Capt. Tony's Saloon
Capt. Tony's Saloon
4.5
10:00 AM - 2:00 AM
Monday
10:00 AM - 2:00 AM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 2:00 AM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 2:00 AM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 2:00 AM
Friday
10:00 AM - 2:00 AM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 2:00 AM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 2:00 AM
About
A popular Key West saloon which Hemingway is said to have frequented and used in his novels.
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See what travelers are saying
- MimiKirkland, Washington180 contributionsAwesome Historic BarCapt. Tony’s is a must! Historic bar with good music, bras and money hanging from the ceiling! Being from Washington State, was surprised to see a Wash. State Cougar helmet mounted on the wall. Outside is a wide mouth bass on top of their sign where everyone tries to toss a coin into the bass’s mouth, not easy!Visited February 2020Traveled as a coupleWritten March 2, 2020
- Wolfman119 contributionsThis Is Where The Party Is !Swaggered in on a Sunday night after hitting a few places beforehand. This was like walking through a portal into 1984-in a good way. Live music, dark atmosphere, great rum punch- I was 24 years old for a couple of hours. If you're looking for something more than a dive bar, stay out; if you want to party like you did in the old days, come on in!Visited March 2020Written April 14, 2020
- RustyRockledge, Florida177 contributionsA haunted bar with a lot of historyThis is the original location of Sloppy Joe’s and is where Hemingway did most of his drinking when he lived in Key West. I liked this place much better than the new Sloppy Joe’s. The bar itself is said to be haunted and has a rather macabre history. Look for a hanging tree inside (used to hang several for piracy) and 2 gravestones. Supposedly there are bodies buried under the floor. With so much history, plus the countless dollar bills and bras hanging from the ceiling — this is definitely a place worth checking out… if you don’t mind drinking while standing on someones grave.Visited December 2019Written March 30, 2020
- smilgakiLondon, United Kingdom2,193 contributionsMehI quite like a dive bar, and this was the original Sloppy Joe's where Hemingway used to drink, before the owner moved location. So we thought we'd have a drink here. It is dark, very dark - so you can do plenty of daytime drinking pretending you have waited until after dinner. It's also covered in $ notes, which makes for a fun round of 'guess how much the wallpaper cost'. Coming from the UK we also marvelled at the ashtrays on the table - for us it's kind of the equivalent of entering a Victorian opium den. These points of interest aside it was rather underwhelming. I had the pirate punch, which more or less seemed to be commercial orange juice with a tad of alcohol. Also, this bar was one of the few places that still uses plastic rather than paper straws. The darkness got a bit boring as there was not much to look at. It wasn't all that friendly either. Ok to visit once.Visited February 2020Traveled as a coupleWritten February 19, 2020
- QueenJEsqWashington DC, District of Columbia7 contributionsUnwelcoming and Not FunReally unclear why and how this place has such good reviews. It can only be because everyone inside shares one thing in common- they are all white. We are Black. The first time in key west and my partner and I stopped in because of the history and reviews. Despite Trump flags flying we went in - not always an indication of wanting to associate the establishment with the views of the past administration but in this case it seems to fit. Waited to get a drink a long time - even though it was pretty empty for a Thursday night. Then asked if we could put a dollar on the wall as his tradition but the bar tender couldn’t be bothered and told us there’s no pen / black marker available. In a bar known for letting people write on dollar bills and place it on the wall. We walked out. Save yourself the experience if you are a person of color and head to Willie T’s. Better music, nice people and you can put up a dollar to make your visit no matter the color of your skin.Visited June 2021Traveled as a coupleWritten June 20, 2021
- MRG13Tampa, Florida6 contributionsGreat dive barI love this place. It has every thing a good dive bar should; a rich history, strong drinks, live bands and a great location in the middle of Duval Street in old Key West. This building served many capacities over the years, but its most famous as the original Sloppy Joe’s where Ernest Hemingway was a regular. Captain Tony served as mayor of Key West and Jimmy Buffett got his start playing here. The song “Last mango in Paris” is about Captain Tony”. Any trip to Key West should include at least a quick visit to Captain Tony’s.Visited November 2020Traveled as a coupleWritten November 12, 2020
- S&R52 contributionsNot for me.Touted as a great bar for ‘pirates punch,’ the drink was nothing more than weakly spiked juice in a cup full of ice... mostly ice and mostly juice. It’s a local hangout that was dark and dingy. Decor of dollar bills, bras, and license plates tacked to the walls and ceiling was nothing special and found in many bars in Key West. The ‘hanging tree’ in the middle of the room is a different story. That’s unique! Still a dark bar, with live music (not necessarily good music!), and weak drinks in a souvenir cup. For me, it’s not a place to return to.Visited January 2020Traveled with friendsWritten February 6, 2020
- ClemsontobyGladstone, Missouri198 contributionsGood Location - Cold BeerI think that this is a place that if you act like a tourist, you get treated like a tourist. If you act like you have been to a bar before, you get served accordingly. The prices are fine and the beer was cold. You can see graffiti that Jimmy Buffett wrote on the bathroom wall. For me, the best thing was that the random barstool I sat on had my favorite singers name on it - John Prine.Visited January 2020Written January 17, 2020
- CaribMarkCharleston, South Carolina139 contributionsIt's a dive but papa drank in thereThis is a dive bar, which was the original location of Sloppy Joes when Papa Ernest Hemingway drank there. It's dark, all indoors but open to the street, covered in dollar bills and dusty bras and has had many famous visitors. Drinks are standard with collectable cups and souvenirs available. They have live music. No complaints, dress very casual and comfortable and toast Papa.Visited September 2021Traveled as a coupleWritten September 9, 2021
- Lobsterlover99Lincolnshire, United Kingdom1,279 contributionsThis place is a real dive….. love itCalled in for a very pleasant hour on a recent cruise stop. It’s dark and dingy but serves good beer and there was a great live singer playing for tips who was doing requests. Not sure the atmosphere would have been as nice without the music. Nevertheless we enjoyed the placeVisited December 2022Traveled as a coupleWritten January 5, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,091 reviews
Excellent
591
Very good
310
Average
127
Poor
27
Terrible
36
smilgaki
London, UK2,193 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
I quite like a dive bar, and this was the original Sloppy Joe's where Hemingway used to drink, before the owner moved location.
So we thought we'd have a drink here.
It is dark, very dark - so you can do plenty of daytime drinking pretending you have waited until after dinner. It's also covered in $ notes, which makes for a fun round of 'guess how much the wallpaper cost'.
Coming from the UK we also marvelled at the ashtrays on the table - for us it's kind of the equivalent of entering a Victorian opium den.
These points of interest aside it was rather underwhelming. I had the pirate punch, which more or less seemed to be commercial orange juice with a tad of alcohol. Also, this bar was one of the few places that still uses plastic rather than paper straws.
The darkness got a bit boring as there was not much to look at.
It wasn't all that friendly either.
Ok to visit once.
So we thought we'd have a drink here.
It is dark, very dark - so you can do plenty of daytime drinking pretending you have waited until after dinner. It's also covered in $ notes, which makes for a fun round of 'guess how much the wallpaper cost'.
Coming from the UK we also marvelled at the ashtrays on the table - for us it's kind of the equivalent of entering a Victorian opium den.
These points of interest aside it was rather underwhelming. I had the pirate punch, which more or less seemed to be commercial orange juice with a tad of alcohol. Also, this bar was one of the few places that still uses plastic rather than paper straws.
The darkness got a bit boring as there was not much to look at.
It wasn't all that friendly either.
Ok to visit once.
Written February 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
QueenJEsq
Washington DC, DC7 contributions
Jun 2021 • Couples
Really unclear why and how this place has such good reviews. It can only be because everyone inside shares one thing in common- they are all white. We are Black.
The first time in key west and my partner and I stopped in because of the history and reviews. Despite Trump flags flying we went in - not always an indication of wanting to associate the establishment with the views of the past administration but in this case it seems to fit. Waited to get a drink a long time - even though it was pretty empty for a Thursday night. Then asked if we could put a dollar on the wall as his tradition but the bar tender couldn’t be bothered and told us there’s no pen / black marker available. In a bar known for letting people write on dollar bills and place it on the wall. We walked out. Save yourself the experience if you are a person of color and head to Willie T’s. Better music, nice people and you can put up a dollar to make your visit no matter the color of your skin.
The first time in key west and my partner and I stopped in because of the history and reviews. Despite Trump flags flying we went in - not always an indication of wanting to associate the establishment with the views of the past administration but in this case it seems to fit. Waited to get a drink a long time - even though it was pretty empty for a Thursday night. Then asked if we could put a dollar on the wall as his tradition but the bar tender couldn’t be bothered and told us there’s no pen / black marker available. In a bar known for letting people write on dollar bills and place it on the wall. We walked out. Save yourself the experience if you are a person of color and head to Willie T’s. Better music, nice people and you can put up a dollar to make your visit no matter the color of your skin.
Written June 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MRG13
Tampa, FL6 contributions
Nov 2020 • Couples
I love this place. It has every thing a good dive bar should; a rich history, strong drinks, live bands and a great location in the middle of Duval Street in old Key West. This building served many capacities over the years, but its most famous as the original Sloppy Joe’s where Ernest Hemingway was a regular. Captain Tony served as mayor of Key West and Jimmy Buffett got his start playing here. The song “Last mango in Paris” is about Captain Tony”. Any trip to Key West should include at least a quick visit to Captain Tony’s.
Written November 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
S&R
52 contributions
Jan 2020 • Friends
Touted as a great bar for ‘pirates punch,’ the drink was nothing more than weakly spiked juice in a cup full of ice... mostly ice and mostly juice.
It’s a local hangout that was dark and dingy. Decor of dollar bills, bras, and license plates tacked to the walls and ceiling was nothing special and found in many bars in Key West. The ‘hanging tree’ in the middle of the room is a different story. That’s unique!
Still a dark bar, with live music (not necessarily good music!), and weak drinks in a souvenir cup. For me, it’s not a place to return to.
It’s a local hangout that was dark and dingy. Decor of dollar bills, bras, and license plates tacked to the walls and ceiling was nothing special and found in many bars in Key West. The ‘hanging tree’ in the middle of the room is a different story. That’s unique!
Still a dark bar, with live music (not necessarily good music!), and weak drinks in a souvenir cup. For me, it’s not a place to return to.
Written February 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Clemsontoby
Gladstone, MO198 contributions
Jan 2020
I think that this is a place that if you act like a tourist, you get treated like a tourist. If you act like you have been to a bar before, you get served accordingly. The prices are fine and the beer was cold. You can see graffiti that Jimmy Buffett wrote on the bathroom wall. For me, the best thing was that the random barstool I sat on had my favorite singers name on it - John Prine.
Written January 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CaribMark
Charleston, SC139 contributions
Sep 2021 • Couples
This is a dive bar, which was the original location of Sloppy Joes when Papa Ernest Hemingway drank there. It's dark, all indoors but open to the street, covered in dollar bills and dusty bras and has had many famous visitors. Drinks are standard with collectable cups and souvenirs available. They have live music. No complaints, dress very casual and comfortable and toast Papa.
Written September 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lobsterlover99
Lincolnshire, UK1,279 contributions
Dec 2022 • Couples
Called in for a very pleasant hour on a recent cruise stop. It’s dark and dingy but serves good beer and there was a great live singer playing for tips who was doing requests. Not sure the atmosphere would have been as nice without the music. Nevertheless we enjoyed the place
Written January 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Butch E
Nashville, TN656 contributions
Jan 2022
Most people don't know that this was the original site of Sloppy Joe's, where Ernest Hemingway frequented almost every day. It's worth a stop and grab a quick beer to say you have been there. Take your pix and move on.
Written January 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bfox6267
3 contributions
Dec 2021 • Family
I’m not a barfly, but I am a parrot head. So Capt Tonys was a must see in Key West. Wasn’t sure what to expect. We arrived mid afternoon and I was a little apprehensive but the locals welcomed us and I’m glad they did. You could really feel the history in the joint. The gravesite in the floor was interesting and I loved reading all the news articles on the walls. Glad we stopped by. Live music was nice. Plus, my husband liked the house beer/ale. 2 thumbs up.
Written December 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeep4fun
Perdido Key, FL140 contributions
Apr 2023
A must visit while wondering Key West. A great dive bar whose atmosphere exudes the history of the area. Anthony, a longtime employee was full of great stories and very helpful in recommending good eateries and other must-see spots.
Written April 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helmut C
Canton of Appenzell, Switzerland119 contributions
What's the smoking policy at that place? Is there any option (maybe outside seatings) to enjoy a nice cigar, while having a good drink?
Is it 21+ only?
Melanie W
Greensboro, GA103 contributions
Not during the day. Not sure about evenings
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Claim your listingCapt. Tony's Saloon (Key West) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about Capt. Tony's Saloon
- Capt. Tony's Saloon is open:
- Sun - Sat 10:00 AM - 2:00 AM
- We recommend booking Capt. Tony's Saloon tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 4 Capt. Tony's Saloon tours on Tripadvisor
- Hotels near Capt. Tony's Saloon:
- (0.03 mi) DOWNTOWN KEY WEST 2BED OCEANFRONT!
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- (0.03 mi) Old Customs house Inn
- Restaurants near Capt. Tony's Saloon:
- (0.01 mi) Auntie Anne's Pretzels
- (0.01 mi) Amigos Tortilla Bar
- (0.02 mi) Rick's Bar
- (0.02 mi) Angelina's Pizzeria
- (0.02 mi) Sloppy Joe's Bar
Capt. Tony's Saloon Information
| Excellent Reviews | 591 |
|---|---|
| Very Good Reviews | 310 |
| Capt. Tony's Saloon Photos | 381 |








































































