my favorite the stuffed hogfish entree This is our favorite place to take friends and family especially if we are celebrating anything. Open for Lunch and Dinner
(5)
Judi B.
Hard to find but a real winner!! U can sit outside or in on the oceanside. Food was excellent and service was over the top friendly. I had sushi ... The kanin su app that was excellent and my husband had the calamari. Both were done extremely well. He had the steak sandwich which he ordered rare. They told him it was medium which means it was precooked but he liked it anyway( I never would have ordered it ... Precooked. The tuna tatakki was the best I ever had and they brought us their famous honey buns for dessert on the house. Fried so I didn't taste but he loved them. Drinks were heavy handed pour & 5.00 which is very reasonable for the Keys. A great find that we will be back to soon!!!
(4)
Shoshannah S.
No sushi on sunday. This is a resturant / bar and doesn't look asian owned or run. I don't know if I would try it or not. I have no comment on any other of their food. I know they have football and drink specials on Sunday.
(2)
Lisa K.
Best food and drink in Marathon. 33 or 34 draft beers, nice wine selection and the most varied menu in the Keys. Yes, you have to drive through a less desirable area. But you get great sushi, freshest seafood, and superb ribs and other meats. Along with friendly service and wonderful entertainment. We are locals and this is our go-to place when we eat out.
(5)
Michelle B.
This place has the best steamed shrimp in beer! and the honey buns.......to die for. Have been going here since the 80's and they always have the best shrimp and seafood. Saturday happy hour has $4 pitchers of beer. Need I say more?
(4)
Daniel M.
This was fantastic find. What a surprise! It has an amazing menu with all of the traditional Keys fare. If you want fried shrimp, etc., it was on there. The Oyster's Tokyo were very tasty and the Conch Fritters prepared perfectly. After those and a few more appetizers, we went healthy with the Ginger Salad... great dressing. Then we moved on to the real surprise. The sushi at this joint is super creative and very tasty. We've tried sushi at other places in the Keys and always been disappointed... never compares to sushi alley in L.A. But with things like the Island Tuna dish, they have a great selection. I'm not sure what the one reviewer is talking about regarding service, our server was friendly and quick with the food. She also had a pretty good knowledge of what we were eating which is a problem I have in many other restaurants. All in all, this was a great experience. Oh, and I often find that in these types of tourist areas, the best joints are the ones where the locals eat... we ran into the owner of another restaurant, who also happened to be eating there... good sign!
(4)
Kim M.
Food was terrible & way overpriced. Salad was a tasteless combo of head lettece and salad vegetables with terrible homemade ranch dressing. My Shrimp Scampi was so overcooked that most were rubbery, one was mush. Service was rare as the waitress was way overworked. Don' waste your time or money. Better places to eat. Very disappointed.
(1)
andrea w.
We had a great lunch in the middle of a huge down pour! Staff was very friendly and accommodating. We actually walked through the kitchen to get into the dining room because of the floods! The kitchen was very clean.. The fried shrimp basket was really good with a light cornmeal breading.. Grilled grouper sandwich was a hit as well as the fried yellowtail.. The Ginger salad dressing was very tasty.. The honey rolls were to die for and quickly gobbled up by my kids.. A fun place for lunch!
(4)
Katherine H.
Not the nicest neighborhood but that's where you find some of the best hidden gems. Kids had a burger and pasta, fish and chips special was Mahi and sushi for me. Key lime martini to die for...
(4)
Justine B.
Pros: Super friendly staff, lots of different places to sit (inside, outside user an owning, by a canal), nice chill atmosphere, old school rock music, house cocktails, great food selection, they cook fish you bring if it's cleaned and filleted (they have a bunch of different ways to cook it like blackened, lemon capers, grilled...). Food is amazing (we had conch fritters, fried gator cutlets and our fish). Cons: Almost nothing. Waitress asked to see our IDs for drink which is understandable but a bit annoying when you happen to have left it in the car like I did.
(5)
Colleen C.
Incredible presentation for the sushi. The lionfish sushi special is gorgeous and delicious. We ordered 3 of the specials, and each was unique in flavor combination. Highly recommend everything on the sushi menu.
(5)
Liz T.
Pretty good crap cakes, great burgers, good grouper and honey buns with every entree. Cool little keys joint with a guy singing and some neat fish tanks. The key lime pie is not recommended.
(3)
Mike S.
We had dinner here and weren't disappointed! I had some sushi and was a little nervous but, it was awesome! The wife had steak stuffed with seafood crab or lobster, I can't remember. Was prepared well and she committed numerous times how good it tasted. Our daughter (12) ordered the chicken parm and it was a huge portion. This is a great keys bar/restaurant and we will be back. Our server was fantastic.
(5)
Aaron H.
This is more of a "dive" than a restaurant. We stopped here for late lunch on way from Key West. Strictly based upon Yelp positive reviews. The goal was to get in and out in under an hour. Unfortunately we were there over two because service was incredibly slow. It took 10+ minutes for waiter to show, even though two were buzzing around nearby tables. They must assign waiters based on who comes in and not seating. Ours showed up from the outside bar. We tried a sushi boat which took forever to receive. When we got it, some of the fish was still frozen in parts. I wish they had warned me it would take 30+ minutes to get. I would have passed! The kitchen looked under staffed. I had not looked until 15+ minutes went by with no dishes. The location on the water is certainly a positive. It gives a local vibe. Some visitors noted the neighborhood is a shanty town. I get that since many homes are mobile homes connected to clumsily out together sheds. It's cool that there is "affordable" housing nearby. At least, I hope it's affordable! I got a tuna salad, which was just okay. The waiter messed up my kids orders. One had a cheese burger medium and one had a burger medium rare. They cheeseburger came rare and burger came well done. As said, it took over 30 minutes for hamburgers to show up. The interior is eclectic. Chairs are not comfortable. Overall, it's worth the visit if you are passing by and are not in a rush. The location--on the waterway--is its strongest draw. The food was just average. Seafood ordered did not seem particularly fresh. The place has character--in a quirky way. There appeared to be some locals enjoying the bar. Perhaps alcohol helps accept the places shortcomings.
(3)
LoAnn T.
So I see that there are a lots of good comments. We then decided dinner will be at castaway. Got there a bout an hour before they were closed. Total of 9 and a baby. We order the oyster benedict. It was so delicious. Never had it before. Order the Stuffed Hogfish. It was so out of this world. The meat was soft. Easy to eat. Better than grouper. Taste almost like the Chilean sea bass. You just have to try it to decide. But in my opinion. This restaurant deserve 5 stars. The server was so sweet. Even. Though it was late. But she was still friendly and very helpful. We will most definitely come back . And recommend anyone that visit key west. Love love the view. Such a lovely place.
Crappy bloody Mary's, Lion fish sushi excellent, clam chowder sucked, ribs eh. Manager fought w friend over a $5.00 mistake on menu on their part. Said was going to take out of waiters tip.first & last visit.
(2)
Amiee S.
Do not judge a book by it's cover! From the outside, you may question your decision to eat here and the neighborhood may seem a little questionable. But once inside, you will be happy you listened to Yelp. The inside is spacious, clean and just has a nice atmosphere. Our waitress was extremely nice and seemed to know what we needed before we even asked for something. We both had the fried shrimp and I had sweet potato fries, salad and mixed veggies. Your dinner comes with "honey buns", which back home we call fried biscuits. They are served with honey and are very fresh and tasty. The shrimp was very fresh and they used little breading. I will definitely come here again.
(4)
Pam B.
Key lime martini is whats for dinner! Loved the drink, cold, creamy and tart! Quiet laid back location. The fried biscuits were a unusual item brought to the table. They were served with honey. (Not gluten free so I didn't try one). My table mates enjoyed them while still hot. This is an off the beaten path place for a quick drink. Food is served also.
(4)
Vanesa I.
This place is dog friendly! They have a permit and all! :) This is so awesome and I wish more places did this. The staff was very friendly and extremely knowledgeable of the menu and daily specials. Our food came out fast and everything tasted very fresh and had good presentation. You can dock your boat out back and they have inside and outside dinning .
(4)
Patrick M.
We went on the recommendation of our Snuba crew. The place was tucked away off a dead end street in Marathon. On one of the canals. Super casual. The place looks pretty low key. You're not going for a fine dining experience. You're going for some good food and drinks. Tina was our server and super friendly. Pork Adoba was great. Tina said her Mom had just made it. Now my son wants to know where he can get Filipino food in STL. Fried chicken was well liked, however, the fries were awesome! Beef dip excellent. With sweet potato fries. Sushi and roll were solid. Loved the beer flight. They have 33 beers on tap. Heaven.
(4)
Daniel B.
We decided to come here after the Sunset Grille gave us a ridiculously long wait time for our party of 7. The location is really interesting, as you can sit outside near the canal, where locals will actually come and go in order to get to their boats. The staff was really friendly, and they had an extensive knowledge of the menu which helped us a lot, as the menu here is quite large, including the specials. I got the sushi here as it was highly recommended, as did my sister. It was good, but definitely not as great as it was hyped out to be. Perhaps the most surprising thing though was the dish my dad had ordered from the special menu. It was a mess of flavors that seemed to be a bad attempt at a sweet and spicy sauce, and it completely ruined the fish that it was supposed to enhance. The Honey Biscuits are indeed as good as they sound, and were definitely a new but welcome experience. I would be willing to give this place another try if I ever am in the area again, but I was slightly disappointed by it this time around.
(3)
Pia M.
Sad. My family followed reviews to go here. We ordered the clams casino (my uncles favorite) - the clams were so bad that we all tried one and had to split it out-their clams should've been fed to the Pelicans days ago but they are still serving them. I would be very afraid to have raw food here and they serve sushi. The waitstaff were warm and apologetic and offered free dessert, we declined because we were not hungry for dessert.
So yummy!!! The 2 year roll is out of this world. Service is excellent the hog fish is a must try so so good. The surf and turf rolls are excellent. Love this place!!! Will be back
(5)
David B.
Great sushi - best I've had in a long term time. Fun environment. Billy was our server - good guy. Will come back again.
(4)
D M.
Honey buns are great! I love the lionfish roll and the grapefruit beer! Service was a little slow last visit but they were busy. Nice casual atmosphere, you can choose to sit inside or out. Servers are nice. Food was worth the wait, will return next month.
(5)
Michelle L.
Nice place to get a drink and some fresh fish. Had the mahi sandwich and Latin sushi roll both were pretty tasty. Friendly staff and they had a waterfront area.
(4)
P L.
Decent food and an interesting atmosphere. This is a bar/restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating and live music. Food is a surprising mix of seafood entrees and sushi. The sushi was better than the entrees as the non-Japanese dishes all suffered a bit from a lack of seasoning -- every dish could have used more salt and pepper. Although the atmosphere once you're inside the restaurant is good (especially the live music area in the front), it's not in the nicest part of town. You have to drive past an area with some shanties and shacks, then past a trailer park, before you reach the restaurant.
(3)
Laura B.
This was a surprising find! Don't let the location fool you - they had really good food! The reason for three stars was that the service was a bit awkward, so it made the dining experience a little clunky. We enjoyed some sushi (wonderful) and the Tuna wrapped in a Wasabi Crepe and that was fun! Would have never thought of that combo!
(3)
Melissa P.
Dining can be very hit or miss in the keys. Our first experience at Castaway was awesome. So charming and quintessential, tons of seating options, parking shuttle-golfcart to and from their numerous parking lots. Enormous Menu!!! Frozen Patron Margarita, New England Clam Chowder, Conch Fritters, Crisp Caesar Salad w/house-made creamy, garlicky dressing, complimentary fried dough honey buns, 16 oz sirloin and fried snapper...all were phenomenal. Portions huge. Cannot wait to go back.
(5)
Jim L.
The best. Service was great, I think the owner's niece took care of us. She recommended sushi. It was awesome. Going there again.
(5)
Oren H.
The food was amazing, service by Shelly was outstanding, tons of beer on tap! And epic environment!! Live it up Hanover family!!!!
(5)
Laurie D.
We just left Castaways. Dinner was good - large portion of the pasta special. So large we had a lot of leftovers. We accidentally left the leftovers at our table. As soon as we realized we left it we called them to say we would be back to get it. They told us all tables had been cleared one hour ago - and our box was tossed - funny we just left 10 minutes ago. The only tables being cleared were inside not outside. And we were seated outside. The women we talked to was sassy to the max and is the reason I am writing this review. While Brian - the golf cart driver was great I will not be going back .
(1)
Alex S.
Never got the honeybuns. Appetizer came after the meal. Got service from 4 servers. A different one each time and only after we waved one down. We refilled our tea with a pitcher that server #4 left us, after we got our check. Overall a terrible experience from a service perspective. Food wise, it was ok. Would never even consider going back again. Denny's service at a $$$ price. No thanks.
(1)
Mary H.
We arrived at 9:20...they are open til 10. Seems like we were a bother! We ordered 2 margaritas, stone crab claws and oysters florentine. The absolute worst margarita ever! Like too much sweet n sour that had gone bad! The food arrived at almost 10 but only the oysters, they had no crab claws but didn't bother to tell us. The oysters were full of grit and shell chips. Gross! When our server asked about our drinks we told him they were bad. When the check arrived the drinks were still on there. Total disappointment after reading all the great reviews. Never again!
(1)
Jenn H.
After hearing a rave review from our resort's restaurant waitress, we decided this place was worth checking out. As we neared the restaurant, we turned down what can only be described as a rocky alley, and I will admit my doubts were present. However we quickly arrived at our destination and were immediately greeted by a friendly face at the hostess stand. She asked us whether we wanted outdoor bar, indoors or outdoors in the back. We chose outdoor back as we were told it was quieter in that location. The restaurant is very "local-friendly" so you shouldn't go expecting a 5-star restaurant, but it's clean with a scenic view, and the staff is friendly. When it came time to order, we ordered the conch fritters and the two year rolls. The fritters were cooked well, but overall the taste was just okay and there are probably more flavorful items on the menu. The two year roll was amazing. It was probably one of the best sushi rolls I've ever had. For dinner we shared the stuffed hogfish, stuffed with crab and scallops. It was incredible. I highly recommend it! Lastly, our waiter Tony really made our experience the memorable one that it is. While ordering he politely interjected anytime we were about to make a wrong decision (he recommended the two year roll and the stuffed hogfish, which were our favorite items) and was extremely personable, energetic and genuinely nice for our visit. We loved Castaways! If you enjoy local food and experiences, this is the place for you!
(4)
Connor S.
This establishment was awesome. Our waitress was energetic and right on point. The food came super fast and was so fresh. My family left much happier than we came. Not crowded either with great atmosphere. Eat here when you come to Marathon!!
(5)
Benjamin R.
My dad, younger brother and I hit this place after a dive, and having speared several lionfish we were in the mood to snack on some of the nasty invaders. We'd heard from our dive crew that Castaways was the best place in town, and that they'd cook or sushify whatever we brought to them. Fair enough Atmosphere was very nice. It's off the road aways, and if you didn't know where to look you'd never find it. We didn't see signs until we'd turned off the main road and gone down a few side roads. Good sign in my book, not as touristy this way. Seated quickly, checked out the menu. Lots of sushi options and your usual fried seafood, but the neat thing about this place is the chef loves to cook up lionfish. You'll see me saying lionfish a lot in this review. There's a reason for that. We ordered two big rolls, the lionfish tempura and the king of the jungle, which features a lionfish head at one end and the tail at the other, sushi in between. Nice. But to be honest, the tempura stole the show. A lot of tempura rolls hide the fish, not so with this one. You can get all the goodness of lionfish, and want more. If you're in Marathon, or Islamorada, then you owe yourself to come visit. I don't think you can find better sushi in the Keys. Our next dive trip will be in Marathon, and we'll be coming back for more lionfish
(4)
H J.
Great experience. Billy the bartender was very accommodating - it was a real nice recovering from Sunset Grille - rudest bartenders ever. Great food. Try the honey buns.
(5)
April R.
I really enjoyed our stop at Castaway. At first when we were driving up I was worried because the street and back of the place look a little crappy, but it was awesome! We sat at the bar outside in the back and the service was great. I loved the Key Lime Martini and thought it was really cool that you could get a beer sampler. The had a great beer and cocktail menu and the food looked pretty good but were weren't hungry. I would recommend having some food and drinks here for sure!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Zachary R.
Pasta was okay, not a ton of taste. I got the Professors Pasta and added mussels. The lobster bisque and the lumpia appetizers were good. That's where it ended...The service was horrible, the woman who served on us was running around flustered the entire time and was very short with us. The only redeeming thing about the restaurant was their honey buns. Oh yeah, and the scallops were tasteless too. And you have to drive through a trailer park to get there. Decent beer selection though.
(3)Brandon P.
Terrible food. I have been to the keys back and forth for 30 years and I haven't had such bad food and service. And the place wasn't even packed. Drinks sucked too. Order a beer. The golf cart ride on the way in was the best part.
(1)Vicky H.
Food was OK - not great. Ambience also not great. Best part was our server who was quite friendly. I really don't know what all the fuss was about.... Skip this spot and got to Burdines Waterfront next door. Better food, better view.
(2)Michael K.
Four of us went out for dinner to try Castaways again as it's been a few years. We eat out regularly in Marathon and have so for the last 15 years of traveling here: The order: 2x clam chowder 1x conch chowder 1 himachi nigiri 1 tuna nigiri 1 tuna sushi sandwich 1 spicy tuna sushi roll 1 stuffed hogfish (lionfish swapped)***see below 1 lionfish - wreckdiver style The pro's: excellent honey buns, himachi nigiri, lionfish topped with shrimp, scallop and panko. Clam chowder was great! Cons: the conch chowder was slightly fishy tasting, and the tuna roll was small with an aggressive amount of teriyaki sauce on it and flavorless. The shock factor: looking at the menu to order the stuffed hogfish for 25.99. We asked about the lionfish and the waitress politely told us it was a slightly milder fish and they can easily interchange if I'd like. You can imagine my dismay when the cheque came and they billed out 43.99 for the stuffed hogfish switched with lion fish instead. At NO point did the waitress identify an 18.00 premium for a fish that was presented as easily interchangeable nor did she communicate the market price on the other lionfish order (wreckdiver). We kindly paid our bill, identified to the waitress that we were very disappointed that she failed to communicate an 18.00 premium on the fish switch and left with a decent meal and a feeling of being severely MISLED as there was NO indication of a premium at any point. Be Very Wary!
(2)Mani T.
Great food with wonderful service! Don't forget about shrimps, especially during happy hour until 4 pm!
(4)Kimberly W.
Great menu selections, friendly waitstaff. Variety of sushi roll selections. Tons of outdoor seating right on the water. Seemed to be more of a place for the locals, which always is a good thing. Definitely suggest it when staying in Marathon or traveling to the keys.
(4)Bridget K.
Wonderful Tuna nachos, sushi, and mojitos! Vicky is awesome! Loved the ceviches too! Great service & awesome food. Wish the view was more scenic, but the food was awesome!
(5)Dee M.
What a hidden gem. This place is truly representative of what the Keys used to be but with a pretty savvy sushi chef. The location is smack dab in fisherman country and restaurant is Keys kitsch. Truly a locals joint but when our waitress brought out the Bragg's aminos as a gluten free soy I was in sushi heaven. The fish is fresh fresh..the sushi presentation was camera ready. Lionfish and pompano sushi. Only in the Keys.
(4)Louis D.
No sunset view. They told us there was one by phone; they lied. Food was decent but not for the prices. Music outside was hard core rock but they changed it when asked. Honey buns are deep fried with honey (really, more ridiculous carbs?) They didn't have several of the beers on tap. Waitress forgot a couple of things....honey for the honey buns, and my wife's main! We wouldn't go back. Sorry, guys.
(2)Tiffany B.
So glad we found this place tucked away. Absolutely amazing food.
(5)J M.
Our campground turned us on to this place and all I can say is WOW!!!. The food is awesome. I had the shrimp scampi and couldn't even eat all of it because the shrimp were so big. It is a hole in the wall place but you won't be sorry you came.
(4)Helene C.
We hadn't eaten here in several years because of a previous bad experience, but gave them another chance. Unfortunately, it didn't go well. First of all it was 20 minutes before our waitress came by. After the order was placed it took another 40 min to get the food.My husband ordered mahi and received something else. I ordered grilled shrimp and got blackened. We shared the oysters Flager. I thought they were just ok, my husband couldn't eat them. I gave them 2 stars because the waitress was very apologetic.
(2)John H.
Food was pretty good. Service and the bartender were a little slow, but it is the keys so that's generally expected.
(3)David B.
I love it. Huge menu that features Sushi and great fresh seafood. As well as bar food. Wings, Burgers , cheesesteaks . The quality of all the food is top notch. Sushi lovers , they have don't great rolls . The Lissa, bakery, castaway, and Marathon Roll are the best. They have great deals on wings and shrimp early. Location is great. Right on the water. Overall one of the best places in Marathon.
(5)Ricardo M.
Excellent restaurant great food, our waiter was the best He recommended his creation of sushi and it was great Bit too hot at night better to be inside, but the service was great Prices are ok a bit expensive but I will come again when in Marathon
(4)Ronaldo M.
Look I have to give two stars maximum. We stayed at the bar and I have to say they have a good selection of draft beer. However I was utterly disappointed at the appetizer we ordered. My brother has never tried alligator meat and I ordered their alligator appetizer. It tasted great but what it missed was alligator meat. It had literally 3 small pieces and the rest was just mushrooms sautéed in garlic. And "all" of this for 10 dollars? Really? More than 3 bucks for a bite-sized piece of alligator? Don't think I'll go back.
(2)Alex J.
Tucked away from the main road that runs through Marathon is this great jewel. We came in for late lunch/early dinner and were not disappointed. There is indoor or outdoor seating. We chose indoor. The interior is cozy and cool, soft music, but not too soft. Lots of interesting decorations on the wall. The staff were extremely friendly. Got the Mango Mojito to start with, and it was very good. I later tried the Castaway Rum Punch and enjoyed that one as well. The selection is good both for non-sushi and for sushi, though selection of sushi rolls is not expansive. I ordered the stuffed Hogfish (which is a bit deceptive because the 'stuffed' part is actually on top, though this does not mean it was bad) with sweet potato fries. The Hogfish comes with a salad that looks like bagged salad with a few things thrown in. Basically salad wasn't impressive, but you're really paying for the main act so I don't feel disappointed at all. After ordering our server brought by some honey rolls that were basically little deep fried scones and they were very tasty! My dining companion, who had sushimi and sushi, said their meal was probably a good 4 and 1/2 stars. They said there was a bone in one of their portions, which was disappointing, but overall it was delicious. Key lime pie was pretty good, but more middle of the road than amazing. I wouldn't turn it down, and I might order it again if in the area, but not a must have. The chocolate cake was good, but it is served cold. I highly suggest you take it to go and let it sit out of the fridge for a couple hours so it's room temperature. It's really delicious in this way. Our service was really good. Very friendly and personable. Not just our waitress, but everyone there we interacted with was friendly and we felt very at home. Bathroom has a handicap stall with a separate sink if that is of import. I will definitely return to this place the next time I'm in the area.
(5)Peter D.
First of all I find it interesting there are two listings in Yelp for this place with a slight change in the name. Way over priced for both the type of dishes offered and the service. Believe me, the food is not bad, but the pricing is off the wall. And this a New Yorker saying this. Grouper is on the menu, but I was told its out of season and not available. Why is it on the menu? I tried the Hogfish and with the first bite - bones - I hate bones. All in all it was prepared okay and I enjoyed it. On the other hand the vegetables were over-cooked and unotable ! Both mine and my wife's . I made the mistake again and didn't return them to the kitchen. We were made aware by the staff at our Hotel to be careful. The place has to shuttle you to the restaurant from your car - dark and a bit shady walk to the entrance.
(2)Constance L.
This place has better ratings then it deserves. The service was absolutely awful. No refills and never got the honey buns. Had three different servers. And no one even tried to correct the horrible service. The food was good but not for the $$$. Will not go back.
(1)Rhonda D.
Twice in One Week!!!! Love this place!!!! Good local vibe, great food ( seafood enchilada!!!!!), wonderful service both times!!!! A True Local Dive! Can't wait to return!!!!
(5)Craig L.
Excellent local restaurant just off the beaten path. While many restaurants in the area feature fried seafood, the Castaway features fresh fish that you can have cooked in 8 or 9 different ways. They had 7 or 8 different species of fresh fish the night my wife and I were there. My wife had the hogfish and I had pompano ... We had both of them cooked lemon caper style ... They both tasted excellent. Good sized filets for each. Would highly recommend ... If we were staying longer I would come back and try different local species and different cooking styles.
(5)Kasey M.
They have great service and awesome food and it is do nice inside you can look over the water or sit inside my favorite and they conch fritters are the best (())
(5)Evan P.
Went to this place for a late night dinner and sat in the bar. I ordered sushi, even after another customer had complained about getting the wrong sushi order. When my meal came out both of the rolls I ordered were wrong. I didn't care enough to complain. The sushi was whatever, nothing to write home about, and the "help" behind the bar was full of herself.
(1)Mari H.
After hearing some locals talk about this place we thought we would give it a try on our last night on Marathon. Honestly... In the setting we over heard the conversations and the experience we had makes me feel like they maybe getting paid to talk them up to tourist. Very shady street to get to the place, and we questioned whether our car was safe or would get towed..we got in there and was surprised at the condition of the place. But whatever we sat down and ordered drinks. It tried what was their "specialty" key lime martini.. I could barely make out that it was key lime and it was rather warm. Then After what we wee told was an amazing sushi menu and they had "perfected" it, we ordered the surf n turf roll. Which has tempura lobster and prime rib over the top. We also ordered the Hogfish sandwich. The food took what seemed forever in an non busy restaurant, out came the food and the sushi was TINY! Took a bite... And my husband asked how it was... I tried another bite before answering and then pushed it away and said completely flavorless. I gave him a bite to try to let me know if I was exaggerating...he agreed and said yeah that's really bad. His Hogfish sandwich was okay but nothing great and he normally LOVES Hogfish. The waitress was nice and asked how it was and I quietly asked her to take this away and explained my concerns... All I got was oh, sure.. And told that no one sends that back. So either I got a bad batch or they just don't say anything. I was hoping maybe even an offer to reduce the bill or talk to a manager regarding the situation... But no such luck. The bill came with everything on it and no manager in site (even though he did walk by us to sing happy birthday to another table). It's sad because we normally love going to the local hang outs, should have went to the place next door that we were also told about.
(1)Andrea K.
Wow, looks can be deceiving. BEST MEAL IN THE KEYS!! Myself and six of my friends were staying in Key West and than stayed a few nights in Marathon. We were told to go to Castaway. We drove to it the first night and drove right past as it was not crowded (note it was about 4pm weekday) and there was a full in cop scene evicting residents down the road. We decided to go back our last night as the bartender at our resort told us to go. Thank goodness we drove back. Parking lots crowded and we loved the golf cart shuttle. We had a great table outside and the best meals of our entire trip. Waiter was over and above nice. Very accommodating to my food allergies and so courteous to our entire group. They even split the checks to make our paying easy. The food came out at a great pace, drinks were never empty and everything was so delicious. I would go back to Marathon just to eat here. We were also told the owner catches all their fish they serve!
(5)Rick G.
The Castaway is the closest thing you'll come to in the Keys to be in the feel of island-hopping and beach-combing fare! The place is whoppingly huge! There isn't a nook or cranny that hasn't a fish, sea, boat or crustacean nik-nak to be gawked at! It is truly a maze of a restaurant. You'll feel like you've entered a cross between Gilligan's Island meets Pirates of the Caribbean, or Mutiny on the Bounty vs. Waterworld! There's almost anything and everything you can imagine sea-related in this place... from live fish to fish nets - along with boats on it's dock! We enjoyed one of our most pleasant meals here. The staff all were wearing smiles and legitimately happy to see and serve us. Don't get me wrong, and don't mistake my description with that of the likes of a Rainforest Café - it's not, this place was great on so many levels. The food was outstanding, the drinks were very, very good and not watered down, the seating was comfortable, the lighting and ambience was ideal and overall makes you feel the Caribbean experience head on! Our meal consisted of refreshing Fat Tire Beers, Sierra Mists and Mojitos, then pigged out with Edamame; ( Clams Casino - some of the best I've had in a long, long time; a terrific Fried Shrimp Dinner with Boiled Potato; their Special Sashimi Dinner; an incredibably perfectly prepared Snapper Mazatlan with White Rice started with a Caesar Salad; the Fish of the Day was super fresh and tender; and then I stole some of my sis' Tuna Entrée Grilled rare with fries. Overall, everyone at the table agreed, this had been the best dinner we experienced while staying at the lower Keys.
(5)Jammie K.
This place was amazing! I came here on a mini stsycation with my boyfriend (stayed at Tranquility Bay) and wanted something with good food with a good price as we are both students. This place was definitely what we were looking for. The honey buns and blackened hogfish were amazing. Will be coming here again with my family and friends. Great atmosphere too.
(5)Cindy D.
Great food. Crummy parking but theres a golf cart shuttle. The rolls and honey are a great start. Live music even on a Sunday night.
(5)Stephanie F.
This place was delicious..Rockefeller oyters OMG...everything is good ...great place to dance..great atmosphere
(5)Manny R.
At first looks feels like you are driving through the hood. Once you find it, you'll be glad you did. Food is excellent and great service.
(4)Joe E.
Not impressed. Beer choices were so so. Food was alright. Sushi rolls were just ok.
(3)Michelle F.
Was down here for my birthday on a mini vacation with friends & family. Had the Mr. Lee roll as an appetizer, good but nothing special. I had fried mahi mahi with sweet potato fries and green beans as entree, the fish was very good and fresh. Nice view of the canal and you can pull up on the boat. My legs are full of mosquito bites from that night but that's typical a florida keys nuisance. In general, good variety of food, service, and taste but I think it's a bit overpriced.
(3)Michelle V.
Great place for a family friendly seafood restaurant. The food was good but not great. We had the gator tail appetizer sauteed in lemon sauce & it was good, but more mushrooms than gator. The oyster Flagler was good also. The kids enjoyed the view & the small fish tanks so happy, content toddlers was a plus for the restaurant, but the food was nothing special.
(3)Renee M.
The sauteed alligator was the best I've ever eaten! Still salivating when I think about it! The stone crab claws were fresh and amazing! The surf and turf roll was the best roll I have ever tasted! Drinks were good and the staff fast, knowledgeable and pleasant. I am a thousand miles away now and pining
(5)David C.
We had dinner here and enjoyed it. We were looking for sushi and found this place on Yelp. A fun, funky place, in an out of the way location. The fare was tasty, no disappointments. The wait staff was great - they did a great job even though the place was packed. I'd go back - probably will, in fact.
(4)Jes E.
The service is friendly and tan. Overall feeling is laid back. Good selection of draught beers including a local brew. The gator was a bit pricey but savory as all. Conch was delish. We didn't try the sushi but they offered a wide variety.
(3)Craig C.
I know that seafood would be what brings most people in, but we ordered the prime rib. The cut was lean (with just the right amount flavor producing fat) and the rub was super tasty. One star off for canned green beans and so-so starch (I had the fries, the wife had boiled potato) Not the cheapest (nor super outrageous) meal $56 for two, no alcohol but we had the spring roll app. Waitress was super sweet.
(4)Travis P.
Ok... This is a great place to eat... Pricing is not over priced. Just got a whole lobster sides salad for 20 dollars. 3 people at are table and spent 100... round of drinks... app ..salad .. dinner and great service. More then pleased.
(5)Dianne S.
Chic/shabby eatery with lots, and lots of ambiance . Sits back on a marina on 15th street. Filled with old nautical memorabilia and a Jimmy Buffet atmosphere . You can sit outside at the bar where Reggae music fills the air or inside where we opted. The food was 5 stars for us. My husband ordered the New York strip steak that was done to perfection and I ordered the shrimp scampi which was just as delicious with 10 jumbo shrimp in the best white wine sauce. We also got a treat with their signature fried biscuits with honey to dip.We finished our meal with the best key lime pie! We also happened to hit their happy hour . My strawberry margarita was awesome. The staff was so courteous and friendly and our waitress, Nichole was the best. Our food came out in a timely manner and we never felt rushed. We are celebrating our 48th anniversary today and instead of going somewhere else we are heading right back to Castaway's.
(5)Mike D.
One of the best restaurants I have ever been to. We were down in Key West and the locals kept telling us about Castaways and they said save it for one of your last dinners. That's exactly what we did and it was well worth it. The fish was so good and everybody's dish at our table of a party of 18 was blown away by how good there food was. People kept sharing each others food because it was "you have to try this" type of food. Highly Highly recommend!
(5)Paul L.
We visited around dinner time and we were sat quickly. Staff was friendly and the sushi selection is decent. The special was really good (hogfish) and the sushi was fresh and tasty. The food came out quickly and the wait staff were attentive.
(4)Sean-Paul F.
A nice little find hidden off the beaten path. If you are looking for atmosphere this isn't the place, but it is comfortable and not dirty as others have said. All dishes my wife and I had were in a word, excellent.
(5)Frank D.
My family loves Sushi and decided to try this recommended local Sushi place in Marathon. After being seated, we were served water, honey buns and salad. After a very long time - about an hour, three small sushi rolls made to our table. The sushi rolls are tiny and not very well rolled. After another half an hour, our main entree came. by that time we were ready to leave. Finally the Sushi boat for 2 came. We ate our dinner in 20 minutes and left. The Sushi and Sashimi was okay but not top quality as we expected and we also felt that it was overpriced. Sushi boat for 2 is $60 and the portion was on the small side. My family left this place with great disappointment. We visited the sushi kitchen and saw only one real sushi chef and a couple of helpers. I would not recommend this place for real sushi lovers.
(2)Jason H.
We visited in March 2014 on a family vacation to the Keys. The food is good, but nothing spectacular, and it's quite expensive for what you get. The service is friendly and accommodating.
(3)Jose S.
Seafood Yummyness!! Came here for my 2 year anniversary and had a jolly splendid good time! ^_^ With one of the best appetizers I've had in a while. The Crab Spinach dipped Nachos took it out of the park. Actually, before that, they serve you some other thing that isn't bread that you eat with honey... don't remember what they're called but WOW!!! I loved that too! As a Main dish, my girl had the Smoked/Steamed Shrimp which looked amazing, but she said that they're okay. I had the 8oz Sirloin Meat and It was okay too. But the fries where good, or I was craving those more than the meat. Either way, I had a great time and the bartender, was really friendly and cool. Props to that guy!!!
(4)Tony H.
Excellent food, excellent service !!!! Must try the stone crab & sushi !!!! Wide selection of beer On tap!! I can't say enough about this place!!!
(5)Jan S.
Great beer selection, unlike a number of other bars in Marathon and nearby. We stopped after a recommendation from family. The sandwich was very good and the beer sampler an unexpected pleasure. And they have lion fish!
(4)Adam W.
Food quality was good! Service was only ok, took a while to get our food and it was empty at 3pm. The phrase "Happy Hour" in the Keys is overplayed a bit but this location had very fair beer prices and a great selection of different beers. Huge menu!
(4)Erin T.
If I could give this place a zero I would. Before I sat down in my chair, I overheard a customer complaining that his entire order of sushi was incorrect and didn't have any of the rolls he ordered. That should have clued me in right there. I was craving fish and chips, but there were none on the menu. I asked the waitress if they had fish and chips, "yes we do, you can choose from a variety of fish". She listed off options and then told me her suggestion for which type of fish would be best for fish and chips. It took a 1/2 hour to get my meal, which was super unimpressive. I only ate 1/3 of the fish. When the bill came the fish and chips was priced at $40!! $40 fish and chips? Are you effing crazy? I complained to the waitress and said that I had no idea it would be that much, why didn't she tell me? If it was a nice filet of fish I could understand, but FRIED fish?!?! She only responded by saying "sorry but that's why I explained there were multiple options of fish". Yes you listed off a bunch of fish, then told me which would be the best for frying. As far as I could tell they are just trying to rip people off. I am all for paying large bills for good food, but not large sums for fried shit. I will never be returning to this joke of an establishment.
(1)Lynda M.
We didn't eat here, just had drinks, but some of the others outdoor bar patrons ordered food, and it looked wonderful. Our drinks were great... the key lime martini was super tasty, and the espresso martini was phenomenal. We we'll give it another try for dinner.
(4)Annette S.
We make it a point to go to Castaways for dinner at least once on our trip when we come to the Keys. We went last night and were served by Stormy-she was very friendly and knowledgable about the menu. We had the lion fish sushi which was fantastic! I had the special, mahi wrapped in a crab cake, and my husband had the grouper special. You get a lot of food for the price. You receive a salad with your entree and honey buns.....this place is worth the visit just for the honey buns alone! You can tell this is a family owned restaurant that takes pride in what they do- I believe the owner goes out and spear fishes his own fish. Don't be turned away by the grungy road that will take you to this piece of heaven in the Keys. Sit on the back patio, enjoy a cocktail, and have some of the best sea food that the Keys have to offer.
(4)Terry C.
Absolutely the best restaurant in Marathon and no better sushi on the Keys. I had the grouper dijonaise first time and the snapper mazatlan the second -- Both were to die for. Wife and kids had sushi, including lion fish when available. The restaurant is very casual, and the staff is very friendly and helpful. It is fairly expensive for Marathon, but worth every bit. Did I mention they have a great selection of craft beers?
(5)Myrna R.
First time that Yelp, leads us wrong and disappoints :( what a terrible place! And not to mention a RIP OFF! I should know better and always listen to my gut. From the moment we pulled up it screamed "not fresh"! We proceeded anyway...I'll make this short. It sucked! And $80 later we ran out of there!! 2 fish entrees, 1 cocktail and 1 appetizer?? It was not worth it...
(1)Natasha K.
The Castaways restaurant was an awesome place to eat. There sushi is the greatest on the shoreline and food was great. I found this place on yelp and tried it out. The waiters were fast and you can sit right near the water. I strongly suggest coming here if you're visiting the Keys.
(4)Dan M.
Interesting place. Literally on a canal in a trailer park in the keys. If you can get past the surroundings the food was very good. I had the crab stuffed mahi with lobster cream sauce on top and it was wonderful. A combination I had not every had before and I'm glad I tried it. My wife had the grouper oscar and said it was good but mine was the tastier choice. Prices are high for the environment. The grouper special was $35 and the mahi special was $30. I don't think you will be disappointed with the food.
(4)Laura G.
We almost drove away when we saw the road leading into the restaurant and the less than appealing non-family oriented Tiki bar before the front door. However, once we walked into the restaurant, the atmosphere transformed for the better. We went for lunch and the prices were more like $$, i.e. $60 with tip for two adults, 1 kid, no alcohol. Sushi is good and available at lunch and on Sundays. There are lots of other menu choices available too. Staff was friendly and helpful. We will definitely go back there again.
(4)Jason G.
I would have added a photo but I just devoured the food, amazing place, amazing food, and even better service. We ate at the bar and Billy the Bartender was awesome, super helpful and very nice. If you are stayinh near here, definitely come if you want great food. The sushi was phenomenal! Oh and they got plenty of TVs we watched some of the World Cup!
(5)Stephanie E.
you would never know this gem is tucked away off Overseas Highway. we had high hopes of it being amazing just by it being one of the oldest remaining restaurants in the area (opened in 1951.) I recently had dinner there with my husband and my parents. they really need a big sign on the main road or you would never find it. the size of the meals are generous and the food was so good. our server..i believe his name was billy..was so great. very personable and always checked on us to make sure we were okay. you get homemade honey buns before your meal. they are warm and amazing! you also get a decent size salad..their ginger dressing is very very good. I ordered the blackened mahi mahi sandwich which was absolutely delicious. My husband got the crab cakes and said they were so so good. Next time we are in the area we will definitely be back!! a must stop for the Florida keys.
(5)James O.
Very expensive and the wait staff is often inattentive. Food isn't terrible.
(3)John S.
Everything was amazing, sushi, king crab role, awesome, real crab, ginger that isn't pink, raw oysters, so fresh!!! We also had grouper and crab cakes, I will recommend this place to everyone coming down here!!! Best part was the employees, great sense of humor, and our server Samuel, good guy!!! Great server!!! Here on Mother's Day he came in to cover someone else's shift who forgot Mother's Day was today, and thought it was next weekend, like I said, good guy!!!!
(5)L S.
While the drive there is completely sketch, the staff and sushi is worth it. I had a roll that was a tuna sandwhich.. Spicy tuna rolled in rice and wedged like a sando, and we also tried the 2 year roll, and a few other things.. Both were great. Our server, Haze, was very accomadating and funny! We enjoyed talking to him.. It seems dodgy but not once you get inside.. I dont think id like to sit outaide there, but inside is typical keys. We had read previous comments about the fish, but it was only one.. So we tried it and it was good- the one roll we tried had tons of mayo but it was explained to us that, that was the point- its slathered for people that like it (and we do!!) good experience for sushi, didnt try the other food.
(4)Todd P.
I was apprehensive about going to Castaway. The some of the reviews weren't too great, but the locals were recommending it for suski and steak, so we took a drive over. You go down a really seedy area and come to the end of the street to find a dive looking place. Our first attempt was to go for dinner on a Saturday night and the parking lot was empty, it was dark, and two sketchy looking guys were standing out front so we decided against it as the street coming in already had made us uneasy and went someplace else. The next day we were in search of lunch and after a third local recommendation we tried again. Not as scary in the daylight, so we went with it. No one was around to greet us, so we walked by the bar and looked for a host/hostess inside and found it to be empty and as chilly as a meat locker, so we went back to the bar outside and figured we seated ourselves. Unfortunately the only seat was next to a loud drunk with no shirt as the other empty table had a cat sleeping on it. After a couple of minutes the bartender came over to ask if we wanted anything to drink and a minute after that a waitress came over to wipe our table and give us menus. Looking over the menu, I was glad we came back for lunch as the lunch menu was reasonably priced, but the dinner menu seemed a little pricey for such a dive place. While they don't serve their sushi on Sunday, they do apparently serve just straight up raw ahi tuna with an Asian slaw and white rice and I got their "Delmonico" steak sandwich which was described as last night's prime rib sliced on a roll with a side. After our order was taken, it took forever to get served. In fact, as we were waiting for our food, rain rolled in with increasing intensity and the roof over the outdoor bar wasn't in the best of shape. As the rain got worse and we waited for our food, we kept moving in closer and closer to the shirtless loud drunk until the patio started flooding and we moved to the bar to at least be on stools and "high ground". The food finally came and while my wife loved her tuna, my sandwich was just okay. It was overcooked as they apparently took that left over prime rib, sliced it into a single slab about 3/8" thick and threw it on a griddle before plopping it on a roll with some sad lettuce and tomato. Luckily the prime rib must have been pretty tender as it wasn't inedible cooked well done, though I do prefer beef to be medium rare. I left the wilted lettuce and tomato off and asked for some A-1 Sauce, which made the sandwich okay. I had gotten potato salad as my side which was not bad but not great and was a tiny portion. Now that we were sitting at the bar to avoid the rising waters, the bartender did chat us up a little. Obviously tourists, he asked us where we had been and where we had eaten, and gave us some recommendations. By the time we got our check we had been there for close to an hour and forty-five minutes but we were on vacation and being lazy in the Keys, so while longer than I would have preferred, it wasn't a big deal. I might go back for lunch again, but the dinner menu seemed overpriced for a dive looking place with slow service. If their sushi is anything like their raw ahi tuna, it might be worth it if you're in the mood as my wife raved about how fresh it was. For my part I couldn't recommend their ability to cook beef based on my sandwich, although steak was one of the selling points that people recommended them for.
(2)Debbie H.
This place came recommended by someone staying at out timeshare but our meal was a disaster. Shrimp in beer were overcooked and hard to peel. Fish was so blackened I could not taste it. Won't be back.
(1)Curt S.
We come here often for lunch and the menu is large plus they have a "specials" menu that changes. Meals are fresh and tasty. We recommend Castaways anyone that asks about a place to eat.
(3)David C.
Really enjoyed this place. Those buns are really good. Peel and eat shrimp appetizer was excellent. My wife's hogfish done Lemon Caper style was ridiculous. Skip the conch fritters as they were a real disappointment.
(4)Norma G.
The food was way to overpriced!! Lets start out on a positive note...the salad was great! Crisp, fresh and inviting...the honey rolls were to die for! Warm, just out of the oven..drizzle honey over them and yum! I could have eaten just that...The conch fritters were way to doughy...my scallops were rubbery, green beans were way too hard but the red potatoes were ok. The waiter was very friendly but I think he was new or confused about the menu and sloooow...brought out my entree before my salad then asked if I still wanted the salad! Heard the steak and sushi were better...should have listened..but I really wanted scallops...dont think I will be back...but I can say I tried it!
(2)David B.
Food: -the 33 beer chili is phenomenal -I had the fish sandwich and while it was good, it wasn't anything super special. I would recommend you try something else on the menu -menu is huge and half of it is sushi Service: -Our waitress had the patience of a saint and was very kind and knowledgeable about the menu
(4)Peter N.
Probably the best "pricey" restaurant we ate at throughout the Keys. Had some good hogfish and my wife's scallops were very good.
(4)Lori C.
Fresh fish. Laid back. Nothing fancy but really good food. Great server. And dog friendly. We will be back!
(4)David F.
Great seafood and good atmosphere. We liked the food and the restaurant was clean and fun. They also have a great outdoors bar with live music. The only downside was they are on the east side of the island and you do not have a good view of the sunset.
(4)Victoria C.
We were seated quickly, but we were then forgotten. We had to be asked to be served. The Waitress seemed nice enough, but recovered from ignoring us poorly. Then she asked us what we'd decided on without even telling us the basics...catch of the day or specials. Free honey buns were decent, and salad had great Ginger dressing. I ordered coconut shrimp, and they were overly sweet. They need some heat to balance, and not such a fake coconut taste. Kids spag & meatballs was great. Hubby's fish sandwich was ok.
(2)Shane C.
Grouper was just awesome. Sushi was OK. but not the best ever. but the fish was all fresh, which is what we wanted. the restaurant feels kind of touristy but the bar is mostly locals. the musical duo was just awesome and we got really drunk on rum runners at the bar after dinner. Its hard to find but I'd say it's a pretty good place and the prices were pretty average for Marathon fresh fish places.
(4)Joanne Z.
Our kids gave us a gift certificate here for our birthdays. The food was outstanding. Husband had the Snapper and I had the shrimp boiled in beer. Portions are very large. Don't miss the homemade ginger salad dressing. We bought extra to take home. Great drink specials before 6:00pm.
(5)Jennifer C.
What a great find on our drive back from Key West! We were driving by around happy hour and they had good deals. Piña colada: 3.5 out of 5 Flavor was good, but some more rum would have made it better. Peel and eat shrimp: 5 out of 5 Cheap, fresh & delicious Oysters: 3.5 out of 5 For the happy hour price they weren't bad, but I've had better. Grouper sandwhich: 5 out of 5 stars Perfectly cooked, quality bun, romaine lettuce, fresh tomatoes... Yum yum The service was great and while we ate they were installing the equipment to have 30+ draft beer options, so I'm sure we will be back.
(4)Lawrence M.
My wife and I were recommended Castaway by a local who said it was her favorite restaurant on the island. We see why she likes it. It's like a hole in the wall on the outside but a fairly nice restaurant inside. The food was fantastic and we tried two dishes recommended by the waitress and both were fantastic. We will definitely be back!
(5)Darrell H.
Having been coming to the Keys and Marathon for over 20 years we had never actually tried Castaways until tonight. And after tonight all I have to say is WOW. It doesn't look like much from the outside or surrounding neighborhood but dont let that detour you. This was some of THE best food I've eaten in the Keys or Marathon. Simply put, we WILL be back. Open since 1951 so that tells you something right there.
(4)Jaime S.
I only had the sushi this time. I must say I was really disappointed. Very bland in taste and one roll had too much mayonnaise on it. Left me a bit nauseous at the end. I've eaten here several times. The food is decent, however, the prices are ridiculous. One thing I have also noticed - check your bill! Many restaurants include gratuity for parties 4+.
(3)Heather M.
Sit out back by the water, as the inside is stuffy. It's definitely a dive. The honey buns are ridiculously delicious. The local hog fish is yummy. Everyone loved the crab cake and the fried shrimp. Fried seafood baskets hit the spot for lunch. Key lime pie just ok. This is a good place to stop in the Middle Keys on the way/back from Key West!
(4)Lj K.
What a find.. Great place for drinks and dinner. Honey buns were great. Try the king crab! Don't recommend the crab cakes. Only good crab cakes are NC, VA and MD....
(4)Kathy P.
I've read so many good reviews about this restaurant and decided to give it a try. The scenery was not that great- they said u can see the sunset from the patio, which is bull crap because all we saw were houses and boats. We sat outside for a few minutes and mind u, it was still daytime out, I was getting bit by something so we had to migrate back inside. We ordered a few appetizers. My sister ordered the shrimp ceviche, which said on the menu they won best award for that. Well I don't know who awarded them but that was not good at all. The shrimp was old, hard and bland. The chips was stale. My brother ordered the two year old roll and some toro (tuna belly.) The toro looked horrible! Shame on the chefs and server for even serving that!! Toro, their color is supposed to look light red and this fish they brought out, it's color was yellow. YUCK! My brother is a sushi chef for many years and he knows what toro looks like and that was not fresh toro at all. We asked our server, Billy, what kind of tuna that was and he said it was blue fin. No. I'm sorry but billy didn't know what he was talkin about nor does the other servers there. My brothers two year old roll... Well the name says it all. They said on the menu they serve 'fresh' fish, well thats a lie because the tuna that is in the roll is frozen tuna. They doused the roll with spicy mayo like there was no tomorrow! From all the years of eating sushi and working in a sushi restaurant, ive never seen any rolls with so much spicy mayo on it! The sushi chefs need to be retrained on making sushi and having knowledge on knowing if the fish is fresh or not. Shame on them!! Furthermore, I ordered half a dozen of oysters and they were HORRIBLE! The oyster tasted so old and nasty I had to spit it out right away. I nearly threw up in my mouth. My daughter ordered a roll and I had to stop her from eating that because I don't want her to get sick. I don't understand why people were raving about this place because honestly this place is the crappiest place I've ever been to. After experiencing how bad the apps tasted, we just got our check and left. My family told me not to complain because they didn't want to make a scene so I didn't. I shouldn't have listened to them because I wasted 63.00 on food that I didn't even enjoy. I do not recommend this place to anyone! What I do recommend is that they need to serve FRESH seafood and not serve rotten seafood to their guests.
(1)Tatiana S.
Being a big sushi lover I was very disappointed with quality of food. Selection of sushi was very limited as well. Prices were high. And one of my rolls were not eatable at all. It spoiled my appetite for the whole meal, they refused to take it off the bill, and the restaurant owner came out to talk to me to make sure I pay for it. They don't care about their customers- all they care about is the revenue. I will not go back there.
(2)Sheri S.
Vicki Rocks! We were a very hungry party of three, We were seated by a lovely girl and immediately taken care of by Vicki. Got our drinkls and preceeded to tell us the specials. We ordered a fried calmari app, a prime rib with lobster , the pasta with seafoos special and a pasta with veggies and blackened chicken. We were astounded by their ceasar salads best anywhere. The whole meals was fantastic. The honeybuns which were steaming hot are off the chart great. We will be back as soon as we can! Service and food were the best.
(5)Marie R.
Diamond in the rough... Best food we've ever had. We've been to five star restaurants all over the world. We were driving down to key west. We found this place on yelp and the other reviews were pretty good. We had stone crab, sashimi (salmon, toro, tuna), the ceviche was amazing, lobster bisque, sushi rolls (Latin roll, 2 year roll and the volcano), the key lime pie is the best we've ever had (we got one to go.) You have to drive through kind of a sketchy area but don't turn back. I promise you it will be the best meal you've ever had. It's a cute little restaurant on the water. The service is phenomenal. We left very satisfied and departed for key west. The next day our party talked about what we should do... It was unanimous that we would spend the day in key west and go back to Castaway for dinner. What a great decision. We met the owners, they are so friendly and when you see the large menu you think that normally restaurants are only good at one type of food. Not true for Castaway. They have mastered every dish we tried. Try it!!! You won't be disappointed.
(5)Jan M.
My favorite place in Marathon to eat Fantastic food from their Sushi to my favorite the stuffed hogfish entree This is our favorite place to take friends and family especially if we are celebrating anything. Open for Lunch and Dinner
(5)Judi B.
Hard to find but a real winner!! U can sit outside or in on the oceanside. Food was excellent and service was over the top friendly. I had sushi ... The kanin su app that was excellent and my husband had the calamari. Both were done extremely well. He had the steak sandwich which he ordered rare. They told him it was medium which means it was precooked but he liked it anyway( I never would have ordered it ... Precooked. The tuna tatakki was the best I ever had and they brought us their famous honey buns for dessert on the house. Fried so I didn't taste but he loved them. Drinks were heavy handed pour & 5.00 which is very reasonable for the Keys. A great find that we will be back to soon!!!
(4)Shoshannah S.
No sushi on sunday. This is a resturant / bar and doesn't look asian owned or run. I don't know if I would try it or not. I have no comment on any other of their food. I know they have football and drink specials on Sunday.
(2)Lisa K.
Best food and drink in Marathon. 33 or 34 draft beers, nice wine selection and the most varied menu in the Keys. Yes, you have to drive through a less desirable area. But you get great sushi, freshest seafood, and superb ribs and other meats. Along with friendly service and wonderful entertainment. We are locals and this is our go-to place when we eat out.
(5)Michelle B.
This place has the best steamed shrimp in beer! and the honey buns.......to die for. Have been going here since the 80's and they always have the best shrimp and seafood. Saturday happy hour has $4 pitchers of beer. Need I say more?
(4)Daniel M.
This was fantastic find. What a surprise! It has an amazing menu with all of the traditional Keys fare. If you want fried shrimp, etc., it was on there. The Oyster's Tokyo were very tasty and the Conch Fritters prepared perfectly. After those and a few more appetizers, we went healthy with the Ginger Salad... great dressing. Then we moved on to the real surprise. The sushi at this joint is super creative and very tasty. We've tried sushi at other places in the Keys and always been disappointed... never compares to sushi alley in L.A. But with things like the Island Tuna dish, they have a great selection. I'm not sure what the one reviewer is talking about regarding service, our server was friendly and quick with the food. She also had a pretty good knowledge of what we were eating which is a problem I have in many other restaurants. All in all, this was a great experience. Oh, and I often find that in these types of tourist areas, the best joints are the ones where the locals eat... we ran into the owner of another restaurant, who also happened to be eating there... good sign!
(4)Kim M.
Food was terrible & way overpriced. Salad was a tasteless combo of head lettece and salad vegetables with terrible homemade ranch dressing. My Shrimp Scampi was so overcooked that most were rubbery, one was mush. Service was rare as the waitress was way overworked. Don' waste your time or money. Better places to eat. Very disappointed.
(1)andrea w.
We had a great lunch in the middle of a huge down pour! Staff was very friendly and accommodating. We actually walked through the kitchen to get into the dining room because of the floods! The kitchen was very clean.. The fried shrimp basket was really good with a light cornmeal breading.. Grilled grouper sandwich was a hit as well as the fried yellowtail.. The Ginger salad dressing was very tasty.. The honey rolls were to die for and quickly gobbled up by my kids.. A fun place for lunch!
(4)Katherine H.
Not the nicest neighborhood but that's where you find some of the best hidden gems. Kids had a burger and pasta, fish and chips special was Mahi and sushi for me. Key lime martini to die for...
(4)Justine B.
Pros: Super friendly staff, lots of different places to sit (inside, outside user an owning, by a canal), nice chill atmosphere, old school rock music, house cocktails, great food selection, they cook fish you bring if it's cleaned and filleted (they have a bunch of different ways to cook it like blackened, lemon capers, grilled...). Food is amazing (we had conch fritters, fried gator cutlets and our fish). Cons: Almost nothing. Waitress asked to see our IDs for drink which is understandable but a bit annoying when you happen to have left it in the car like I did.
(5)Colleen C.
Incredible presentation for the sushi. The lionfish sushi special is gorgeous and delicious. We ordered 3 of the specials, and each was unique in flavor combination. Highly recommend everything on the sushi menu.
(5)Liz T.
Pretty good crap cakes, great burgers, good grouper and honey buns with every entree. Cool little keys joint with a guy singing and some neat fish tanks. The key lime pie is not recommended.
(3)Mike S.
We had dinner here and weren't disappointed! I had some sushi and was a little nervous but, it was awesome! The wife had steak stuffed with seafood crab or lobster, I can't remember. Was prepared well and she committed numerous times how good it tasted. Our daughter (12) ordered the chicken parm and it was a huge portion. This is a great keys bar/restaurant and we will be back. Our server was fantastic.
(5)Aaron H.
This is more of a "dive" than a restaurant. We stopped here for late lunch on way from Key West. Strictly based upon Yelp positive reviews. The goal was to get in and out in under an hour. Unfortunately we were there over two because service was incredibly slow. It took 10+ minutes for waiter to show, even though two were buzzing around nearby tables. They must assign waiters based on who comes in and not seating. Ours showed up from the outside bar. We tried a sushi boat which took forever to receive. When we got it, some of the fish was still frozen in parts. I wish they had warned me it would take 30+ minutes to get. I would have passed! The kitchen looked under staffed. I had not looked until 15+ minutes went by with no dishes. The location on the water is certainly a positive. It gives a local vibe. Some visitors noted the neighborhood is a shanty town. I get that since many homes are mobile homes connected to clumsily out together sheds. It's cool that there is "affordable" housing nearby. At least, I hope it's affordable! I got a tuna salad, which was just okay. The waiter messed up my kids orders. One had a cheese burger medium and one had a burger medium rare. They cheeseburger came rare and burger came well done. As said, it took over 30 minutes for hamburgers to show up. The interior is eclectic. Chairs are not comfortable. Overall, it's worth the visit if you are passing by and are not in a rush. The location--on the waterway--is its strongest draw. The food was just average. Seafood ordered did not seem particularly fresh. The place has character--in a quirky way. There appeared to be some locals enjoying the bar. Perhaps alcohol helps accept the places shortcomings.
(3)LoAnn T.
So I see that there are a lots of good comments. We then decided dinner will be at castaway. Got there a bout an hour before they were closed. Total of 9 and a baby. We order the oyster benedict. It was so delicious. Never had it before. Order the Stuffed Hogfish. It was so out of this world. The meat was soft. Easy to eat. Better than grouper. Taste almost like the Chilean sea bass. You just have to try it to decide. But in my opinion. This restaurant deserve 5 stars. The server was so sweet. Even. Though it was late. But she was still friendly and very helpful. We will most definitely come back . And recommend anyone that visit key west. Love love the view. Such a lovely place.
(5)Niki M.
Just do yourself a favor and don't go. I'm not sure how they can put award winning on their alligator app. Is literally pieces of alligator that are full of cartilage and non edible parts in about a pound of butter and head of garlic. Not very impressive. My 13 yr old sister could make that. The scallops that I ordered still had their feet left on them... Seriously? And my fiancées crab cakes were studded with cartilage. We couldn't even finish our meals. I get it that it's hard to find good help in the keys. Everyone is either addicted to drugs or an alcoholic. But for the sake of food clean the freaking scallops. That's just not right. Save your money. Or blow it at sunset grille. Anyway, I'm a chef in philly and will never come back to castaways
(1)Lisa M.
Crappy bloody Mary's, Lion fish sushi excellent, clam chowder sucked, ribs eh. Manager fought w friend over a $5.00 mistake on menu on their part. Said was going to take out of waiters tip.first & last visit.
(2)Amiee S.
Do not judge a book by it's cover! From the outside, you may question your decision to eat here and the neighborhood may seem a little questionable. But once inside, you will be happy you listened to Yelp. The inside is spacious, clean and just has a nice atmosphere. Our waitress was extremely nice and seemed to know what we needed before we even asked for something. We both had the fried shrimp and I had sweet potato fries, salad and mixed veggies. Your dinner comes with "honey buns", which back home we call fried biscuits. They are served with honey and are very fresh and tasty. The shrimp was very fresh and they used little breading. I will definitely come here again.
(4)Pam B.
Key lime martini is whats for dinner! Loved the drink, cold, creamy and tart! Quiet laid back location. The fried biscuits were a unusual item brought to the table. They were served with honey. (Not gluten free so I didn't try one). My table mates enjoyed them while still hot. This is an off the beaten path place for a quick drink. Food is served also.
(4)Vanesa I.
This place is dog friendly! They have a permit and all! :) This is so awesome and I wish more places did this. The staff was very friendly and extremely knowledgeable of the menu and daily specials. Our food came out fast and everything tasted very fresh and had good presentation. You can dock your boat out back and they have inside and outside dinning .
(4)Patrick M.
We went on the recommendation of our Snuba crew. The place was tucked away off a dead end street in Marathon. On one of the canals. Super casual. The place looks pretty low key. You're not going for a fine dining experience. You're going for some good food and drinks. Tina was our server and super friendly. Pork Adoba was great. Tina said her Mom had just made it. Now my son wants to know where he can get Filipino food in STL. Fried chicken was well liked, however, the fries were awesome! Beef dip excellent. With sweet potato fries. Sushi and roll were solid. Loved the beer flight. They have 33 beers on tap. Heaven.
(4)Daniel B.
We decided to come here after the Sunset Grille gave us a ridiculously long wait time for our party of 7. The location is really interesting, as you can sit outside near the canal, where locals will actually come and go in order to get to their boats. The staff was really friendly, and they had an extensive knowledge of the menu which helped us a lot, as the menu here is quite large, including the specials. I got the sushi here as it was highly recommended, as did my sister. It was good, but definitely not as great as it was hyped out to be. Perhaps the most surprising thing though was the dish my dad had ordered from the special menu. It was a mess of flavors that seemed to be a bad attempt at a sweet and spicy sauce, and it completely ruined the fish that it was supposed to enhance. The Honey Biscuits are indeed as good as they sound, and were definitely a new but welcome experience. I would be willing to give this place another try if I ever am in the area again, but I was slightly disappointed by it this time around.
(3)Pia M.
Sad. My family followed reviews to go here. We ordered the clams casino (my uncles favorite) - the clams were so bad that we all tried one and had to split it out-their clams should've been fed to the Pelicans days ago but they are still serving them. I would be very afraid to have raw food here and they serve sushi. The waitstaff were warm and apologetic and offered free dessert, we declined because we were not hungry for dessert.
(1)Lynzie R.
Went scuba diving while in the Keys and our boat captain recommend Castaways - you should always take the advice of a boat captain. Well, we were NOT disappointed! The BEST alligator I've ever had! (And I'm from South Florida, so I've had plenty of gator in my life). It was sautéed with garlic and scallions and mushrooms and woooo lawd amazing! it was so good we asked for extra bread to sop up the leftover sauce!! nom nom nom! Honey biscuits = crack. (They're basically just zepollis without the powdered sugar, but hey whatever, fried dough will always be amazing no matter what you call it.) Other highlights: Scallops, Mahi Sandwich, Stuffed mushrooms, crab cakes, surf and turf sushi roll, stuffed hogshead. Avoid: Seared Tuna thing wrapped in wasabi crepe, conch fritters, lobster bites. The verdict: worthy of a visit!
(5)Rosanne M.
So yummy!!! The 2 year roll is out of this world. Service is excellent the hog fish is a must try so so good. The surf and turf rolls are excellent. Love this place!!! Will be back
(5)David B.
Great sushi - best I've had in a long term time. Fun environment. Billy was our server - good guy. Will come back again.
(4)D M.
Honey buns are great! I love the lionfish roll and the grapefruit beer! Service was a little slow last visit but they were busy. Nice casual atmosphere, you can choose to sit inside or out. Servers are nice. Food was worth the wait, will return next month.
(5)Michelle L.
Nice place to get a drink and some fresh fish. Had the mahi sandwich and Latin sushi roll both were pretty tasty. Friendly staff and they had a waterfront area.
(4)P L.
Decent food and an interesting atmosphere. This is a bar/restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating and live music. Food is a surprising mix of seafood entrees and sushi. The sushi was better than the entrees as the non-Japanese dishes all suffered a bit from a lack of seasoning -- every dish could have used more salt and pepper. Although the atmosphere once you're inside the restaurant is good (especially the live music area in the front), it's not in the nicest part of town. You have to drive past an area with some shanties and shacks, then past a trailer park, before you reach the restaurant.
(3)Laura B.
This was a surprising find! Don't let the location fool you - they had really good food! The reason for three stars was that the service was a bit awkward, so it made the dining experience a little clunky. We enjoyed some sushi (wonderful) and the Tuna wrapped in a Wasabi Crepe and that was fun! Would have never thought of that combo!
(3)Melissa P.
Dining can be very hit or miss in the keys. Our first experience at Castaway was awesome. So charming and quintessential, tons of seating options, parking shuttle-golfcart to and from their numerous parking lots. Enormous Menu!!! Frozen Patron Margarita, New England Clam Chowder, Conch Fritters, Crisp Caesar Salad w/house-made creamy, garlicky dressing, complimentary fried dough honey buns, 16 oz sirloin and fried snapper...all were phenomenal. Portions huge. Cannot wait to go back.
(5)Jim L.
The best. Service was great, I think the owner's niece took care of us. She recommended sushi. It was awesome. Going there again.
(5)Oren H.
The food was amazing, service by Shelly was outstanding, tons of beer on tap! And epic environment!! Live it up Hanover family!!!!
(5)Laurie D.
We just left Castaways. Dinner was good - large portion of the pasta special. So large we had a lot of leftovers. We accidentally left the leftovers at our table. As soon as we realized we left it we called them to say we would be back to get it. They told us all tables had been cleared one hour ago - and our box was tossed - funny we just left 10 minutes ago. The only tables being cleared were inside not outside. And we were seated outside. The women we talked to was sassy to the max and is the reason I am writing this review. While Brian - the golf cart driver was great I will not be going back .
(1)Alex S.
Never got the honeybuns. Appetizer came after the meal. Got service from 4 servers. A different one each time and only after we waved one down. We refilled our tea with a pitcher that server #4 left us, after we got our check. Overall a terrible experience from a service perspective. Food wise, it was ok. Would never even consider going back again. Denny's service at a $$$ price. No thanks.
(1)Mary H.
We arrived at 9:20...they are open til 10. Seems like we were a bother! We ordered 2 margaritas, stone crab claws and oysters florentine. The absolute worst margarita ever! Like too much sweet n sour that had gone bad! The food arrived at almost 10 but only the oysters, they had no crab claws but didn't bother to tell us. The oysters were full of grit and shell chips. Gross! When our server asked about our drinks we told him they were bad. When the check arrived the drinks were still on there. Total disappointment after reading all the great reviews. Never again!
(1)Jenn H.
After hearing a rave review from our resort's restaurant waitress, we decided this place was worth checking out. As we neared the restaurant, we turned down what can only be described as a rocky alley, and I will admit my doubts were present. However we quickly arrived at our destination and were immediately greeted by a friendly face at the hostess stand. She asked us whether we wanted outdoor bar, indoors or outdoors in the back. We chose outdoor back as we were told it was quieter in that location. The restaurant is very "local-friendly" so you shouldn't go expecting a 5-star restaurant, but it's clean with a scenic view, and the staff is friendly. When it came time to order, we ordered the conch fritters and the two year rolls. The fritters were cooked well, but overall the taste was just okay and there are probably more flavorful items on the menu. The two year roll was amazing. It was probably one of the best sushi rolls I've ever had. For dinner we shared the stuffed hogfish, stuffed with crab and scallops. It was incredible. I highly recommend it! Lastly, our waiter Tony really made our experience the memorable one that it is. While ordering he politely interjected anytime we were about to make a wrong decision (he recommended the two year roll and the stuffed hogfish, which were our favorite items) and was extremely personable, energetic and genuinely nice for our visit. We loved Castaways! If you enjoy local food and experiences, this is the place for you!
(4)Connor S.
This establishment was awesome. Our waitress was energetic and right on point. The food came super fast and was so fresh. My family left much happier than we came. Not crowded either with great atmosphere. Eat here when you come to Marathon!!
(5)Benjamin R.
My dad, younger brother and I hit this place after a dive, and having speared several lionfish we were in the mood to snack on some of the nasty invaders. We'd heard from our dive crew that Castaways was the best place in town, and that they'd cook or sushify whatever we brought to them. Fair enough Atmosphere was very nice. It's off the road aways, and if you didn't know where to look you'd never find it. We didn't see signs until we'd turned off the main road and gone down a few side roads. Good sign in my book, not as touristy this way. Seated quickly, checked out the menu. Lots of sushi options and your usual fried seafood, but the neat thing about this place is the chef loves to cook up lionfish. You'll see me saying lionfish a lot in this review. There's a reason for that. We ordered two big rolls, the lionfish tempura and the king of the jungle, which features a lionfish head at one end and the tail at the other, sushi in between. Nice. But to be honest, the tempura stole the show. A lot of tempura rolls hide the fish, not so with this one. You can get all the goodness of lionfish, and want more. If you're in Marathon, or Islamorada, then you owe yourself to come visit. I don't think you can find better sushi in the Keys. Our next dive trip will be in Marathon, and we'll be coming back for more lionfish
(4)H J.
Great experience. Billy the bartender was very accommodating - it was a real nice recovering from Sunset Grille - rudest bartenders ever. Great food. Try the honey buns.
(5)April R.
I really enjoyed our stop at Castaway. At first when we were driving up I was worried because the street and back of the place look a little crappy, but it was awesome! We sat at the bar outside in the back and the service was great. I loved the Key Lime Martini and thought it was really cool that you could get a beer sampler. The had a great beer and cocktail menu and the food looked pretty good but were weren't hungry. I would recommend having some food and drinks here for sure!
(5)