Porky's is Still There

We all have our favorite eateries, and I'm no exception. Why are they favorites?  I suppose that the reason an eatery is a favorite really depends on the eater. I like a place overlooking water, and I've seen some nice ones around the world. But my favorite is where the Overseas Highway  touches down on Marathon Key on its was to Key West.  I had camped at Bahai Hondo State Park on Bahai Honda Key at the end of the Seven Mile Bridge in 1996 where the raccoons raided my foodstuffs. Last week we stopped by Porky's for lunch.  It's a bit more civilized now, or rather there are more modern buildings around it. The even have sidewalks and lots of places to pull your car over and fish.  (I fear civilization is ruining the keys.) But it still has that charm of sitting right by the beautiful blue water just a few feet from the highway.

Porky's has no walls, the sea breezes just flow right through. There is the constant squawk of sea birds and the low rumble of the fishing boats moving in and out of the tiny harbor. Sport fishing, crab, and lobster boats are tied up all around. The locals and tourists pull their barstools up to the tiny bar together. Cold beer flows. Old rock and country music can be heard, but I can tell by the small stage, guitar, and microphone that live music sometimes happens.  I am confident that when it rains the roof at Porky's never leaks because there is so much stuff attached to the ceiling. The most common thing are those portraits of George Washington. Apparently it is the custom to write your name and date on a one dollar bill and attach it to the ceiling, not unlike the Indian Valley Campground store near Downieville, California. The restaurant has been at mile marker 47.5 bayside since the 1950's, and such notables as Ernest Hemingway,  Jimmy Hoffa, and Elizabeth Taylor have eaten there.


Porky's is a barbecue joint, but when I'm so close to big water, I have to have seafood. Since we were in the former Conch Republic, conch fritters seemed the logical choice.  To accompany them I chose black beans, rice, and fried plantains.  As you may know, a conch is a sea snail, and according to a friend of mine, they are quite difficult to get out of the shell.  But persistant digging with a fork will pay off and...not all of the meat is edible. According to the menu these were Bahamian Conch Fritters, and sure enough, they were tough and chewy just like the ones I had in Nassau. However, the black beans were well seasoned and the rice was spot on. There is something about fried plantains that says, "Hey, you're below the frostline." I believe that it is a culinary law that any food prepared in Miami and points south must have a Cuban flavor.

We enjoyed the brief respite at Porky's, but we needed to get to Miami by nightfall.  If you are ever on Marathon Key on the road that takes forever to get within ninety miles of Havana, stop by Porky's Bayside BBQ Restaurant.  Don't order the conch fritters, and don't look for a one dollar bill with my name on it.