Pepe's Cafe, American restaurant in Key West, Florida
Pepe's Cafe is an American restaurant in Key West, Florida, known for seafood and steak dishes. It offers seating both inside and on an outdoor patio, and the kitchen prepares daily staples like house-made salad dressings and freshly baked bread from scratch each morning.
Pepe's Cafe opened in 1909, making it the oldest restaurant in the Florida Keys still in continuous operation. It started during a time when Key West was a busy port city, and it has stayed open through the many changes the island has gone through since.
The name nods to the Spanish roots of Key West, visible in old photographs and small mementos hanging on the walls inside. Long wooden tables encourage strangers to sit side by side, which gives the place a relaxed, communal feel that locals and visitors share.
Breakfast draws the biggest crowds, so getting there early in the morning helps avoid a long wait. The patio seating fills up fast on warm days, but inside tables are usually available a little longer.
The kitchen sources eggs from local suppliers and squeezes juices fresh each day, keeping the menu rooted in simple, local ingredients. This approach has barely changed in over a century, which is part of why the food still tastes the way it does.
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