Burdines Waterfront restaurant and marina in Marathon at golden hour with docked boats, palm trees, and waterfront dining area over turquoise Gulf water
The Keys Journal · Luxury Lifestyle Spotlight

Luxury Lifestyle Spotlight: Burdines Waterfront in Marathon

Marathon waterfront dining and marina where the Middle Keys community meets the Gulf: a BoatUS-certified destination for dining, dockage, and island social life.

August 17, 2026 By Steve Conley Category: Luxury Lifestyle Spotlight

In Marathon, the heart of the Florida Keys, the waterfront lifestyle is defined by access: the ability to step from your home onto your boat and within minutes be anchored at a waterfront restaurant with friends. Sitting along Oceanview Avenue on the Gulf side of the island, Burdines Waterfront has served that function for decades, offering a marina, restaurant, and casual tiki bar in one of the most convenient and welcoming settings in the Middle Keys. For luxury homeowners and second-home buyers exploring Marathon real estate, it is a place that illustrates how the best Keys properties connect residents to the water in a deeply practical way.

Business Information

Business Name Burdines Waterfront
Business Category Marina & Waterfront Restaurant
Community Marathon
Address 1200 Oceanview Ave, Marathon, FL 33050
Google Rating 4.5 stars (3,113 reviews)
Hours Daily 11:30 AM to 8:30 PM
Phone (305) 743-9204

Why Burdines Waterfront Stands Out in Marathon

Burdines Waterfront in Marathon has earned its place as one of the most popular waterfront destinations in the Middle Keys by combining two essential functions under one roof: a full-service marina and a well-regarded restaurant and tiki bar. Situated on the Gulf side of Marathon at 1200 Oceanview Avenue, the property offers direct water access for vessels of all sizes, a spacious outdoor dining deck with unobstructed sunset views, and a relaxed atmosphere that appeals to both local residents and visiting boaters. With a 4.5-star Google rating supported by more than 3,100 reviews, it consistently draws praise for its location, its service, and its role as a community gathering place on the water.

What makes Burdines particularly notable for the luxury homeowner or waterfront property buyer is its dual identity as both a marina and a dining destination. The marina is BoatUS-certified and operates six days a week, offering transient dockage, fuel, pump-out services, and marine supplies. This makes it a practical resource for residents who keep a vessel at their private dock and need a reliable stop for fuel or a quick lunch without leaving the water. The restaurant menu focuses on fresh Florida Keys seafood, American classics, and tropical cocktails, served in an unpretentious setting where the views take center stage. The tiki bar is a well-known social hub, especially during sunset hours when boaters tie up and the deck fills with the local community.

For the discerning buyer evaluating Marathon as a place to live, the presence of a marina-restaurant like Burdines is a meaningful amenity. It represents the kind of infrastructure that makes waterfront living functional, not just scenic. A property owner with a 30-foot center console can leave the dock, be at Burdines in minutes, and return home without ever touching a road. That level of waterborne connectivity is one of the qualities that distinguishes the Florida Keys from any other luxury waterfront market in the country.

Living the Marathon Lifestyle

Marathon occupies a unique position in the Florida Keys. Located roughly at the midpoint of the island chain, it offers the most comprehensive set of community amenities of any Keys city from Key Largo to Key West: a full-service hospital, public schools, a municipal airport with general aviation facilities, Sombrero Beach, and an array of deep-water marinas that serve both the Atlantic and Gulf sides. This makes Marathon particularly appealing to full-time residents and families who want the Keys lifestyle without sacrificing access to services and infrastructure.

Burdines Waterfront is part of that infrastructure. It is the kind of establishment that a Marathon homeowner relies on regularly: for a dockside lunch with out-of-town guests, for fuel and supplies before a day of fishing, for a sunset cocktail that turns into dinner because the view is too good to leave. Its location on Oceanview Avenue places it near some of Marathon's finest residential waterfront neighborhoods, including the deep-water canal estates near Boot Key Harbor and the bayfront properties along the Gulf side of the island.

For the buyer considering a luxury waterfront property in the Middle Keys, a community anchor like Burdines signals something important: Marathon is not just a place with beautiful water views. It is a place with a functional, connected maritime community where you can live on the water, move on the water, and spend your leisure time on the water without compromise. To explore available luxury properties in Marathon and across the Florida Keys, reach out to Steve Conley. With decades of local market experience and a licensed contractor's understanding of waterfront infrastructure, Steve helps discerning buyers find the properties that truly serve the way they want to live.

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Steve Conley, Principal of Conley Sales Group at COMPASS

Steve Conley

Principal, Conley Sales Group at COMPASS. Licensed Sales Associate, Contractor, and Home Inspector. Over 30 years and $1.4 billion in career sales serving the Florida Keys.

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Sunset over open water in the Florida Keys

Explore Luxury Living in the Florida Keys with Steve Conley

The Florida Keys lifestyle is about more than finding the right property. It is about finding the community, waterfront access, local experiences, and way of life that fit you.

Whether you are searching for a luxury waterfront home, considering a second home, selling a distinctive Florida Keys property, or exploring which island community is right for you, I am here to help. As a local Compass REALTOR, I provide luxury real estate guidance, neighborhood expertise, and local market insight throughout the Florida Keys.