Images from Key West # 3: Captain Tony's

I went down to Captain Tony's

to get out of the heat.

When I heard a voice call out to me,

son, come have a seat...

from The Last Mango in Paris by Jimmy Buffett

 

 

 

I will admit that the opening lines to that song are what drew me to this iconic bar the first time I walked the streets of Old Town in 2005.  Captain Tony was making appearances a couple of times a week, and Laura and met him and chatted.  He reminisced of some "hookers from Kokomo" he once knew when we told him that Indiana was our home.  He may or may not have had hold of Laura's backside when we took a picture with him.  He was 84 or 85 at the time.

Tony is gone now, but I made sure that my first drink would be at the bar that bears his name.  Little has changed over the years.  It's still dark and cavernous, relying on the large open doors for sunlight during the day, and dimly lit at night.  They offer several beers on tap, including a house amber, as well as a Pirate's Punch, available in a large sized souvenir cup if desired.  A Budweiser always seems appropriate in this place.

I've found the bartenders extremely friendly.  Ask them about the bar, or Captain Tony.  It's also a good place to break out a journal, because they'll leave you to yourself as well.  Check out the walls.  You can learn quite a bit about the man that way.  I enjoy the mayoral candidacy signs, endorsed by Jimmy Buffett himself.  Look at the pictures of featured guests, like Shel Silverstein.

As you take in the atmosphere, your senses will be bombarded by the sounds of live music, usually a one man (or woman) show with acoustic guitar.  You'll take in the dollar bills on the walls, or possibly the bras, of endless colors and sizes.  Maybe you'll gaze at the "hangin' tree", which grows just beyond the horseshoe shaped bar in the center of this little piece of history.

Yes, this is a biased piece on a little bar on Greene Street in Key West.  Stepping into its confines lightens my heart, however already lightened by being in the Conch Republic.  But just remember, this is the original Sloppy Joe's!