Capt. Tony's Saloon - 428 Greene Street - Key West, Florida.

The Saloon building was erected in the 1800's mostly from salvaged boats that crashed on the reefs. The huge beams in the ceiling prove the hard work involved with both salvaging the timber and building the structure back then.

There is so much History to be found in Key West. However, one could write a book just about Capt. Tony's Saloon. There is a grave under one of the the pool tables! There is an old pirate Hanging Tree inside the saloon! The building started out as an ice house, and the city morgue was added there to keep bodies chilled. It was a wireless telegraph station. It was a cigar factory. It was a bordello, then a Speak Easy or two. Later on it was called the Blind Pig, where one could find loose women, bootleg rum and gambling.

In 1933 Joe Russell bought the Blind Pig, leased the building (currently Capt. Tony's Saloon) and Sloppy Joe's was born. It is said his friend Ernest Hemingway suggested the name. There was a bar that Hemingway and Russell visited when in Havana named of all things Sloppy Joe's owned by their friend Jose Garcia. Sloppy Joe's is where Ernest Hemingway spent most of his time drinking, usually in the evenings while in Key West 1933 through 1937. When Joe moved the bar to 201 Duval Street, Hemingway and "his fools" continued to drink at the new Sloppy Joe's Bar Duval Street location.

Check out this Hemingway Food and Drink Tour. One of the most popular tours in Key West. Or you can avoid the daytime heat. Check out this Nighttime Hemingway History and Hangouts Walking Tour that begins at Capt. Tony's. To see available dates and times, prices and more details for the Tours please click the link.

When Sloppy Joe Russell opened his bar in 1933, the U.S. was trying to recover from a recession, and Prohibition was still the law of the land (It ended on December 5, 1933). Prohibition sure as hell did not prevent many in Key West from manufacturing booze or from drinking it. So when it ended no one really paid attention. It did not cause much of a ripple in Key West, it was now legal to do what some had been doing for years, which was manufacture booze and drink it.

The Key West residents (Conchs they are called) have always been independent and have always done things their way. That's just the way it is there. Before my first visit to Key West my friend Chris Franklin told me "It is more like visiting a foreign country". He was right!

Our first visit to Key West and Capt. Tony's was in 2002. We were in town for our 16th Anniversary. We had the pleasure of meeting Captain Tony several times through the years. He was always a gentleman. The last time we saw him in 2005 he was accepting donations for his "Las Vegas Hooker Fund" - picture below. Of course we chipped in. We wanted him to feel the Love of Las Vegas. Several times.

The entertainment has been anywhere from "WTF" to "great"when we were there. We only had to leave once because of the "WTF". Capt. Tony's usually has very good to great entertainment.

After all, Jimmy Buffett is a tough act to follow. May Jimmy Buffett Rest in Peace. He played there in the early 70's! His hit song Last Mango in Paris mentions both Capt. Tony and Capt. Tony's Saloon. Maybe check out the Jimmy Buffett Guided Tour when you are in Key West. The linked information page will show available dates and times for the tour with no obligation to book the tour.

If you do decide to book the tour... During the tour you will hear little known facts about the life and times of Jimmy Buffett (who arrived in Key West in 1971 (with his buddy Jerry Jeff Walker), from knowledgeable tour guides. Enjoy a slice of Key Lime pie, water, and alcoholic beverage on this 90 minute walking tour. I still can't believe he is gone.

We enjoyed ourselves so much in 2002 we make it a point to stop by Capt. Tony's Saloon more than once when in Key West. Be sure to have the Bar Tenders fill you in on much more history of Captain Tony's Saloon.

There is a tree that is growing in the bar through the roof. It has been called the Pirate Hanging Tree. And also just the Hanging Tree. It is said that no less than 17 unfortunate souls where hanged from that tree. It is also said that one of the hanged was a woman accused of killing her husband and child. She can still be seen wandering around in the bar. Yes, Capt. Tony's Saloon is haunted. Most of Key West is haunted.

Capt. Tony's Saloon is a stop on several of these Key West Ghost Tours. Several Ghost Tours are listed with a brief description of each, and links for additional details. If you dare.

Or book a Private Guided Haunted History Tour that visits 5 Haunted Mansions and 2 Haunted Bars. BYOB and snacks are allowed. The Tour ends at Capt. Tony's. Well worth the price.

Our first visit to Capt. Tony's Saloon in October 2002. Our 16th Anniversary. We stop in several times when we are in town. You never know who may be playing. We had no idea the Captain was a legend at the time.


Capt. Tony was always fun and always a gentleman. Picture Taken Oct. 2002. It was much more relaxing when the cruise ship passengers cleared out!

The entertainment that day was outstanding. This guy had the entire bar singing along with David Allen Coe's 1975 Top Ten County Hit (#8 Country Single) "You Never Even Called Me By My Name".

More interesting information about the song also known as You Don't Have To Call Me Darlin that you may not know is that John Prine was a co-writer. He requested that he not be credited as a writer. How many of us John Prine fans knew that?

Much more stuff that you may not know is found at this link: Back History 1971: You Never Even Called Me By My Name. Please Click Here For the Lyrics so you can be ready to sing along the next time you hear the song.


If you look closely to Capt. Tony's left you will see the Las Vegas Hooker Fund Jar on the counter from 2005.
Captain Tony was larger than life, a legend in his time. There are pictures of Capt. Tony's visitors
and fans on the back wall. Ours should be there somewhere in a black frame.

The Hanging Tree and the Grave Marker of Reba Sawyer Beneath It. No one knows exactly how many Pirates or others were hung from this tree. It is said 17 souls were hung. Some locals say it's not Haunted but it is a stop on most Key West Ghost Tours. This one is also a Pub Crawl! Bone Island (Key West) Haunted Pub Crawl and Ghost Tour.

Burt in front of the Hanging Tree that grows inside Capt. Tony's Saloon - More Entertainment. When in Key West don't miss Captain Tony's Saloon and get a feel why Hemingway liked drinking there (with "his fools" as he called them). The original Sloppy Joe's, a fact that cannot be denied. Cheers.