What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Mangrove Mike's
Review
About
Travellers' Choice
2024
Established in 1998 by the late Mike Forster, Mangrove Mike’s remains family-owned and is the original diner of the Florida Keys, located in Islamorada. Known for its diverse menu, it serves classic breakfast and lunch favorites alongside creative, seafood-inspired dishes. With its nostalgic diner vibe and walls adorned with Florida Keys fishing legends, it captures the essence of the Keys' history in a classic diner atmosphere. Open daily from 6 AM to 2 PM.
Features
CUISINES
American, Cafe, Seafood, Diner, Dining bars
Meal types
Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
FEATURES
Accepts Credit Cards
Digital Payments
Discover
Dog Friendly
Free off-street parking
Highchairs Available
Mastercard
Parking Available
Seating
Table Service
Takeout
Visa
Wheelchair Accessible
Wine and Beer
Location
Free off-street parking, Parking Available
Does this restaurant allow dogs or considered pet friendly?
Save this restaurant
Hours
Closed now
• Opens at 6:00 AM
Sunday
6:00 am - 2:00 pm
Monday
6:00 am - 2:00 pm
Tuesday
6:00 am - 2:00 pm
Wednesday
6:00 am - 2:00 pm
Thursday
6:00 am - 2:00 pm
Friday
6:00 am - 2:00 pm
Saturday
6:00 am - 2:00 pm
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4.6
2,747 reviews
Excellent
1,950
Very good
588
Average
136
Poor
44
Terrible
29
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Explore8748
2 contributions
May 2024 • couples
Been a regular customer (breakfast & lunches) since Jan 2008 when we first purchased a home nearby. Mike unfortunately died (covid 19) and new owner (a niece?) increased prices which is AOK. But now they are charging $2.50 extra to split a meal. NOT TO MY LIKING! Lazy Days, a more up scale restaurant (higher prices , etc. about $40 for a dinner) only charges $2.00 ($1.99?) to split a meal. Also, the local resident discount was reduced which for me, allowed me to provide a more generous ti to sever.
Written 19 May 2024
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.
Paige Keil
Hi - Thanks for your comments. I am in fact Mike's niece and new owner since November 2023. Mike was involved in local politics and it made sense he offered a wider range of discounts to the community. We have given back to the local schools, cancer organizations and Monroe County government. You took the opportunity to only point out the negatives and not the positive changes such as the improved interior, upgraded restrooms, outdoor space, seating and bakery displays (any many more). We have expanded our beverage menu and bakery and now sell the Manny & Isa's Key Lime Pie, by the slice a whole. Our staff are the same loyal team Mike had and we pride ourselves in improving the team moral during high and low season. With regards to pricing during the 2 years after Mike's passing the prices were not aligned with current food costs. There is no longer a local discount and we have determined we now honor loyalty based on customer loyalty and to be able to accommodate seasonal guests who do not have a Islamorada address on their drivers license. We are always available to speak with you and encourage you to allow us the opportunity to discuss with us rather than post publicly. We would love to hear more about your comments and are receptive to feedback and continuous improvement. Feel free to email us at connect@mangrovemikescafe or ask a Manager to connect us.
Written 20 May 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kimberly M
7 contributions
Sept 2024 • couples
Hidden gem in the keys! This is THE go to breakfast spot! Food is fantastic, staff is friendly and they make you feel as if you are a “local.” Don’t expect a huge restaurant, it is on the smaller size and you may have to wait just a few minutes to be seated but I promise you won’t be disappointed. 100 percent recommend on your next visit to the keys!
Written 20 September 2024
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.
Paige Keil
Kimberly, Thank you for your fantastic review! We are so glad you enjoyed your experience and felt like a local with us. It’s true, our cozy Diner can get busy, but we appreciate your patience. Your recommendation means so much to us, and we can’t wait to welcome you back on your next visit to the Keys!
Written 23 September 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
stephaniemN4160KS
Louisville353 contributions
June 2024 • family
Mangrove Mike’s serves a great breakfast in a diner type setting complete with counter seating in the center. The menu offers a wide range of options. I had a hard time choosing and feel like I made the wrong choice with the banana bread hotcakes but I sampled from everyone in our party and everything was delicious. The cinnamon roll was as good as looked. My only regret is not getting to try their key lime pie which looked fabulous.
Written 2 June 2024
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.
Paige Keil
Stephanie, I agree with you! Our homemade Cinnamon Rolls sure are mouthwatering. They carefully baked in-house by our chefs to make sure that every bite is delicious. We are also glad you opted to try a variety of our dishes and enjoyed our legendary diner experience. Thank you for leaving such a lovely review and hope you come back and try the freshly baked Manny & Isa's Key Lime Pie.
Written 4 June 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
MrPudly
Mystic127 contributions
Feb 2025 • solo
I’m a frequent customer as their breakfast is probably the best in the keys however when you call for takeout no one ever answers the phone. This happens a lot. Then when you wait for takeout and get it home it’s cold, sausage, and the toast no butter is buttered. Come on people. My walk home was 1 minute
Written 26 February 2025
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.
Paige Burris
Mr. Pudly, Thank you for your feedback and for being a loyal customer! We’re glad you enjoy our breakfast. We apologize for the issues with your recent takeout order. During busy times, we focus on our dine-in guests to give them the best experience. We are not associated with any online delivery apps and may not answer the phone if we’re busy with customers. We always encourage guests to dine with us to enjoy the full American diner nostalgia and our amazing local staff service. We appreciate your comments and hope to serve you again soon!
Written 26 February 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jennifer
Vero Beach89 contributions
June 2024 • family
Unfortunately, this wasn’t a good experience for us. The service was slow (was not busy), the server rarely checked on us, and the food order included ingredients that we had asked to omit. The food was not up to par based on the reviews we read beforehand either as it was mostly greasy and unflavored, we ordered breakfast and lunch items.
Written 6 June 2024
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.
Paige Keil
We’re so sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your standards. We value our guests feedback and we are shocked to hear your meal wasn't made to your request and server was not attentive. Our servers and management, when notified of discontent work to immediately to resolve. With regards to our food, as you can see are highly rated so this again seems out of the norm. We are saddened to hear you left unhappy and hoped you would have spoken to the manager to assist with service recovery. As a small, family-owned business we prefer to have had an opportunity to make things right while you're there. Hopefully you can see, as the owner I respond to all reviews and take great pride in our legacy diner opened by my late uncle in 1998. Again, we are sorry we didn't meet your expectations.
Written 7 June 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Daydream728015
16 contributions
Dec 2024 • couples
Wide variety of menu items in busy eclectic, locally themed restaurant. Eggs, pancakes, sausage, grits, breakfast sandwich, and cinnamon bun. All good, not great. Pancakes were the highlight and would not order cinnamon pastry again.
Food delivered quickly, service a bit choppy and haphazard.
Written 4 December 2024
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.
Paige Keil
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback! We're so glad to hear you enjoyed our made to order pancakes and the wide variety of menu options. We pride ourselves on offering a fun, nostalgic diner atmosphere with homemade cinnamon rolls that many guests love, so we're sorry to hear yours didn’t meet expectations. Our manager wasn’t aware of your experience at the time, but we would have happily replaced the cinnamon roll if we had known. We truly appreciate your comments about service, and we’ll work to make sure that our team delivers a smoother experience. We hope you’ll give us another try soon!
Written 6 December 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
michele21
Manchester159 contributions
Nov 2024 • couples
We would give this diner 6 stars if we could!
Home cooked breakfast, brunch or lunch, open every day (apart from holidays) from 6am to 2pm!
Excellent value for money and so much choice of dishes that are delicious.
Friendly staff that welcome and serve you, plus the shop on the side.
Definitely recommend
Written 20 November 2024
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.
Paige Keil
Michele, Wow, thank you so much for your glowing review! We’re absolutely thrilled to hear you’d give us 6 stars if you could—that truly means the world to us! It’s wonderful to know you enjoyed our food, value and wide variety of menu options. Our friendly team always strives to make every visit special and we are so glad that came through. Thank you for your recommendation and we can’t wait to see you again soon the next time you visit Islamorada!
Written 23 November 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Patrick W
Pensacola5 contributions
Sept 2024 • couples
This is the exact type of place we look for when we travel. It's a local place with a great atmosphere and excellent food. I had steak & eggs with bacon and the wife had bacon, eggs, and sausage. 10 out of 10 for everything we ate, our server Dylan, and the restaurant. We'll be back!
Written 6 September 2024
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.
Paige Keil
Patrick, Thank you so much for the fantastic review! We are so happy to hear that Mangrove Mike’s hit the mark and you enjoyed the steak & eggs and the bacon, eggs and sausage. Dylan will be especially happy to hear your praise! We are glad you loved the diner atmosphere and our food. We look forward to your next visit—thanks for the 5 Stars! :)
Written 6 September 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Paul O
County Monaghan6445 contributions
Feb 2024 • couples
As we were staying in the Sunset Inn, we came here for breakfast on both mornings of our stay.
This is a busy diner but once you put your name down you don’t be waiting very long (5 to 10 mins) for a table.
Service is very good. Menu is extensive and food is very filling and enjoyable. Prices are decent too.
Written 26 February 2024
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.
Paige Keil
Thank you so much for the 5-star review! We are thrilled you had positive experiences and that our staff was able to make both your visits enjoyable. We work hard to offer a wide-variety of menu options, excellent quality and portion sizes at a great price. We love to accommodate the Sunset Inn guests and are glad we were able to seat you quickly! We hope you’ll come back and see us during your next visit to Islamorada. Thanks again for spreading the word about Mangrove Mike's Cafe!
Written 26 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Linda J
2 contributions
Nov 2023 • family
Visited Mangrove Mike's Cafe in Islamorada, FL for a delicious breakfast and captured this beautiful homage to 2001 First Responders. We shared the mission of Service Dogs Saving Lives with their staff who appreciate our outreach to first responders, veterans, and others.
They personally know the power a service dog can provide and plan to support our mission. #stopthestigma #mental health #stopsuicide
If you are looking for delicious food, a laid-back atmosphere, and a true Florida vibe, this is the place for you ❤️
Written 4 November 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.
Lauren P
3 contributions
Jan 2024 • family
When we mentioned we were visiting the Keys everyone told us we needed to visit Mangrove Mikes for breakfast and they were not wrong, you don’t want to miss this one!
It’s the perfect spot with all the local flair and ambiance combined with the friendliest local service and on top of it all, the food is excellent!
You can choose to sit in a booth or grab a chair at the counter and you can tell there’s an even mix between visitors like us, and local regulars who know they have a good thing there.
We shared the breakfast quesadilla specialty, the portions are big and it was so good, eggs were cooked to perfection!
Our waitress was Brie and she was just the sweetest but the entire staff was so friendly and helpful! We just wish we had room for the famous key lime pie but now we have one more excuse to be back! A definitely must visit if you ever go to the Keys!
Written 17 January 2024
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.
Paige Keil
Taking the time to leave such a great review about your amazing dining experience at Mangrove Mike's Cafe, has really made our day! We always aim to delight our customers with our customer service, tasty food and ambiance. It’s great to hear we delivered and impressed you with our Breakfast Quesadilla and Brie's friendly service. We look forward to delivering another excellent experience, the next time you visit Islamorada. Thanks for your patronage!
Written 18 January 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Astrid Zimmer
Boston2 contributions
Jan 2025 • family
This place is a dream! We saw this place in a travel guide and we knew we had it try it, and to our delight it was right next door to our hotel! First of all, as an interior decorator, I have to say I was seriously impressed with how unbelievably beautiful the decor is! It's the absolute perfect blend of nautical and upscale, while still maintaining its overall image as a welcoming, family friendly location as well as a local's haunt.
Now let's talk about the staff! To the owners: you have assembled an all star team! They were so kind and patient with my children, and neither overbearing nor absent. This appears to be a very experienced staff under effective and efficient management. We thank you for your kindness!
Finally, what is a restaurant review without mentioning the food? Well, it may be seen as "only breakfast", but that would be seriously underselling it. Being from Boston, we have no shortage of exceptional restaurants to choose from, but until now, I have never felt as though I was having a Biblical experience as far as culinary perfection goes. I'm a huge breakfast snob, and generally not easy to please when it comes to what one would think are simple preparations.
Let me tell you, not one of our plates had a scrap left, and the Seafood Benedict with Lobster absolutely knocked it out of the ball park for me! My husband had the Mangrove Oscar, and my kids went crazy for the Nutella pancakes. I would seriously consider flying down just to eat here! Thank you so much to everyone at Mike's!
Written 24 January 2025
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.
Paige Burris
Thank you so much for this incredible 5-star review! We are absolutely thrilled to hear how much you enjoyed your experience at Mangrove Mike's. It means the world to us that you appreciated the decor, our team's service, and, of course, the food!
As an interior decorator, your praise of our space really warms our hearts—it’s wonderful to know that the blend of nautical charm and family-friendly vibe resonated with you. And we're so happy to hear that our staff made you and your family feel right at home. We do pride ourselves on having an exceptional team, and it’s great to know that their service lived up to your expectations.
As for the food… WOW, we’re blushing! To hear that our breakfast made you feel like you were having a "Biblical experience" is beyond flattering! We’re thrilled you loved the Seafood Benedict with Lobster and that your family enjoyed the Mangrove Oscar and Nutella pancakes. We can’t wait to have you back—whether it’s for another meal or, as you said, to fly down just for the food!
Thanks again for the kind words, and we hope to welcome you and your family back very soon!
Written 27 January 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Shamr0ckG
Naples462 contributions
Dec 2023 • couples
We entered Mangrove Mike's with great expectations, but the place didn't live up to its reputation. My blueberry pancakes were fine...but nothing special. My husband ordered the blueberry French toast. It was a sweet blueberry bread dipped in an egg wash and then fried. Way too sweet and certainly not what he was expecting. The server did bring him an order of traditional French toast with blueberries on top. There was a $5 upcharge for the berries. Find another place for breakfast!
Written 12 December 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.
Paige Keil
Thank you for providing your honest review. Our signature Blueberry French toast is definitely one of the sweeter breakfast options. We are glad your husband was offered a replacement by your server. We offer a variety of fresh fruit options at an additional charge, to allow our customers the option to customize their French toast to their liking. We take our reputation very seriously and it's unfortunate we didn't meet you or your husbands expectations.
Written 13 December 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Wanderer30763650238
5 contributions
Aug 2023 • family
Atypical and exotic place. We were well received; the choice at lunchtime between lunch and brunch and children's menus (good value for money).
The decor is really nice.
We really appreciated it! Be careful, it closes at 2 p.m.
Written 3 August 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.
Karen M
Chicago186 contributions
May 2023 • couples
This is a fun looking spot that's good for breakfast. They have a little bit of everything, so there's something for everyone. My husband had the omelette with crab and asparagus and I had the eggs with corned beef hash. The hash appeared to be out of a can but I was fine with it My husband enjoyed the omelette.
Written 1 June 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.
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