On the road again…after a few lovely nights at Cheeca Lodge, we set sail (or rental car) farther south towards the end of the Keys. Our first stop was merely ten minutes away, but a must in the area, Robbie’s. An institution, Robbie’s is an eclectic mix of bar, restaurant, art gallery, and of course, tarpon feeding. It dubs itself the number one destination in the Keys. Who is to say if it’s true, but by the looks of the packed parking lot, they may just have it right.

Before any feeding of pre-historic fish, the massively grotesque tarpon, one must sample the local specialty a “trailer trash bloody mary.” The Gentleman has been on a bloody mary kick on recent travels, so of course we had to try these. To me, it tasted like a bloody mary, but with a bunch of salty stuff shoved in it. It took a great photo, but really it wasn’t great in flavor. I’ll continue not to drink this cocktail, thank you very much.

Robbie’s is one of those loveably busted bars that is covered in currency from all over the world. We were lucky enough to score a lunch seat on the waterfront and even there, lots of dollars, not yet lost to the mouths of tarpon. Feeding the tarpon used to be free, now it’s $5 and with a long line. We decided to watch from our shady perch instead.

My lunch was divine and full of flavor not found in Switzerland, so it was a real treat. I opted for the blacked shrimp wrap which was loaded with tons of crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, and the coveted monteray jack cheese found nowhere at home. Heaven.

Definitely make a point to stop at Robbie’s for all types of entertainment from people watching to prehistoric fish (and pelican) feeding. It’s the perfect halfway Keys drive experience.