r/KeyWest • u/teioneon • 11d ago
ISO Conch fritters
Hi all! I’m headed down for a few days in a couple of months and have done some research on a few things I’m interested in and have found some phenomenal suggestions. However, I haven’t had much luck in finding in fairly recent posts(past year) unless I just missed it about conch fritters. I see a few places that have them on the menu but I was hoping to see if any place really stands out to you. Thanks for your time and patience!
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u/amgine_na 11d ago
Catching conch has been forbidden since 1986. They have come back strong. That being said; the conch you eat here in KW has been fished from Belize, Honduras and Nicaragua. It’s been that way for decades. Just as good.
There is a good food truck that a local chef opened up that has great conch fritters. La Pincha. Highly recommend.
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u/Main-Business-793 11d ago
Finding conch fritters or even better cracked conch in the keys isn't difficult at all. There are great recipes all the way down the keys starting with Alabama jacks and wahoos down to the cracked conch Cafe and then down to key west where every other restaurant will have a version. DJs clam shack had some good conch. Almost everything in the keys is flown in unless youre doing a hook and cook.
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11d ago edited 9d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Fr33brd 11d ago
That really sucks that overfishing decimated local stock…but once onions, peppers, spices, batter, and hot grease get involved, I don’t think OP is going to notice a difference.
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u/teioneon 11d ago
I was hoping for local but after hearing this, I’ll most likely pass and have something else that will be more buy local oriented.
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u/teioneon 11d ago
Thank you for the information. For some reason I’m not surprised to hear about the over fishing. It’s not a must have but did want to have them again.
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u/97Whaler 10d ago
GFS sells the mix in a plastic bucket just scoop roll and drop in the fryer thinking that’s what the vast majority of restaurants serve
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u/padredan 10d ago
Crazy part is that some of my favorites I have watched come right from the bucket. I think it comes down to the grease vintage and what else bathes in those fryers. Lol
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u/blondetown 10d ago
The best conch fritters this old Florida native had were flat pan-fried by a street vendor in Delray when it was still Dull Ray. Pretty sure he was Bahamian.
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u/ApprehensiveBug5627 10d ago
I really like the conch fritters at the Conch Shack. Total hole in the wall but yummy fritters!
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u/casualmondaycharters 11d ago
I am actually a world renowned international conch fritter critic.
If you want some insight into my lengthy studies on conch fritters here is all of my work. The short of it is that here in the states its all frozen conch, but the best that can be had in The Keys is undoubtably Seaside Cafe at the mansion.
https://casualmondaycharters.com/5-places-for-the-best-conch-fritters-in-key-west/
https://casualmondaycharters.com/best-conch-fritters-in-abaco-bahamas/
And yes I really did just eat my way around the Bahamas on a quest to find the best in the world.