The Holiday Isle Tiki Bar, which opened in 1969, is a bit like a time machine. Though it underwent a massive renovation (the establishment sustained a lot of damage following Hurricane Irma), it still maintains much of its original charm, and many of its original features—including floorboards with the names of some of its many visitors carved into them and a neon sign that serves as a sort of beacon to kitsch and cocktail fans.
The space has all the requirements of a great tiki bar: soft lighting, beach views, a friendly, if raucous, crowd, and a menu full of frozen drinks themselves seemingly frozen in time as the craft cocktail world has evolved around them.
Fruity and frozen is the way to go here. Even if you tend to be more of a beer or wine drinker, no stop in the Keys is complete without at least one Rum Runner at Holiday Isle. But if you staunchly refuse the combination of rum, brandy, and banana liqueur, there are plenty of other frozen cocktails to choose from: the Key Lime colada, with rum, cream of coconut, fresh pineapple, and Keke Beach key lime liqueur is a personal favorite.
A small menu of traditional bar eats—including wings, nachos, and burgers—keeps you from going hungry (or leaving your seat) while you decide whether you want to pack it in or order just one more round of drinks.
The menu also plays up its beachside location with a range of seafood-focused munchies; peel-and-eat shrimp, conch fritters, and fresh-shucked oysters are a few of your best bets.
