Captain Tony’s Saloon was one of those Key West stops that immediately felt different from anywhere else we visited. We stopped in during a three-day Fourth of July weekend in Key West, grabbed a couple of Michelob Ultras and a key lime shot, and spent as much time looking around the room as we did drinking.
Quick take
When we visited: Fourth of July weekend during a three-day Key West trip.
What we had: Michelob Ultra and a key lime shot.
What stood out: The history, the hanging tree, the gravestones, the skeleton, and the completely over-the-top collection of dollar bills and memorabilia covering the place.
Would we go back? Definitely. Captain Tony’s is already on our list for the next Key West trip.
The drinks were simple. The bar was the attraction.
We kept the drink order pretty simple: Michelob Ultras and a key lime shot. The key lime shot fit the Key West setting perfectly, but for us the real reason to stop at Captain Tony’s was the place itself.
Every direction gives you something different to look at. Dollar bills cover huge sections of the walls and ceiling, bras hang overhead, and the tree growing right through the middle of the bar makes the whole place feel more like a piece of Key West history that happens to serve drinks.
Yes, it really was a morgue
This was the part we wanted to double-check after our visit, because some of the stories inside Captain Tony’s sound almost too strange to be real. According to Captain Tony’s own history, the building at 428 Greene Street was constructed in 1851 as an ice house that also doubled as the city morgue.
The bar’s history also identifies the tree still growing through the building as the old “hanging tree” and says 17 people were hanged there. Some of the ghost stories surrounding the tree have clearly become part of Key West legend over the years, but the former-morgue history itself is documented by the saloon.
The skeleton and gravestones got our attention
The details that really stuck with us were the skeleton on display and the gravestones inside the bar. Atlas Obscura’s write-up on Captain Tony’s describes the displayed skeleton as real and reports that human remains and gravestones were uncovered during renovations.
That history changes the way you look at the room. What first feels like a wildly decorated Key West dive bar starts to feel like a building that has collected layer after layer of island history.
Why Captain Tony’s is on our return list
We are not calling this a full food or cocktail review—we had beer and a key lime shot, and that was enough for this visit. What we can say is that the atmosphere absolutely delivered. It felt old, strange, fun, and completely Key West.
Captain Tony’s is definitely somewhere we want to go back to. Next time, we want more time to look around, try something different from the bar, and take in more of the history instead of just making it one stop during a packed three-day weekend.
Part of the Key West dream
This trip was only three days, but places like Captain Tony’s are a big part of why Key West keeps pulling us back. We do not live there—we are documenting the trips, the places we actually visit, and the long-term dream of someday calling the island home. You can follow that part of the story in The Key West Dream.
Bottom line: If you like bars with history, character, and the kind of details you will still be talking about after the trip, Captain Tony’s deserves a stop. For us, it is already on the list for the next visit.
