At the entrance to the seven mile bridge (or exit, depending on which direction you are traveling), in Marathon, is the 7 Mile Grill. This little hole-in-the-wall was recommended to a friend of mine for their conch fritters and beer. I explained to Friend that there is no shortage of beer anywhere in the Keys. As for the conch fritters, I had no idea if they are good or not.
After a drive from Fort Lauderdale southbound, we stopped at the 7 Mile Grill at lunchtime. The first thing we noticed was that our waiter had a sense of humor, when Friend ordered a beer and he decided he needed to see our IDs. Ha. Friend indeed, had the conch fritters, which apparently tasted like clams with a felafel-like consistency. I passed.
I had one of the specials, a yellowtail Rachel sandwich which had grilled yellowtail topped with Swiss cheese and cole slaw on grilled (and somewhat buttery) bread. On the side was potato salad made with mustard, with a wonderful texture.
Overall, the food is good, but not special. I feel like this is the same food, and the same retro/quirky atmosphere you can get just about anywhere in the Florida Keys, except for the seven mile stretch immediately past the restaurant. I will say, however, that the restrooms are shockingly clean. Have you been there? Let me know what you think.
