Key West Coffee Guide
With three locations scattered throughout Key West, Cuban Coffee Queen is a reliable source for your morning, midday and dinner-time buzz, in quintessential Keys-style, that is. Open spaces, palm trees blowing, friendly faces conversing over café con leche and a classic Cuban sandwich. Key lime pie? They have that too. Expect your coffee to be strong and your mood to be instantly elevated upon arrival.
Must Try: Café con Leche (Cuban Espresso with Steamed Milk); The traditional Cuban breakfast adds buttered, toasted Cuban bread (Pan Cubano) to be dunked in your coffee cup
Cuban Bread with Guava (Guava and cream cheese on pressed Cuban bread)
Fresh fruit smoothies with all kinds of add-ons
Great Lakes Roasting Co. is a bit of a hidden gem on Stock Island, just outside of Key West’s central hub. This shop serves as a very needed locale for those of us looking for a cozy place to work, read and visit. Located at the Perry Marina, Great Lakes serves up strong, artisanal coffee and a quiet tropical view. With vintage-style leather couches, nondairy milk options and seasonal specials, you’ll be forgetting all about that Starbucks on the mainland.
Must Try: Nitro Cold Brew; Homemade Lavender syrup
Grab a latte and hit the sand to start your day. Parked alongside Smathers Beach most days, FigJam Coffee is a specialty coffee cart that serves up perfection in the form of lattes, among other coffee drinks and smoothies. Check out @figjamcoffee on IG for specials, changes in hours, updates on where the cart is parked for special events, and to get in contact to book them for your next event!
Must Try: Classic Oatmilk Latte (And ask about the shake test!)
Glazed Donuts & Red Buoy Coffee
Fresh donuts made daily alongside an in-house coffee roastery. Red Buoy roasts the beans that are brewed in the FigJam Coffee cart on Smathers Beach as well. Even though there are an array of unique flavors changing seasonally (Carrot Cake, Lemon Poppy, Key Lime Pie, etc.) the original glazed donut can’t be beat. Expect a line in the mornings, and they do run out of popular flavors, so the early bird gets the donut.
Must Try: Cold Brew and glazed donut holes
Located along Highway 1 on Sugarloaf Key, Baby’s Coffee is the perfect pitstop on the way down to Key West. Not only is the coffee freshly roasted, the baked goods are kept warm on the counter and there’s picnic table seating out front. Need more? There’s a market stocked full with organic wines, farm fresh eggs, key lime pie, packaged snacks and treats.
Must Try: Iced Dirty Chai Latte and a fresh fruit Danish; Cuban open-faced bagel; Café Con Leche
The Green Pineapple Wellness Café
Doubling as a boutique on upper Duval, The Green Pineapple is a one stop haven for those of us who want to eat and shop sustainably. The plant-based menu boasts incredible coffee drinks, smoothies, fresh juices, and vegan/gf sandwiches and nourish bowls. The baked goods are made fresh in-house and are primarily gluten free. As for the coffee, this Key West café serves up Florida roasted Buddy Brew Organic.
Must Try: Banana Bread (gf) & Vanilla Cold Brew; Beet & Reishi Latte (Add-ons CBD or Collagen); Golden Pineapple Smoothie
Date & Thyme Organic Café & Market
A wellness café from 8am-2pm and a natural foods market ‘til 6pm daily. You seriously can’t go wrong with this menu, from smoothies to sandwiches, Date & Thyme satisfies every plant-based eater’s dreams. Check out the prepared foods in the market when you’re in a pinch.
Must Try: Organic Juices, Coco Keto Coffee, the daily baked goods at the counter (vegan, gf cookies, loaves & muffins)
Moondog has a little something for everyone with an all-day bakery, plus breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus. Artisanal baked goods are made daily with vegan and gf options, and they serve up pizza, tacos, sandwiches and seafood come dinner time. If you’re lucky, you might see the little baby chickens living on the porch. There’s indoor and outdoor seating, or to-go coffee at the counter- all options are an absolute vibe.
Must Try: The Blueberry-Lemon Quinoa Pancakes
