Help with drive from MIA to Key West
 

The wife and I will be heading to Key West shortly via Miami. We will arrive into MIA on a Thursday at around 9:45 am.

I have done this drive a few times, but the last was over 5 years ago and it was always arriving very late at night.

How will traffic be on a Thursday at 10:00am? What is the best way to get from MIA to US-1 at that time?

Any must stop restaurants along the way? I used to stop at Monte's at MM25, but it seems that Monte's has closed down.

Head west to the Florida 'pike and then south to Homestead where you connect to US 1. Traffic should be o.k. that time of day and day of week but you might still run into traffic concertinas.

Try stopping at the Cheeca Lodge on Islamorada for a memorable lunch

The drive shouldn't be that bad at all. I made it about a year ago at around the same time, on a Saturday, and it was pretty heavily trafficked, but not so bad. I imagine a Thursday will be better.

Islamorada is my favorite place to stop for lunch/dinner coming and going. They've got a lot of nice options right off the highway. For some reason, the name of the place I last went escapes me. It was on the drive back. On the right-hand side of the road. Seafood place, but it also had a small market with it in the front. Sorry I can't be more helpful on the specifics. I'll try to find it and post it in an edit.

Gutt, that sounds like the exact description of Monte's. I don't think it is that far north though.