Made 2 Order is my happy place. For those unfamiliar with Made 2 Order, it’s hiding behind the Tavernier Creek Waterway bridge on the Old Highway near MM 90.
I don’t know one local who doesn’t absolutely love this establishment. For me, when I’m there, time slows down and I feel nothing but pure gratitude. It’s a combination of the friendly staff, waterfront tables, amazing food and the light sounds of the radio jamming Sun 103.1 in the background. It’s all just so “Keysy.” Even when there is a long list of people ahead of me, I wait for my table with a smile on my face.
If I’m there during the week, my favorite drink is their oh-so-refreshing mango iced tea. If it’s a weekend, I’ll have a little fun and order one of the local beers they have available.
The breakfast and lunch selections at Made 2 Order are just phenomenal. I’m extra excited when I order lunch and Mark orders breakfast. That way I get the best of both worlds when we end up sharing. My breakfast order changes almost every visit and has never disappointed. I just adore their crab cake benedict; you get two towering mountains consisting of an English muffin, tomato slice, jumbo lump crab cake, a perfectly poached egg with a little waterfall of hollandaise. You get to pick a side and I always go with their house potatoes; they are loaded with flavor.
Have a breakfast sweet tooth? Made 2 Order has you covered with their fantastic pancakes, or spruce things up with something unique like their French toast. It’s not your everyday French toast; they take croissants and dip them in freshly squeezed orange juice batter, and after they’re griddled to greatness they’re topped with an orange butter.
If I’m in a lunch mood, my favorite order at almost any restaurant is a mahi reuben. I keep a running list in my head of the best mahi reuben around town and Made 2 Order is up there if not No. 1. The only exception to experiencing this No. 1 mahi reuben is ordering it my way, Samantha’s way.
My very specific reuben order at Made 2 Order goes like this. I ask for the dolphin melt which is blackened mahi topped with swiss, sautéed onions and placed on some nice thick toasted rye. I then order a side of thousand island and coleslaw, and assemble the soon-to-be reuben at my table.
They technically have grouper reuben on the menu but I prefer mahi and sautéed onions. Ask me what my ideal afternoon consists of and it would be at Made 2 Order with a Keys Weekly in hand from their radiant cherry red Keys Weekly stand out front, quenching my thirst with a mango iced tea and my dolphin melt hybrid. On really lucky days we get a table by the water with just the right combination of sun and shade.
You can go to Made 2 Order by boat as well; they have plenty of dockage. If we are passing by on the boat and don’t have time to eat in, I call in a pick-up order. They bring it right to the dock. They have some great boat-friendly options. What I mean by boat- friendly is they last without getting soggy; they’ll taste great after a few hours in the cooler. Some boat pickup options I enjoy are the island shrimp wrap, the tuna salad wrap, the Asian chicken wrap and the Thai shrimp appetizer.
The island shrimp wrap is filled to the brim with fried shrimp, avocado, bleu cheese, red onion and Asian slaw. It’s a great midday fuel-up at the sandbar or during a fishing trip. If it’s an especially hot day, don’t let all my sit-outdoor talk scare you; they have indoor seating with some of the best AC in town. They also welcome your fur babies outside on the patio so they don’t miss out on the fun.
Immerse yourself in the local vibes and start your best day ever at Made 2 Order.
